Method for dimensionally inspecting a component during additive manufacturing thereof

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for dimensionally inspecting at least one component manufactured by means of an additive manufacturing machine, the step of additive manufacturing being carried out by successive depositions of a powder bed and by fusing the powder bed after each deposition, the method comprising the steps of: - acquiring an image of the component being manufactured after at least one step of depositing and fusing the powder bed; - comparing the image with an image of a reference template; - verifying the dimensional conformity of the component on the basis of the comparison.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: Method for dimensional control of a part during its manufacture by additive manufacturing TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The technical field of the invention is that of conformity control of parts manufactured by additive manufacturing.

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for dimensional control of at least one part manufactured using an additive manufacturing machine. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Additive manufacturing is a machining technology that has the advantage of allowing the production of objects with complex shapes. This technology is used, among other things, in aeronautics, for example, for the production of cooling circuits for gas distributors, air circuits in blades, or fuel circuits in a fuel block.

[0004] The principle of additive manufacturing is to manufacture an object by successive additions, also called passes, of one or more materials and to assemble each pass with a previous pass. Additive manufacturing machines rely on different technologies for depositing a pass and assembly. For example, some machines exploit the principle of melting and cooling the material, often in powder form, using a laser beam. Other machines may be based on sintering or polymerizing the material.

[0005] A disadvantage of additive manufacturing technologies is that, as a general rule, parts are not accessible during manufacturing, for example to carry out an inspection to check manufacturing compliance. Indeed, access to the interior of the machine is restricted due to the compactness of the machines and also by the size of the part(s) being manufactured. In addition, the atmosphere within an additive manufacturing cabin is very controlled and hermetic for reasons of safety, equipment fragility and to ensure manufacturing quality.

[0006] In this case, for a machine based on laser melting technology of powdered metal, the cabin atmosphere contains a mixture of gases, sometimes toxic, and volatile residues of the metal powder which represents a risk non-negligible on the health of a user, in particular in the event of inhalation. In addition, this type of technology requires that the powdered material be as free of parasitic particles as possible, which is not possible if the cabin is not hermetically sealed throughout the manufacturing process. In such a case, there would be a significant degradation in the quality of the manufactured parts, which would then be weakened, or even non-compliant. Finally, the fragility of the equipment, such as the nozzles and the laser of the machine, are not compatible with handling during manufacturing to carry out an inspection. Indeed, the compactness of these machines is such that it would be difficult to carry out the inspection without altering the setting or the proper functioning of this equipment.

[0007] As a result, it is impossible, in practice, to assess the conformity and quality of the manufacturing of the mechanical part during manufacture.

[0008] However, there is a real interest in controlling the quality and integrity of a part during its manufacture. Indeed, although additive manufacturing technologies are well mastered, there are uncertainties regarding the conformity of the final parts, compared to specifications. As with any manufacturing process, these uncertainties can be inherent to the manufacturing process, the quality of the powder chosen or hardware or software hazards linked to the environment. Being able to control the integrity and quality of the part during manufacturing would then make it possible to detect non-conformity early and not once the part is fully manufactured. It would then be possible to modify the manufacturing process of the part in order to prevent its non-conformity.

[0009] This interest in in-process control is all the more marked for the manufacture of parts with complex internal geometries, in particular cavities, such as for blades, or recesses. Indeed, these internal geometries are subject to strong geometric constraints in order to be assembled, ultimately, on a suitable machine and to correctly fulfill their function. In the case of blades, these parts must respect maximum space constraints to be assembled on an aircraft. In addition, the function of these blades is to circulate a very controlled air flow for the de-icing of one or more parts of the aircraft. If the internal geometry of such a blade does not comply with the specifications, then the air flow risks being too altered and the de-icing function of this fluid will not be implemented or will be defective.

[0010] State-of-the-art non-destructive volumetric testing methods such as ultrasonic imaging, infrared radiography, X-ray radiography, X-ray tomography, thermography, etc. are known. These methods are used to assess the conformity of parts after their manufacture by an additive manufacturing machine. However, these methods require dedicated equipment that must be placed close enough to the part to be inspected to reliably assess its internal health, which is not always compatible with the external geometry of the manufactured part. In addition, these conventionally known controls prove to be unreliable for significant material thicknesses, typically greater than 50 mm, or even less if the mechanical properties of the material are complex and unfavorable for performing non-destructive testing.

[0011] Furthermore, some methods are difficult to apply in a mass production context of parts since they require large equipment, which can only assess the conformity of one part at a time and is often very expensive. Furthermore, in some cases, the inspection machine cannot check the entire part and / or cannot be used to inspect a part whose dimensions exceed certain thresholds. One such method is, for example, infrared tomography.

[0012] Destructive testing methods, such as dissection, are also known. These methods allow for direct inspection of the internal conformity of the produced part, to the detriment of its future use since the part will be unusable or destroyed. This type of testing is therefore not possible in the context of mass production of parts by additive manufacturing.

[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a means of controlling the conformity of a part during its manufacture using additive manufacturing technology. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the state of the art by proposing a method for dimensional control of a mechanical part which can be implemented during the manufacturing process of a part.

[0015] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for dimensional control of at least one part manufactured using an additive manufacturing machine, the additive manufacturing being carried out by successive deposits of a powder bed. and by melting the powder bed after each deposition, said method comprising the following steps: Acquisition of an image of the part being manufactured after at least one step of deposition and fusion of a powder bed; Comparison of the said image with an image of a reference template; Verification of the dimensional conformity of the part based on the comparison.

[0016] “Dimensional conformity” means the conformity of the internal and / or external geometry of a mechanical part with the specifications for the manufacture and use of said part.

[0017] Thanks to this first aspect, it is possible to evaluate the geometric conformity of the part at any time during its manufacture, by additive manufacturing, by acquiring images after the fusion of each pass of powder deposited on the powder bed. This makes it possible to anticipate or detect early dimensional non-conformity, both internal and external, of the part being manufactured.

[0018] The advantage of such a control is that it allows, on the one hand, to stop the manufacture of the part when its conformity is no longer verified during its manufacture; and on the other hand, in the case where non-conformity is anticipated, to modify the manufacturing process of the part so as to ensure the conformity of the part throughout its manufacture. The method thus makes it possible to reduce the quantity of material lost by the manufacture of non-conforming parts.

[0019] Furthermore, the method is simple to implement and requires little acquisition and processing equipment.

[0020] Advantageously, the method is not restricted to additive manufacturing technologies based on powder bed fusion, but can be applied to other types of additive manufacturing technologies.

[0021] The method according to a first aspect of the invention may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations.

[0022] In one embodiment, the acquisition step is performed using a metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor or charge coupled device (CCD) sensor camera arranged inside the machine.

[0023] Thanks to this embodiment, the method requires minimal and space-saving equipment to be implemented. Preferably, the camera used is a CMOS camera since it allows for better image contrast than a CCD camera.

[0024] In one embodiment, each acquired image comprises an internal contour and / or an external contour of the part being manufactured, the internal contour delimiting a perimeter of an internal space of the part in the image and the external contour delimiting an external perimeter of the part in the image.

[0025] In one embodiment, the reference template comprises at least one set of images of at least one reference part and is obtained after the following steps: Acquisition of an image after each step of deposition and fusion of a powder bed during the manufacture of said reference part; Measurement of dimensions of the reference part after the manufacture of the reference part; Verification of the conformity of the reference part by a comparison between the dimensions of the part and the dimensions provided for in a specification; the template comprising the set of images acquired from the reference part whose conformity is verified.

[0026] Thanks to this embodiment, the reference template that allows the dimensional conformity of a part to be checked during its manufacture is representative of the manufacture of a compliant part by additive manufacturing. Indeed, this template is obtained from at least one reference part whose conformity is checked after manufacture. This conformity is checked against the specifications of the part which stipulates, among other things, the internal and external dimensions of the final part. Thus, since the conformity of the final part is checked, the images acquired throughout its manufacture are representative of the manufacture of a compliant part. The reference template, which contains all of these images, is therefore representative of the manufacture of a compliant part by additive manufacturing.

[0027] Advantageously, the template makes it possible to take into account the phenomena of expansion and retraction of the material linked to the action of fusion by the laser. Indeed, the template includes images taken "hot", that is to say during the manufacture of the reference part, therefore when the part is subject to expansion, while the conformity of the reference part is validated "cold", that is to say once the part is manufactured, therefore when the material of the part has shrunk. The template therefore allows for a verification of the conformity of the part that is robust with respect to an additive manufacturing process.

[0028] In one embodiment, measurement of the dimensions of the reference part after manufacture of the reference part is obtained by X-ray or dissection.

[0029] In one embodiment, the reference template is obtained from a plurality of reference parts, each reference part whose conformity with a specification is verified being associated with a set of images acquired of said part, the reference template comprising the sets of acquired images.

[0030] With this embodiment, the reference template is obtained by a statistical study on the plurality of parts. This makes the template more robust to verify the conformity of the part being manufactured.

[0031] In one embodiment, the reference template is obtained from at least two reference pieces corresponding respectively to a first and a second set of acquired images, the acquired images of the first set comprising a minimal internal contour and / or a minimal external contour and the acquired images of the second set comprising a maximum internal contour and / or a maximum external contour.

[0032] Thanks to this embodiment, the method makes it possible to define, in the template, internal and / or external geometric limits of the contours of the part, in particular concerning an internal cavity, on which the dimensional conformity of the part is established. The template is therefore a simple-to-use conformity verification tool.

[0033] In one embodiment, the reference template is obtained from an average between the contours of the plurality of sets of images for each reference part.

[0034] In one embodiment, the reference template comprises at least one set of images of at least one reference part, and the method further comprises, after each image acquisition step, a step of superimposing an image of the reference template on the acquired image.

[0035] Thanks to this method, checking the conformity of the part, using the template, is simple and quick to implement.

[0036] In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of stopping manufacturing and / or modifying the parameters of the additive manufacturing machine, in the event of dimensional non-conformity of the part being manufactured.

[0037] Thanks to this method, it is possible to stop the production of a non-compliant part, and therefore not use more material for its production, knowing that it would be scrapped after its manufacture. In addition, this makes it possible to shorten the production times of the part, particularly in the case of mass production.

[0038] Furthermore, this embodiment makes it possible to correct an anticipated non-conformity of the part. Indeed, since the manufacturing history of one or more reference parts is known thanks to all the images acquired while hot, it is possible to detect a deviation during manufacturing compared to this manufacturing history of the reference part. This therefore makes it possible to modify on the fly, during manufacturing, the operation of the additive manufacturing machine in order to prevent a possible non-conformity of the part.

[0039] This method therefore makes it possible to reduce the number of non-compliant parts manufactured and to reduce the quantity of material lost during the manufacture of a part which turns out to be non-compliant.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed on a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0041] A final aspect of the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0042] The invention and its various applications will be better understood by reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0043] The figures are presented for information purposes only and in no way limit the invention. Figure 1 is an illustration of the inside of an additive manufacturing machine. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the sequence of steps of a method according to the invention. Figure 3 is a representation of minimum and maximum internal and external contours obtained during one of the steps of the method according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Unless otherwise specified, the same element appearing in different figures has a single reference.

[0045] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for dimensional control of a part manufactured by an additive manufacturing machine, also called a 3D printer. A photograph of the interior of the additive manufacturing machine is provided in Figure 1.

[0046] The additive manufacturing machine 10, also called 3D printer 10, is based here on the technology of laser fusion of a powder bed 16. For this machine 10, the powder bed 16 is formed by the successive deposition of a controlled quantity of powder. After deposition of each layer, the fusion of said powder layer is ensured by a laser 14, the beam of which is controlled by a dichroic mirror 12 and a photodiode 13, and is oriented by means of a scanner 11. The ... powder 16 is formed on a build plate 17 adapted to accommodate the powder bed 16. The melting of the powder of the powder bed 16 takes place at the location of the focal spot 18 of the laser on the powder bed 16. The position of the focal spot 18 is controlled by the scanner 11. For example, this is an EOS M290 machine.

[0047] Advantageously, the machine 10 comprises a lens suitable for acquiring images. The lens is, for example, a camera 15 placed in the machine 10 so as to have in its field of vision the entire area defined by the powder bed 16. Preferably, the camera 15 is placed in the machine so as not to block the propagation of the laser beam from the scanner 11 to the powder bed 16. The camera 15 is used to acquire images of the powder bed where the part is manufactured, layer by layer.

[0048] Preferably, the camera 15 is a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type camera 15a. Alternatively, the camera 15 is a charge-coupled device (CCD) type camera 15b. The advantage of using a CMOS camera 15a rather than a CCD camera 15b is that the CMOS camera 15a produces images with higher contrast. This is advantageous for the method according to the invention which is, as described below, based on the detection of a difference in contrast in the image acquired by the camera 15. The images acquired by the camera 15 may be images in the infrared spectrum and / or images in the visible spectrum.

[0049] It should be noted that the position of the CMOS cameras 15a and CCD cameras 15b in FIG. 1 is purely illustrative and in no way represents a limitation on the implementation of these cameras in the machine 10. Furthermore, only one of these cameras 15 is sufficient for implementing the method according to the invention. The presence, in the figure, of the two CMOS cameras 15a and CCD cameras 15b is, again, for purely illustrative purposes.

[0050] The method according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 2. Method 100 comprises eight successive steps numbered 101 to 108.

[0051] Step 101 is a step of acquiring a set of images of a reference part during its manufacture by the machine 10. Preferably, the acquisition of an image of the reference part during manufacturing is carried out after the fusion by the laser 14 of each layer of powder deposited on the powder bed 16.

[0052] These images are thus called "hot" images since they are obtained just after the melting of the powder by the laser 14. The material, at this moment, is then subject to a strong temperature gradient since the ambient temperature in the machine is between 5°C and 100°C, while the melting temperature of the powder, in the case of a metal powder, is between 1500°C and 2500°C. This strong thermal gradient therefore induces shrinkage effects on the melted material, with expansion of the material during the melting of the powder, then retraction during its cooling. Furthermore, there is a phenomenon of annealing of the material since the melting of a layer can involve the remelting of the previously melted powder layer(s), which are directly lower than the newly melted powder layer.

[0053] The advantage of acquiring hot images is therefore to be able to take into account the thermal expansion imposed on the material throughout the manufacture of the part, in this case the reference part.

[0054] For this application example, we consider that the manufactured part is a blade, designed using computer-aided design software from specifications dedicated to said blade, and which includes an internal cavity used for the passage of an air flow. The advantage of acquiring images throughout the manufacturing of the blade is therefore to be able to observe the formation of the internal cavity layer by layer.

[0055] Preferably, the reference part is designed so that the internal cavity is of the smallest dimensions permitted by the specifications. For example, the part is designed so that the perimeter of its internal cavity, or other characteristic dimensions of this cavity, is equal to the minimum perimeter tolerated for the cavity by the specifications.

[0056] Step 102 is then a step of measuring the dimensions of said reference part after its manufacture.

[0057] "Dimensions" are geometric quantities whose values ​​are imposed by the specifications. For example, in the case of the blade, the internal dimensions of the cavity are measured, such as its length, width, height and perimeter.

[0058] Optionally, the external dimensions of the blade are measured, such as the length, width, height and outer perimeter of the part.

[0059] These measurements can be carried out using a non-destructive testing technique, for example infrared or X-ray imaging, or by means of destructive testing, for example by dissection of the part.

[0060] The objective of this step 102 of measuring the dimensions of the part is to evaluate the dimensions of the reference part after manufacture. We are therefore talking here about "cold" measurements, that is to say after manufacture and cooling of the reference part.

[0061] Step 103 is then a step of verifying the conformity of the reference part. The conformity of the reference part is evaluated by comparing the cold measured dimensions of the reference part with the dimensions imposed by the specifications.

[0062] In this verification step 103, the reference part is defined as being compliant if the dimensions measured cold are in agreement with the dimensions provided for in the specifications. For example, a dimension is provided if it is less than or greater than a predefined threshold, or if it is included in a predefined tolerance interval.

[0063] In this case, the reference blade is defined as being compliant if the dimensions of its internal cavity are in accordance with the dimensions of the cavity imposed by the specifications.

[0064] Step 104 is then a step of determining a reference template from said conforming reference part.

[0065] In particular, the reference template is formed from the images of the reference part acquired during the manufacture of said part. In other words, the template is formed from the hot images of the reference part. Preferably, the template comprises all of the images acquired of the reference part during its manufacture.

[0066] Optionally, the template is determined by applying to each acquired image an edge detection operation, i.e. an operation which allows to automatically detect the contours of a shape in an image, for example by contrast difference. The edge detection operation therefore allows to retain only the contour(s) of the reference part in the image. In particular, contour detection allows the contour of the internal cavity of the reference part to be detected. In other words, each acquired image includes an internal contour of the part being manufactured, the internal contour delimiting a perimeter of an internal space of the part in the image.

[0067] An illustration of these contours is provided in Figure 3. In this figure, the contours 300 show the internal contour 301, which comprises a minimum internal contour 301a and a maximum internal contour 301b. Also shown is an external contour 302 comprising a minimum external contour 302a and a maximum external contour 302b.

[0068] Consequently, the template may comprise only the internal contours 301 detected in each image of the set of hot images of the reference part. The template thus comprises a set of contours 300 delimiting the internal cavity, the dimensions of which are minimal since the reference part has been preferentially designed so that the dimensions of the internal cavity of the blade are the smallest tolerated by the specifications. We then speak of minimal internal contours 301a.

[0069] In conclusion, the template includes, at each moment of manufacturing, a minimum internal contour 301a tolerated of the internal cavity for the manufacture of a blade.

[0070] Advantageously, the template takes into account the thermal expansion of the part during its manufacture.

[0071] Step 105 is then a step of acquiring one or more images of a new part to be manufactured. In this case, this is a new blade. The image is acquired using the camera 15.

[0072] The acquired image is therefore a hot image of the new part being manufactured.

[0073] Step 106 is then a step of comparing the acquired image with the reference template. The image is preferably acquired after merging one of the deposited powder passes. The pass at which the image is acquired is, for example, the pass associated with a predefined pass number. Alternatively, the pass at which The image is acquired and can be chosen randomly or based on business criteria indicating, for example, a pass number at which the image must be acquired.

[0074] The comparison is implemented by comparing the acquired image of the new part with the image included in the template that corresponds to the same pass number. Advantageously, this comparison makes it possible to compare the images of two parts that were acquired at the same time during their manufacturing process.

[0075] The comparison can be made by superimposing the image of the new part with the corresponding image of the template.

[0076] Preferably, in the case where the template comprises the set of minimum internal contours 301a, the image of the new part is compared to the minimum internal contour 301a of the template corresponding to the same pass number.

[0077] Step 107 is then a step of verifying the dimensional conformity of the new manufactured part.

[0078] The conformity of the new part is determined based on the comparison implemented in comparison step 106.

[0079] Preferably, a part is defined as compliant if the hot image of the new part respects the limitations defined by the minimum internal contour 301 a of the template.

[0080] In this case, concerning the internal cavity of the blade, the conformity of the new part is verified if the internal cavity of the new part in the associated hot image is larger than the minimum internal contour 301 a included in the template. In other words, the new part is defined as being non-compliant when the minimum internal contour 301 a of the template is larger, partially or totally, than the internal cavity of the new part in the image acquired hot. The dimensions of the internal cavity of the new part then exceed the reference template.

[0081] Step 108 is, finally, a step for stopping the manufacturing of the new part in the case where the conformity of the part is not verified in step 107 of conformity verification. The interest is to be able to prematurely stop the manufacturing of a part whose non-conformity is detected during its manufacturing. This advantageously makes it possible to reduce the quantity of powder lost during the manufacturing of the new non-conforming part. Another advantage is to reduce the time spent manufacturing the new non-conforming part and to trigger, for example, the manufacturing of another new part. This is particularly advantageous in the context of mass production of parts.

[0082] The manufacturing stoppage can be carried out manually by an operator and, in this case, step 108 is a step of issuing a non-conformity alert for the new part being manufactured. The alert can then be an audible or visual signal indicating that said new part is non-conformity.

[0083] The stopping of the manufacturing process can, moreover, be carried out automatically by a modification of the control parameters of the machine 10. The term "control parameters" means the parameters of the machine 10 which make it possible to control the manufacturing of the part. These include, among others, control parameters of the scanner 11, the laser 14, the dichroic mirror 12 or the photodiode 13. In this case, the modification of the control parameters to stop the manufacturing of the new part can be carried out by instructions recorded in a memory of a control computer of the machine 10. The modification of the control parameters is therefore carried out on the fly during the manufacturing process of the new part.

[0084] Method 100 according to the invention is compatible with several alternatives.

[0085] According to an alternative, the images of the reference part, acquired hot in the acquisition step 101, also comprise an external contour 302 of said reference part. The external contour 302 delimits, in the image, an external perimeter of the part.

[0086] Preferably, the manufactured reference part is designed so that the external perimeter of the part, or other dimensions characteristic of its external geometry, is equal to the maximum perimeter tolerated for the external geometry by the specifications.

[0087] In this alternative, the reference template, determined in the determination step 104 and comprising the minimum internal contours 301a, also comprises maximum external contours 302b determined in each image of the set of hot acquired images of the reference part. These maximum external contours 302b are determined by means of the same contour detection operation as for the minimum internal contours 301a. The template therefore includes, at each moment of manufacturing, a maximum external contour 302b tolerated of the reference part. In this case, the template always takes into account the thermal expansion of the part during its manufacturing.

[0088] In step 106 of comparing the hot acquired image for the new part with the reference template, the image is compared to the minimum internal contour 301 a and to the maximum external contour 302 b corresponding to the same pass number.

[0089] In step 107 of verifying the conformity of the new part, the conformity of the new part is also evaluated based on the comparison of the image of the new part when hot with the maximum external contour 320b. In this case, concerning the external geometry of the blade, the conformity of the part is verified if the external geometry of the new part in the associated hot image is smaller than the entirety of the maximum external contour 302b included in the template. In other words, the new part is defined as being non-compliant when the maximum external contour 302b of the template is smaller, partially or totally, than the external geometry of the new part in the image acquired when hot. The external dimensions of the part then exceed the reference template.

[0090] According to an alternative compatible with the previous alternative, the step 101 of acquiring hot images on the reference part also comprises the acquisition of hot acquired images for a second reference part.

[0091] The second reference part is designed so that the internal cavity is of the largest dimensions permitted by the specifications. For example, the part is designed so that the perimeter of its internal cavity, or other characteristic dimensions of this cavity, is equal to the maximum perimeter tolerated for the cavity by the specifications.

[0092] In addition, the second reference part may be designed so that the external perimeter of the part, or other dimensions characteristic of its external geometry, is equal to the minimum perimeter tolerated for the external geometry by the specifications.

[0093] The measurement step 102 also includes measuring the dimensions of the second reference part, in the same way as for the reference part. It is therefore a question here of evaluating the dimensions of the second reference part when cold. For example, in the case of the blade, the internal dimensions of the cavity are measured, such as its length, width, height, and perimeter. Optionally, the external dimensions of the blade are measured, such as the outer length, width, height, and perimeter of the part. As with the reference part, these measurements can be performed using a non-destructive testing technique, such as infrared or X-ray imaging, or by destructive testing, such as dissection of the part.

[0094] Step 103 of verifying conformity also includes verifying the conformity of the second reference part. This conformity is assessed by comparing the cold-measured dimensions of the second reference part with the dimensions imposed by the specifications. The second reference part is defined as being compliant if the cold-measured dimensions are in agreement with the dimensions provided for by the specifications. For example, a dimension is provided if it is less than or greater than a predefined threshold, or if it is within a predefined tolerance interval. In this case, the reference blade is defined as being compliant if the dimensions of its internal cavity are in agreement with the dimensions of the cavity imposed by the specifications.

[0095] The template, determined in step 104 of determining the template, then comprises all the hot images of the reference part defined as being compliant as well as all the hot images of the second reference part defined as being compliant. Preferably, the template comprises the contours 300 determined by contour detection in the set of hot images of the reference part, and also contours 300 determined by the same operation in the set of hot images of the second reference part. The template therefore also comprises, at each instant of the manufacturing, a maximum internal contour 301 b and a minimum external contour 302 a tolerated of the reference part, originating from the set of hot images of the second reference part. Again, the template takes into account the thermal expansion of the part during its manufacturing.

[0096] Therefore, during step 106 of comparing the hot acquired image of the new part with the reference template, the hot image is compared to the minimum internal contours 301 a and maximum 301 b, and to the minimum external contours 302a and maximum 302b, corresponding to the same pass number.

[0097] Thus, in step 107 of verifying the conformity of the new part, the conformity of the new part is also evaluated based on the comparison of the image of the new hot part with the maximum internal contour 302b and the minimum external contour 302a.

[0098] Concerning the internal cavity of the blade, the conformity of the new part is verified if the internal cavity of the new part in the associated hot image is larger than the minimum internal contour 301 a and smaller than the maximum internal contour 301 b, included in the reference template. In other words, the new part is defined as non-conforming when the minimum internal contour 301 a of the template is larger, partially or totally, than the internal cavity of the new part in the image acquired hot and / or when the maximum internal contour 301 b of the template is smaller, partially or totally, than the internal cavity of the new part in the image acquired hot. The dimensions of the internal cavity of the new part then exceed the reference template.

[0099] Regarding the external geometry of the blade, the conformity of the part is verified if the external geometry of the new part in the associated hot image is smaller than the entirety of the maximum external contour 302b and larger than the entirety of the minimum external contour 302a, included in the template. In other words, the new part is defined as non-conforming when the maximum external contour 302b of the template is smaller, partially or totally, than the external geometry of the new part in the image acquired hot and / or when the minimum external contour 302a of the template is larger, partially or totally, than the external geometry of the new part in the image acquired hot. The external dimensions of the new part then exceed the reference template.

[0100] According to an alternative compatible with the previous alternative, the step 101 of acquiring hot images comprises the acquisition of hot images for a plurality of reference parts. That is to say, a hot image is acquired for each reference part after melting of each pass of deposited powder. An image may, optionally, be an image of several parts of the plurality of reference parts or be an image of the entire plurality of reference parts. The advantage of using several reference parts is to have a varied panel of reference parts and associated sets of hot images.

[0101] These reference parts can be designed so that their internal and external dimensions, i.e. the dimensions of the internal cavity and the external geometry of the blade, satisfy the dimensional requirements of the part as described in the specifications.

[0102] Steps 102 of measurement and 103 of conformity verification are therefore implemented for each of the parts of the plurality of reference parts.

[0103] Thus, the template determined in step 104 can be determined based on the verified conformity of the reference parts of the plurality of reference parts. In this case, it is possible to determine which are the conforming reference parts whose internal and external dimensions are extreme. It is then possible to determine: a reference part, from among the plurality of reference parts, whose internal cavity dimensions are the smallest; a reference part, from among the plurality of reference parts, whose internal cavity dimensions are the largest; a reference part, from among the plurality of reference parts, whose external geometry dimensions are the smallest; a reference part, from among the plurality of reference parts, whose external geometry dimensions are the largest.

[0104] Optionally, the same reference part can have extreme internal cavity dimensions and extreme external geometry dimensions. The template can therefore be determined from image sets of two, three or four different reference parts with extreme dimensions.

[0105] Advantageously, the template can be determined from contours obtained 300 by the previously mentioned contour detection operation. In this case, the contour detection can be applied to each of the images of the two, three or four sets of images of the reference parts whose dimensions are extreme. The interest is to determine: the minimum internal contour 301 a of each hot image associated with the reference part whose internal cavity dimensions are minimal; the maximum internal contour 301 b of each hot image associated with the reference part whose internal cavity dimensions are maximum the minimum external contour 302a of each hot image associated with the reference part whose external geometry dimensions are minimum; the maximum external contour 302b of each hot image associated with the reference part whose external geometry dimensions are maximum.

[0106] This contour determination operation makes it possible to determine sets of minimum internal contours 301a and maximum 301b and minimum external contours 302a and maximum 302b.

[0107] The template then includes the sets of internal contours minimum 301 a and maximum 301 b and external minimum 302a and maximum 302b from the hot images of the sets of images of the reference parts of extreme dimensions.

[0108] According to an alternative compatible with the preceding alternative, it is possible to determine: at least two reference parts, among the plurality of reference parts, whose internal cavity dimensions are the smallest; at least two reference parts, among the plurality of reference parts, whose internal cavity dimensions are the largest; at least two reference parts, among the plurality of reference parts, whose external geometry dimensions are the smallest; at least two reference parts, among the plurality of reference parts, whose external geometry dimensions are the largest.

[0109] The interest is to have, for each extreme, at least two reference parts and to average the contours 300 determined from the hot images of these reference parts.

[0110] These at least two parts can be determined based on an interval or threshold on the extreme internal and external dimensions. That is, it is possible to consider that a reference part has internal dimensions and / or external extremes provided that these dimensions are greater than or less than one or more predefined extreme thresholds for each dimension, or if these dimensions are in one or more predefined extreme intervals. These predefined extreme thresholds and / or predefined extreme intervals may be defined according to the requirements of the specifications.

[0111] Once the reference parts whose extreme dimensions have been determined, it is possible to determine the contour(s) 300 for each hot image of each set of images of each reference part of extreme dimensions such that the following are obtained: the minimum internal contour 301a of each hot image associated with the reference parts whose internal cavity dimensions are minimal; the maximum internal contour 301b of each hot image associated with the reference parts whose internal cavity dimensions are maximal; the minimum external contour 302a of each hot image associated with the reference parts whose external geometry dimensions are minimal; the maximum external contour 302b of each hot image associated with the reference parts whose external geometry dimensions are maximal.

[0112] In this case, it is possible to average the contours 300 of the same nature obtained for the images acquired at the same time of the manufacturing process. In other words, after merging a given pass, the minimum internal contours 301 a and maximum internal contours 301 b determined in the hot images associated with said pass are respectively averaged between them. The minimum external contours 302 a and maximum external contours 302 b determined in the hot images associated with said pass are also respectively averaged between them. The reference template is then an averaged reference template comprising the averaged extreme contours of the internal cavity and the external geometry of a plurality of reference parts whose dimensions are extreme.

[0113] According to an alternative compatible with the preceding alternatives, the acquisition step 105 comprises the acquisition of a plurality of hot images of the new part being manufactured. This plurality of acquired images can then be compared to the reference template, in the same way as in the case of a single image, ensuring that the hot images of the new part are compared to the hot images or contours 300 associated with the same manufacturing time, i.e. the same pass number. It is then possible to monitor the new manufactured part throughout their manufacture and to detect the appearance of a non-conformity during manufacturing.

[0114] According to an alternative compatible with the preceding alternatives, steps 105 to 108 according to method 100 can be implemented for a plurality of new parts. The interest is, in a context of mass production of new parts, to accelerate the times necessary for control and manufacturing and to optimize the number of parts manufactured per batch.

[0115] In such an alternative, the image acquired in step 105 may be an image of all the new parts of the plurality of new parts. Optionally, it is possible to acquire, after merging each pass, several hot images, each hot image being an image of at least one of the new parts of the plurality of new parts. Preferably, each new part is imaged by a single image in order to avoid redundancies.

[0116] Thus, the comparison in step 106 and the conformity verification in step 107 are implemented for each new part for the plurality of new parts in order to determine one or more new parts whose conformity is not verified.

[0117] Furthermore, in step 108 of stopping manufacturing, only the manufacturing of the new non-compliant part(s) is stopped and the parts whose conformity is verified continue to be manufactured. In this case, the operator manually modifies the control parameters of the machine so as to stop the manufacturing of said new non-compliant parts, for example after issuing an audible or visual non-compliance alert including an identification of said parts; or else, instructions included in the memory of the control computer are adapted to modify the control parameters automatically and stop the manufacturing of said new non-compliant parts.

[0118] Each set of hot images or contours 300 included in the template can be likened to a manufacturing history of the reference part to which it is associated. Thus, this history can be used to predict the future growth of a part being manufactured by comparing the hot images of the new part with the template. In this case, it is possible to determine a deviation in the growth of the part, by successive addition of material, thanks to this comparison. Thus, it is possible to determine whether a part deviates from a known growth and risks leading to a non-conformity.

[0119] Consequently, step 108 may be a step of modifying the control parameters of the additive manufacturing machine 10.

[0120] Step 108 may, initially, detect a deviation in the growth of the new part. The deviation is, for example, detected based on a deviation from the growth history of one or more reference parts contained in the template. The deviation may be quantified by a difference or a similarity rate, for example by means of a correlation, between one or more hot images or contours 300 of the reference template and the hot image of the new part. In the case where the deviation is significant, for example when the deviation is greater than a certain threshold defined by business requirements or an analysis of manufacturing histories of reference parts, then an action of modifying the control parameters of the machine 10 for manufacturing the part is triggered.

[0121] The control parameters of the machine 10 are then modified so as to prevent the new part from becoming non-compliant during its manufacture, for example by compensating for the significant deviation detected. The modification of the control parameters is therefore carried out on the fly during the manufacturing process of the new part. The modification of the control parameters can be carried out automatically by instructions recorded in the memory of the control computer of the machine 10. Alternatively, the modification can be carried out manually by an operator and, in this case, step 108 is a step of issuing an alert containing information on the significant deviation of a new part and information identifying said new part, in particular if several parts are manufactured at the same time. Advantageously, the modification the control parameters do not alter the production of any other new parts produced in parallel with the new part in the machine 10.

[0122] Furthermore, the significant deviation may be detected based on the histories of non-conforming reference parts. Thus, it is possible to detect that the growth of a new part, during its manufacture, deviates significantly when its growth becomes close or similar to the growth in the history of a non-conforming reference part. The proximity or similarity of growth may, again, be evaluated by a deviation between the growth of the new part and the history of one or more non-conforming parts. The deviation may, for example, be quantified by a difference or a rate of resemblance, for example by means of a correlation, between one or more hot images or contours 300 of the reference template and the hot image of the new part.The deviation is significant, for example, when the proximity or similarity is greater than a certain threshold defined by business requirements or an analysis of manufacturing histories of reference parts.

[0123] Furthermore, it is possible to use the hot image histories of new parts already manufactured whose conformity has been assessed in order to predict the conformity of another new part being manufactured. The prognosis is then implemented in the same way as for the conforming and non-conforming reference parts, as described in this alternative.

Claims

DEMANDS

1. A method (100) for dimensional control of at least one part manufactured using an additive manufacturing machine (10), the additive manufacturing being carried out by successive deposits of a powder bed (16) and by melting the powder bed (16) after each deposit, said method (100) comprising the following steps: - Acquisition (105) of an image of the part being manufactured after at least one step of deposition and melting of a powder bed (16); - Comparison (106) of said image with an image of a reference template, the reference template being obtained from a reference part corresponding to a first set of images acquired during the manufacture of the reference part, the reference template comprising the first set of images, the images acquired from the first set having a minimum internal contour (301 a) and / or a minimum external contour (302a); - Verification (107) of the dimensional conformity of the part according to the comparison.

2. Method (100) according to the preceding claim wherein the acquisition step (105) is carried out by means of a metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor camera or a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor arranged inside the machine (10). [Claims] Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each acquired image includes an internal contour (301) and / or an external contour (302) of the part being manufactured, the internal contour (301) delimiting a perimeter of an internal space of the part in the image and the external contour (302) delimiting an external perimeter of the part in the image.

4. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reference template is obtained after the following steps: - Acquisition (101) of an image after each step of deposition and fusion of a powder bed (16) during the manufacture of said reference part; - Measurement (102) of the dimensions of the reference part after the manufacture of the reference part; - Verification (103) of the conformity of the reference part by a comparison between the dimensions of the part and dimensions provided for in a specification; the reference template comprising the first set of images acquired of the reference part whose conformity is verified.

5. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the measurement of the dimensions of the reference part after the manufacture of the reference part is obtained by X-rays or dissection.

6. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the reference template is obtained from a plurality of reference parts, each reference part whose conformity to a specification is verified being associated with a set of images acquired from said part, the reference template comprising the sets of acquired images.

7. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the reference template is obtained from at least two reference pieces corresponding respectively to the first and second sets of acquired images, the acquired images of the first set having the minimum internal contour (301 a) and / or the minimum external contour (302a) and the acquired images of the second set having a maximum internal contour (301 b) and / or a maximum external contour (302b). [Claims] Method (100) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the reference template is obtained from an average between the contours (301, 302) of the plurality of image sets for each reference piece. [Claims] Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the reference template comprises at least one set of images of at least one reference part, the method (100) further comprising, after each image acquisition step (150), a superposition step of an image of the reference template onto the acquired image.

10. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a step (108) of stopping the manufacturing and / or modifying the parameters of the additive manufacturing machine, in the event of dimensional non-conformity of the part being manufactured.

Images