3D Component Layer Scanning Using Thermographic Temperature Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser sintering and melting methods face issues with large temperature gradients during the production of three-dimensional components, leading to material defects such as cracks, overheating, and unevenness, which affect the accuracy and quality of the produced objects.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses thermographic data records to adjust the scanning path and energy influx of the laser beam, ensuring a homogeneous temperature profile by delaying irradiation in high-temperature regions and modifying process parameters like scanning speed and laser power, and employing a thermographic detector to acquire temperature profiles of layers below the upper layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If laser beam irradiation is applied to solidify building material layers, then three-dimensional components are produced efficiently, but large temperature gradients occur leading to cracks and material defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by acquiring temperature profile data of the layer below the upper layer before laser irradiation begins. This temperature information is used to pre-calculate an optimized scanning path that prevents excessive temperature gradients and local overheating, thereby avoiding cracks and material defects while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using thermographic detection to acquire real-time temperature profiles of the building material layers. This temperature data feeds back into the control system to dynamically adjust the scanning path and laser parameters, ensuring uniform temperature distribution and preventing material defects during the additive manufacturing process
2Productivity
If laser power and scanning speed are increased to improve production speed, then productivity increases, but local overheating occurs leading to burrs and material unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the scanning path and laser parameters adaptive rather than static. The scanning path is dynamically adjusted based on real-time temperature feedback from thermographic detection, allowing the system to optimize laser power and scanning speed continuously to prevent local overheating and burr formation while maintaining high production speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying laser processing parameters (power, scanning speed, hatching distance) based on acquired temperature profiles. The control system adjusts these parameters dynamically to maintain optimal temperature ranges, preventing both under-heating and overheating conditions that would compromise part quality
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional scanning paths are used to cover the cross section completely, then manufacturing completeness is ensured, but temperature gradients cause cracks and reduce component quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating an optimized scanning path based on the temperature profile of the layer below before irradiation begins. This pre-planned path ensures complete cross-section coverage while strategically distributing laser energy to minimize temperature gradients and prevent crack formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different scanning strategies to different regions of the cross-section based on local temperature conditions. The control system adjusts scanning parameters locally in high-temperature regions versus low-temperature regions, ensuring uniform heating across the entire cross-section and preventing thermal stress-induced cracks
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes temperature gradients and prevents local overheating, resulting in improved accuracy and quality of the produced components by maintaining a uniform temperature distribution and reducing material defects like burrs and unevenness.
Implementation Method 1
layers made of building material are applied, said layers being heated locally by the action of radiation, in particular electron or laser radiation, to solidify at the points corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced
Implementation Method 2
A thermographic acquisition of the irradiation plane is provided for generating the data records
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional component by an electron-beam, laser-sintering or laser-melting process, in which the component is created by successively solidifying predetermined portions of individual layers of building material that can be solidified by being exposed to the effect of an electron-beam or laser-beam source (2) by melting on the building material, wherein thermographic data records are recorded during the production of the layers, respectively characterizing a temperature profile of at least certain portions of the respective layer, and the irradiation of the layers takes place by means of an electron beam or laser beam (3), which is controlled on the basis of the recorded thermographic data records in such a way that a largely homogeneous temperature profile is produced, wherein, to irradiate an upper layer, a focal point (4) of the electron beam or laser beam (3) is guided along a scanning path (17), which is chosen on the basis of the data record characterizing the temperature profile of at least certain portions of the layer lying directly thereunder or on the basis of the data records characterizing the temperature profiles of at least certain portions of the layers lying thereunder.