Method and device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material

Abstract

Method for the generative production of at least one component (2) from a formless material, in which a solidifying agent is applied to the formless material for the purpose of solidifying the formless material in certain areas at least on the surface of the applied formless material and / or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of melting the formless material in certain areas for the purpose of subsequently solidifying the molten material, wherein during and / or after separation of the component (2) from a surrounding powder bed (1) in a field of vision of an operator, at least one item of information relating to at least one property of at least one structure (4) produced generatively during the production of the component (2) is displayed in a visually perceptible manner by means of a visualization device (10) designed as augmented reality glasses for the computer-assisted extension of the perception of reality,and the operator, using this information, carries out a property-adequate separation of the component (2) from at least one support structure (3).

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for generatively producing at least one component from a non-shaped material.Generative or additive manufacturing methods, which are frequently also referred to as 3D printing, often require complicated post-processing after completion of the actual manufacturing process, such as, for example, in the removal of the manufactured component from the powder bed and, if appropriate, of individual powder particles from the component. In addition, in order to support component sections with low strength, support structures are often produced in the same generative production process, which are correspondingly mechanically fixedly connected to the component to be produced.In additive or generative manufacturing methods in a so-called powder bed, many components, which may also be different, are frequently manufactured simultaneously per construction job.In this case, powder particles of a starting material are connected to one another layer by layer with the aid of a production plant in each case at the locations at which component geometry is to be located.The connection takes place either by fusion, wherein relevant additive or generative manufacturing methods are, with this principle, e.g. powder-bed-based melting (laser melting method or "selective laser melting", SLM, and also "electron beam melting", EBM), laser sintering ("selective laser sintering", SLS) and "multi-jet fusion" (MJF), or by adhesive bonding, e.g. with the so-called binder application ("binder jetting", BJ).After completion of a construction job, i.e. as soon as powder particles in all layers are selectively connected to one another, the so-called post-processing follows, i.e. a post-processing. In the first step, the excess powder, i.e. the non-fused or non-bonded powder, must be removed, e.g. by suction or with the aid of brushes. As a result, the individual components are exposed or unpackaged from so-called powdered cake. This process step can be automated to a maximum extent in part and requires a high proportion of manual work.In particular in additive manufacturing methods in which the components are not firmly connected to a base plate and in which the powder cannot be easily suctioned off, e.g. because it has become tacky due to thermal influence, the unpacking is a complex process: components must first be manually localized in the presscake and-especially in the case of fragile components-must be removed carefully. Additional challenges arise because loose powder and solid component are often hardly visually distinguishable from one another or particularly small components are lost in the unpacking process.In the case of simultaneous generative production of supporting structures for the production process of the respective component, these supporting structures must be subsequently removed from the respective component, frequently mechanically by manual work, such as e.g. by milling or breaking.A challenge, in particular in the case of filigrane components, is to distinguish supporting structures from the actual component geometry and not to damage the component when removing supporting structures.Both mentioned post-processing processes are implemented in many manufacturing facilities manually and without specific support for the production of individual pieces that are typical for additive or generative manufacturing.In some cases, vibrating devices, rotating drums or computer-controlled suction devices are used for the automated removal of powder. Automated removal of supporting structures is possible, for example, by chemical detachment or by the use of a second, water-soluble construction material. However, this procedure is only possible for extrusion / melt lamination processes or the so-called fused filament fabrication (FFF).A disadvantage of automated processing of components out of the powder bed is that the components are present unsorted after the unpacking. They must then be allocated again to the customer orders.Moreover, automated powder removal is not possible for all components, since the components can be damaged as a result.To facilitate certain manufacturing or pre- and / or post-processing processes, a computer-assisted extension of reality perception is increasingly also being used. A computer-assisted extension of the perception of reality is usually understood to mean the so-called augmented reality (AR).U.S. Pat. No. 2019) / 0 279 433 A1 discloses a method for quality control during the production of components by means of a virtual representation of the component to be produced. This virtual representation can be effected by a projection onto the component actually located in the production process, or else by a representation in a display device, such as for example on a screen or in augmented reality glasses. Furthermore, a visual representation of further information in text or image form can also be effected.U.S. Pat. No. 8,847,953 B1 discloses how a person is informed about the printed component during and after a 3-D printing operation. In this case, the component is recognized by means of cameras and a virtual representation of the component is displayed, optionally together with information about the component produced.U.S. Pat. No. 9,776,364 B2 shows a method for instructing a 3D printing system comprising a 3D printer equipped with a printing coordinate system to print at least one first object on an existing second object, comprising providing or receiving at least one image representing at least part of the existing second object, determining or receiving an orientation between at least part of the at least one first object and at least part of the existing second object, determining a pose of the existing second object relative to the printing coordinate system according to the at least one image, and providing the pose and the 3D printing system for the 3D printing system orientation for the 3D printer, to print at least a portion of the at least one first object according to the pose and the orientation on the existing second object.From the article KARLSRUHER INSTITUTE FUR TECHNOLOGIE (KIT) (Ed.): KitkAdd - Combination and Integration of Established Technologies with Additive Manufacturing Methods. Karlsruhe, 2020-ISBN 978-3-00-065337-7. URL:https: / / www.wbk. kit. edu / wbkintern / Research / Project / KitkAdd / download / KitkAdd_Abschluss ver%C3%B6ffentlichung_final.pdf [retrieved on 31.07.2024], a 3-D printing operation is known.In the video in Youtube. KEYENCE CORPORATION: 3D Profiler | 3D Profiler | KEYENCE Model Series VR, 25.04.2019. URL:https: / / www. youtube.com / watch?v=UuKAeTGIO5w [retrieved 31.07.2024], a 3D profiler is shown.In: Konradin Industry. Precision Inspection Apparatus for Roughness, Contour and Surface Quality, 15.07.2016. URL: https: / / epp.industry.de / technik / product novelty / precision problemfgeraetefueer roughness contour and surface quality / # [retrieved 31.07.2024], a 3-D printing operation is shownIn: Wikipedia, Augmented Reality. Machining Status: 18 December 2020, 10:28 UTC. URL: https: / / de.wikipedia.org / w / index.php?title=Erweiterte_Realit%C3%A4t&oldid=206655256 [retrieved on 14.01.2025], an augmented representation of reality is shown.The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device for generatively producing at least one component from a shapeless material, with which a separation of the component from bodies not belonging to the component is made possible in a simple and efficient manner.This object is achieved by the method according to the invention for generative production of at least one component according to claim 1 and by the device according to the invention for generative production of at least one component according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the method for generatively producing at least one component are specified in dependent claims 2-8.A first aspect of the invention is a method for generatively producing at least one component from a non-shaped material, in which a solidifying agent is applied to the non-shaped material at least on the surface of the applied non-shaped material for the purpose of regional solidification of non-shaped material, and / or thermal energy for regional melting of non-shaped material for the purpose of subsequent solidification of melted material is introduced into the non-shaped material. In the method, during and / or after a separation of the component from a surrounding powder bed in a field of vision of an operator, the latter is represented visually perceptible by means of a visualization device, which is designed as augmented reality glasses, for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, at least one piece of information regarding at least one property of at least one structure generatively produced during the production of the component. Using this information, this enables an operator to perform a property-adequate separation of the component from at least one body not belonging to the component and / or an assignment of the component.The body not belonging to the component can be a supporting structure, or else powder or a powder agglomerate or the powder bed.The visible generatively produced structure can be the component itself or a section thereof, or else a supporting structure or a section thereof, which is necessary in order to give the component the necessary mechanical strength during the execution of the generative production method.A computer-assisted extension of reality perception is usually understood to mean the so-called augmented reality (AR), with which visual representations of additional information or virtual objects can be realized with the aid of overlays and overlays of the real world. When used in the present method, the computer-aided expansion of reality perception is able to superimpose information relevant to the removal of powder and / or a supporting structure to an operator, while simultaneously visualizing the powder bed or powder cake or else a generatively produced structure.The information can also be displayed in a relatively short time before the depowdering, so that the operator previously receives a visual impression with regard to the position, size and / or shape of the component to be depowdered.Likewise, when the information is displayed after the depowdering process, this takes place relatively promptly thereafter in order to enable an operator to assign the depowdered component.The operator can, with knowledge of the information shown, separate the manufactured component from powder.The overlaid information is helpful to the operator in locating the relevant component or else a section thereof, and optionally also in communicating contours of the component for the purpose of safe and efficient removal of powder from the component.The operator can, with knowledge of the information shown, separate the component to be produced from at least one supporting structure.The overlaid information of the operator is helpful in locating the relevant component or else a section thereof and / or a supporting structure arranged thereon, and optionally also in switching contours of the component or of the supporting structure for the purpose of secure and efficient removal of the supporting structure from the component.In this case, it is also possible to inform about the position of an optimum separation of the supporting structure from the component.In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the operator is also overlaid with information regarding a tool to be used optimally for the removal of powder from the component or also for the removal of a supporting structure from the component.The operator can make an assignment of the component to be produced with the knowledge of the information shown.In this case, the overlaid information can help the operator to feed the manufactured component to a defined depositing position, in order thus to sort a plurality of components manufactured in a printing operation.The method according to the invention can also be designed in such a way that the operator is also overlaid with information regarding the correct depositing position or the correct depositing container for the component produced.Accordingly, post-processing in additive manufacturing can be optimized and made more efficient by employing computer aided augmentation of reality perception.In particular, the information can contain a statement about the shape, size, position, alignment and / or assignment of the generatively produced structure.This information can relate to the component to be printed or to a supporting structure, or else to the respective print job.The information can be transmitted by a pictorial representation of the generatively produced structure, or by the insertion of text or data.In particular, the virtual representation of the component or a section thereof makes it possible to make clear to an operator where the component is located in the powder bed, how it is oriented, and what shape and size it has.In this way, the unpacking of components from the presscake can be facilitated by the computer-aided expansion of the perception of reality by displaying the positions of the individual components in the three-dimensional space which is substantially formed by the presscake.Furthermore, additional information can be output, such as strength data and material information of the generatively produced structure.In addition, it is not excluded that information regarding the nature of at least one body not belonging to the component, such as powder agglomerates surrounding the component and the strength or the strength of the bond thereof to the component to be produced is also blended in.Alternatively or additionally, information can also be provided visually with regard to the progress in the removal of powder or when the component is being worked out of the powder bed in order to indicate the progress of the work to the operator.This function can be coupled with documentation of the processes carried out, by recording and storing the visible or represented views and information, optionally in combination with the information regarding the progress of the work.In an advantageous embodiment of the method, it is provided that the information is generated from design data and / or production data of the respectively produced component.The design data can correspond in particular to CAD data of the relevant component which were generated before the additive or generative manufacturing process.In the context of construction job preparation, the position, orientation and size of all components to be produced are virtually defined in three-dimensional space in the so-called "nesting" process. With the aid of these data, after completion of the manufacturing process, the geometric information about all contained components can be retrieved and visualized.In this way, for example, the powder cake can be represented semi-transparent or transparent to an operator, so that the individual components can be identified in three-dimensional space. This facilitates localization, assignment and removal.Alternatively or additionally, manufacturing data on the basis of which the respective generative manufacturing process was carried out can be used for the creation of the information, such as, for example, physical parameters used in the manufacturing process, from which properties of the manufactured component can be derived, such as, for example, data of a distance travelled or also generated temperatures, from which conclusions can be drawn with respect to the shape and / or size of the manufactured component.This means that corresponding information, such as the size of the component to be produced, or also its position, is blended in by the operator on the basis of the design data or production data. Furthermore, information can be blended in with respect to the strength of certain sections of the component. In addition, alternatively or additionally, information can be blended in, which makes it easier for the operator to make an assignment of the relevant generatively produced structure, namely to components and to supporting structures which are not components of the production order, or else for the purpose of sorting a plurality of produced components and assignment to defined print jobs and / or to logistics containers, which can likewise be visualized by means of computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality to the recognized component.In this case, at least one section of the generatively produced structure can be represented as information.This means that in this embodiment of the method for generative production, the generatively produced structure is not visible to the operator in reality, but is represented virtually, in particular if the component is still embedded in powder.The virtual representation of the generatively produced structure can likewise be generated on the basis of design data, in particular CAD data and / or production data of the produced component. This means that information about the component is not generated and utilized here by optical recognition of the component, but rather an ideal model of the component to be produced is formed from the design and / or production data and this is represented virtually.In addition to this virtual representation of the generatively produced structure, further information can be overlaid in the form of text and / or data or in character form.Spectacles configured for this purpose are augmented reality spectacles.These eyeglasses are configured to superimpose the information regarding at least one property of at least one structure generatively produced during the production of the component when the operator using the eyeglasses is looking at the powder bed or in the direction of the produced component. Augmented reality glasses can also be combined with safety glasses which are required anyway as personal safety equipment during manual operation.In the case of the display by means of a screen, it is provided that the generatively produced structure is displayed on the screen, optionally together with further information.As output medium with screen, smartphones or tablet computers can be used, among other things. In this case, the image of the reality, which is captured in real time by a camera, is displayed on the screen and overlaid with the corresponding additional information.In an alternative embodiment of the method, it is provided that the generatively produced structure is visible as a real object in the field of view of the eyeglasses as a visualization device for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, wherein the information represented is directed at a property of the visible generatively produced structure.In particular, this embodiment of the method can be used for visualizing support structures.This means that here the generatively produced structure can be seen simply in reality by spectacles for computer-assisted augmentation of the perception of reality, wherein at least one further item of information is then blended in by computer-assisted augmentation of the perception of reality if the component has already been separated from the powder. This allows a relevant supporting structure and, if appropriate, also a position of an intended separation between component and supporting structure to be displayed.The information additionally blended in to the generatively produced structure appears here virtually through the eyeglasses for computer-assisted augmentation of the perception of reality.The generatively produced structure may be at least a portion of the component to be produced, or at least a portion of the supporting structure on the produced component.The removal of support structures is likewise facilitated by means of computer-assisted augmentation of reality perception by virtue of support structures being marked or visually emphasized in the augmentation, for example by a color. An operator can thus more easily identify which structures are to be removed within the scope of the post-processing. The basis for this can be CAD data used for the production of the component. In addition, further reference texts can also be blended in, for example for selecting the tools for support structure removal that are respectively most suitable depending on the position, geometry, type and material of the support structures, the tools being the most appropriate depending on the situation / location.Furthermore or in addition, the information can be provided by optically highlighting at least a portion of the generatively produced structure and / or by embedding written information, e.g. in the form of text and / or data.Information can be provided, for example, by coloring or by different coloring of the component and supporting structure and / or powder bed.A further aspect of the present invention is a device for generatively producing at least one component from a non-shaped material, in which a solidifying agent is applied to the non-shaped material at least on the surface of the applied non-shaped material for the purpose of regional solidification of non-shaped material and / or thermal energy for regional melting of non-shaped material for the purpose of subsequent solidification of melted material is introduced into the non-shaped material, comprising a visualization device, which is designed as augmented reality glasses, for visual presentation of at least one piece of information, wherein this information is usable for a property-adequate separation of the component from at least one supporting structure, with respect to at least one property of at least one structure generatively produced during the production of the component by means of computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality.A component of this device for generatively producing at least one component can furthermore be a data processing device which is configured to generate the information providing it from construction data and / or production data of the respectively produced component.The invention is explained below with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings.They show FIG. 1 : the use of a visualization device in the localization of components in a powder bed, and FIG. 2 : the use of a visualization device in the visualization of a support structure on a manufactured component.FIG. 1 schematically shows a powder bed 1 used in a generative method, in which a plurality of different components 2 have been generatively produced.The visualization device 10 is here so-called AR spectacles for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality. With this visualization device, the components 2 in the powder bed 1 are illustrated as virtual representations 11. For this purpose, the powder bed 1 is shown as transparent. This allows an operator to recognize both the shape and the approximate size and position and orientation of the respective component 2 in the powder bed 1, and thus to adequately remove powder from the respective component 2. The components 2 shown are generatively produced structures 4.The representation of the shape, size and position and orientation of the respective component 2 in the powder bed 1 thus comprises a plurality of items of information about properties of the generatively produced structure, here of the component 2 itself.In the embodiment shown here, it is also evident that a virtual representation 11 in the form of written information 12 is also superimposed on a component 2, which makes it easier for the operator to assign this component 2 to a respective print job and / or to a storage position provided for this purpose.FIG. 2 shows a further field of application of the visualization device 10 after the execution of the generative production method, namely for the optical emphasis of a support structure imprinted together with the component 2. By means of the AR spectacles used here as visualization device 10 for computer-assisted augmentation of the perception of reality, it is possible in a simple manner for an operator to identify a respective supporting structure 3 on the component 2 and to identify the region at which a separation between component 2 and supporting structure 3 is to be carried out.The supporting structure 3 and the component 2 are generatively produced structures 4.List of reference characters1 Powder bed 2 Component 3 Supporting structure 4 Generatively produced structure 10 Visualization device 11 Virtual representation 12 Written information

Claims

Method for generatively producing at least one component (2) from a non-shaped material, in which, for the purpose of regional solidification of non-shaped material, at least on the surface of the discharged non-shaped material, a solidifying agent is applied to the non-shaped material and / or thermal energy is introduced into the non-shaped material for the regional melting of non-shaped material for the purpose of subsequent solidification of molten material, wherein, during and / or after separation of the component (2) from a surrounding powder bed (1) in a visual range of an operator, said surrounding powder bed is visually perceptible by means of a visualization device (10), which is designed as augmented reality glasses, for computer-assisted augmentation of reality perception, at least one item of information regarding at least one property of at least one structure (4) generatively produced during the production of the component (2) is presented, and the operator, using this information, carries out a property-adequate separation of the component ( 2) from at least one supporting structure ( 3).Method for generatively producing at least one component according to Claim 1, characterized in that the information contains a statement about the shape, size, position, alignment and / or assignment of the generatively produced structure (4).Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the information is generated from design data and / or production data of the respectively produced component (2).Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one section of the generatively produced structure (4) is represented as information.Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is visible as a real object in the field of view of the spectacles as a visualization device (10) for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, wherein the information represented is directed at a property of the visible generatively produced structure (4).Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is at least one section of the component (2) to be produced.Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of Claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is at least one section of the supporting structure (3) on the produced component (2).Method for generatively producing at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information is provided by optically emphasizing at least one section of the generatively produced structure (4) and / or by embedding written information (12).Device for generatively producing at least one component from a non-shaped material, in which, for the purpose of regional solidification of non-shaped material, a solidifying agent is applied to non-shaped material at least on the surface of the discharged non-shaped material, and / or thermal energy is introduced into the non-shaped material for the regional melting of non-shaped material for the purpose of subsequent solidification of molten material, comprising a visualization device (10), which is designed as augmented reality glasses, for the visual representation of at least one item of information, wherein this information is usable for a property-adequate separation of the component (2) from at least one supporting structure (3), with respect to at least one property of at least one structure (4) generatively produced during the production of the component (2) by means of computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality.

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