Additive Manufacturing Beam Shaping for Dynamic Intensity Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for additive manufacturing of component parts from powder materials face challenges in producing flexible and adaptable intensity profiles for energy beams, limiting productivity and quality due to complexity and inflexibility in switching between different intensity profiles during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing device equipped with a beam producing device, a scanner device, and a deflection device, controlled by a control device that allows for variable displacement and intensity modification of the energy beam, enabling the production of specific intensity profiles by adjusting residence time, beam position density, frequency distribution, and intensity influencing parameters, allowing for quick switching between different profiles without the need for specialized optical elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional beam shaping methods using refractive or interferometric optical elements are used, then specific intensity profiles can be produced, but the device complexity increases and flexibility to switch between different intensity profiles is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional refractive or interferometric optical elements with a digital mirror device (DMD) that uses electronic control to shape the energy beam. The DMD consists of numerous individually controllable mirrors that can be electronically adjusted to reflect and focus beam portions to different target positions, eliminating the need for complex physical optical elements and enabling rapid switching between intensity profiles through software control.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional beam shaping methods are used, then intensity profiles can be produced, but the ability to switch between different intensity profiles during manufacturing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the energy beam intensity profile by using a DMD that can be electronically reconfigured in real-time. The control device divides the energy beam into multiple beam portions and independently directs each portion to different target positions within the powder material layer. This dynamic system allows rapid switching between different intensity profiles during the manufacturing process, adapting to different manufacturing tasks and regions within a component part without requiring physical replacement of optical elements.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional beam shaping methods are used, then some intensity profiles can be produced, but the selection of available intensity profiles is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal beam shaping system using a DMD that can generate virtually any desired intensity profile through software control. The DMD divides the energy beam into multiple beam portions and can independently direct each portion to different target positions, allowing the system to produce Gaussian profiles, flat-top profiles, annular profiles, and custom profiles tailored to specific manufacturing requirements. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for different specialized optical elements for different profile types.
4Manufacturing precision
If the energy beam is displaced to predetermined irradiation positions along a predetermined path, then additive manufacturing can be performed, but productivity is reduced when different intensity profiles are needed for different regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous manufacturing operation by dynamically adjusting the intensity profile on-the-fly using the DMD while the energy beam continues to traverse the powder material layer. The system divides the beam into multiple portions and can simultaneously or sequentially direct different portions to different regions requiring different intensity profiles, eliminating the need to stop and reconfigure optical elements between regions. This continuous adaptation maintains high productivity while ensuring each region receives the appropriate intensity profile for optimal manufacturing quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing device for additive manufacturing of component parts from a powder material includes a beam producing device, a scanner device configured to displace an energy beam to a plurality of irradiation positions, a deflection device configured to displace the energy beam at an irradiation position to a plurality of beam positions, and a control device configured to control the deflection device and to produce a specific intensity profile in the beam region. The control device does this by dividing and displacing the energy beam to at least two beam positions separated by a distance that is variably settable and/or by displacing the energy beam and by specifying at least one operating parameter of the deflection, such as a residence time at a beam position, a beam position density distribution, a frequency distribution, and an intensity influencing parameter of the energy beam deflected to the beam positions.