Additive manufacturing methods, apparatus, equipment and readable storage media

Abstract

This invention discloses an additive manufacturing method, apparatus, equipment, and readable storage medium, relating to the field of additive manufacturing technology. The additive manufacturing method includes the following steps: acquiring workpiece forming information of a target workpiece, the workpiece forming information including layering data of each slice layer of the target workpiece; based on the layering data, controlling a first laser to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan a powder layer within a preset processing area, and controlling a second laser to output a first small-spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the powder layer corresponding to the layering data; after the preheating and scanning of the powder layer is completed, based on the layering data, controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to perform filling scanning on the powder layer corresponding to the layering data, until the target workpiece is manufactured. This invention improves the forming efficiency of additive manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to an additive manufacturing method, apparatus, equipment, and readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] As additive manufacturing technology matures, its applications are becoming increasingly widespread across various fields. Laser selective melting additive manufacturing technology can process and shape metal parts with high complexity and precision. To achieve high efficiency and large-format processing, large-sized parts with complex structures often require high precision and forming efficiency.

[0003] While multiple lasers can be used in parallel printing or to move the powder bed below to form larger parts, most laser selective melting forming methods using multiple lasers employ multiple laser beams of the same type or with the same spot size. For each individual laser, the forming efficiency is still relatively low. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide an additive manufacturing method that aims to solve the technical problem of low forming efficiency in existing laser selective melting additive manufacturing technology.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing method applied to an additive manufacturing equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment including a first laser and a second laser, the additive manufacturing method comprising the following steps:

[0006] Obtain the workpiece forming information of the target workpiece, wherein the workpiece forming information includes the layer data of each slice and layer of the target workpiece;

[0007] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area, and the second laser is controlled to output a small spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the slice corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer.

[0008] After the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, according to the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the target workpiece is manufactured.

[0009] According to the first aspect, prior to the step of controlling the first laser to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area based on the layering data, the method includes:

[0010] The layer thickness parameters of the slice are determined based on the layered data;

[0011] According to the layer thickness parameter, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder layer on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located in the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first laser and the second laser.

[0012] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the step of controlling the first laser to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area based on the layered data includes:

[0013] Determine the preheating path for the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0014] The focusing system parameters of the first laser are adjusted to bring the first laser into a defocused state.

[0015] The first laser is controlled to output a first large spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and moves according to the preheating path so that the first laser can preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0016] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the step of controlling the second laser to output a first small-spot laser beam while simultaneously performing contour scanning on the slice corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet includes:

[0017] Determine the contour processing path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0018] The focusing system parameters of the second laser are adjusted to bring the second laser into a focused state.

[0019] The second laser is controlled to output a first small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moves according to the contour processing path so that the second laser performs contour scanning on the edge contour of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0020] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the step of controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet according to the layering data, until the target workpiece is manufactured, includes:

[0021] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured.

[0022] Based on the workpiece forming direction in the workpiece forming information, determine the layering data for the next slice layer, and execute the following steps: Based on the layering data, control the first laser to output the first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0023] The target workpiece is obtained after all slices and layers of the target workpiece have been manufactured.

[0024] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the step of controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet according to the layering data includes:

[0025] Determine the internal fill path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0026] The first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters and move along the internal filling path so that the first laser can fill and scan the internal region of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0027] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, before the step of controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to perform a filling scan on the powder layer sheet corresponding to the layering data based on the layering data, the method further includes:

[0028] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters to perform contour scanning on the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet;

[0029] The step of controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet according to the layering data further includes:

[0030] After the slice layer contour scanning is completed, the second laser is controlled to output a third large spot laser beam according to the preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer sheet.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing apparatus for use in additive manufacturing equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment including a first laser and a second laser, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

[0032] The acquisition module is used to acquire the workpiece forming information of the target workpiece, wherein the workpiece forming information includes the layer data of each slice layer of the target workpiece;

[0033] The first control module is used to control the first laser to output a first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area according to the layering data, and to control the second laser to output a first small spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the slice corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer.

[0034] The second control module is used to, after the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, control the first laser to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer according to the layering data, until the target workpiece is manufactured.

[0035] According to the second aspect, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes: a powder spreading module, used for:

[0036] The layer thickness parameters of the slice are determined based on the layered data;

[0037] According to the layer thickness parameter, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder layer on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located in the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first laser and the second laser.

[0038] According to the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect above, the first control module further includes a preheating scanning module, used for:

[0039] Determine the preheating path for the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0040] The focusing system parameters of the first laser are adjusted to bring the first laser into a defocused state.

[0041] The first laser is controlled to output a first large spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and moves according to the preheating path so that the first laser can preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0042] According to the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect above, the first control module further includes a contour scanning module, used for:

[0043] Determine the contour processing path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0044] The focusing system parameters of the second laser are adjusted to bring the second laser into a focused state.

[0045] The second laser is controlled to output a first small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moves according to the contour processing path so that the second laser performs contour scanning on the edge contour of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0046] According to the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect above, the second control module is also used for:

[0047] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured.

[0048] Based on the workpiece forming direction in the workpiece forming information, determine the layering data for the next slice layer, and execute the following steps: Based on the layering data, control the first laser to output the first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0049] The target workpiece is obtained after all slices and layers of the target workpiece have been manufactured.

[0050] According to the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect above, the second control module is also used for:

[0051] Determine the internal fill path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0052] The first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters and move along the internal filling path so that the first laser can fill and scan the internal region of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0053] According to the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect above, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes: a third control module, used for:

[0054] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters to perform contour scanning on the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet;

[0055] After the slice layer contour scanning is completed, the second laser is controlled to output a third large spot laser beam according to the preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer sheet.

[0056] Thirdly, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: a memory, a processor, a first laser, and a second laser, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, the computer program being configured to implement the steps of the additive manufacturing method as described above.

[0057] The third aspect and any implementation thereof correspond to the first aspect and any implementation thereof, respectively. The technical effects of the third aspect and any implementation thereof are similar to those of the first aspect and any implementation thereof, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] Fourthly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the additive manufacturing method as described in any one of the first aspects or possible implementations thereof.

[0059] The fourth aspect and any implementation thereof correspond to the first aspect and any implementation thereof, respectively. The technical effects of the fourth aspect and any implementation thereof are similar to those of the first aspect and any implementation thereof, and will not be repeated here.

[0060] Fifthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer program including instructions for performing the additive manufacturing method in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0061] The fifth aspect and any implementation thereof correspond to the first aspect and any implementation thereof, respectively. The technical effects of the fifth aspect and any implementation thereof are similar to those of the first aspect and any implementation thereof, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] This invention proposes an additive manufacturing method, apparatus, equipment, and readable storage medium. By acquiring workpiece forming information of a target workpiece, including layering data of each slice layer of the target workpiece, and based on the layering data, controlling a first laser to output a large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layers within a preset processing area. Preheating the powder layers within the preset processing area with the large-spot laser beam achieves in-situ stress relief while reducing thermal cycling and powder splashing, thus improving forming quality. During preheating, a second laser can also be controlled to output a small-spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the powder layers corresponding to the layering data. Therefore, this invention does not affect forming efficiency due to preheating scanning, improving forming quality while ensuring forming efficiency. Since the preheating scanning of the powder layers is usually short, after the preheating scanning is completed, based on the layering data, the first laser can be controlled to output a second-large-spot laser beam to perform a filling scan on the powder layers corresponding to the layering data until the target workpiece is manufactured. Thus, this invention effectively improves forming efficiency while ensuring forming quality by having large and small light spots work together. Attached Figure Description

[0063] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the first embodiment of the additive manufacturing method of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the preset processing area designed for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the defocused state and the focused state in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 4 This is a top view of the scanning scene involved in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of the second embodiment of the additive manufacturing method of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention;

[0069] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0070] Figure 8 This is an example diagram of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0072] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0073] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0074] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order of objects. For example, "first target object" and "second target object," etc., are used to distinguish different target objects, not to describe a specific order of target objects.

[0075] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0076] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the first embodiment of the additive manufacturing method of the present invention. It should be noted that although the logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than that shown here.

[0078] The first embodiment of the present invention provides an additive manufacturing method applied to an additive manufacturing equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment including a first laser and a second laser, and the additive manufacturing method comprising the following steps:

[0079] Step S100: Obtain workpiece forming information of the target workpiece, wherein the workpiece forming information includes layer data of each slice layer of the target workpiece.

[0080] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the additive manufacturing equipment includes a first laser and a second laser. Both the first and second lasers may include one or more laser emitting units. It is also understood that, in addition to the first and second lasers, the additive manufacturing equipment may include other units for implementing additive manufacturing, such as a powder laying unit for laying raw material powder for the target workpiece, and a processing platform for laying the raw material powder for the target workpiece into powder sheets, etc.

[0081] Furthermore, it should be noted that the target workpiece is the workpiece to be obtained through additive manufacturing. The workpiece forming information includes layer data of each slice layer of the target workpiece. The layer data may include identification information of the corresponding slice layer (such as position, order, etc.) and the manufacturing planning path of the slice layer (which may include preheating path, contour path, internal filling path, etc.).

[0082] Step S200: According to the layering data, control the first laser to output a first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area, and control the second laser to output a first small spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the slice corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer.

[0083] It is understood that in the additive manufacturing process, additive manufacturing is performed layer by layer on each slice of the target workpiece according to the forming direction of the target workpiece. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the workpiece forming information and the forming direction of the target workpiece, the layering data of the slice to be manufactured in the next layer is determined, and the preheating path of the slice layer corresponding to the layering data is determined. Then, by adjusting the focusing system parameters of the first laser, the first laser is put into a defocused state, which can be a positive defocused state or a negative defocused state. At this time, the laser beam output by the first laser is a large spot on the powder slice, that is, the laser beam output by the first laser in the defocused state is a large spot laser beam. Then, the first laser can be controlled to output a first large spot laser beam according to the preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and move according to the preheating path, so that the first laser performs a preheating scan on the powder slice in the preset processing area. It is understood that the energy density corresponding to the preheating scan is lower than the energy density that can melt the raw material powder in the powder slice, that is, the preheating scan will not melt the raw material powder in the powder slice. In this embodiment, a large-spot laser beam from a first laser is used for preheating scanning. This not only heats the powder layer but also prevents remelting of the raw powder due to the first laser being in a defocused state. This achieves in-situ stress relief while reducing thermal cycling and powder splashing, thus improving forming quality. Furthermore, while the first laser outputs a large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within the preset processing area, the contour processing path of the slice layers corresponding to the layering data can be determined. The focusing system parameters of the second laser are adjusted to bring it into a focused state. At this point, the laser beam output by the second laser strikes the powder layer as a small spot, meaning the laser beam output by the first laser in the focused state is also a small-spot laser beam. This allows the second laser to output a small-spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters and move along the contour processing path in the focused state, enabling the second laser to perform contour scanning on the edge contours of the slice layers on the powder layer. It is understood that the energy density corresponding to the contour scan is higher than the energy density that can melt the raw material powder in the powder sheet, meaning that the contour scan will melt the raw material powder in the powder sheet. Therefore, in this embodiment, the forming efficiency will not be affected by the preheating scan, thus improving the forming quality while ensuring forming efficiency.Furthermore, it is understood that, in order to further improve the melting effect and melting efficiency of the first small-spot laser beam, the execution time of the second laser's contour scanning of the edge contour of the slice layer can have a slight time delay (e.g., 0.3s, 0.5s, 1.0s, etc.) relative to the execution time of the first laser's preheating scan of the powder layer in the preset processing area. This ensures that the preheating effect of the powder layer in the scanning area is better when the second laser performs contour scanning of the edge contour of the slice layer. That is, the first small-spot laser beam immediately follows the contour scanning after the first large-spot laser beam performs the preheating scan.

[0084] Prior to step S200, which involves controlling the first laser to output a large-spot laser beam based on the layered data to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area, the process includes:

[0085] Step A10: Determine the layer thickness parameters of the slice layer based on the layer data;

[0086] Step A20: According to the layer thickness parameter, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder layer on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located in the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first laser and the second laser.

[0087] In this embodiment, the layered data may include layer thickness parameters for each slice layer. Since the layer thickness of different slice layers can be the same or an adaptive layer thickness, the layer thickness parameters for each slice layer can be the same or different. It is understood that the raw material powder for the target workpiece is a powder material used to manufacture the target workpiece, and the selection of the raw material powder is determined according to the material of the target workpiece. For example, if the material of the target workpiece is iron, then the raw material powder can be iron powder.

[0088] In this embodiment, before scanning with the first and second lasers, the layer thickness parameters of the sliced ​​layers corresponding to the layered data can be determined. Then, based on the layer thickness parameters, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder sheet on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located within the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first and second lasers. (Refer to...) Figure 2 , Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of a preset processing area designed according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the diagram, the scanning area of ​​galvanometer 1 is the scanning range corresponding to the first galvanometer of the first laser, and the scanning area of ​​galvanometer 2 is the scanning range corresponding to the second galvanometer of the second laser. The preset processing area is located within the overlapping area of ​​the scanning ranges of the first laser and the second laser (i.e., within the overlapping area of ​​the scanning areas of galvanometer 1 and galvanometer 2). In this embodiment, the galvanometers of the first laser and the second laser can be triaxial galvanometers, thereby allowing both the scanning ranges of the first laser and the second laser to cover the preset processing area. The first laser and the second laser can simultaneously scan the same or different positions within the preset processing area, achieving full-area scanning. This effectively solves the problem of unmelted areas at the overlap, avoids inconsistent splicing of the overlap area, and reduces warping and deformation caused by large internal stress from repeated laser scanning.

[0089] The step S200, which involves controlling the first laser to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area based on the layering data, includes:

[0090] Step S210: Determine the preheating path of the slice layering corresponding to the layered data;

[0091] Step S211: Adjust the focusing system parameters of the first laser to put the first laser in a defocused state;

[0092] Step S212: Control the first laser to output a first large spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and move according to the preheating path so that the first laser can preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0093] In this embodiment, the preheating path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data can be determined. (Refer to...) Figure 3 , Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating defocus and focus states in an embodiment of the present invention. The defocus state can be a positive defocus state or a negative defocus state. After adjusting the focusing system parameters of the first laser, if the focal plane of the first laser is higher than the upper surface of the powder layer, the first laser can be in a positive defocus state; if the focusing system parameters of the first laser are adjusted, if the focal plane of the first laser is lower than the upper surface of the powder layer, the first laser can be in a negative defocus state. The first laser is controlled to output a first large-spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocus state, and moves along the preheating path to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area. The preset preheating parameters include preheating output power and preheating scanning speed. It is understood that the energy density of the first large-spot laser beam output by the first laser under the preset preheating parameters is lower than the energy density of the melting of the powder layer. In this embodiment, a large-spot laser beam is used by the first laser for preheating scanning, which can both heat up the powder layer and prevent the raw material powder from being melted due to the first laser being in a defocused state. This avoids remelting of the raw material powder, achieves in-situ stress relief, reduces thermal cycling and powder splashing, and improves the forming quality.

[0094] The step S200, which involves controlling the second laser to output a first small-spot laser beam while simultaneously performing contour scanning on the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet, includes:

[0095] Step S220: Determine the contour processing path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0096] Step S221: Adjust the focusing system parameters of the second laser to bring the second laser into a focused state;

[0097] Step S222: Control the second laser to output a first small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and move according to the contour processing path so that the second laser performs contour scanning on the edge contour of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0098] While the first laser outputs a large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area, the contour processing path of the slice layer corresponding to the layering data can be determined. The focusing system parameters of the second laser are adjusted to bring it into a focused state. After adjusting the focusing system parameters of the second laser, the focal plane of the second laser is flush with the upper surface of the powder layer, thus bringing the second laser into a focused state. At this time, the laser beam output by the second laser strikes the powder layer as a small spot, that is, the laser beam output by the second laser in the focused state is a small-spot laser beam. Therefore, the second laser is controlled to output a first small-spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state and move according to the contour processing path, so that the second laser performs contour scanning on the edge contour of the slice layer on the powder layer. The preset contour scanning parameters include contour scanning output frequency and contour scanning speed. It is understood that the energy density of the first small-spot laser beam output by the second laser under the preset preheating parameters is higher than the energy density of the melting of the powder layer. Therefore, in this embodiment, while the first laser preheats the powder layer, a second laser using a small-spot laser beam scans the edge contours of the slice layers, enabling precise scanning of the edge contours. This embodiment avoids affecting forming efficiency due to preheating scanning, thus improving forming quality while ensuring forming efficiency.

[0099] Step S300: After the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, according to the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the target workpiece is manufactured.

[0100] Since the preheating scan of the powder layer is usually short, after the preheating scan is completed, the first laser is controlled to output a second large-spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters and move along the internal filling path so that the first laser fills the internal region of the sliced ​​layer on the powder layer until the target workpiece is manufactured. It is understood that the energy density corresponding to the filling scan is higher than the energy density that can melt the raw material powder in the powder layer; that is, the filling scan will melt the raw material powder in the powder layer. The spot area of ​​the second large-spot laser beam can be the same as or different from the spot area of ​​the first spot laser beam. In this embodiment, after the first laser completes the preheating scan of the powder layer, it scans in conjunction with the second laser, thereby effectively improving the forming efficiency of laser selective melting additive manufacturing. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the first laser completes the preheating scan, the coordinated operation of large and small spot lasers effectively improves the forming efficiency while ensuring forming quality.

[0101] Furthermore, after the second laser completes the contour scanning of the edge contour of the slice layer, if the slice layer corresponding to the layer data has not been fully filled, the second laser is controlled to output a third large-spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder sheet. Thus, the first and second lasers work together to complete the additive manufacturing of the slice layer corresponding to the layer data, effectively improving the forming efficiency for large parts. It is understandable that after the second laser completes the contour scanning of the edge contour of the slice layer, if the slice layer corresponding to the layer data has been or is about to be fully filled, the second laser can be controlled to standby, waiting for the additive manufacturing of the next slice layer.

[0102] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a top view of the scanning scenario involved in an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a first laser outputs a large-spot laser beam LB1 to preheat and scan the entire powder layer, improving forming quality. Simultaneously, a second laser outputs a small-spot laser beam LS1 to scan the edge contours (i.e., the dashed rectangles in the figure) of the sliced ​​layers of the target workpiece on the powder layer, to avoid affecting forming efficiency due to preheating scanning. Then, after the preheating scan is completed by the first large-spot laser beam LB1, a second large-spot laser beam LB2 is output from the first laser to fill and scan the internal regions (i.e., the dotted rectangles in the figure) of the sliced ​​layers of the target workpiece on the powder layer.

[0103] The step S300, which involves controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam based on the layering data to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet until the target workpiece is manufactured, includes:

[0104] Step S310: According to the layering data, control the first laser to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet until the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured.

[0105] Step S320: Based on the workpiece forming direction in the workpiece forming information, determine the layering data for the next slice layer, and execute the following steps: Based on the layering data, control the first laser to output the first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0106] Step S330: After all the slices and layers of the target workpiece have been manufactured, the target workpiece is obtained.

[0107] It is understood that additive manufacturing requires layer-by-layer additive manufacturing of each slice of the target workpiece according to its forming direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured. After the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured, the layering data for the next slice can be determined according to the workpiece forming information and the forming direction of the target workpiece. The next slice is the slice layer to be manufactured above and below the forming direction. The following step is then executed: based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area. Thus, each slice of the target workpiece can be manufactured one by one according to its forming direction, and the target workpiece is obtained after all slices of the target workpiece are manufactured.

[0108] The step S310, which involves controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet based on the layering data, includes:

[0109] Step S311: Determine the internal filling path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0110] Step S312: Control the first laser to output a second large spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters, and move according to the internal filling path, so that the first laser can fill and scan the internal region of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0111] After the first laser completes the preheating scan of the powder layer, the internal filling path of the slice layer corresponding to the layering data can be determined. This internal filling path is the filling path of the internal region of the slice layer, and the internal region is the area enclosed by the edge contour of the slice layer. Then, the first laser can be controlled to output a second large-spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters and move along the internal filling path, so that the first laser performs a filling scan on the powder layer of the slice layer. It is understood that the preset filling scan parameters include the filling output frequency and the filling scan speed. It is also understood that the energy density of the second large-spot laser beam output by the first laser under the preset filling parameters is higher than the energy density of the powder layer melting. Furthermore, since the second large-spot laser beam requires a higher energy density to melt the powder layer during filling scanning compared to preheating scanning, the spot area of ​​the second large-spot laser beam can be smaller than the spot area of ​​the first spot laser beam. For example, prior to step S312, the focusing system parameters of the first laser can be adjusted to reduce the spot area of ​​the first large-spot laser beam, so that the spot area of ​​the second large-spot laser beam output by the first laser is smaller than that of the first large-spot laser beam. This increases the energy density of the second-spot laser beam at the same output power and scanning speed, reducing the load on the first laser and increasing the fill scan speed.

[0112] In the first embodiment of the present invention, workpiece forming information of the target workpiece is acquired, including layering data of each slice layer of the target workpiece. Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a first large-spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area. Preheating the powder layer within the preset processing area with the first large-spot laser beam can achieve in-situ stress relief while reducing thermal cycling and powder splashing, thus improving forming quality. During preheating, the second laser can also be controlled to output a first small-spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the slice layers corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer. Therefore, this embodiment does not affect forming efficiency due to preheating scanning, improving forming quality while ensuring forming efficiency. Since the preheating scanning of the powder layer is usually short, after the preheating scanning of the powder layer is completed, the first laser can be controlled to output a second large-spot laser beam to perform filling scanning on the slice layers corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the target workpiece is manufactured. Thus, this embodiment effectively improves forming efficiency while ensuring forming quality through the coordinated operation of large and small spot laser beams.

[0113] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a second embodiment of the additive manufacturing method of the present invention.

[0114] A second embodiment of the present invention provides an additive manufacturing method. Prior to step S300, which involves controlling a first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam based on the layering data to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet, the method further includes:

[0115] Step B10: Based on the layering data, control the first laser to output a second small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters to perform contour scanning on the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet;

[0116] The step of controlling the first laser to output a second large-spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder sheet according to the layering data further includes:

[0117] Step B20: After the slice layer contour scanning is completed, the second laser is controlled to output a third large spot laser beam according to the preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer sheet.

[0118] In this embodiment, after the first laser completes the preheating scan of the powder layer, the focusing system parameters of the first laser can be adjusted to switch the first laser from a defocused state to a focused state. After adjusting the focusing system parameters of the first laser, the focal plane of the first laser is flush with the upper surface of the powder layer, thus putting the first laser in a focused state. At this time, the laser beam output by the first laser hits the powder layer as a small spot, that is, the laser beam output by the first laser in the focused state is a small spot laser beam. This controls the first laser to output a second small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moves according to the contour processing path, so that the first laser and the second laser synchronously scan the edge contour of the slice layer. After the slice layer contour scan is completed, based on the layer data, while controlling the first laser to output a second large spot laser beam to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer, the second laser is controlled to output a third large spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer. Understandably, before performing a fill scan, the focusing system parameters of the first laser and the second laser need to be adjusted so that both the first laser and the second laser are adjusted from a focused state to a defocused state.

[0119] In this embodiment, after preheating and scanning the powder layers, the first laser outputs a second small-spot laser beam, and the second laser outputs a first small-spot laser beam, which together perform contour scanning on the powder layer sheet corresponding to the layering data. Then, after the contour scanning of the slice layers is completed, the first laser outputs a second large-spot laser beam, and the second laser outputs a third large-spot laser beam, which together perform filling scanning on the powder layer sheet corresponding to the layering data. Thus, this embodiment simultaneously completes the contour scanning and filling scanning of the slice layers corresponding to the layering data, thereby simultaneously completing the manufacturing of the slice layers and effectively improving forming efficiency.

[0120] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

[0121] This invention provides an additive manufacturing apparatus for use in additive manufacturing equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment including a first laser and a second laser, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

[0122] The acquisition module 10 is used to acquire the workpiece forming information of the target workpiece, wherein the workpiece forming information includes the layer data of each slice layer of the target workpiece;

[0123] The first control module 20 is used to control the first laser to output a first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area according to the layering data, and to control the second laser to output a first small spot laser beam to simultaneously perform contour scanning on the slice corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer.

[0124] The second control module 30 is used to, after the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, control the first laser to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer according to the layering data, until the target workpiece is manufactured.

[0125] Optionally, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes: a powder spreading module, used for:

[0126] The layer thickness parameters of the slice are determined based on the layered data;

[0127] According to the layer thickness parameter, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder layer on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located in the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first laser and the second laser.

[0128] Optionally, the first control module 20 further includes a preheating scanning module, used for:

[0129] Determine the preheating path for the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0130] The focusing system parameters of the first laser are adjusted to bring the first laser into a defocused state.

[0131] The first laser is controlled to output a first large spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and moves according to the preheating path so that the first laser can preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0132] Optionally, the first control module 20 further includes a contour scanning module, used for:

[0133] Determine the contour processing path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0134] The focusing system parameters of the second laser are adjusted to bring the second laser into a focused state.

[0135] The second laser is controlled to output a first small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moves according to the contour processing path so that the second laser performs contour scanning on the edge contour of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0136] Optionally, the second control module 30 is also used for:

[0137] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam to fill and scan the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer until the slices corresponding to the layering data are manufactured.

[0138] Based on the workpiece forming direction in the workpiece forming information, determine the layering data for the next slice layer, and execute the following steps: Based on the layering data, control the first laser to output the first large spot laser beam to preheat and scan the powder layer in the preset processing area.

[0139] The target workpiece is obtained after all slices and layers of the target workpiece have been manufactured.

[0140] Optionally, the second control module 30 is also used for:

[0141] Determine the internal fill path of the slice layer corresponding to the layered data;

[0142] The first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters and move along the internal filling path so that the first laser can fill and scan the internal region of the slice layer on the powder layer.

[0143] Optionally, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes: a third control module, used for:

[0144] Based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters to perform contour scanning on the slices corresponding to the layering data on the powder layer sheet;

[0145] After the slice layer contour scanning is completed, the second laser is controlled to output a third large spot laser beam according to the preset filling parameters to fill the slice layer corresponding to the layer data on the powder layer sheet.

[0146] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0147] like Figure 7As shown, the additive manufacturing equipment may include: a processor 1001, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, a memory 1005, a first laser 1006, and a second laser 1007. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen or an input unit such as a keyboard; optionally, the user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a Wi-Fi interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk drive. The memory 1005 may also optionally be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0148] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 7 The equipment structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the additive manufacturing equipment, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0149] like Figure 7 As shown, the memory 1005, which serves as a computer storage medium, may include an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module, and additive manufacturing applications.

[0150] exist Figure 7 In the device shown, the network interface 1004 is mainly used to connect to the backend server and communicate data with the backend server; the user interface 1003 is mainly used to connect to the client and communicate data with the client; and the processor 1001 can be used to call the additive manufacturing program stored in the memory 1005 to implement the operations in the additive manufacturing method provided in the above embodiments.

[0151] As an example, see Figure 8 , Figure 8This is an example diagram of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The additive manufacturing apparatus includes a first laser and a second laser. The first laser includes a first laser generating unit L1 and a first galvanometer Z1, and the second laser includes a second laser generating unit L2 and a second galvanometer Z2. The first galvanometer Z1 and the second galvanometer Z2 can be triaxial galvanometers, thereby enabling the first laser and the second laser to simultaneously scan the same or different positions within the preset processing area, achieving full-area scanning.

[0152] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention also proposes a computer storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the operations in the additive manufacturing method provided in the above embodiments. The specific steps will not be described in detail here.

[0153] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity / operation / object from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities / operations / objects; the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0154] For the device embodiments, since they are basically similar to the method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and relevant details can be found in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the present invention according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0155] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0156] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0157] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing method, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing method is applied to additive manufacturing equipment, which includes a first laser and a second laser, and includes the following steps: Obtain the workpiece forming information of the target workpiece, wherein the workpiece forming information includes the layer data of each slice and layer of the target workpiece; The layer thickness parameters of the slice layer are determined according to the layer data; according to the layer thickness parameters, the raw material powder of the target workpiece is laid into a powder layer on a preset processing area, wherein the preset processing area is located in the overlapping area of ​​the scanning range of the first laser and the second laser; The process involves: determining the preheating path for the slice layering corresponding to the layered data; adjusting the focusing system parameters of the first laser to put it in a defocused state; controlling the first laser to output a large spot laser beam according to preset preheating parameters in the defocused state, and moving it along the preheating path to preheat and scan the powder layer within a preset processing area, and determining the contour processing path for the slice layering corresponding to the layered data; adjusting the focusing system parameters of the second laser to put it in a focused state; controlling the second laser to output a small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moving it along the contour processing path to contour scan the edge contour of the slice layering on the powder layer; and adjusting the focusing system parameters of the second laser to put it in a focused state; controlling the second laser to output a small spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters in the focused state, and moving it along the contour processing path to contour scan the edge contour of the slice layering on the powder layer. After the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, the internal filling path of the slice layer corresponding to the layering data is determined; the first laser is controlled to output a second large spot laser beam according to the preset filling parameters and move according to the internal filling path so that the first laser fills and scans the internal area of ​​the slice layer on the powder layer until the slice layer corresponding to the layering data is manufactured. Alternatively, after the preheating scan of the powder layer is completed, based on the layering data, the first laser is controlled to output a second small-spot laser beam according to preset contour scanning parameters to perform contour scanning on the powder layer corresponding to the layering data; after the contour scanning of the layered slices is completed, the second laser is controlled to output a third large-spot laser beam according to preset filling parameters to perform filling scanning on the powder layer corresponding to the layering data, until the layering of the slices corresponding to the layering data is completed; Based on the workpiece forming direction in the workpiece forming information, determine the layering data for the next slice layer, and execute the following steps: determine the preheating path for the slice layer corresponding to the layering data; after all slice layers of the target workpiece have been manufactured, obtain the target workpiece.

2. An additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing apparatus is applied to an additive manufacturing device, which includes a first laser and a second laser, and implements the steps of the additive manufacturing method as described in claim 1.

3. An additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing equipment includes: a memory, a processor, a first laser, and a second laser. The memory stores a computer program that can run on the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the additive manufacturing method as described in claim 1.

4. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores an additive manufacturing program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the additive manufacturing method as described in claim 1.

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