Method and control device for detecting thermal anomalies in additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

Method and control device for detecting thermal anomalies in a laser powder bed fusion process. One aspect of the invention relates to a method for detecting a thermal anomaly in a manufacturing process for a test part (4), the manufacturing process being carried out using an additive manufacturing machine (1) by melting each deposit of a plurality of successive deposits of a powder bed. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method and control device for detecting thermal anomalies in an additive manufacturing process TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The technical field of the invention is that of non-destructive testing for additive manufacturing by powder bed fusion.

[0002] In particular, the invention relates to a method and a device for detecting a thermal anomaly of an additive manufacturing process. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In additive manufacturing, processes based on powder bed fusion, such as Powder Bed Laser Fusion (FLLP), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Binder Jetting (BJ) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), consist of supplying energy locally to the powder bed to fuse (FLLP, EBM, MJF) or polymerize (BJ) at least part of the powder bed and form, layer by layer, a desired part. These processes allow great manufacturing flexibility but are also subject, at various time scales, to anomalies in the manufacturing process, in particular related to the power received by the parts. It is therefore fundamental, to guarantee the quality of the manufactured parts and the repeatability of the process, to be able to evaluate these fluctuations in situ and in real time. In particular, this continuous monitoring must make it possible to detect rapid variations (egpower jumps) or slow (drifts) of the process parameters.

[0004] It is known to use infrared radiation during manufacturing to detect manufacturing anomalies. For example, it is known to use photodiodes to acquire an intensity emitted by the environment of the melting pool and detect an anomaly by analyzing this signal and comparing it to reference values ​​(K. Taherkhani et al., Development of a defect-detection platform using photodiode signals collected from the meltpool of laser powder-bed fusion, Additive Manufacturing, vol. 46, 102152, 2021). A disadvantage of this approach is that the exercise must be carried out for each additive manufacturing equipment, each part geometry, each process parameter configuration and each part material, since the detection performance is highly dependent on the manufacturing conditions. This approach is therefore difficult to exploit in an industrial environment with high manufacturing rates.

[0005] Alternatively, it is known to detect this infrared radiation by means of an infrared camera sensitive in the so-called “mid-wave” range, i.e. between 2 and 5.7 pm (G. Mohr et al., In-Situ Defect Detection in Laser Powder Bed Fusion by Using Thermography and Optical Tomography—Comparison to Computed Tomography, Metals, vol. 10, 103, 2020), or sensitive to far infrared, i.e., between 8 and 14 pm (J.L. Bartlett, In situ defect detection in selective laser melting via full-field infrared thermography, Additive Manufacturing, vol. 24, pp. 595-605, 2018). An advantage of these approaches is that they acquire an image covering a significant area of ​​the part being manufactured, at the expense of a large volume of data to be acquired, stored and analyzed. Another major drawback is that these approaches are unreliable because they present a significant number of false positives (defects detected while the part is healthy) and false negatives (defects not detected while the part is defective).

[0006] Furthermore, it is known to detect a manufacturing anomaly by analyzing ultrasonic signals acquired during manufacturing (EP3658377A1 and H. Rieder et al., On- and offline ultrasonic characterization of components built by SLM additive manufacturing, 42nd Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, AIP Conf. Proc., vol. 1706, p. 130002-1-130002-7, 2016). These approaches aim at identifying defects on parts during manufacturing and not at detecting defects in the manufacturing process itself.

[0007] There is therefore a need for a reliable, in-situ and rapid means for detecting variations or anomalies in an additive manufacturing process by melting a powder bed. Summary of the invention

[0008] The invention provides a solution to the problems mentioned above, by allowing the detection of a thermal anomaly of an additive manufacturing process by evaluating a characteristic of the cooling of a control part during its manufacture. This characteristic may be a kinetic or an amplitude of a signal acquired from a sensor during the cooling phase.

[0009] One aspect of the invention thus relates to a method for detecting a thermal anomaly of a manufacturing process, the manufacturing process being implemented by means of an additive manufacturing machine by consolidating each deposit of a plurality of successive deposits of a powder bed for in particular the production of a part, called a control part, said method comprising, after the consolidation of at least one deposit of the plurality of deposits: • Obtain a signal sensitive to a variation in temperature of the consolidated deposit of the witness part, the signal being acquired during the manufacture of the witness part by the manufacturing process; • Determine, from a metric determined from the signal obtained, a cooling data, the cooling data being a quantifiable characteristic of the cooling dynamics of the consolidated deposit before the next deposit of the plurality of deposits; • Compare the cooling data to a reference value; and • Detect the thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process when the data of cooling is far from the reference value.

[0010] "Additive manufacturing" means the manufacturing of a part by assembling one or more materials deposited in the form of successive layers or passes. Among the additive manufacturing processes, we are particularly interested in those based on the principle of melting and cooling the material, the deposition of which in powder form is called a "powder bed". In the case of the Powder Bed Laser Fusion (PLF) and Electron Beam Fusion (EBM) processes, a pass or layer then comprises a deposition of the powder bed and the melting of this deposit at the locations where the powder must be consolidated. In the case of the multi-jet fusion (MJF) process, a layer comprises the deposition and melting of a specific fusible agent deposited at the locations where the fusible agent must be consolidated.Similarly, in the case of the Binder Jetting (BJ) process, a layer involves the deposition and polymerization by heat application of a binder deposited at the locations where the binder is to be consolidated. A manufacturing process is therefore associated with a specific manufacturing technology (FLLP, EBM, MJF, BJ etc.) and a set of parameters defining the implementation of the manufacturing for one or more specific parts.

[0011] The term “thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process” means an alteration in the operation of one of the constituent elements of the additive manufacturing machine carrying out the manufacturing. This malfunction is, for example, produced by a modification of an operating parameter of one of these elements. For example, it may be a variation in the power delivered by the source used for fusion, such as a variation on a short time scale causing an over-supply or under-supply of energy for fusion, compared to the nominal operation of the source when no thermal anomaly occurs. Such a variation in power is also possible on a long time scale where said power delivered by the source and received by the part gradually decreases, due to the very use of the machine, for example if smoke deposits occur on the optics; this is then referred to as a power “drift”.Another example of malfunction is a variation in the speed of the mechanism for moving the laser spot over the part for melting, also causing an over- or under-supply of energy. An over- or under-supply of energy results in a modification of the cooling mechanisms of the melted layer of the part, before deposition of the next layer, compared to a reference value of the cooling characteristic when . the source is in nominal operation. Other examples of malfunction relate to the random non-completion of one or more passes, or vectors, which are then not merged or are poorly merged.

[0012] The term "control part" means a part manufactured alone or in parallel with one or a plurality of parts to be manufactured, said control part being of simple geometry and geometric characteristics allowing rapid, simple and reliable detection of a thermal anomaly in the manufacturing process.

[0013] The term "signal sensitive to a temperature variation" means a signal measuring a physical property dependent, in particular, on the temperature of the reference part. The sensor used to acquire this signal is therefore capable of capturing such a signal.

[0014] The term “reference value” means a value of the same dimension as the cooling data and which corresponds to a cooling data of the cooling kinematics of the control part, such as an amplitude of variation of a signal metric or a characteristic cooling time, when no thermal anomaly occurs. The reference value may be, for example, by means of a digital simulation tool or come from a measurement campaign on a plurality of healthy control parts, i.e. reference parts for which no thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process has been detected. The absence of thermal anomalies for these reference parts is, for example, checked by a control means other than that proposed in the present method, for example by non-destructive or destructive testing post-manufacturing or during manufacturing.

[0015] The cooling data is “far” from the reference value when a distance between the determined cooling data and the reference value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. This predetermined threshold is defined by an operator based on his knowledge and / or manufacturing constraints based on previous manufacturing of other parts, such as other control parts, and / or data from a digital simulation.

[0016] Thanks to the invention, it is possible to determine on the control part a cooling datum quantifying the cooling kinematics of the consolidated deposit following the melting of a layer of powder and before the next deposition of the plurality of deposits. This cooling datum provides information on the energy dissipated by the control part after melting, as well as on the quantity of energy supplied by the source to the part, since the signal obtained is sensitive to the temperature of said part. Thus, thanks to the invention, it is possible to detect a thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process by determining the cooling datum. In particular, the method makes it possible to detect a variation on a short or long time scale of the power received by the control part which, in an ideal case, is constant throughout its manufacture.

[0017] It is possible to manufacture this witness part in one or more copies, for example, for maintenance, certification or monitoring of the operation of the additive manufacturing machine. Alternatively, this witness part can be jointly manufactured, in one or more copies, with another part or a plurality of other parts. One advantage is to implement the proposed method in parallel with the manufacture of one or more other desired parts and to detect, for example in a production context, a thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process in order to carry out in quasi-real time a corrective action to correct the thermal anomaly or a consequence thereof.A consequence of the thermal anomaly is for example a manufacturing defect in the part such as a fusion defect of a layer, high porosity due to an under-supply of energy ("lack of fusion" in English) or an over-supply of energy ("keyhole" in English).

[0018] The method is simple and quick to implement since it requires, at a minimum, only the manufacture of the control part and the acquisition of a signal sensitive to a variation in temperature of the control part. The control part being of simple geometry, the acquisition of such a signal is also simple to implement. Such a signal comes, for example, from an ultrasonic sensor (US), an infrared sensor (IR).

[0019] The method is, moreover, simple and quick to implement since it only requires determining a cooling datum of the control part to then detect a thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process by a simple comparison with the reference value. In addition, the comparison makes it possible to detect the thermal anomaly almost instantly since it only requires knowing the reference value.

[0020] Since the signal is acquired during the manufacture of the control part, it is possible to implement the method in-situ, during this manufacture. The proposed method therefore makes it possible to quickly detect the thermal anomaly and to alert an operator or to issue a command to the additive manufacturing machine to correct the malfunction of the machine in order, for example, to apply a corrective action on the part or to stop the manufacture of the part. In addition, it is possible to carry out the corrective action only for the layer(s) concerned by the thermal anomaly. It is also possible to anticipate manufacturing defects in a subsequently manufactured part, in particular when the detected thermal anomaly corresponds to a drift.The detection of the thermal anomaly therefore makes it possible to reduce, or even avoid, the loss of manufacturing material, in this case the powder, by scrapping defective parts manufactured jointly or subsequently to the control part.

[0021] Since most non-destructive testing techniques (US, IR, etc.) allow acquisition of high-resolution signals at high sampling frequencies, it is possible to detect the thermal anomaly in near real time.

[0022] In addition to the characteristics which have just been mentioned, the preceding method may have one or more complementary characteristics among the following, considered individually or according to all technically possible combinations.

[0023] In one embodiment, the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and the reference value is a reference duration.

[0024] “Reference duration” means a cooling duration of the control part not subject to a thermal anomaly.

[0025] In one embodiment, the cooling data is an amplitude of variation of the metric determined from the signal obtained and the reference value is a reference amplitude.

[0026] “Reference amplitude” means a variation in amplitude of the metric determined from the signal during the cooling phase under nominal conditions.

[0027] In one embodiment, the cooling data is averaged over several deposits of the plurality of successive deposits, the steps of the method being implemented after the consolidation of each of the several deposits of the plurality of successive deposits.

[0028] Averaging makes it possible to smooth and / or attenuate the variability of the cooling data, in particular due to measurement uncertainties.

[0029] In one embodiment, the steps of the method are implemented after the consolidation of each deposit of the plurality of successive deposits of the powder bed.

[0030] The method thus makes it possible to detect the thermal anomaly early during a particular pass. It is then possible to alert on the pass concerned by the thermal anomaly and therefore to apply a corrective action for this pass, for example applying a new fusion.

[0031] In one embodiment, the melting of each deposit of the plurality of successive deposits leads to the manufacture of the control part, the control part comprising a body such that the body is solid and comprises, after the melting of each deposit of the plurality of successive deposits of the powder bed, an upper surface whose geometry is invariant during manufacture.

[0032] The witness piece according to the invention is of a simple and quick shape to manufacture, such as a cylinder, with an upper surface whose dimensions are constant in order to minimize the variability of the energy dissipated by the witness piece from one layer to another, after the melting of the deposit.

[0033] In one embodiment, the witness piece further comprises a base such that the base is secured to an upper face of a plate and is of a flared shape from the body to the plate, and such that the body is secured to the base.

[0034] In this particular embodiment, the geometry of the base of the witness part comprises in its lower part a “skirt” which makes it possible to ensure continuity of the mechanical coupling of the witness part with the plate without concentration of stresses while ensuring the stability of the part on the plate. In this particular embodiment, the manufacturing surface of the witness part is therefore constant only after the skirt has passed.

[0035] The use of a simple geometry control part thus makes it possible to link possible variations in the thermal properties of the part to fluctuations in the manufacturing process and therefore to provide useful information for manufacturing control. The use of a complex geometry control part, such as those usually produced by additive manufacturing, would be difficult to exploit because, in this case, the variations in the thermal properties of the part are also a function of the variations in the surface manufactured for each layer. It would therefore not be possible to directly deduce that a thermal anomaly of the process occurs from a measurement on such a part.

[0036] In one embodiment, the cooling data is a difference between a value at an initial instant, called the initial value, and a value at a final instant, called the final value, of the metric determined from the signal obtained, the initial instant being between the end instant of consolidation of the at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the start instant of the following deposit, the final instant being strictly greater than the initial instant and less than or equal to a start instant of the following deposit.

[0037] The cooling data is therefore directly linked to the cooling of the control part between the melting of two successive deposits. It is therefore possible to associate the thermal anomaly with a layer of the manufactured part.

[0038] In one embodiment, the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and in which the final instant is an instant for which the final value is equal to a predefined value.

[0039] The characteristic cooling time therefore corresponds to the time required for the part for the metric to reach the predefined value from the initial instant, i.e. the end of the melting of the layer concerned or an instant spaced apart from the predefined duration. The predefined value is, for example, defined by an operator according to his knowledge and / or manufacturing constraints based on previous manufacturing of other parts, such as other control parts, and / or data from a digital simulation.

[0040] In one embodiment, the predefined value is equal to the reduced initial value of a predefined factor.

[0041] The cooling time is determined without resorting to an imposed initial temperature which would be artificially predefined and case-dependent. On the contrary, the characteristic cooling time is determined as being the time required for the temperature of the control part to decrease by the predefined factor. The determination of the characteristic cooling time is therefore relative to the acquired signal and not absolute with respect to an imposed reference. The predefined factor is defined by an operator according to his knowledge and / or manufacturing constraints based on previous manufacturing of other parts, such as other control parts, and / or data from a digital simulation.

[0042] In one embodiment, the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and is determined from a ratio between a value at an initial instant, called initial value, of the metric determined from the signal obtained and a time derivative of said metric in the vicinity of the initial instant, the initial instant being between the instant of end of consolidation of the at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the instant of start of the following deposit.

[0043] Alternatively, the characteristic cooling time is continuously calculated from the values ​​of the metric and its derivative. There is therefore no need to use an imposed, artificially predefined and case-dependent initial temperature. There is also no need to determine the characteristic time based on a parameter provided by the operator. The determination of the characteristic cooling time is therefore free of a priori on the manufacturing process and / or the part being manufactured.

[0044] In one embodiment, the cooling data is determined from a time derivative in the vicinity of an initial instant of the metric determined from the signal obtained, the initial instant being between the end instant of consolidation of the at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the start instant of the following deposit.

[0045] The use of the derivative of the metric makes it possible to increase the sensitivity of the cooling data to the cooling dynamics of the part.

[0046] In one embodiment, the initial instant is the instant of end of thermal input of at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits or an instant following the instant of end of thermal input of a predefined duration.

[0047] The initial instant therefore corresponds to the instant when the source stops supplying energy to melt / solidify the powder and when the cooling of the part is initiated. Alternatively, the initial instant corresponds to an instant spaced from the predefined duration of the end of the melting to limit the sensitivity of the calculation to noise generated by the transient nature of the cessation of the melting / solidification.

[0048] In one embodiment, the signal obtained is a signal of light radiation from the witness part captured by a photodiode, a plurality of photodiodes or an infrared camera.

[0049] The acquisition of the signal is therefore based on a non-intrusive, non-destructive sensor technology, requiring little instrumentation and adaptation so that the implementation of the measurement is compatible with the additive manufacturing machine and the associated process. In addition, the signal acquired by such sensors is in particular sensitive to the temperature of the surface of the control part facing the camera and not to a temperature gradient present over the height of the part. The information contained in the acquired signal is therefore essentially characteristic of the properties of the surface facing the camera.

[0050] In one embodiment, the signal obtained is a signal of light radiation from the sample part captured by the plurality of photodiodes or the infrared camera and comprises a plurality of images of the sample part acquired during manufacturing, each image of the plurality of images comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels being associated with a value of light amplitude radiated by the sample part, and in which the metric is an average for each image of the plurality of images of the values ​​of light amplitude radiated from the plurality of pixels.

[0051] The light energy radiated by the sample part depends on the surface temperature of the part. The captured signal is therefore sensitive to a variation in the surface temperature of the sample part. In addition, applying the averaging to the values ​​of each pixel for each of the images makes it possible to reduce the information to be processed per image to a single scalar, limiting the number of data to be stored in memory, at least temporarily, while reducing the sensitivity of the calculation of the cooling data to measurement noise.

[0052] In one embodiment, the signal obtained is a signal of an ultrasonic wave propagating in the control part, the ultrasonic wave being emitted and captured by an ultrasonic sensor positioned opposite the control part.

[0053] The acquisition of the signal is therefore based on a non-intrusive, non-destructive sensor technology, requiring little instrumentation so that the implementation of the measurement is compatible with the additive manufacturing machine and the associated process. In addition, the signal acquired by such a sensor is sensitive to the temperature in the volume of the sample part. The information contained in the acquired signal is richer than that of the signal captured by the infrared camera and is therefore characteristic of both the volume and surface properties of the part.

[0054] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic signal comprises a variation of an acoustic field caused by the propagation of the ultrasonic wave in the room. witness after reflection on a surface formed by the fusion of at least one deposit, and in which the metric is a propagation time of the ultrasonic wave from an instant of generation to an instant of capture.

[0055] The propagation time of a mechanical wave in a material is dependent on the temperature field present in the volume of said material. The captured signal and the propagation time determined from this captured signal are therefore sensitive to a variation in the temperature in the control part.

[0056] In one embodiment, the method according to the first aspect comprises issuing an alert relating to the detected thermal anomaly.

[0057] Another aspect of the invention relates to a device for detecting a thermal anomaly of a method of manufacturing a control part configured to implement the method according to the first aspect.

[0058] The implementation of this method in such a device requires few resources for its implementation, such as a processor and a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, allow the implementation of the method described above.

[0059] Another aspect of the invention relates to a device for detecting a thermal anomaly to implement the method of the first aspect, comprising an ultrasonic sensor intended to emit and capture the ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic sensor being positioned opposite the witness part under a plate, said plate being configured to protect the ultrasonic sensor from an atmosphere generated by the manufacturing method and to ensure mechanical continuity between the ultrasonic sensor and the witness part.

[0060] The plate therefore serves to ensure the seal between the atmosphere of the additive manufacturing chamber and the location of the sensor while guaranteeing the good propagation of ultrasonic flux through its thickness, from the ultrasonic sensor to the control part.

[0061] A computer program, implementing all or part of the method described above, installed on pre-existing equipment, is in itself advantageous.

[0062] Thus, the present invention also relates to a computer program product comprising instructions for implementing certain steps of the method described above, when this program is executed by a processor.

[0063] This program may use any programming language (for example, an object-oriented language or other), and be in the form of interpretable source code, partially compiled code or fully compiled code.

[0064] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method described above.

[0065] The invention and its various applications will be better understood upon reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0066] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description, which can be read in conjunction with the figures. These figures are presented for information purposes only and in no way limit the invention: • [Fig.l] is a block diagram illustrating the sequence of steps of a method according to the invention. • [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of an additive manufacturing machine equipped with an external infrared camera. • [Fig.3] is a schematic representation of a variant of the machine of additive manufacturing of [Fig.2] with an internal infrared camera. • [Fig.4] is a schematic representation of the additive manufacturing machine equipped with an ultrasonic sensor. • [Fig.5] is a schematic representation of the manufacturing machine additive equipped with thermocouples. • [Fig.6] is a schematic representation of the manufacturing machine additive equipped with thermocouples according to a variant compatible with the embodiment of [Fig.4]. • [Fig.7] is a schematic representation of a test piece according to the invention comprising a base, or skirt, used to highlight the effect of a change in parameters. • [Fig.8] is an example of a signal from a camera capture infrared. • [Fig.9] is an example of a signal from a capture by an ultrasonic translator. • [Fig. 10] is an example of the evolution of a characteristic cooling time in the control part following an evolution of the manufacturing parameters at the level of the skirt passage according to [Fig.7] determined by the implementation of the method according to [Fig.l]. • [Fig.l 1] is an example of variation of an amplitude of the propagation time of an ultrasonic wave in the control part following an evolution of the manufacturing parameters according to [Fig.7]. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] The invention relates to a method for detecting a thermal anomaly in an additive manufacturing process by melting a powder bed. The proposed approach is based on the implementation in an additive manufacturing machine of sensors capable of measure signals sensitive to a temperature variation such as an infrared (IR) camera or an ultrasonic (US) transducer capable of delivering a signal whose variations depend on the power received by a part during its manufacture. These variations in the signals, acquired in situ and in real time during manufacture, provide information on the energy received by the part and therefore on the stability of the process as well as on the presence of a thermal anomaly in said process. For this purpose, the method is based on the manufacture of a control part, of simple geometry, for which a signal is acquired via one of the aforementioned sensors, then analyzed to evaluate the cooling dynamics of this part after the melting of one of the layers of deposited powder bed.The proposed method makes it possible, in particular, to detect fluctuations or instabilities of the source, which is used for fusion, leading to manufacturing defects such as the random non-realization of one or more fusions, or even longer-term drifts in the power delivered by the source.

[0068] The thermal anomaly may be caused by a short- or long-scale malfunction of one or more elements of the machine. The term "short-time scale phenomenon" and "long-time scale phenomenon" refers to a phenomenon occurring over a short or long period, respectively, relative to the complete manufacture of a part by the additive manufacturing machine. Most often, for short-time scale phenomena, these are punctual or transient fluctuations whose duration is less than the duration of a pass but is long enough to be detected by a control method, such as the method proposed here. In addition, long-time scale phenomena are fluctuations with slow variations, of more or less strong amplitude, which are detectable after manufacturing several layers, or even several uses of the machine.

[0069] The method in question is based on the fusion of a powder bed, which is deposited by a plurality of successive deposits. The fusion is carried out after each deposition of the powder bed.

[0070] As illustrated in [Fig.l], the method 100 for detecting a thermal anomaly of the additive manufacturing process comprises several steps. The method and the steps it comprises can be implemented by a device for detecting a thermal anomaly of the additive manufacturing process configured to implement the method. That is to say, this device comprises hardware and software means for implementing said method 100. For example, the device in question is a computer comprising a processor and a memory, volatile or non-volatile, which comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, lead to the implementation of the method 100.

[0071] Since the objective of the method is to determine a thermal anomaly of the process based on cooling data of the part after the melting of one of the powder bed deposits, these steps are successively implemented once the melting of the deposit in question has taken place.

[0072] In one embodiment, these steps are implemented for each powder bed deposition performed, after melting of said powder bed. Alternatively, these steps are implemented after the melting of certain powder bed depositions, for example after the melting of each deposition of a number N of powder bed depositions, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0073] For the purpose of illustration, the method is, in the following, implemented for the analysis of a signal acquired via an infrared (IR) camera and a laser heat supply mode. Such an embodiment is illustrated in [Fig. 2]. However, this illustration is without departing from the generality of the applicability of the method to other heat supply technologies and sensors capable of producing a signal sensitive to a variation in temperature of the control part.

[0074] The additive manufacturing machine 1 comprises a thermal source 2, for example a laser, an electron beam source or a set of infrared lamps. The source emits energy towards the sample part 4 and, optionally, towards another part to be manufactured 5. The machine 1 also comprises a plate 6 capable of serving as a support for the manufacture of the sample part 4 and the other part 5.

[0075] The IR camera 3 is arranged outside the machine so that its lens faces a window 3' of the machine 1 that is not opaque to IR radiation, for example made of germanium or sapphire. In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in [Fig. 3], the IR camera 3 is in the machine 1. The IR camera 3 is, in this case, arranged so as not to alter or hinder the operation of the machine 1. The window 3' that is not opaque to IR radiation is not required here.

[0076] The IR camera 3 is oriented so that its lens is directed towards the control part 4 and so that no other element of the machine 1 acts as a screen between the IR camera 3 and the control part 4. The IR camera 3 can, for example, operate either in the mid-wave range, with wavelengths between 2 and 6 pm, or in the far infrared with wavelengths between 8 and 14 pm. Alternatively, the camera can be substituted by one or more photodiodes, called measuring photodiodes.

[0077] The sample part 4 is manufactured, by means of the fusion of successive deposits, so as to be solid, that is to say without cavities or recesses, and to have a simple geometry.

[0078] The geometry, and the related dimensions, of the upper surface constructed pass after pass, of the control part 4, are preferably constant throughout the manufacturing.

[0079] The witness piece is, for example, cylindrical or parallelepiped in shape, such as a paving stone. The width, or diameter, of the sample piece is between 0.5 and 5 cm, preferably between 0.5 and 2 cm. The piece is therefore thin enough to not use too much material for its manufacture but is large enough for a thermal fluctuation to be detectable by the sensor.

[0080] In a particular embodiment illustrated in [Fig.7], the witness piece 4 comprises a body 4-1 and a base 4-2 integral with each other. The body 4-1 of the witness piece is of the cylindrical or parallelepipedal shape previously described. The body 4-1 is therefore of invariant geometry throughout the manufacturing process. The base 4-2 is of flared shape from the body to the plate 6. The base 4-2 therefore has a width which increases progressively from the body to the plate 6.

[0081] The base 4-2 may be a polyhedron or be of concave or convex annular shape. The base is integral with the plate.

[0082] The upper surface of the witness piece 4 is also parallel to the upper face of the plate 6.

[0083] The sample part 4 can be manufactured anywhere on the plate 6 or at a specific location on the plate to control the manufacturing process at that specific location. The sample part 4 is positioned on the plate so as not to interfere with the manufacturing of another part, for example by selecting the location of the sample part 4 on the plate after selecting the location(s) for manufacturing the other parts.

[0084] The camera 3 is used to capture light radiation emitted by the witness piece 4. This radiation is produced by the heat dissipation of the witness piece 4 linked to the energy input coming from the source 2.

[0085] The camera is connected to a device 20 used for acquiring signals via the IR camera 3. The acquisition device may be the device configured to implement the method 100.

[0086] The method 100 therefore comprises a step 110 of obtaining a signal acquired by means of the IR camera 3. By acquiring a signal is meant the acquisition of digital samples of a physical quantity to which the sensor is sensitive. The acquisition is made by the device 20 at a predefined sampling frequency. The predefined sampling frequency is defined by an operator and is sufficiently high in order to have a sufficient number of samples to analyze the cooling dynamics. In practice this number of samples is greater than 10, preferably greater than 100, even more preferably greater than 1000. By “obtaining” is therefore meant that the signal is transmitted in digital format to the device implementing the method 100 by a transmission medium, for example a wired or wireless connection.

[0087] In this embodiment, the acquired signal comprises a plurality of IR images acquired at the predefined sampling frequency. Each image is formed of a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the image is associated with a luminous amplitude of the light radiation equal to a number of photons captured for said pixel.

[0088] The signal acquisition is carried out continuously during the manufacture of the sample part 4.

[0089] Alternatively, the acquisition is triggered by means of a photodiode, called a detection photodiode, which is used to detect the instant of end of melting of the deposit. The instant of end of melting is the instant at which the source stops emitting the energy necessary for melting the powder bed. In other words, it is the instant of end of heat input.

[0090] The acquisition can also be stopped at the start time of the next deposit or at the start time of melting of this next deposit, also detected by means of the detection photodiode. The start time of the deposit is the moment when the next deposit begins to be deposited. The start time of melting is the moment when the source begins to emit the energy necessary for melting the powder bed.

[0091] The method 100 then comprises a step 120 of determining a cooling datum, in particular of the surface of the control part 4 which has just been manufactured. This cooling datum is characteristic of the cooling dynamics of the part. The cooling datum makes it possible to quantify the cooling of the surface which has just been consolidated. The cooling datum is therefore a quantifiable characteristic of the kinematics of the cooling of this surface due to the stopping of the emission of energy by the source 2. As such, the cooling datum may be an amplitude of variation of a metric of the signal or a characteristic cooling time.

[0092] In the embodiment presented, the cooling data is determined from the light signal acquired by the IR camera 3, forming an image called an IR image. Preferably, the cooling data is determined by analyzing a metric calculated from the signal obtained. In the case where the signal is acquired via the IR camera 3, the metric in question is an average amplitude calculated by averaging, for each IR image, the light amplitude values ​​of all the pixels of the image. In certain embodiments, the average is applied to a portion of the plurality of pixels. The plurality of images is therefore averaged into a plurality of scalars, the value of each of which is equal to the average of the amplitudes of the relevant image. The cooling data is therefore determined as a function of the variation of the average amplitude calculated for each image.

[0093] In an alternative embodiment, the cooling data is determined from the light signal acquired by the measuring photodiode. In this case, the metric in question is the light amplitude captured by the measuring photodiode.

[0094] In one embodiment, the cooling data is determined from the light signals acquired by the plurality of measurement photodiodes. The concatenation of the light signals forms an image, each pixel of the image being associated with one of the photodiodes of the plurality of measurement photodiodes. Each pixel of the image is therefore associated with the light amplitude captured by the associated photodiode. Just as for the thermal camera 3, an averaging of the light amplitude is carried out on all or part of all the pixels. The metric is then, at each instant, the average of the light amplitudes captured by each of the measurement photodiodes.

[0095] The cooling data is determined from a difference between a value of the metric taken at an initial time and a value of the metric taken at a final time. This data can be, if necessary, dimensionless and / or normalized.

[0096] The initial time is, for example, the end time of merging of the deposit for which the method 100 is implemented.

[0097] Alternatively, the initial instant is a successive instant close to the instant of end of fusion. In this case, the initial instant is, for example, offset from the instant of end of fusion by a duration equal to the predefined duration, for example between 0.1 s and 2 s. The predefined duration is, for example, chosen by the operator according to his knowledge and manufacturing constraints. Preferably, the predefined duration is defined so as to minimize the sensitivity of the signal obtained to the measurement noise generated by transient phenomena due to the almost instantaneous stopping of the energy supplied by the source.

[0098] The final instant is an instant subsequent to the initial instant, strictly greater than the initial instant. The final instant is less than or equal to the start instant of the following deposition. The notion of quasi-real time is thus relative to the manufacturing time of a layer since it is necessary to wait until the final instant is reached to determine the cooling data, which may be the end instant of consolidation of the layer.

[0099] In the case where the cooling data is the amplitude of variation of the metric, the cooling data is equal to a difference between the value of the metric at the initial instant and the value of the metric at the final instant.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooling kinematics is measured by determining the characteristic cooling time, determined from the signal obtained in the previous step. The characteristic cooling time corresponds to a cooling time of the part, in particular of the surface of the control part 4 which has just been manufactured. The characteristic cooling time therefore corresponds to a time during which the layer whose deposit has just been fused undergoes a decrease in temperature.

[0101] The characteristic cooling time is equal to the difference between the initial instant and the final instant.

[0102] In an alternative, the final instant is an instant at which the value of the metric, called the final value, is equal to a predefined value. The characteristic cooling time is then the time required for the surface of the control part to cool to the predefined value.

[0103] The predefined value is, for example, an average amplitude value of the light amplitude defined by the operator. The amplitude value can be an absolute value or a value relative to another value.

[0104] Preferably, the predefined value is defined relative to the value of the metric at the initial instant, called the initial value, in this case the average value of the light amplitude captured by the IR camera 3. For example, the predefined value is lower by a predefined factor than the initial value. For example, the predefined factor is strictly greater than 0 and strictly less than 1; it is for example between 0.1 and 0.9. The predefined value is therefore proportional to the initial value and the final instant is the instant after the initial at which the final value is equal to the initial value reduced by the predefined factor. The predefined factor is, for example, defined by the operator. The characteristic cooling time is then the time required for the surface of the control part to cool by the predefined factor.

[0105] The method 100 then comprises a step 130 of comparing the cooling data determined in the previous step with a reference value.

[0106] The reference value is defined by the operator or by means of a digital simulation tool and corresponds to a nominal value of the cooling data, i.e. a cooling data value for which no thermal anomaly has occurred.

[0107] The comparison is implemented by calculating a distance, for example in the form of a difference, between the reference value and the determined cooling data.

[0108] The smaller this distance, the closer the cooling data is to the reference value and the less risk there is of a thermal anomaly occurring. The energy dissipated by the control part during its cooling therefore corresponds well to the energy that it is supposed to dissipate when the manufacturing process is implemented without thermal anomaly.

[0109] On the contrary, the greater this distance, the greater the risk of a thermal anomaly occurring. The energy dissipated by the control part during its cooling is therefore abnormally high or abnormally low.

[0110] In one embodiment, the reference value is equal to the cooling data determined for a previous layer or to an average of cooling data determined for several previous layers, the method 100 having been implemented for this or these previous layers. The pre-layer(s) The preceding layers used to define the reference value are, preferably, layers constructed without modification of the manufacturing process compared to the layer being checked.

[0111] Thus, when the cooling data is the variation amplitude of the metric, the reference value is a reference variation amplitude of the metric, obtained under nominal manufacturing conditions; and when the cooling data is the characteristic cooling time, the reference value is a reference duration, also obtained under nominal manufacturing conditions.

[0112] The method 100 then comprises a step 140 of detecting the thermal anomaly from the comparison of the previous step. The thermal anomaly is detected when the comparison between the cooling data and the reference value, that is to say between the variation amplitude of the metric and the reference variation amplitude of the metric or between the characteristic cooling time and the reference duration, indicates too great a difference between these values. In particular, the thermal anomaly is detected when the distance calculated in the previous step is greater than a predefined threshold.

[0113] The threshold is for example defined as a function of a standard deviation of the cooling data calculated for a plurality of passes of a plurality of reference parts, for example other control parts or other examples of the control part 4, for which no thermal anomaly has been detected.

[0114] Alternatively, the threshold may be defined as a function of the cooling data and / or the average of cooling data calculated for the preceding layer(s). For example, the threshold is proportional to the cooling data determined for the preceding layer or to the average of the cooling data of the preceding layers or some layers. For example, the threshold is equal to the standard deviation of this average.

[0115] The predefined threshold can, moreover, be defined by the operator.

[0116] The method 100 then comprises a step 150 of issuing an alert. The alert is related to the detected thermal anomaly. For example, the alert may include one or more pieces of information relating to the layer for which the thermal anomaly is detected. The alert is, for example, a message sent to the operator in the form of alphanumeric characters. The alert may also include part or all of the signal obtained and relating to said alert, i.e. all or part of the samples of said signal. The alert may, in addition, include part or all of the metric calculated from the signal obtained, i.e. all or part of the values ​​that the metric includes.

[0117] When one or more other parts 5 are jointly manufactured to the part witness 4, this alert is used to implement a corrective action, for example in the form of feedback. It is thus possible to correct the thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process and, possibly, correct a manufacturing defect caused on the other parts 5 by the occurrence of the thermal anomaly.

[0118] In one embodiment, the sensor used to capture the signal is an ultrasonic (US) sensor. This sensor is preferably a single-element transducer, converting a mechanical deformation into an electrical voltage by piezoelectric effect. Alternatively, the sensor is a multi-element transducer.

[0119] Preferably, the US sensor is a single-element transducer thus allowing the acquisition of the signal at a high sampling frequency and the propagation of a US wave at a high speed, allowing a quasi-real-time evaluation of the cooling data. In an alternative embodiment, the generation / detection of ultrasonic waves is carried out by means of a laser.

[0120] As illustrated in [Fig.4], the translator 7 is positioned under the plate 6 which supports the witness piece 4 and the optional other or plurality of other pieces 5. This sensor is arranged opposite the witness piece in order to maximize the transmission of US waves between the sensor and the witness piece. The translator 7 can be placed in contact with the lower face of the plate 6 and a couplant can also be applied between the sensor and the plate 6.

[0121] In addition to its role of supporting the manufactured parts and the translator 7, for which it is chemically and thermo-mechanically compatible with the material used for manufacturing, the plate serves to protect the US sensor 7 from the atmosphere generated by the manufacturing process. For this purpose, the plate 6 is capable of protecting, or even isolating, the US sensor 7 from the additive manufacturing chamber 8 in which the additive manufacturing of the control part 4, and other possible parts 5, takes place. It therefore ensures the seal between the additive manufacturing chamber 8 and the location where the US sensor 7 is located. The plate is made of a material compatible with the parts to be produced, the choice falling within the skills of the operator.

[0122] The term “additive manufacturing chamber” means the part of the additive manufacturing machine 1 in which the additive manufacturing takes place. The chamber 8 is isolated from the other parts of the additive manufacturing machine 1 in order to protect the interior of the machine from contact with the material in the form of powders. The chamber 8 contains, for example, the source 2 used for melting, the control part 4, the other part(s) to be manufactured 5, a powder reservoir (not shown) and a device for depositing the powder bed (not shown).

[0123] The plate 6 is also capable of ensuring mechanical continuity between the US sensor 7 and the witness piece 4 in order to reduce the acoustic impedance break for a US wave propagating between the US sensor 7 and the witness piece 4. The plate is also configured to be low attenuation for mechanical waves. Advantageously, it can be machined to allow the integration of the translator and any thermocouples without modifying the architecture of the machine.

[0124] In one embodiment, this tray 6 has an opening allowing the passage of the connecting supports, for example cables connecting the sensor US 7 to the acquisition device 20 or to the thermal anomaly detection device.

[0125] The US sensor 7 is configured to generate a US wave around a central frequency between 1 MHz and 100 MHz, preferably between 2 MHz and 20 MHz, with a bandwidth between 50% and 95% at -6 dB, for example 80% at -6 dB.

[0126] The generated US wave then propagates from the US sensor 7 into the control part 4, passing through the thickness of the plate 6. The wave is then reflected by the upper surface of the control part 4 and is back-propagated from this surface to the US sensor 7.

[0127] The US sensor 7 therefore detects the disturbance of the displacement field, on its surface in contact with the plate 6, generated by the propagation of the US wave, in particular after its reflection by the upper surface of the control part 4. Each sample of the plurality of samples of the acquired signal comprises an amplitude value of the variation of said displacement field.

[0128] The US wave is emitted in the form of a continuous succession of pulses, in English "pulses", separated by a predefined time step, said time step being between 0.01 s and 1 s, preferably 0.02 s and 0.2 s. The pulses can also be emitted only between the instant of end of fusion and the instant of start of following deposition.

[0129] The propagation speed of the US wave being sensitive to a variation in temperature of the control part 4, this speed decreases significantly during the cooling of the control part 4 between the respective fusions of two successive layers. This decrease makes it possible to determine the cooling data of the control part 4.

[0130] Consequently, we seek to extract the evolution of the propagation time of the US wave from the US signal captured by the US sensor 7, including the variations in the amplitude of the displacement field on its surface. For each wave train emitted, the propagation time is determined as being the difference between the instant of capture of the echo of the US wave by the US sensor 7 and the instant of generation of the wave by the US sensor 7.

[0131] The metric used to determine the cooling data is therefore the round-trip propagation time of the wave from its generation to its capture by the US sensor 7.

[0132] In this embodiment, when the cooling data is an amplitude of variation of the metric, the cooling data is a propagation time and is equal to the difference between the propagation time of the US wave at the initial instant and the propagation time of the US wave at the final instant.

[0133] In this embodiment, when the cooling data is the characteristic cooling time, this is determined as the difference between the initial time and the final time, where the final time is the time when the propagation time value reaches the predefined value, which is then a propagation time value. Again, the predefined value can be defined absolutely or relative to another value, such as relative to the initial value, for example to be less than the initial value by the predefined factor. The initial value is defined in the same way as in the case of using the IR camera 3. The initial value is therefore the propagation time of the US wave at the initial time.

[0134] During its manufacture, the witness part 4 is preferably manufactured so that its upper surface is flat and in a plane orthogonal to the direction of propagation of the US beam, in order to maximize the energy of the specular echo captured by the US sensor 7.

[0135] In one embodiment, the cooling data is equal to a value of a derivative of the determined metric (the average amplitude per image or the Fonde US propagation time). The derivative is, for example, a first-order time derivative of the metric whose value is evaluated in the vicinity of the initial instant, for example at the initial instant. The derivative is, for example, calculated by means of a finite difference. The finite difference may be centered or non-centered. Thus, when the metric comes from the IR camera 3, the cooling data is a derivative of the average amplitude per image; and, when the metric comes from the US sensor 7, the cooling data is a derivative of the Fonde US propagation time. The reference value is then the value of the derivative of the metric in the vicinity of the initial instant, for example at the initial instant, when the metric is obtained under nominal manufacturing conditions.It is therefore no longer necessary to determine the final time or the final value to compare to the predefined value to evaluate the cooling data.

[0136] In an alternative, the cooling data is a difference between the derivative of the metric in the vicinity of the initial instant, for example at the initial instant, and the derivative of the metric in the vicinity of the final instant, for example at the final instant.

[0137] In another embodiment, the characteristic cooling time is alternatively determined as being proportional to a division of the determined metric (the average amplitude per image or the Fonde US propagation time) by a value of the derivative of this metric with respect to time.

[0138] This division is, for example, evaluated in the vicinity of the initial instant. That is to say that we divide the value of the metric taken in the vicinity of the initial instant by its derivative calculated in the vicinity of the initial instant. In particular, this division is evaluated at the initial instant. The characteristic cooling time is therefore the value of the ratio between the metric and its derivative calculated at the initial instant.

[0139] The derivative is, for example, determined in the same way as in the previous embodiment.

[0140] In this alternative, the characteristic cooling time is directly calculated around the initial instant without resorting to the final instant or the final value.

[0141] In another alternative, the characteristic cooling time is determined as being proportional to a division of a variation of said metric by the value of the derivative of this metric with respect to time in the vicinity of the initial instant, for example at the initial instant. The variation of said metric is determined as being equal to a difference between the value of the metric at the initial instant and the value of the metric at the final instant.

[0142] In this alternative, it is therefore not necessary to determine the final instant relative to the initial instant to evaluate the time required to reach the predefined value. The final instant can therefore be any instant subsequent to the initial instant. Preferably, the final instant is the start instant of the next deposition or an instant preceding the start instant of the deposition of a short predefined duration, for example between 0.01 s and 1 s.

[0143] The reference value is then the value of the division of the metric, or of the variation of the metric, by the derivative of the metric in the vicinity of the initial instant, for example at the initial instant, when the metric is obtained under nominal manufacturing conditions.

[0144] In one embodiment, once the cooling data has been determined on a layer, it is advantageous to carry out an averaging of the values ​​obtained on several layers. The duration of the averaging window is sufficiently long to allow the signal to be smoothed and to reduce its sensitivity to measurement uncertainties as well as to noise. The duration of said window is also sufficiently short to limit the loss of information.

[0145] In the case of the US sensor 7, the averaging is applied to the data on a number of layers between 3 and 10, preferably between 5 and 8. In the case of the IR camera 3, the averaging is applied to the data on a number of layers between 2 and 8, preferably between 4 and 6.

[0146] In one embodiment, one or more thermocouples are instrumented in the machine 1, for example K-type thermocouples. As illustrated in [Fig.5], the thermocouples 9 are arranged so as to be positioned under the plate 6, for example in contact with the lower surface of the plate 6. The thermocouples are connected to the acquisition device 20 and / or to the thermal anomaly detection device.

[0147] The thermocouples 9 can be placed at any location under the plate 6 or at specific locations in order to collect data on the temperature at these specific locations. For example, as illustrated in 6, the thermocouples can be arranged on either side of the sensor US 7, in order to precisely collect the temperature at said sensor US7.

[0148] One advantage of using thermocouples 9 is to be able to construct a database that can subsequently be used to inform a thermal model in a numerical simulation. Another advantage is to be able to control temperature variations at the plate 6 during manufacturing.

[0149] In one embodiment, several copies of the control part 4 are simultaneously manufactured. Other control parts 4 of different dimensions or shapes can also be manufactured. The method 100 is then implemented for some or all of the parts or copies for one, several or each deposition of the powder bed. One advantage is to be able to detect the thermal anomaly over a longer term, in particular in the case of a drift. Another advantage is to be able to evaluate the robustness of the process, with respect to a thermal anomaly, at several positions on the plate 6; in fact, the performance of the manufacturing process can depend on the position of the part relative to the source or to other elements of the machine.

[0150] Furthermore, several other optional parts 5 may be constructed jointly with the control part 4 or with the plurality of copies of the control part 4 or with the plurality of different control parts 4. The copies or the different control parts 4 then serve to detect the thermal anomaly throughout the manufacture of the plurality of other parts 5, for example by alternating the manufacture of one of the control parts 4 with the manufacture of one or more of the other parts 5. This makes it possible to precisely identify the other parts 5 for which the thermal anomaly may have degraded the manufacture and to better target the corrective action to be applied, for example by correcting only the parts affected by the thermal anomaly. To this end, the alert may include information relating to the control part 4 and, possibly, to the other part(s) 5 affected by the thermal anomaly.

[0151] Advantageously, it is possible to use the proposed method to evaluate an evolution of the cooling dynamics during the manufacture of the part, or over several successive manufactures of different parts. The cooling dynamics of the part can therefore be compared to one or more reference cooling trends. These reference trends are for example obtained by a previous measurement campaign or by a digital simulation tool and represent the cooling dynamics for one or more passes with and / or without thermal anomaly. Comparing the cooling dynamics with the reference trend(s) makes it possible to identify abnormal behavior in the cooling of the part, without a thermal anomaly necessarily being detected or in progress. On the contrary, and advantageously, this comparison makes it possible to predict a future thermal anomaly, for example for a pass subsequent to the current pass or for a manufacturing subsequent to the current one. An interest is therefore to identify a behavior which in the short or long term leads to the occurrence of the thermal anomaly. When such behavior is identified, it is then possible to anticipate the thermal anomaly and prevent it, for example by applying a corrective action.

[0152] The applicability of method 100 was evaluated on two different additive manufacturing machines 1. Two powder materials were used: AlSi7Mg and IN 625. The method was jointly implemented using an IR camera and a US sensor. In this case, it is an Optris™ PI 640i G7 thermal camera, placed above machine 1, through a germanium window. The US sensor was a single-element ultrasonic transducer with a central emission frequency of 5 MHz, fixed under the manufacturing plate 6. The US signal was acquired with a sampling frequency of 156 MHz. A photodiode was instrumented to detect the instants of start and end of fusion.

[0153] Two K-type thermocouples 9 were arranged under the plate, on either side of the transducer.

[0154] The control part 4, of cylindrical shape, was manufactured so as to have a diameter of 20 mm and a height after manufacture of 15 mm. The base was formed on the first 65 layers, in the lower part of the cylinder.

[0155] For the base, the power delivered by the source, here a laser, was 240 W. The scan speed of the source being 2000 mm / s.

[0156] For the body, the delivered power was 253 W and the scan speed was 900 mm / s.

[0157] The emission time of the fusion energy by the source therefore decreases for the The first 65 layers correspond to the base, due to the flared shape. The energy emission time is then constant and at a higher value, since the scanning speed is slower for the body than for the base and the surface to be manufactured is of the same dimension from one pass to the next.

[0158] From the signal acquired by the IR camera 3, variations in the averaged radiated light amplitude during a part of the manufacturing are proposed in [Fig.8]. From the signal acquired by the US sensor 7, the variations in the US Fonde propagation time during this first part of manufacturing are proposed in [Fig.9]. It is observed that these two metrics present strong variations after each fusion of a layer. The start time of each fusion is represented by a dotted vertical line and the end time of each fusion is represented by a solid vertical line. These variations are linked to the heat dissipation generated by the control part 4. The analysis of these signals is therefore relevant for calculating the cooling data.

[0159] As illustrated in [Fig. 10], the calculation of the characteristic cooling time Tc, determined by analyzing the signal from the IR camera 3 on the first 500 layers, shows an increase in this characteristic cooling time during the manufacture of the skirt, a jump at the transition C between the base and the body, and a stabilization thereafter. The emission duration of the laser LT for each layer during manufacture is also indicated.

[0160] As illustrated in [Fig. 11], the variations in the amplitude of the propagation time during the cooling phase between the instant of end of melting of a layer and the start of melting of the following layer, evaluated via the US sensor on the first 900 layers, show an increase during the manufacture of the skirt, a jump at the transition between the skirt and the cylinder, and a decrease before stabilization thereafter.

[0161] The characteristics of these signals therefore make it possible to identify changes in power conditions received by the sample part during its manufacture, both using the IR camera 3 and the US sensor 7.

Claims

Claims

1. Method (100) for detecting a thermal anomaly of a manufacturing process, the manufacturing process being implemented by means of an additive manufacturing machine (1) by consolidating each deposit of a plurality of successive deposits of a powder bed for in particular the production of a part, called a control part (4), said method (100) comprising, after the consolidation of at least one deposit of the plurality of deposits: - Obtaining (110) a signal sensitive to a temperature variation of the consolidated deposit of the control part (4), the signal being acquired during the manufacture of the control part (4) by the manufacturing process; - Determining (120), from a metric determined from the signal obtained, a cooling datum, the cooling datum being a quantifiable characteristic of the cooling dynamics of the consolidated deposit before the next deposition of the plurality of deposits;- Compare (130) the cooling data to a reference value; and - Detect (140) the thermal anomaly of the manufacturing process when the cooling data is far from the reference value.;

2. Method (100) according to claim 1 wherein the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and the reference value is a reference duration.

3. Method (100) according to claim 1 in which the cooling data is an amplitude of variation of the metric determined from the obtained signal and the reference value is a reference amplitude.

4. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cooling data is averaged over several deposits of the plurality of successive deposits, the steps of the method (100) being implemented after the consolidation of each of the several deposits of the plurality of successive deposits.

5. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4 in which the steps of the method (100) are implemented after the consolidation of each deposit of the plurality of successive deposits of the powder bed.

6. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cooling data is a difference between a value at an initial instant, called initial value, and a value at a final instant, called final value, of the metric determined from the signal obtained, the initial instant being between the end instant of consolidation of the at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the start instant of the following deposit, the final instant being strictly greater than the initial instant and less than or equal to a start instant of the following deposit.

7. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, in which the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and in which the final instant is an instant for which the final value is equal to a predefined value.

8. The method (100) of claim 7, wherein the predefined value is equal to the initial value reduced by a predefined factor.

9. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the cooling data is a characteristic cooling time and is determined from a ratio between a value at an initial instant, called initial value, of the metric determined from the signal obtained and a time derivative of said metric in the vicinity of the initial instant, the initial instant being between the instant of end of consolidation of the at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the instant of start of the following deposit.

10. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5 in which the cooling data is determined from a time derivative in the vicinity of an initial instant of the metric determined from the signal obtained, the initial instant being between the instant of end of consolidation of at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits and the instant of start of the following deposit.

11. Method (100) according to one of claims 6 to 10, in which the initial instant is the instant of end of thermal input of at least one deposit of the plurality of successive deposits or an instant following the instant of end of thermal input of a predefined duration.

12. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 11, in which the signal obtained is a signal of a light radiation of the witness part (4) captured by a photodiode, a plurality of photodiodes or an infrared camera (3).

13. The method (100) of claim 12, wherein the obtained signal is a signal of light radiation from the sample part (4) captured by the plurality of photodiodes or the infrared camera (3) and comprises a plurality of images of the sample part (4) acquired during manufacturing, each image of the plurality of images comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels being associated with a light amplitude value radiated by the sample part (4), and wherein the metric is an average for each image of the plurality of images of the light amplitude values ​​radiated from the plurality of pixels.

14. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 11, in which the signal obtained is a signal of an ultrasonic wave propagating in the control part (4), the ultrasonic wave being emitted and captured by an ultrasonic sensor (7) positioned opposite the control part (4).

15. Method (100) according to claim 14, in which the ultrasonic signal comprises a variation of an acoustic field caused by the propagation of the ultrasonic wave in the control part (4) after reflection on a surface formed by the melting of the at least one deposit, and in which the metric is a propagation time of the ultrasonic wave from a generation instant to a capture instant.

16. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims comprising the emission (150) of an alert relating to the detected thermal anomaly.

17. Device for detecting a thermal anomaly in a manufacturing process for a control part (4) configured to implement the method (100) according to one of the preceding claims.

18. Device for detecting a thermal anomaly for implementing the method (100) according to one of claims 14 or 15, comprising an ultrasonic sensor (7) intended to emit and capture the ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic sensor (7) being positioned opposite the witness part (4) under a plate (6), said plate (6) being configured to protect the ultrasonic sensor (7) from an atmosphere generated by the manufacturing process and ensure mechanical continuity between the ultrasonic sensor (7) and the witness part (4).

19. Computer program product comprising instructions for implementing the method (100) according to one of the preceding claims- previous when this program is executed by a processor.

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