Additive manufacturing part marking system and process

Abstract

To provide a method for marking multiple parts in an additive manufacturing (AM) process.SOLUTION: A method includes converting an encoded file for a set of components to a text-based component toolpath file. A set of serialization (SN) files for characters in a part marking geometry are created and encoded. Encoded SN files are converted to a set of text-based SN toolpath files. Then the method includes a step of generating a combined print file from the component toolpath file and the SN toolpath files to include both components, wherein the generating includes combining location and part marking details from a part SN location script with SN geometries from the SN toolpath files to create a modified SN toolpath file for part marking.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to additive manufacturing, and more specifically to methods and systems for marking parts of a build with serialization data during an additive manufacturing process. [Background technology]

[0002] Additive manufacturing (AM) includes a variety of processes that produce articles by the successive deposition of material rather than by removal of material. As such, AM can create complex shapes without the use of tools, molds, or fixtures, and with little or no waste. Instead of machining an article from a solid billet of material (where most of the material is cut away and discarded), AM uses only the material needed to create the article.

[0003] Additive manufacturing techniques typically involve taking a three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) file of the article to be formed, electronically slicing the article into multiple layers, and creating a file containing two-dimensional images of each layer. This file is then loaded into a preparation software system that interprets the file so that the article can be built on various types of additive manufacturing systems. Additive manufacturing in the form of three-dimensional (3D) printing, rapid prototyping (RP), and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) creates articles by selectively dispensing layers of material.

[0004] In metal powder additive manufacturing techniques such as selective laser melting (SLM) and direct metal laser melting (DMLM), metal powder layers are melted sequentially to form an article. More specifically, the metal powder layers are uniformly distributed on a metal powder bed using an applicator and then melted sequentially. The metal powder bed can be moved in a vertical axial direction. The process is carried out in a processing chamber with a precisely controlled atmosphere of an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. As each layer is created, each 2-dimensional slice of the article geometry can be fused together by selectively melting the metal powder. The melting is carried out by a high-power melting beam, for example a 100W ytterbium laser, which can completely deposit (melt) the metal powder to form a solid metal. The melting beam is moved in the XY direction using a scanning mirror and has sufficient intensity to completely deposit (melt) the metal powder to form a solid metal. The metal powder bed is lowered for each subsequent 2-dimensional layer and the above process is repeated until the article is completely formed.

[0005] Certain AM printing operations may require parts to have unique markings (such as serial numbers). In some cases, an entire batch of replicated parts may be produced together on a single build plate during a printing operation, with each part requiring its own unique marking. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for marking multiple parts in an additive manufacturing (AM) process, the method includes converting coded part files for a set of parts into text-based part tool path files, creating and coding a set of serialization (SN) files for characters in part marking geometry, converting the coded SN files into a set of text-based SN tool path files, and generating a combined print input file including both the part and SN scan paths from the part tool path files and the SN tool path files, the generating including combining location and part marking details from a part SN location script with SN geometry from the SN tool path files to create a modified SN tool path file for part marking.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the coded part file and the set of coded SN files are coded in a stereolithography (STL) file format.

[0008] Another aspect of the disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the text-based part toolpath file and the text-based SN toolpath file include common layer interface (CLI) files.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the part marking geometry includes a predetermined sequence of character positions, each character position including a set of character values ​​that can be printed at the given character position.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the part SN location script further defines the number of parts on the build plate and a file server location for the part tool path file and the SN tool path file.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the combined print input file is generated in response to input to the user interface, the input including a press identifier, a batch number, and a build type.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having selectable user inputs.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the above aspects, wherein the part scan paths are not blocked by the SN scan paths in the combined print input file.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the above aspects, wherein the set of SN files is created using a computer-aided design (CAD) SN tool, and the coded SN files are named with labels indicating the character value and character position of the associated serialized character.

[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, and inputting the combined print input file into an additive manufacturing printer to print a part with the part markings using selective laser melting (SLM).

[0016] An additional aspect of the present disclosure provides a computing system having a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to generate part markings in an additive manufacturing (AM) process, the process including receiving an input selecting an AM build for a batch of parts, determining a combined toolpath folder associated with the AM build in response to the selected AM build, the combined toolpath folder including a serialization (SN) toolpath file representing the part marking geometry and a part toolpath file representing the part geometry, and generating a combined toolpath file including scan path data for both the batch of parts and the part markings, the scan path data for the part markings being determined according to a part SN location script that locates character geometries and selects character values ​​for each part.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above and converting the combined tool path file into a combined print input file to perform AM building.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the above aspects, wherein the SN tool path file and the part tool path file are stored in a text-based format.

[0019] Another aspect of the disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the text-based format includes a common layer interface (CLI) file.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the part marking geometry includes a predetermined sequence of character positions, each character position including a set of character values ​​that can be printed at the given character position.

[0021] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the part SN location script further defines the number of serialized parts on the build plate and a file server location for the part tool path file and the SN tool path file.

[0022] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the combined print input file is generated in response to input from an operator to a user interface, the input including a press identifier, a batch number, and a build type.

[0023] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aspects described above, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having selectable user inputs.

[0024] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the above aspects, wherein the scan path data for the batch of parts is not interfered with by the scan path data for the component markings in the combined print input file.

[0025] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the above aspects, wherein the part marking geometry is created using a computer-aided design (CAD) SN tool.

[0026] The illustrative aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not described. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] These and other features of the present disclosure can be better understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth various embodiments of the present disclosure. These and other features of the present disclosure can be better understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1] 1A-1D are schematic perspective views of an exemplary two conventional molten beam additive manufacturing system for building an article. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flow diagram of a part marking process for an additive manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates CAD geometric shapes for a batch of parts according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a CAD shape for serialization of part markings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a component marking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1A-1D illustrate various approaches for generating a combined print input file according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] It should be noted that the drawings in the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are merely illustrative of exemplary aspects of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like elements between multiple drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] First, in order to clearly explain the subject matter of this disclosure, it is necessary to select terms when referring to and describing relevant machine components in an additive manufacturing system. Wherever possible, terms common in the art will be used consistent with their ordinary meaning. Unless otherwise indicated, such terms should be interpreted broadly in the context of this application and the appended claims. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a component will often be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What is described as a single component in this specification may be described as consisting of multiple components in another context. Or what is described as including multiple components in one place in this specification may be described as a single component in another place.

[0030] As described above, the present disclosure provides a method and system for marking parts in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system, such as a metal additive manufacturing (AM) system. Marking parts with unique serial numbers using AM poses various challenges. In particular, every time a build plate (e.g., CAD drawings and other representations) containing one or more parts is updated to add new part markings, the resulting slice files of the parts necessarily have different scan paths (i.e., new laser triangulation is introduced). This creates a risk that the base geometry of the part will change, preventing an exact one-to-one correspondence of geometry between identical parts. The present disclosure eliminates such quality loss and ensures consistency by always generating part geometry with the same scan path, regardless of marking. This process allows new marking shapes to be input to the build plate without changing the scan path file for the part, thus increasing flexibility for updates. This process allows an operator interface that can automatically generate a print input ("build") file that overlays part marking geometry onto the part geometry, thus increasing efficiency and avoiding changes to the base part geometry of the actual part.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic / block diagram of an exemplary computerized additive manufacturing system 100 (hereinafter "AM system 100") for producing one or more parts 102A, 102B, which may include parts, coupons, etc., of which only one layer is shown. Although this exemplary system 100 describes building parts using multiple irradiation devices, e.g., four lasers 110, 112, 114, 116, the teachings of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to the use of any number of irradiation devices, i.e., one or more irradiation devices. In this example, the AM system 100 is configured for direct metal laser melting (DMLM). The general teachings of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to other forms of additive manufacturing, such as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective laser sintering (SLS), electron beam melting (EBM), and other forms of additive manufacturing. Although parts 102A, 102B are shown as circular components, the additive manufacturing process can be readily adapted to produce articles of any shape, variety, and number of articles on the build platform 118.

[0032] The AM system 100 generally includes a metal powder additive manufacturing control system 120 ("control system") and an AM printer 122. As described below, the control system 120 executes object code 124O to generate the part. The control system 120 is shown implemented as computer program code on a computer 126. In this regard, the computer 126 is shown to include a memory 130 and / or storage system 132, a processor unit (PU) 134, an input / output (I / O) interface 136, and a bus 138. The computer 126 is also shown to be in communication with external I / O devices / resources 140 and the storage system 132. Generally, the processor unit (PU) 134 executes the computer program code 124 stored in the memory 130 and / or storage system 132. While executing the computer program code 124, the processor unit (PU) 134 can read and write data to and from the memory 130, the storage system 132, the I / O devices 140, and / or the AM printer 122. The bus 138 provides a communication link between each object in the computer 126, and the I / O devices 140 can comprise any device that allows a user to interact with the computer 126 (e.g., a keyboard, a pointing device, a display, etc.). The computer 126 is merely representative of various possible combinations of hardware and software. For example, the processor unit (PU) 134 may comprise a single processing unit or may be distributed across one or more locations, e.g., one or more processing units on a client and a server. Similarly, the memory 130 and / or the storage system 132 may reside in one or more physical locations. The memory 130 and / or the storage system 132 can comprise any combination of various types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), etc.The computer 126 may include any type of computing device, such as an industrial controller, a network server, a desktop computer, a laptop, a handheld device, or the like.

[0033] As described above, the AM system 100, and in particular the control system 120, executes program code 124 to generate one or more articles 102. The program code 124 may include, among other things, a set of computer-executable instructions for operating the AM printer 122 or other system components (referred to herein as "system code 124S") and a set of computer-executable instructions (referred to herein as "object code 124O") that define one or more articles to be physically generated by the AM printer 122. As described herein, the additive manufacturing process begins with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 130, storage system 132, etc.) that stores the program code 124. The system code 124S for operating the AM printer 122 may include any software code now known or developed in the future that is capable of operating the AM printer 122.

[0034] The object code 124O defining the parts 102A, 102B may include a precisely defined 3D model of the article and may be generated from a well-known computer-aided design (CAD) software system such as AutoCAD®, TurboCAD®, DesignCAD3DMax, etc. In this regard, the object code 124O (also referred to herein as a “print input” or “build” file) may include any file format now known or later developed. Additionally, the object code 124O representing the parts may be converted between different formats. For example, the object code 124O may include a Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file created for a stereolithography CAD system, or an Additive Manufacturing File (AMF), an international standard that is an extensible markup language (XML)-based format designed to allow any CAD software to describe the shape and composition of any three-dimensional article to be manufactured on any AM printer. The object code 124O representing the article 102 may also be converted to a set of data signals for transmission, received as a set of data signals, converted to code, and stored, as needed. In either case, the object code 124O may be an input to the AM system 100, or may originate from a part designer, an intellectual property (IP) provider, a design firm, an operator or owner of the AM system 100, or other source. In either case, the control system 120 executes the system code 124S and the object code 124O to divide the part into a set of thin slices that build up successive layers of material using the AM printer 122.

[0035] The AM printer 122 may include an enclosed process chamber 142 to provide a controlled atmosphere for printing parts, for example, a set pressure and temperature for a laser or a vacuum for electron beam melting. A build platform 118 on which the article 102 is built is disposed within the process chamber 142. A number of irradiators 110, 112, 114, 116 are configured to melt layers of metal powder on the build platform 118 to produce the article 102.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1 , the applicator 164 can create a thin layer of feedstock 166 that is laid out as a blank canvas upon which each successive slice of the final article is created. The applicator 164 can move under the control of a linear transport system 168. The linear transport system 168 can include any currently known or future arrangement for a moving applicator 164. In one embodiment, the linear transport system 168 can include a pair of opposing rails 170, 172 that extend on opposite sides of the build platform 118 and a linear actuator 174, such as an electric motor, coupled to the applicator 164 for moving along the rails 170, 172. The linear actuator 174 is controlled by the control system 120 to move the applicator 164. Other forms of linear transport systems can also be used. The applicator 164 can take a variety of forms. In one embodiment, the applicator 164 can include a member 176 configured to move along the opposing rails 170, 172 and an actuator element (not shown in FIG. 1 ) in the form of a tip, blade, or brush configured to spread metal powder evenly onto the build platform 118 (i.e., the build platform 118 or a previously formed layer of the article 102) to create a layer of feedstock. The actuator element can be coupled to the member 176 using a holder (not shown) in any number of ways. A variety of feedstocks in the form of metal powders can be used in this process. The feedstocks can be supplied to the applicator 164 in several ways. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , an inventory of feedstocks can be held in a feedstock source 178 in the form of a chamber accessible by the applicator 164. In other arrangements, the feedstocks can be delivered through the applicator 164 (e.g., through a member 176 in front of the applicator element) and onto the build platform 118. In any event, an overflow chamber 179 may be provided distal to the applicator 164 to capture overflow of feedstock that is not layered on the build platform 118. Only one applicator 164 is shown in FIG.In some embodiments, applicator 164 may be among a plurality of applicators where applicator 164 is the active applicator and other replacement applicators (not shown) are stored for use with linear transport system 168. Used applicators (not shown) may also be stored after they are no longer usable.

[0037] In one embodiment, the part may be manufactured from a metal, which may include a pure metal or an alloy. In one example, the metal may be substantially any non-reactive metal powder, i.e., non-explosive or non-conductive, such as, but not limited to, a cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy, stainless steel, nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy (NiCrMoNb) (e.g., Inconel 625 or Inconel 718), nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum alloy (NiCrFeMo) (e.g., Hastelloy® X available from Haynes International), or nickel-chromium-cobalt-molybdenum alloy (NiCrCoMo) (e.g., Haynes 282 available from Haynes International), etc. In another example, the metal may include substantially any metal, such as tool steel (e.g., H13), titanium alloy (e.g., Ti6Al4V), stainless steel (e.g., 316L), cobalt-chromium alloy (e.g., CoCrMo), and aluminum alloy (e.g., AlSi10Mg). In another example, the metal may include virtually any reactive metal such as those known by their trade names, i.e., Inconel 738, IN738LC, Rene 108, FSX414, X-40, X-45, MarM247, MAR-M509, MAR-M302, CM247, or Merl72 / Polymet 972, some of which may be classified as gamma prime hardened superalloys.

[0038] The atmosphere in the process chamber 142 is controlled for the particular type of irradiation device used. For example, in the case of a laser, the process chamber 142 may be filled with an inert gas, such as argon or nitrogen, and controlled to minimize or eliminate oxygen. The control system 120 is configured to control the flow of the inert gas mixture 180 in the process chamber 142 from a source of inert gas 182. In this case, the control system 120 may control a pump 184 for the inert gas and / or a flow valve system 186 to control the content of the mixture 180. The flow valve system 186 may include one or more computer-controllable valves, flow sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc., that can precisely control the flow of a particular gas. The pump 184 may be provided with or without the valve system 186. If the pump 184 is omitted, the inert gas may simply enter a conduit or manifold prior to introduction into the process chamber 142. The source of the inert gas 182 may take the form of any conventional source for the material contained therein, such as a tank, reservoir, or other source. Any sensors (not shown) necessary to measure the gas mixture 180 may be provided. The gas mixture 180 may be filtered using a filter 188 in a conventional manner. Alternatively, in the case of an electron beam, the process chamber 142 may be controlled to maintain a vacuum. The control system 120 may control the pump 184 to maintain the vacuum, and the flow valve system 186, the source of inert gas 182 and / or the filter 188 may be omitted. Any sensors (not shown) necessary to maintain a vacuum may be used.

[0039] A vertical adjustment system 190 may be provided to vertically adjust the position of various parts of the AM printer 122 to accommodate the addition of each new layer, for example, the build platform 118 may rise after each layer and / or the chamber 142 and / or the applicator 164 may be raised. The vertical adjustment system 190 may include any now known or later developed linear actuators to effect such adjustments under the control of the control system 120.

[0040] During operation, the process chamber 142 includes a build platform 118 loaded with metal powder, and the control system 120 controls the atmosphere within the process chamber 142. The control system 120 also controls the AM printer 122, and in particular the applicator 164 (e.g., linear actuator 174) and the irradiators 110, 112, 114, 116, to sequentially melt layers of metal powder on the build platform 118 to produce an article 102 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As noted, various portions of the AM printer 122 may move vertically via a vertical adjustment system 190 to accommodate the addition of each new layer, e.g., the build platform 118 may be lowered and / or the chamber 142 and / or the applicator 164 may be raised after each layer.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary part marking process for the AM system 206 shown in FIG. 1. The terms "part" and "part" are used interchangeably herein to generally describe any article to be printed. Thus, the term "part marking" refers to the marking of any article on the build plate. In some embodiments, the part marking includes serialization (SN) data, such as a serial number. However, a given part marking may include any type of printed indicia that may vary from part to part, such as an identifying character, such as a number, letter, pattern, code, etc. In some cases, a build plate may include a batch of replicated parts, with each part having its own serialization. For example, the replicated parts may each include a serial number with characters common to all parts and one or more characters unique to the individual part.

[0042] In some embodiments, the process utilizes a part marking toolpath generator 200 (hereinafter "toolpath generator 200") that allows an operator 202 to select build operations specifying, for example, part family, build type, press identifier, batch number, etc. In some cases, the toolpath generator 200 includes a graphical user interface (GUI) with selectable user inputs, for example, a build and drop-down menus for selecting build options. In response to the operator inputs to the toolpath generator 200, a combined print input file 204 is generated and submitted to an AM system 206 to perform the build. The combined print input file 204 includes both base (i.e., part) scan path data and part marking (i.e., serialization) scan path data.

[0043] The process of creating the information required by the toolpath generator 200 to perform a build operation is generally shown in box 208. This process initially involves two passes, a first pass S1 through S3 generating a part toolpath file that defines the geometry / scan paths of the parts in the build, and a second pass S4 through S6 creating a part marking file that provides the part marking geometry. From S1, a CAD tool is used to set up a part geometry file for a set of parts on a build plate. An example of a CAD output 300 is shown in FIG. 3, which includes a build plate 302, a batch of replicated parts 304, and coupons 306. Next, in S2, the CAD output 300 is coded using known techniques into an STL file format from which a part print input file is generated. In S3, the part print input file is converted into a text-based toolpath file, such as a common layer interface (CLI) file, which is a universal format for text-based representations of the scan paths of layers of a geometry.

[0044] Along the second path, at S4, the CAD part marking tool 220 is utilized to create part marking geometry. In this example embodiment, the part marking geometry is stored in a set of serialization (i.e., SN) files. The CAD part marking tool 220 may, for example, utilize known CAD techniques to provide parametric models to create linked surfaces and generate a wide variety of faces, edges / curves, and shapes, as well as serialized characters that comply with different stacking transformations and scaling and sizing options. Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show three examples of CAD-generated part marking geometries 400, 402, and 404, respectively. Each geometry is generated to fit the shape or surface of the part to which the part marking is to be applied. In these examples, each geometry includes a predefined sequence of 16 character positions 406, with each position 406 including a set of possible character values ​​that can fill a given character position. For example, character position 408 has only one possible character value Z, while character position 410 has two possible character values ​​B or . Each position can contain any number of character values, such as A-Z, 0-9, special characters, etc., and defines a set of character geometries within the part marking geometry. Thus, the part marking geometry contains a sequence of predefined character positions, with each character position containing a set of character values ​​that can be printed at the given character position. In one embodiment, the CAD data for each position / character value is stored in a unique SN file that defines the character shape. Thus, the part marking geometry provides a library of part marking characters that can later be dynamically selected and combined with location data to create part marking print entries for associated parts during a build.

[0045] At S5 (FIG. 2), each SN file is coded into STL format, from which a set of SN print input files is generated. In one embodiment, the set of SN print input files is created by the export function of the CAD part marking tool 220, which names each SN print input file with a label to identify its location and character value. This naming convention allows easy selection of the file that corresponds to the character required for later processes.

[0046] The part marking geometry is created by the CAD part marking tool 220 by assembling the design to a base model and placing the design on the relevant part. The complete set of serialization characters in the SN geometry (e.g., geometry 400, FIG. 4A) created by the CAD part marking tool 220 is then exported with a label indicating the character value and the position, which facilitates subsequent actions by the toolpath generator 200. An export tool may be included in the CAD part marking tool 220 that exports triangulated geometry files (e.g., STL files) with the names given to them in their CAD feature tree, a commonly used representation of features in CAD systems. For example, a SN print input file "1_A.stl" may be specified to hold the serialization character A at position 1 in the part marking geometry.

[0047] At S6, the SN print input file is converted into a set of text-based SN toolpath files, such as CLI files. As previously mentioned, the CLI is a text-based representation of the scan path of a layer of geometry. Then, at S7, both the part toolpath file and the SN toolpath file are saved to a combined toolpath folder (e.g., a specified location on a file server). The advantage of using a text-based format for both the part and part marking geometry is that they can be easily edited and manipulated, e.g., sections can be added, edited, deleted, etc. by the toolpath generator 200. Note that S1 through S7 only need to be run once to create a particular build.

[0048] In this embodiment, the part marking toolpath generator 200 utilizes a part SN location script for each unique build configured in S8. The part SN location script defines, for example, the number of parts in the part toolpath file, the location of the part marking geometry on each part, the location of the toolpath file, the character values ​​to apply to each part (e.g., creating a unique serial number, which laser to use, etc.). Thus, for example, each part marking on the build plate is assigned a specified location as defined in the part's SN location script. In some cases, each part marking may be translated, i.e., positioned relative to a point in 3D space, e.g., "Part 5: (26, 42, 0, 45)", where 26, 42, 0 are mm in the x, y, and z directions, and 45 is the angular rotation of the character from a predetermined reference position. The part SN location script also determines the details of the part marking, i.e., which character to print on each part, e.g., ABC1XYZ for part 1, ABC2XYZ for part 2, etc. Additionally, the part SN location script can also specify the location / name of the part and SN scan path files in the combined toolpath folder. This translation capability dynamically patterns the part marking geometry output of the CAD part marking tool 220 to uniquely mark each of the duplicate parts on the build plate. Therefore, part markings do not have to be created and set to individual locations for each duplicate part. Instead, the SN toolpath files are utilized as needed to create part markings for a particular part type (regardless of the number of duplicates of the part on the build plate), which may have unique geometry, size, and location requirements.

[0049] At S10, in response to operator input to the toolpath generator 200, a combined print input file 204 is generated to print both the part and SN geometry. As part of this, the toolpath generator 200 processes the SN toolpath files (e.g., providing character geometry) and the part SN location scripts (e.g., specifying position information, serialization information, laser information, etc.) to generate a modified set of SN toolpath files that provide complete scan path data for each part marking in the build. The text-based SN toolpath files and the part toolpath files are combined and converted into a print input file format suitable for SLM or other print file format that can be used to print parts with part markings. As will be apparent, once the combined toolpath folders and part SN location scripts are established for each build, the operator 202 can simply interface with the toolpath generator 200 to select and create print input files, reducing processing time and allowing for reliable generation of print input files across previously set up builds.

[0050] In one embodiment, to generate the combined print input file 204, the toolpath generator 200 utilizes the geometry details in the associated SN toolpath file for each character position / character value required for each part marking. For example, for a part marked "ABC1XYZ," the SN toolpath files are: character position 1, character value "A," character position 2, character value "B," etc., processed to generate a modified toolpath file that combines the geometry of the selected SN toolpath file with the position and character value information from the part's SN location script. This process is repeated for each part marking in the build.

[0051] As is self-evident, this approach allows for great flexibility in part marking. For example, if a new build requires a slight adjustment to the part marking location for each part in the z-direction of xyz space, simply edit the part's SN location script to make the adjustment. Similarly, if a new build requires different letter values ​​using the same part and SN geometry, the part's SN location script can be easily edited. In various embodiments, the part SN location script can be implemented in a programming language such as Python, which can simply be edited and saved by an administrator for a specific build.

[0052] Additionally, as shown at S9, the toolpath generator 200 may require configuration, such as, for example, adding a new build, specifying the location of the combined toolpath folder, specifying the location of the part SN location script, adding machine details, etc. In some embodiments, the toolpath generator 200 may be implemented in a programming language (e.g., Python) and simply edited by an administrator. In other embodiments, the toolpath generator 200 may include an administration interface to allow an administrator to make modifications, such as adding a new build configuration.

[0053] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary part marking system 500 detailing a further implementation of the process described in FIG. 2. As shown, the system 500 includes a set of combined toolpath folders 212 (i.e., one for each build with a unique part / part marking geometry) and a set of part SN location scripts 210 (i.e., for each different build). The operator 202 interfaces with the toolpath generator 200 via a GUI and selects a build using, for example, a drop-down menu or the like. In response to the operator's input, the toolpath generator 200 selects the appropriate combined toolpath folder 212 and script 210 and processes the part and SN scan path files in the toolpath folder 212 to generate a combined text-based toolpath file to create part marking geometry with specific part marking locations, serialization data, lasers, etc. The resulting combined toolpath file is then converted to a combined print input file 204. The system 500 may enable the administrator 214 to add new build options to the toolpath generator 200, for example, via an administrator interface. The part marking tool path generator 200 may be implemented in any type of computing system 502. For example, the computing system 502 may be implemented using a computer system similar to that described with reference to the computing system 126 of FIG.

[0054] FIG. 6 shows three exemplary approaches for generating a combined print input file (files are depicted as visual representations). Each approach includes a part toolpath file 600 with scan paths represented by arrows that form the layers of the part. In the top approach, the part toolpath file 600 and the SN toolpath file 602 are included in a combined print input file 604 where the part and the SN are printed as separate layers, i.e., the combined print input file 604 includes both the part scan path and the SN scan path, and the part scan path is not blocked by the SN scan path in the combined print input file 604. In the middle approach, the part toolpath file 600 and the SN toolpath file 606 are merged into a combined print input file 608 such that the part and the SN are printed with a common scan path, i.e., the part toolpath file 600 is modified to extend its boundaries. In the bottom approach, the SN toolpath file 610 is removed from the part toolpath file 600 in the combined print input file 612 to achieve an etch boundary with the modified scan path.

[0055] The process and system described herein have the technical effect of providing better part geometry when applying part markings (e.g., serial numbers) to parts in an AM process. In particular, the scan path of the part geometry is consistent from build to build, and part markings are better defined; i.e., the part scan path is not obstructed by the SN scan path in the combined print input file. Furthermore, the process provides greater flexibility and speed in specifying and modifying part marking locations, values, build types, etc. For example, this approach allows for easy creation of build variations (i.e., different build types) so that an operator can select different layouts of parts or coupons (e.g., adding coupons with build type-related serialization, or one less part part on the plate for a different build type).

[0056] In some alternative implementations, the acts described may not occur in the order described, or may be performed substantially simultaneously or in reverse order, depending on the acts involved.

[0057] The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosure. In this specification, the singular means the plural, unless otherwise clear from the context. Furthermore, in this specification, the terms "comprises," "includes," and / or "having" refer to the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or members, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, members, and / or groups thereof. The terms "optionally" or "optionally" refer to the event or circumstance described following the term that may or may not occur, and such a description encompasses the occurrence and non-occurrence of the event.

[0058] Approximate expressions used in the present specification and claims are applied to describe a quantity that can vary within a tolerance range without causing a change in the basic function to which the quantity relates. Thus, values ​​modified with terms such as "about", "approximately" and "substantially" are not limited to their exact numerical value. In at least some cases, the approximate expression corresponds to the precision of the instrument that measures the value. In some cases, the approximate expression corresponds to the precision of the instrument that measures the value. In the present specification and claims, ranges of numerical limitations are combinable and / or interchangeable with each other, and such ranges specify and include any subranges contained within the ranges, unless otherwise clear from the context. "About" used in connection with a particular value of a range applies to the upper and lower limits and may indicate ±10% of the stated numerical value, except where it depends on the precision of the instrument that measures the value.

[0059] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of the elements identified by functional descriptions in the following claims include any structures, materials, or acts that perform the function in combination with other elements specifically described in the claims. The description of the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and explanation, and is not exhaustive or limited to the disclosed form. Numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure have been selected and described to best suitably explain the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the disclosure regarding various embodiments and various modifications suitable for specific applications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 100 Additive Manufacturing System 102 Goods 118 Build Platform 120 Control System 122 Additive Manufacturing Printer 124 Code 126 Computer 130 Memory 132 Storage Systems 134 processors 136 Input / Output Interface 138 Bus 140 I / O Devices 142 Processing chamber 164 Applicator 168 Linear Transport System

Claims

1. 1. A method for marking a plurality of parts in an additive manufacturing (AM) process, comprising the steps of: converting a coded part file for a set of parts into a text-based part tool path file; creating and encoding a set of serialization (SN) files for characters within the part marking geometry; converting the coded SN file into a set of text-based SN tool path files; generating a combined print input file including both part and SN scan paths from the part tool path file and the SN tool path file, the generating including combining location and part marking details from the part SN location script with SN geometry from the SN tool path file to create a modified SN tool path file for part marking; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coded set of coded part files and SN files are coded in a stereolithography (STL) file format.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text-based part toolpath file and the text-based SN toolpath file comprise common layer interface (CLI) files.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the part marking geometry includes a sequence of predetermined character positions, each character position including a set of character values ​​that can be printed at the given character position.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the part SN location script further defines a number of parts on the build plate and a file server location for a part tool path file and a SN tool path file.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined print input file is generated in response to input to a user interface, the input including a press identifier, a batch number, and a build type, and the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having selectable user inputs.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the part scan path is not blocked by the SN scan path in the combined print input file.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of SN files is created in a computer-aided design (CAD) SN tool, and the coded SN files are named with labels indicating the character value and character position of the associated serialized character.

9. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the combined print input file into an additive manufacturing printer and printing the part with the part markings using selective laser melting (SLM).

10. 1. A computing system, comprising: Memory, a processor, coupled to the memory, receiving an input selecting an AM build for a batch of parts; In response to the selected AM shape, determining a combined toolpath folder associated with the AM build, the combined toolpath folder including a serialization (SN) toolpath file representing a part marking geometry and a part toolpath file representing a part geometry; generating a combined tool path file including scan path data for both the batch of parts and the part markings, the scan path data for the part markings being determined according to a part SN location script that locates character geometries and selects character values ​​for each part; a processor configured to generate a part marking in an additive manufacturing (AM) process according to a process including: A system comprising:

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising converting the combined tool path file into a combined print input file to perform AM building.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the SN toolpath file and the part toolpath file are stored in a text-based format, the text-based format comprising a common layer interface (CLI) file.

13. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the part marking geometry includes a sequence of predetermined character positions, each character position including a set of character values ​​that can be printed at the given character position.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the part SN location script further defines a number of serialized parts on the build plate and a file server location for a part tool path file and a SN tool path file.

15. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the combined print input file is generated in response to input from an operator to a user interface, the input including a press identifier, a batch number, and a build type, and the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having selectable user inputs.

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