Method and system for forming objects from a material

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems of forming objects from a material. In particular, a method of forming an object from a material is provided, the method comprising the steps of directing a first light beam towards a first target location of the material to define a first portion of the object. The method further comprises the steps of determining an optical correction to be applied by an optical system after directing the first light beam towards the first target location. The optical correction is based on an atmospheric change in an atmospheric distortion region proximate to the first target location, the atmospheric change being at least partially caused by an interaction of the first light beam and the material. The method further comprises the steps of directing a second light beam towards a second target location of the material to define a second portion of the object. The second light beam is directed through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region at a time when the optical correction is applied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to laser-based manufacturing using optical correction. Lasers are used in many manufacturing processes. For example, in various manufacturing processes, lasers can be used to heat materials to promote curing, fusing, or welding materials, cutting materials, etc. In most of these use cases, the beam emitted by the laser device needs to be focused quite carefully at the target location to achieve the desired effect. Background Technology

[0002] Heating a material using a laser beam can cause a portion of the material to vaporize or degas, potentially leading to a difference in refractive index between the laser and the material. The beam typically provides highly localized heating of the material. This localized heating can result in a significant temperature difference along the path the beam travels between the laser and the material. This temperature difference (or associated density difference) can cause a change in the refractive index of the atmosphere along the beam's path. This difference in refractive index along the path causes beam distortion, which can defocus the beam or lead to other problems that limit the energy of the beam applied to the target location. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a particular implementation, a system for forming an object from a material is provided. The system includes one or more laser devices configured to direct light toward the material to modify the material and thus define a portion of the object. The system also includes an optical system coupled to the one or more laser devices and configured to perform optical correction of the light. The system further includes a controller coupled to the optical system and configured to determine an optical correction to be applied by the optical system after the one or more laser devices have directed one or more first beams toward a first target location on the material to define a first portion of the object. This optical correction is based on atmospheric variations in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, which are at least partially caused by the interaction between the one or more first beams and the material. The controller is also configured to cause the optical system to apply the optical correction to a second beam from the one or more laser devices. The second beam is directed toward a second target location on the material through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region to define a second portion of the object.

[0004] In another specific implementation, a method for forming an object from a material is provided, the method comprising the steps of: guiding a first light beam toward a first target location of the material to define a first portion of the object. The method further comprises the step of: after guiding the first light beam toward the first target location, determining an optical correction to be applied by an optical system. This optical correction is based on atmospheric variations in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, the atmospheric variations being at least partially caused by the interaction between the first light beam and the material. The method further comprises the step of: guiding a second light beam toward a second target location of the material to define a second portion of the object. The second light beam is guided through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region when the optical correction is applied.

[0005] The features, functions, and advantages described herein can be implemented independently in various implementations or combined in other implementations. Further details can be found in the following description and figures. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a system for manufacturing laser-based objects using optical correction according to a specific implementation.

[0007] Figure 2 This is an example used in additive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 The first example diagram of the system.

[0008] Figure 3 This is an example used in additive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 The second example diagram of the system.

[0009] Figure 4A , Figure 4B as well as Figure 4C This is an example of use. Figure 1 The system is illustrated in the diagrams at each stage of the additive manufacturing process.

[0010] Figure 5 This is an example used in subtractive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example of the system.

[0011] Figure 6A , Figure 6B as well as Figure 6C This is an example of use. Figure 1 The system is illustrated in the diagrams at each stage of the subtractive manufacturing process.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing objects using laser-based fabrication and optical correction.

[0013] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining optical correction in laser-based manufacturing processes.

[0014] Figure 9 It is a block diagram of a computing environment that includes computing devices configured to support various aspects of laser-based object fabrication using optical correction. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The aspects disclosed herein utilize optical correction to facilitate laser-based manufacturing. Optical correction is provided via an optical system configured to pre-distort the beam to address atmospheric distortion along the path between the laser device and the target location on the material used in the manufacturing operation. For example, atmospheric distortion can cause a change in the phase-front shape of the beam guided along that path, and the optical system can pre-distort the beam to counteract or limit the effect of this phase-front shape change. For instance, the optical system can apply a conjugate phase-front shape to the beam so that when the beam with the conjugate phase-front shape passes through the optical distortion, the phase-front shape change induced by the optical distortion cancels out the conjugate phase-front shape change, allowing the beam to reach the target location with complete focusing and a fundamentally planar phase front.

[0016] Optical corrections can be dynamically determined and applied. For example, when a beam interacts with material at a first target location, the beam may cause a desired processing effect (e.g., fusion or removal of material) and introduce optical distortion in a region near the first target location. In a particular implementation, optical correction is determined after the first beam causes optical distortion, and is applied to a subsequent beam as it is directed toward a second target location. Thus, an optical correction applied for the first time during the processing of an object can differ from an optical correction applied for the second time during the processing of an object. Applying optical correction allows the laser device to target an object or an adjacent region of the material used to form the object in consecutive time periods (e.g., adjacent processing steps). For example, a beam may be directed toward a first target location, resulting in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location. In a subsequent processing step, a second beam may be directed toward a second target location, which is adjacent to the first target location. In this example, the second beam passes through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region caused by the first beam, but the effect of the atmospheric distortion region is reduced by the optical correction.

[0017] In contrast to optical corrections as disclosed herein, optical distortions caused by the first beam can be avoided. For example, a second beam can be directed to a target location away from the first target location so that the second beam does not pass through (or passes through only a small portion of) the atmospheric distortion region caused by the first beam. Re-aiming the laser device to a second target location away from the first target location increases manufacturing time because re-aiming in this manner requires significant movement to change the relative positions of the materials and the target position of the laser device between processing steps. As another example of avoiding optical distortions caused by the first beam, the second beam can be applied after a delay that allows the atmospheric distortion region to dissipate. This example also increases manufacturing time due to the delay time added between processing steps.

[0018] In contrast to optical corrections as disclosed herein, optical distortions caused by the first beam can be overpowered. For example, the power output of the laser device can be increased sufficiently so that the heat applied to each target location is at least enough to produce the desired effect. Increasing power output in this way is inefficient. Furthermore, as the power output of the laser device increases, the beam emitted by the laser device may cause even more optical distortion. Additionally, the power output of the laser device may be limited due to the properties of the materials being used.

[0019] The optical corrections disclosed herein can be applied, either as an alternative to or in addition to other operations, to avoid or overpower optical distortions in laser-based manufacturing processes. When used instead of avoiding or overpowering optical distortions, the optical corrections disclosed herein enable more efficient and faster (e.g., higher throughput) manufacturing processes. When used in conjunction with avoiding optical distortions, the optical corrections disclosed herein reduce delays associated with re-aiming by allowing the second beam to pass through a larger portion of the atmospheric distortion region caused by the first beam without affecting the manufacturing results. When used in conjunction with overpowering optical distortions, the optical corrections disclosed herein reduce the amount of power overpowering used to overpower the atmospheric distortion region. Therefore, the adaptive optical corrections disclosed herein can reduce or eliminate latency between processing steps while improving the spot size and front-of-phase performance of the laser system.

[0020] The accompanying drawings and the following description illustrate specific examples. It should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to design various arrangements that, while not expressly described or shown herein, embody the principles described herein and are included within the scope of the claims following this description. Furthermore, any examples described herein are intended to aid in understanding the principles of this disclosure and should be construed as not limiting. As a result, this disclosure is not limited to the specific examples described below, but is limited by the claims and their equivalents.

[0021] A particular implementation is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout this description, common features are designated using common reference numerals. In some drawings, multiple instances of a particular type of feature are used. Although these instances are physically and / or logically distinct, each instance uses the same reference numeral, and different instances are distinguished by adding letters to the reference numerals. When features are referred to herein as groups or types (e.g., when no particular feature among these features is referenced), the reference numerals do not include distinguishing letters. However, when a specific feature among multiple features of the same type is referenced herein, the reference numeral is used with distinguishing letters. For example, see... Figure 1 The figure shows one or more actuators 160A and one or more actuators 160B. When referring to a particular actuator or a particular set of these actuators (such as actuator 160A), the distinguishing letter "A" is used. However, when referring to any one of these actuators or to these actuators as a group, the reference numeral 160 does not have a distinguishing letter.

[0022] As used herein, various terms are used only for the purpose of describing a particular implementation and are not intended to be restrictive. For example, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise, singular descriptions are also intended to include plural forms. Furthermore, some features described herein are singular in some implementations and plural in others. For example, Figure 1 Depicts a device comprising one or more lasers ( Figure 1 The term "laser device 102" in the context of system 100 indicates that in some implementations, system 100 includes a single laser device 102, while in other implementations, system 100 includes multiple laser devices 102. For ease of reference, such features are generally referred to herein as "one or more" features, and are subsequently referred to in the singular unless an aspect relating to multiple features is being described.

[0023] The terms “comprise”, “comprises”, and “comprising” are used interchangeably with “include” and “includesincluding”. Additionally, the terms “wherein” and “where” are used interchangeably. As used herein, “exemplary” indicates an example, implementation, and / or aspect, and should not be construed as limiting or indicating a preferred or preferred implementation. As used herein, ordinal terms used to modify elements (e.g., structure, component, operation, etc.) (e.g., “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.) do not themselves indicate any priority or order of that element relative to another element, but rather distinguish that element from another element with the same name (but using ordinal terms). As used herein, the term “set” refers to a grouping of one or more elements, and the term “multiple” refers to multiple elements.

[0024] As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms “generating,” “calculating,” “using,” “selecting,” “accessing,” and “determining” are interchangeable. For example, “generating,” “calculating,” or “determining” a parameter (or signal) can refer to actively generating, calculating, or determining that parameter (or signal), or it can refer to using, selecting, or accessing that parameter (or signal) that has already been generated (e.g., generated by another component or device). As used herein, “coupled” can include “communicatively coupled,” “electrically coupled,” or “physically coupled,” and may also (or alternatively) include any combination of these. Two devices (or components) can be directly or indirectly coupled (e.g., communicatively, electrically, or physically coupled) via one or more other devices, components, wires, buses, networks (e.g., wired networks, wireless networks, or combinations thereof). As an illustrative and non-limiting example, two electrically connected devices (or components) may be included in the same device or different devices, and may be connected via electronic devices, one or more connectors, or inductive coupling. In some implementations, such as in electrical communication, two devices (or components) connected communicatively may directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more wires, buses, networks, etc.) send and receive electrical signals (digital or analog signals). As used herein, the term "direct connection" is used to describe two devices connected without intermediate components (e.g., communicatively, electrically, or physically).

[0025] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a system 100 for laser-based fabrication of an object 120 using optical correction according to a particular implementation. System 100 includes one or more laser devices 102, such as one or more processing laser devices 104, and one or more measuring laser devices 106. As used herein, a processing laser device 104 refers to a laser beam configured to direct towards the material 122 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 A laser device (126) is used to modify material 122 to define a portion of object 120. The measuring laser device 106 refers to a laser device configured to direct a measuring beam (e.g., a measuring beam 126) toward atmospheric distortion region 128. Figure 1A laser device for measuring or sensing the characteristics of optical distortion within an atmospheric distortion region 128 (beam 124 in the laser beam).

[0026] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated example, beams 126 and 124 are depicted as being guided along substantially parallel paths. In other examples, beams 126 and 124 are coincident (e.g., as shown in the example below). Figure 5 (As illustrated in the example). There are other examples where beams 126 and 124 are guided along separate, non-parallel paths (e.g., as shown in the example). Figure 2 and Figure 3 as shown in the example).

[0027] Beam 124 has one or more beam characteristics different from beam 126. For example, beam 124 may differ from beam 126 in wavelength, intensity, focus, duty cycle, beam power, beam shape, pulse characteristics, or combinations thereof. In one example, beam 126 has a first wavelength, and beam 124 has a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength. For example, beam 126 from processing laser device 104 may have a wavelength in the infrared spectrum, while beam 124 from measuring laser device 106 may have a shorter wavelength to provide fine measurements of optical distortion. In another example, beam 126 is a pulsed beam (e.g., to provide fine manufacturing control and re-aiming between pulses), and beam 124 is a continuous beam (e.g., to provide continuous or near-continuous sampling of optical distortion). In yet another example, beam 126 is pulsed at a first rate based on manufacturing criteria (e.g., to adjust object shaping and the interaction of beam 126 with material 122), and beam 124 is pulsed at a second rate independent of the first rate. For example, the second rate can be determined based on sampling or measurement criteria (e.g., sampling the optical distortion based on how quickly it changes). In yet another example, beam 124 can be pulsed at a first rate, and beam 126 can be pulsed at the same rate. For example, in a particular implementation, the pulses of beam 124 can be directed toward the atmospheric distortion region so that the optical distortion is sampled just before the pulses of beam 126 directed toward material 122. In this particular implementation, the pulses of beam 124 are used to adjust the optical system 110 to pre-distort the light of the pulses of beam 126. Therefore, in this particular implementation, the optical system 110 can be adjusted between the various pulses of beam 126. Alternatively, the pulses of beam 126 can be... N After one pulse, the optical system 110 is adjusted, wherein... N It is an integer greater than 1.

[0028] The beam characteristics of beam 126 are selected to facilitate manufacturing. For example, the beam characteristics of beam 126 can be selected based on material 122 and the manufacturing process used to form object 120. As a first exemplary example, if system 100 is used for additive manufacturing processes, the beam characteristics of beam 126 can be selected such that beam 126 can selectively solidify or coagulate material 122, or can fuse, bond, sinter, or weld adjacent particles of material 122 to form a portion of object 120. As a second exemplary example, if system 100 is used for subtractive manufacturing processes, the beam characteristics of beam 126 can be selected such that beam 126 can selectively melt, sublimate, vaporize, ablate, or otherwise remove portions of material 122, such that the remaining portion of material 122 defines a portion of the object. The interaction between beam 126 and material 122 results in atmospheric changes in atmospheric distortion region 128 near the target location of beam 126. For example, this atmospheric change can lead to a localized alteration of the atmospheric refractive index within atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0029] The beam characteristics of beam 124 are selected to facilitate the measurement of optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 without adversely affecting manufacturing processes. For example, the beam characteristics of beam 124 can be selected based on the availability of sensor 130 to detect beam 124 and determine sensor data 136 indicating optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128. As another example, when beams 124 and 126 coincide, the wavelength of beam 124 can be sufficiently different from the wavelength of beam 126 to enable accurate detection of beam 124 by sensor 130.

[0030] In addition to the laser device 102, the system 100 also includes an optical system 110 coupled to the laser device 102 and configured to perform optical correction of the light output of the laser device 102. For example, the optical system 110 may include a front-of-phase shape adjustment system 112 configured to modify the front-of-phase shape of the beam 126 emitted by the laser device 104. Examples of mechanisms that can be used to adjust the front-of-phase shape include one or more spatial light manipulators 114, one or more dynamically adjustable lenses 116, and one or more dynamically adjustable mirrors 118. Figure 1In one embodiment, the front-facing shape adjustment system 112 is illustrated as including: a spatial light manipulator 114, a dynamic adjustment lens 116, and a dynamic adjustment mirror 118. In other implementations, the front-facing shape adjustment system 112 includes only two of the spatial light manipulator 114, the dynamic adjustment lens 116, and the dynamic adjustment mirror 118. In still other implementations, the front-facing shape adjustment system 112 includes only one of the spatial light manipulator 114, the dynamic adjustment lens 116, and the dynamic adjustment mirror 118.

[0031] System 100 also includes a controller 140 coupled to the laser device 102, the optical system 110, or both. The controller 140 is configured to determine the optical correction 154 to be applied by the optical system 110. Additionally, the controller 140 can be configured to control the activation of the laser device 102, the aiming of the light emitted by the laser device 102, the relative positioning of the laser device 102 and the material 122 (e.g., via one or more actuators 160), the activation of one or more sensors 130, the use of system 100 to perform other aspects of manufacturing, or any combination thereof.

[0032] System 100 also includes one or more sensors 130 configured to generate sensor data 136 indicating atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region 128, which are at least partially caused by the interaction between the light beam 126 and the material 122. Sensor 130 includes one or more pre-phase sensors 132, one or more other sensors 134 configured to generate sensor data 136 indicating atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region 128, or both. The pre-phase sensor 132 is configured to measure the pre-phase shape of the light beam 124 after it has passed through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128, and to generate sensor data 136 based on the measured pre-phase shape. Another sensor 134 is configured to detect conditions associated with specific atmospheric distortion characteristics. For example, another sensor 134 may be configured to detect localized temperature changes in the atmospheric distortion region (or surrounding region), the presence or concentration of chemical components in the atmospheric distortion region (or surrounding region), etc.

[0033] Regardless of whether sensor 130 includes front-facing sensor 132, other sensors 134, or combinations thereof, sensor data 136 includes information used by controller 140 to determine the optical correction 154 to be applied by optical system 110. Figure 1In this controller 140, one or more processors 142 and a memory 144 are included. The memory 144 includes or corresponds to one or more non-transitory memory devices configured to store data and instructions 146. Instructions 146 can be executed by the processors 142 to perform various operations described with reference to the controller 140, such as determining optical correction 154 to be applied by the optical system 110 or other operations of the control system 100. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, instruction 146 corresponds to or includes laser control instruction 148, position control instruction 150, and optical correction instruction 152.

[0034] Laser control command 148 can be executed by processor 142 to generate command 172, thereby enabling, disabling, or altering the operating characteristics of one or more laser devices in laser device 102. Command 172 controls the operation of laser device 102 by indicative of the timing, beam characteristics, pointing direction, or other aspects of the light output by laser device 102.

[0035] Position control instructions 150 can be executed by processor 142 to generate commands 170 for actuator 160 of system 100. Figure 1 In this system 100, the actuator 160 includes: an actuator 160A associated with the laser device 102 and / or the optical system 110, and an actuator 160B associated with material handling and object movement. In other implementations, the system 100 includes more or fewer actuators 160. In certain implementations, such as Figure 2 In the illustrated example, actuator 160A is coupled to a sight to facilitate aiming of one or more of the beams 124, 126. In other examples, actuator 160A redirects laser device 102 and / or optical system 110 to aim beams 124, 126. In some implementations, one or more of the beams 124, 126 are guided along a fixed path, and actuator 160B moves material 122, object 120, or both, relative to beams 124, 126. Actuator 160B may also or alternatively be configured to perform other operations, such as feeding a quantity of material 122 into a processing area.

[0036] exist Figure 1 In the particular embodiment illustrated, optical correction command 152 may be executed by processor 142 to determine optical correction 154 to be applied by optical system 110 to light emitted by one or more laser devices 102. Optical correction 154 is configured to correct atmospheric distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 in order to improve the aiming or effectiveness of light (e.g., beam 126) emitted by laser device 104.

[0037] Optical correction 154 is determined based on the measured, detected, or estimated phase front shape change 156 associated with the atmospheric distortion region 128. The phase front shape change 156 indicates how the phase front of the intended beam 126 is altered as it passes through the atmospheric distortion region 128. In some implementations, the phase front shape change 156 is determined based on how the phase front of a measurement beam (e.g., beam 124) from the measurement laser device 106 is modified as it passes through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. Figure 1 In the specific example illustrated, the measuring laser device 106 and the processing laser device 104 are collocated and both pass through the optical system 110. In this implementation, beams 124 and 126 overlap. In other implementations, light from the measuring laser device 106 does not pass through the optical system 110. For example, in Figure 5 In the illustrated example, beams 124 and 126 overlap and form a unified beam 508; however, beam 124 does not pass through optical system 110. In other examples, such as... Figure 2 In the illustrated example, the processing laser device 104 and the measuring laser device 106 are not juxtaposed, and beams 124 and 126 do not coincide. For example, beam 124 passes through the atmospheric distortion region 128 in a different direction than beam 126. In such an implementation, the controller 140 includes calibration data (e.g., Figure 9 The calibration data (942) is used to address the differences in orientation and position between the processing laser device 104 and the measuring laser device 106.

[0038] During operation, controller 140 generates command 170 to cause actuator 160 to control the relative position and pointing direction of laser device 102 and material 122. In some implementations, command 170B also prepares material 122 for manufacturing processing by placing a portion of material 122 at a processing position. In a particular aspect, position control command 150 generates command 170 to aim laser device 102 toward a first target position of material 122. Position control command 150 may determine command 170 based on information received from another device or information stored in memory 144. For example, controller 140 may receive machine instructions (e.g., G-code or computer-digital code instructions) from a remote computing device. In this example, the machine instructions indicate operations to be performed typically in layer-by-layer processing to form object 120. For example, a three-dimensional (3D) computer model of object 120 may be processed by a slicer application to represent the 3D computer model as a discrete set of layers, and toolpaths or other machine instructions may be generated based on this discrete set of layers. In some implementations, controller 140 includes a 3D computer model and a slicer application. In other implementations, another device includes a 3D computer model and a slicer application, and controller 140 determines command 170 based on machine instructions received from the other device.

[0039] When the laser device 102 is correctly aimed (e.g., toward a first target location on the material 122), the controller 140 sends a command 172 to cause the processing laser device 104 to guide a first beam (e.g., beam 124) toward the first target location to define a first portion of the object 120. Before, during, or after the processing laser device 104 emits the first beam, the controller 140 may also send a command 172 to cause the measuring laser device 106 to guide a measuring beam (e.g., beam 126) toward an area approaching the first target location (e.g., toward atmospheric distortion region 128 or toward a desired location of atmospheric distortion region 128).

[0040] A first beam 126 from the processing laser device 104 interacts with a portion of material 122 at a first target location to define a portion of object 120. For example, if system 100 is performing a subtractive manufacturing process, beam 126 may ablate, melt, vaporize, or otherwise remove a portion of material 122. As another example, if system 100 is performing an additive manufacturing process, beam 126 may solidify (e.g., initiate crosslinking), bond, join, or otherwise fuse portions of material 122 together.

[0041] In addition to defining a portion of object 120, the interaction between the first beam and material 122 can also cause atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region 128 near the first target location. This atmospheric change results in a localized alteration of the atmospheric refractive index within the atmospheric distortion region 128. Without correction, this localized alteration of the atmospheric refractive index will cause distortion (e.g., defocusing) of the second beam 126 guided through the atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0042] Sensor 130 generates sensor data 136 indicating atmospheric distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128. For example, measuring laser device 106 emits a beam 124 in a direction that allows the beam 124 to pass through at least a portion of atmospheric distortion region 128. In some implementations, sensor 130 detects beam 124 and generates sensor data 136 as an indication of the characteristics of optical distortion caused by atmospheric distortion region 128. For example, front-phase sensor 132 may generate sensor data 136 indicating the shape of front of beam 124 or changes in front of beam 124. As another example, other sensor 134 may generate sensor data 136 indicating local temperature in atmospheric distortion region 128, chemical composition in atmospheric distortion region 128, optical irregularities in atmospheric distortion region 128, or combinations thereof.

[0043] Controller 140 uses sensor data 136 to determine optical correction 154. Figure 1 In the specific example illustrated, optical correction 154 is determined by estimating or calculating the front-of-phase shape change 156 that is expected to affect the subsequent beam 126 passing through the atmospheric distortion region 128. In this example, the front-of-phase shape change 156 is used to calculate a conjugate front-of-phase shape 158. The conjugate front-of-phase shape 158 is used to generate a command 174 provided to the optical system 110. The optical system 110 adjusts the front-of-phase shape adjustment system 112 based on the conjugate front-of-phase shape 158.

[0044] The processing laser device 104 directs a second beam (e.g., a second instance of beam 126) toward a second target location on material 122 to generate a second portion of object 120. The second target location is close to (e.g., adjacent to or adjacent to) the first target location such that the second beam passes through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. For example, a portion of material 122 removed at the second target location is continuous or directly adjacent to the portion of the material removed at the first target location. As another example during additive processing, a portion of material fused at the first target location to form a first portion of object 120 is directly adjacent to and fused with the second portion of material 122 at the second target location.

[0045] The second beam is guided by optical system 110, which applies optical correction 154 to the second beam. As a result, the second beam is pre-distorted to address optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128. In a particular example, operation continues iteratively in this manner. For example, an object 120 is formed using a series of processing steps, and during each processing step, the beam 126 from the processing laser device 104 is guided toward a target location on the material. Additionally, between processing steps, optical system 110 can be reconfigured to address optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 formed during one or more prior processing steps. Adjusting optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 allows for faster operation of manufacturing system 100 because no delay and / or re-aiming of laser device 102 is required between processing steps.

[0046] although Figure 1 The example illustrates that optical correction instruction 152 calculates optical correction 154 as a conjugate fore-phase shape 158. However, in other implementations, other optical correction calculations may be performed in addition to or instead of the conjugate fore-phase shape calculation. For example, sensor data 136 may include temperature or chemical composition information sensed by other sensors, and sensor data 136 may be provided as input to a machine learning model (e.g., a neural network) to determine optical correction 154. In this example, the machine learning model may be trained to estimate optical correction 154 based on sensor data 136. As another example, sensor data 136 may be compared to calibration data that maps specific sensor data values ​​to parameters of optical correction 154.

[0047] Figure 2 This is an example used in additive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 A diagram of the first example of system 100. Figure 2 In this context, system 100 is configured as a resin-based additive manufacturing system. For example, in... Figure 2 In this embodiment, material 122 comprises a resin that is cured (e.g., to induce cross-linking of the polymer) by a beam 126 from a processing laser device 104. In this example, actuator 160B is configured to adjust the depth of object 120 within container 206 of material 122 such that a resin layer overflows from the top of object 120, thereby forming an uncured resin layer on top of the object. The beam 126 is then directed to specific locations within the uncured resin layer to selectively cure portions of that layer, thereby forming portions of object 120. Object 120 is formed on platform 202, which extends into container 206 and supports object 120 during its formation.

[0048] exist Figure 2In the illustrated example, actuator 160A is coupled to scope 204. Actuator 160A moves scope 204 to guide beam 126 to a designated target location.

[0049] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated example, the measuring laser device 106 is positioned such that the beam 124 emitted by the measuring laser device 106 passes through the atmospheric distortion region 128 and is detected by the sensor 130. Based on sensor data 136 from the sensor 130, the controller 140 commands the optical system 110 to modify the beam 126 from the processing laser device 104 to correct the optical distortion in the atmospheric distortion region 128. For example, the optical system 110 can use, for example, Figure 1 The illustrated spatial light manipulator 114, dynamically adjustable lens 116, or dynamically adjustable mirror 118 applies optical corrections 154, such as phase-forward adjustment. In some implementations, the optical system 110 is adjusted based on the optical correction 154 after the processing laser device 104 guides the first beam 126 toward a first target location on the material 122 and forms an atmospheric distortion region 128. In this example, the processing laser device 104 guides the second beam 126 toward a second target location on the material 122, and the optical system 110 applies the optical correction 154 to the second beam 126. The optical correction 154 pre-distorts the second beam 126 in such a way that it limits the defocusing of the second beam 126 caused by the local change in the atmospheric refractive index of the atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0050] Figure 3 This is an example used in additive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 A diagram of a second example of system 100. Figure 3 In this context, system 100 corresponds to a metal powder bed fusion system, such as a selective laser fusion system, a selective laser sintering system, or a direct metal laser sintering system. Figure 3 In this system 100, there is a container 308 for material 122 and a build volume 310. The container 308 includes a first platform 304 coupled to one of the actuators 160B, and the build volume 310 includes a second platform 302 coupled to another actuator in the actuators 160B. Material 122 includes fine particles, such as metal powder or polymer powder.

[0051] exist Figure 3In the illustrated example, actuator 160A is coupled to sight 204 and configured to move sight 204 to guide beam 126 toward a designated target location. In some implementations, after processing laser device 104 to guide the first beam 126 toward a first target location on material 122 and form atmospheric distortion region 128, when guiding a subsequent beam 126 toward a second target location on material 122, controller 140 determines an optical correction 154 to be applied by optical system 110. Optical correction 154 pre-distorts the second beam 126 in such a way that it limits defocusing of the second beam 126 caused by local changes in the atmospheric refractive index of atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0052] exist Figure 3 In this configuration, the measuring laser device 106 is positioned such that the beam 124 emitted by the measuring laser device 106 passes through the atmospheric distortion region 128 and is detected by the sensor 130. Based on sensor data 136 from the sensor 130, the controller 140 commands the optical system 110 to modify the beam 126 from the processing laser device 104 to correct the optical distortion in the atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0053] During operation, layers of material 122 are formed by moving the first platform 304 upward and moving the roller 306 or scraper across the container 308 and the building volume 310 to form a thin, uniform layer of material 122. A beam 126 is directed toward selected portions of said layers of material 122 to fuse adjacent portions of material 122, thereby defining a portion of the object 120. When a particular layer is complete, the second platform 302 is moved downward to make room for another layer of material, and the first platform 304 is moved upward to allow the roller 306 or scraper to distribute another layer of material 122.

[0054] Figure 4A , Figure 4B as well as Figure 4C Examples of using Figures 1 to 3 Each stage during the additive manufacturing process of system 100, in any of the following. Figure 4A In the process, a first laser beam 126A from the processing laser device 104 is directed toward a first target location 402 of the material 122. The interaction between the first laser beam 126A and the material 122 at the first target location 402 causes the material 122 at the first target location 402 to solidify, sinter, melt together, or otherwise fuse to form at least a portion of the object 120 (e.g., Figure 4B(Example 404). Additionally, the interaction between the first beam 126A and the material 122 causes atmospheric distortion in the atmospheric distortion region 128 near the first target location 402. This atmospheric distortion may be associated with or caused by thermal effects, evaporation or exhalation, or other effects that result in a localized change in the atmospheric refractive index.

[0055] exist Figure 4B In the process, the measuring laser device 106 guides the beam 124 through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. Figure 4B In the specific example illustrated, the second beam 124 is directed toward the first target location 402. In other examples, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As illustrated, beam 124 passes through atmospheric distortion region 128 in a different manner.

[0056] Figures 1 to 3 The controller 140 determines optical correction 154 to correct atmospheric distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 based on measurements associated with beam 124 or on other sensor data 136. The controller 140 commands the configuration of the optical system 110 to correct optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0057] After configuring the optical system 110 to resolve optical distortion, such as Figure 4C As illustrated, the laser processing device 104 generates a second beam 126B that is guided toward the second target position 406. The second target position 406 and Figure 4A The first target position 402 is adjacent. For example, the second beam 124 is guided so that the second beam 126B passes through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. In addition, in some implementations, the interaction between the second beam 126B and the material 122 at the second target position 406 causes a portion of the material 122 to fuse to a first portion 404 of the object 120, which is generated by the interaction between the first beam 126A and the material 122.

[0058] Figure 5 This is an example used in subtractive manufacturing systems. Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example of system 100. Figure 5 In this context, system 100 corresponds to a laser cutting system or a laser engraving system. Figure 5 In this process, material 122 is placed on platform 502 connected to actuator 160B. Actuator 160B is configured to move platform 502 so that the target position is aligned with the pointing direction of processing laser device 104. For example, platform 502 and actuator 160B may include, correspond to, or be included in a positioning table (such as an XY table or XYZ table).

[0059] exist Figure 5 In this context, material 122 is a solid (e.g., a sheet or blank), which may include metals, polymers, biomaterials (such as wood), or another material. In some implementations, such as Figure 5 As illustrated, system 100 is configured to cut material to define object 120. For example, in Figure 5 In this system, system 100 separates material 122 into waste portion 506 and object 120. In other implementations, system 100 is configured to etch or engrave the material to define object 120. For example, as... Figures 6A to 6C As illustrated, system 100 removes waste (e.g., vaporizes or melts waste) so that only object 120 remains.

[0060] Figure 5 An example is illustrated where the beam 126 emitted by the processing laser device 104 and the beam 124 emitted by the measuring laser device 106 overlap. For example, in Figure 5 In this process, beam 126 is reflected towards material 122 by one-way mirror 504, and beam 124 passes through one-way mirror 504 to form a combined beam 508 comprising beams 124 and 126. In some implementations, Figure 5 System 100 is configured such that the pointing directions of the processing laser device 104 and the measuring laser device 106 are parallel rather than coincident. In some implementations, the processing laser device 104 and the measuring laser device 106 are operated at different times, so that only beam 126 or beam 124 exists during operation, rather than the combined beam 508.

[0061] During operation, actuator 160B moves platform 502 to align a first target location of material 122 with a beam (e.g., beam 126 or combined beam 508). Processing laser device 104 directs the first beam 126 toward the first target location of material 122 to define at least a portion of object 120. The first beam 126 also causes the formation of an atmospheric distortion region 128. When a subsequent beam 126 is directed toward a second target location of material 122, controller 140 determines an optical correction 154 to be applied by optical system 110. The optical correction 154 pre-distorts the second beam 126 in such a way that it limits defocusing of the second beam 126 due to localized changes in the atmospheric refractive index of the atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0062] In a particular aspect, controller 140 determines optical correction 154 based on a phase-front change induced in the beam 124 of the measuring laser device 106, the phase-front change being caused by the beam 124 passing through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. Alternatively, controller 140 may also determine optical correction based on data from other sensors (such as...). Figure 1The sensor data 136 from other sensors 134) determines the optical correction 154. The controller 140 commands the optical system 110 to modify the second beam 126 from the laser processing device 104 to correct optical distortions in the atmospheric distortion region 128. For example, the optical system 110 can use, for example... Figure 1 The illustrated spatial light manipulator 114, dynamic adjustment lens 116, or dynamic adjustment mirror 118 are used to apply optical corrections 154, such as phase-forward adjustment.

[0063] Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 5 The examples illustrated are exemplary and not exclusive. In other implementations, actuator 160 controls the relative positions of laser device 102 and material 122 in a manner different from those illustrated. Additionally, Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 5 Aspects of one or more diagrams can be combined in a single system. For example, when system 100 is used for additive manufacturing processes, laser device 102 can be used as... Figure 5 The configuration is illustrated. Furthermore, in some implementations, system 100 can be used for additive manufacturing processes when configured in a specific manner and using specific material configurations, and can be used for subtractive manufacturing processes when configured differently and / or using different material configurations.

[0064] Figure 6A , Figure 6B as well as Figure 6C Examples of using Figure 1 or Figure 5 The various stages during the subtractive manufacturing process of System 100. Figure 6A In the process, a first beam 126A from the processing laser device 104 is directed toward a first target location 402 of the material 122. The interaction between the first beam 126A and the material 122 at the first target location 402 causes a portion of the material 122 at the first target location 402 to be removed (e.g., vaporized) to define at least a portion of the object 120 (e.g., Figure 6B (The edge of the illustrated object 120). Additionally, the interaction between the first beam 126A and the material 122 causes atmospheric distortion in the atmospheric distortion region 128 near the first target location 402. This atmospheric distortion may be associated with or caused by thermal effects, evaporation or off-gassing, or other effects that result in a localized change in the atmospheric refractive index.

[0065] exist Figure 6B In this process, the measuring laser device 106 guides the beam 124 through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. Figure 4BIn the specific example illustrated, beam 124 is directed toward the first target location 402. In other examples, beam 124 passes through the atmospheric distortion region 128 in a different manner.

[0066] Figure 1 or Figure 5 The controller 140 determines optical correction 154 to correct atmospheric distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128 based on measurements associated with beam 124 or on other sensor data 136. The controller 140 commands the configuration of the optical system 110 to correct optical distortion in atmospheric distortion region 128.

[0067] After configuring the optical system 110 to resolve optical distortion, such as Figure 6C As illustrated, the processing laser device 104 generates a second beam 126B that is guided toward a second target position 406. In some implementations, the second target position 406 is... Figure 6A The first target location 402 is adjacent. For example, the second beam 126B is guided so that it passes through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region 128. Additionally, in some implementations, the interaction between the second beam 126B and the material 122 at the second target location 406 causes the following portion of the material 122 to be removed: this portion is adjacent to the edge of the object 120 defined by the first beam 126A (e.g., the first beam 126A and the second beam 126B define adjacent or continuous features of the object 120).

[0068] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 700 for manufacturing objects using laser-based fabrication and optical correction. It can be derived from... Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 5 The system 100 or a portion thereof (such as controller 140) in any of the diagrams is used to initiate, execute, or control method 700.

[0069] The method 700 includes the following steps: at frame 702, guiding a first beam toward a first target location on the material to define a first portion of the object. In some implementations, the first beam defines the first portion of the object via an additive manufacturing process. For example, as... Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figures 4A to 4C As illustrated, the first beam (e.g., beam 126A) defines a first portion of the object 120 by fusing or bonding adjacent portions of material 122 together to define a first portion of the object 120. In some implementations, the first beam defines the first portion of the object via a subtractive manufacturing process. For example, as Figure 5 as well as Figures 6A to 6CAs illustrated, the first beam (e.g., beam 126A) defines the first portion of the object 120 by removing a portion of the material 122 such that the remaining portion of the material 122 defines the first portion of the object 120.

[0070] Depending on the specific aspect, the interaction between the first beam and the material also causes atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region near the first target location. For example, this atmospheric change might be caused by thermal changes within the atmospheric distortion region, partial material degassing, or both.

[0071] The method 700 further includes the step of determining, at block 704, an optical correction to be applied by the optical system after guiding the first beam toward the first target location. This optical correction is based on atmospheric variations in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, which are at least partially caused by the interaction between the first beam and the material. For example, the atmospheric variation can cause a localized change in the atmospheric refractive index within the atmospheric distortion region, and the optical correction distorts the second beam (e.g., pre-distorts) in such a way that it limits the defocusing of the second beam caused by the localized change in atmospheric refractive index. For instance, the atmospheric variation can cause a phase-front variation affecting the second beam. The optical correction can use a conjugate of the phase-front variation to distort the second beam such that as the second beam passes through the atmospheric distortion region, the phase-front variation and the conjugate phase-front variation substantially cancel each other out, resulting in a substantially planar phase-front of the second beam when it strikes the second target location.

[0072] The method 700 further includes the step of, at block 706, guiding a second beam toward a second target location on the material to define a second portion of the object. The second beam is guided through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region during the application of optical corrections. Like the first beam, the second beam can additively define a portion of the object or subtractively define a portion of the object. For example, in an additive manufacturing process, the second beam can define the second portion of the object by fusing or bonding a portion of the material to the first portion of the object defined by the first beam. As another example, in a subtractive manufacturing process, the second beam can define the second portion of the object by removing a portion of the material directly adjacent to the first portion of the object defined by the first beam.

[0073] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 800 for determining optical correction in laser-based manufacturing processes. For example, method 800 can be used to point to... Figure 7 The operation of box 704. It can be performed by... Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 5The system 100 or a portion thereof (such as controller 140) in any of the diagrams is used to initiate, execute, or control method 800.

[0074] The method 800 includes the following steps: at block 802, guiding a measurement beam toward an atmospheric distortion region. For example, the atmospheric distortion region may be caused by the interaction between the processing beam (e.g., beam 126) and a material (e.g., material 122), as described above. In a particular aspect, the measurement beam has one or more beam characteristics different from the processing beam. For example, the different one or more beam characteristics may include at least one of the following: wavelength, intensity, focus, duty cycle, beam power, beam shape, or pulse characteristics. For instance, in a particular implementation, the processing beam has a first wavelength, and the measurement beam has a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength.

[0075] The method 800 further includes the step of receiving, at block 804, sensor data indicating atmospheric changes. For example, Figure 1 The controller 140 receives sensor data 136 from the sensor 130.

[0076] exist Figure 8 In the particular implementation illustrated, method 800 further includes the step of determining a measured front shape at block 806 by measuring the front shape of the measurement beam. For example, the front shape may be measured based on sensor data 136, or the sensor data 136 may indicate the measured front shape.

[0077] The method 800 further includes the step of: at block 808, determining the estimated pre-phase shape change to be induced on the second beam within the atmospheric distortion region. This can be performed, for example, by processor 142. Figure 1 The optical correction command 152 is used to determine the front shape change 156 based on sensor data 136.

[0078] The method 800 further includes the step of calculating, in block 810, the conjugate front shape of the second beam based on the estimated front shape variation, to generate a plane wave at the second target location. This step, for example, can be performed by processor 142. Figure 1 The optical correction command 152 is used to determine the conjugate front shape based on the front shape change 156.

[0079] The method 800 further includes the step of: at block 812, determining the configuration of the optical system to generate a conjugate frontal shape. This can be performed, for example, by processor 142. Figure 1 The optical correction command 152 determines the command 174 to configure the optical system 110 to generate a conjugate front shape 158.

[0080] In some implementations, Figure 1 The sensor data 136, in addition to indicating the measurement results of the foreground shape, or alternatively, indicating other aspects of atmospheric changes, also indicates other aspects of atmospheric changes. For example, other sensors 134 can measure temperature changes within the atmospheric distortion region 128, as well as information describing temperature changes that can be used to determine the optical correction 154. In such an implementation, this can be executed by the processor 142. Figure 1 The optical correction instruction 152 determines the optical correction 154 based at least in part on sensor data 136 from other sensors 134. For example, memory 144 may store calibration data or a machine learning model (e.g., a neural network) that maps the values ​​of sensor data 136 from other sensors 134 to the corresponding optical correction configuration of the optical system 110. In such an implementation, a simpler sensor (such as a temperature sensor) can be used instead of the more complex front-phase sensor 132. Furthermore, in such an implementation, the computational resources used to calculate the optical correction 154 can be reduced relative to the computational resources used to calculate the front-phase shape change 156 and the conjugate front-phase shape 158. However, additional time and resources can initially be used to generate calibration data and / or train the machine learning model.

[0081] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of a computing environment 900, including a computing device 910 configured to support various aspects of laser-based object fabrication using optical correction. Figure 9 In the specific implementation illustrated, computing device 910 may include, corresponding to Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 5 The controller 140, or is included within the controller 140. Alternatively, the computing device 910 may support the operation of the system 100, such as determining optical correction 154 by performing some of the calculations, or providing machine instructions to the controller 140 for determining commands 170 or 172. The computing device 910 is configured to support aspects of the computer-implemented methods and computer-executable program instructions (or code) according to this disclosure. For example, the computing device 910, or a portion thereof, is configured to initiate, execute, or control references. Figures 1 to 8 Instruction 146 describes one or more operations.

[0082] The computing device 910 includes one or more processors 920, which may include or correspond to Figure 1 The processor 142, or can be with Figure 1The processor 920 differs from the processor 142. The processor 920 is configured to communicate with system memory 930, one or more storage devices 940, one or more input / output interfaces 950, one or more communication interfaces 960, or any combination thereof. System memory 930 includes volatile memory devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM) devices), non-volatile memory devices (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) devices, programmable read-only memory, and flash memory), or both. System memory 930 stores operating system 932, which may include a basic input / output system for booting computing device 910 and a complete operating system enabling computing device 910 to interact with users, other programs, and other devices. Figure 9 In the illustrated example, system memory 930 stores information that can be used to determine Figure 1 The optical correction 154 procedure data 936 (such as calibration data 942, machine learning model 944, or both).

[0083] System memory 930 includes one or more applications 934 (e.g., instruction sets) executable by processor 920. As an example, the one or more applications 934 include those executable by processor 920 to initiate, control, or perform references. Figures 1 to 8 Instructions describing one or more operations (such as instruction 146). Alternatively, or in another example, application 934 may include slicer application 984.

[0084] The one or more storage devices 940 include non-volatile storage devices, such as disks, optical disks, or flash memory devices. In a particular example, storage device 940 includes both removable and non-removable storage devices. Storage device 940 is configured to store an operating system, an image of the operating system, applications (e.g., one or more applications of application 934), and program data (e.g., program data 936). In a particular aspect, system memory 930, storage device 940, or both include tangible (e.g., non-transitory) computer-readable media. In this context, tangible computer-readable media refers to physical devices or material structures that are not merely signals. In a particular aspect, one or more storage devices of storage device 940 are external to computing device 910.

[0085] The one or more input / output interfaces 950 enable the computing device 910 to communicate with one or more input / output devices 970 to facilitate user interaction. For example, the one or more input / output interfaces 950 may include a display interface, an input interface, or both. For example, the input / output interface 950 is adapted to receive input from a user, input from another computing device, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the input / output interface 950 conforms to one or more standard interface protocols, including serial interfaces (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) interface standards), parallel interfaces, display adapters, audio adapters, or custom interfaces (“IEEE” is a registered trademark of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. of Piscataway, New Jersey). In some implementations, the input / output device 970 includes one or more user interface devices and displays, including a combination of buttons, keyboards, pointing devices, displays, speakers, microphones, touchscreens, and other devices. In some implementations, the sensor 130 communicates with the computing device 910 via the input / output interface 950.

[0086] The processor 920 is configured to communicate with other devices 980 (e.g., other computing devices or controller 140) via one or more communication interfaces 960. For example, the communication interface 960 may include a wired or wireless network interface. Other devices 980 may include, for example, a 3D modeling device 982. In some implementations, the 3D modeling device 982 includes a slicer application 984, and the 3D modeling device 982 sends machine instructions (e.g., G-code) to the computing device 910 via the communication interface 960. In other implementations, the 3D modeling device 982 sends machine instructions (e.g., G-code) to the computing device 910 via the communication interface 960. Figure 1 The 3D model of object 120, and application 934 includes slicer application 984, which is executed by processor 920 to determine machine instructions.

[0087] exist Figure 9 In the illustrated example, computing device 910 may communicate (e.g., send commands to) laser device 102, optical system 110, actuator 160, or a combination thereof via communication interface 960. In other examples, computing device 910 may communicate (e.g., send commands to) laser device 102, optical system 110, actuator 160, or a combination thereof via input / output interface 950.

[0088] In some implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to initiate, execute, or control operations for performing some or all of the functions described above. For example, the instructions may be executable to implement the reference... Figures 1 to 8 One or more operations or methods described. In some implementations, refer to... Figures 1 to 8 One or more of the described operations or methods, or all of them, may be implemented by one or more processors executing instructions (e.g., one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs)), by dedicated hardware circuitry, or any combination of both.

[0089] The examples described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various implementations. These examples are not intended as a complete description of all components and features of devices and systems utilizing the structures or methods described herein. Many other implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this disclosure. Other implementations can be utilized and derived from this disclosure to allow for structural and logical substitutions and changes without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, method operations may be performed in an order different from that shown in the figures, or one or more method operations may be omitted. Therefore, this disclosure and the accompanying drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0090] Furthermore, this disclosure includes the following examples, thereby providing the scope of protection through the claims.

[0091] Example 1. A method of forming an object from a material, the method comprising the steps of: guiding a first light beam toward a first target location of the material to define a first portion of the object; after guiding the first light beam toward the first target location, determining an optical correction to be applied by an optical system, the optical correction being based on atmospheric variations in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, the atmospheric variations being at least partially caused by the interaction between the first light beam and the material; and guiding a second light beam toward a second target location of the material to define a second portion of the object, wherein, when the optical correction is applied, the second light beam is guided through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region.

[0092] Example 2. According to the method of Example 1, wherein the first beam defines the first portion of the object by fusing or bonding adjacent portions of the material together to define the first portion of the object.

[0093] Example 3. A method according to any of Examples 1 to 2, wherein the first beam defines the first portion of the object by removing a portion of the material such that the remaining portion of the material defines the first portion of the object.

[0094] Example 4. The method according to any of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the first beam comprises a laser pulse.

[0095] Example 5. The method according to any of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the first beam defines the first portion of the object via an additive manufacturing process.

[0096] Example 6. The method according to any of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the first beam defines the first portion of the object via a subtractive manufacturing process.

[0097] Example 7. A method according to any of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the atmospheric change causes a local change in the atmospheric refractive index within the atmospheric distortion region, and wherein the optical correction distorts the second beam to limit defocusing of the second beam caused by the local change in the atmospheric refractive index.

[0098] Example 8. A method according to any of Examples 1 to 7, the method further comprising the step of: receiving sensor data indicating the atmospheric changes, wherein the optical correction is determined based on the sensor data.

[0099] Example 9. The method according to any of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the interaction between the first beam and the material causes the atmospheric change due to thermal changes in the atmospheric distortion region, partial outgassing of the material, or both.

[0100] Example 10. A method according to any of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the step of determining the optical correction includes: determining an estimated front-of-phase shape change to be induced on the second beam in the atmospheric distortion region; calculating a conjugate front-of-phase shape of the second beam based on the estimated front-of-phase shape change to generate a plane wave at the second target location; and determining the configuration of the optical system to generate the conjugate front-of-phase shape.

[0101] Example 11. The method according to Example 10, the method further comprising the steps of: guiding a measurement beam toward the atmospheric distortion region; and determining a measured front shape by measuring the front shape of the measurement beam, wherein the change in the front shape of the second beam is estimated based on the measured front shape of the measurement beam.

[0102] Example 12. According to the method of Example 11, wherein the measuring beam has one or more beam characteristics that are different from the first beam and different from the second beam, wherein the one or more beam characteristics include at least one of the following: wavelength, intensity, focus, duty cycle, beam power, beam shape and pulse characteristics.

[0103] Example 13. The method according to any of Examples 11 to 12, wherein the measuring beam is guided in a manner that coincides with the first beam.

[0104] Example 14. The method according to any of Examples 11 to 13, wherein the first beam has a first wavelength and the measuring beam has a second wavelength, wherein the second wavelength is shorter than the first wavelength.

[0105] Example 15. A system for forming an object from a material, the system comprising: one or more laser devices configured to direct light toward the material to modify the material thereby defining a portion of the object; an optical system coupled to the one or more laser devices and configured to perform optical correction of the light; and a controller coupled to the optical system and configured to, after the one or more laser devices direct one or more first beams toward a first target location on the material to define a first portion of the object: determine an optical correction to be applied by the optical system, the optical correction being based on atmospheric variations in an atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, the atmospheric variations being at least partially caused by the interaction of the one or more first beams and the material; and cause the optical system to apply the optical correction to a second beam from the one or more laser devices, wherein the second beam is directed toward a second target location on the material through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region to define a second portion of the object.

[0106] Example 16. According to the system of Example 15, the system further includes: one or more sensors coupled to the controller, and the one or more sensors being configured to generate sensor data indicating atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region.

[0107] Example 17. A system according to any of Examples 15 to 16, the system further comprising: one or more measurement laser devices configured to guide one or more measurement beams toward the atmospheric distortion region; and one or more front-phase sensors configured to generate data indicating changes in front-phase shape induced in the one or more measurement beams due to interaction with the atmospheric distortion region, wherein the controller determines the optical correction based on the changes in front-phase shape.

[0108] Example 18. A system according to Example 17, wherein a first laser device of the one or more laser devices is configured to generate a pulsed beam, and wherein a particular measurement laser of the one or more measurement laser devices is configured to generate a continuous beam.

[0109] Example 19. A method according to any of the examples 17 to 18, wherein the optical system includes a front-of-phase shape adjustment system for modifying the front-of-phase shape of the one or more beams emitted by the one or more laser devices.

[0110] Example 20. The system according to Example 19, wherein the front-of-phase shape adjustment system includes one or more spatial light manipulators, multiple dynamically adjustable lenses, multiple dynamically adjustable mirrors, or combinations thereof.

[0111] Furthermore, although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar results may replace the specific implementations shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent modifications or variations of the various implementations. When recalling this description, combinations of the above implementations, as well as other implementations not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0112] Submitting an abstract of the specification is conditional upon it not being used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, regarding the foregoing “Detailed Description” content, for the purpose of streamlining this disclosure, various features may be grouped together or described in a single implementation. The examples above are illustrative and not limiting of this disclosure. It should also be understood that many modifications and variations can be made based on the principles of this disclosure. As reflected in the appended claims, the claimed subject matter may refer to not all features of any of the disclosed examples. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for forming an object from a material, the method comprising the following steps: A first beam is directed toward a first target location on the material to define a first portion of the object; After guiding the first beam toward the first target location, an optical correction to be applied by the optical system is determined, the optical correction being based on atmospheric variations in the atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, the atmospheric variations being at least in part caused by the interaction between the first beam and the material; as well as A second light beam is directed toward a second target location on the material to define a second portion of the object, wherein, during the application of the optical correction, the second light beam is guided through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region. The steps for determining the optical correction include: Determine the estimated front-phase shape change to be induced on the second beam within the atmospheric distortion region; Based on the estimated front-phase shape change, the conjugate front-phase shape of the second beam is calculated to generate a plane wave at the second target location; and The configuration of the optical system is determined to generate the conjugate front shape.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first beam performs at least one of the following: The first part of the object is defined by fusing or bonding adjacent portions of the material together to define the first part of the object; The first part of the object is defined by removing a portion of the material so that the remaining portion of the material defines the first part of the object; The first portion of the object is defined by an additive manufacturing process; as well as The first portion of the object is defined by a subtractive manufacturing process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first beam comprises laser pulses.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The atmospheric change causes a local change in the atmospheric refractive index within the atmospheric distortion region, and the optical correction distorts the second beam to limit defocusing of the second beam caused by the local change in atmospheric refractive index.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: Receive sensor data indicating atmospheric changes, wherein the optical correction is determined based on the sensor data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The interaction between the first beam and the material causes atmospheric changes due to thermal changes within the atmospheric distortion region, partial outgassing of the material, or both.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: Guide the measurement beam toward the atmospheric distortion region; and The measured front shape is determined by measuring the front shape of the measurement beam, wherein the change in the front shape of the second beam is estimated based on the measured front shape of the measurement beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The measuring beam is at least one of the following: The beam has one or more beam characteristics that are different from both the first beam and the second beam, wherein the one or more beam characteristics include at least one of the following: wavelength, intensity, focus, duty cycle, beam power, beam shape, and pulse characteristics; and It is guided to coincide with the first beam.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The first beam has a first wavelength, and the measuring beam has a second wavelength, wherein the second wavelength is shorter than the first wavelength.

10. A system for forming an object from a material, the system comprising: One or more laser devices are configured to direct light toward the material to modify the material thereby defining a portion of an object; An optical system coupled to the one or more laser devices and configured to perform optical correction of the light; as well as A controller, coupled to the optical system, is configured to, after one or more laser devices have directed one or more first beams toward a first target location on the material to define a first portion of the object, perform the following operations: Determine the optical correction to be applied by the optical system, the optical correction being based on atmospheric variations in the atmospheric distortion region near the first target location, the atmospheric variations being at least in part caused by the interaction of the one or more first beams and the material; as well as The optical system applies the optical correction to a second beam from one or more laser devices, wherein the second beam is guided toward a second target location on the material through at least a portion of the atmospheric distortion region to define a second portion of the object; The operation of determining the optical correction includes: Determine the estimated front-phase shape change to be induced on the second beam within the atmospheric distortion region; Based on the estimated front-phase shape change, the conjugate front-phase shape of the second beam is calculated to generate a plane wave at the second target location; and The configuration of the optical system is determined to generate the conjugate front shape.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more sensors coupled to the controller, the one or more sensors being configured to generate sensor data indicating atmospheric changes in the atmospheric distortion region.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising: One or more measuring laser devices, the one or more measuring laser devices being configured to guide one or more measuring beams toward the atmospheric distortion region; as well as One or more front-phase sensors are configured to generate data indicating changes in front-phase shape induced in the one or more measurement beams due to interaction with the atmospheric distortion region, wherein the controller determines the optical correction based on the changes in front-phase shape.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The first laser device in the one or more laser devices is configured to generate a pulsed beam, and a particular measurement laser in the one or more measurement laser devices is configured to generate a continuous beam.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The optical system includes a front-of-phase shape adjustment system for modifying the front-of-phase shape of the one or more measurement beams emitted by the one or more laser devices.

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