Additive Manufacturing Beam Parameter Determination with Active Cooling

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing additive manufacturing apparatuses face challenges in accurately determining energy beam parameters due to temperature fluctuations on determination base bodies, leading to deviations in irradiation processes and quality issues in three-dimensional object production.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a tempering unit to control the temperature of the determination base body, using a fluid stream to dissipate heat and maintain stable conditions, and employing a determination unit with a thermal camera to capture intensity distributions, ensuring accurate parameter determination of the energy beam.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a determination base body is used to determine energy beam parameters, then parameter determination capability is provided, but temperature fluctuations cause measurement inaccuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy beam parameter determination accuracyVSAvoiddetermination base body temperature stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

A fluid stream is introduced as an intermediary cooling medium between the energy beam and the determination base body. The fluid stream absorbs excess heat from the base body, preventing temperature fluctuations that would otherwise cause measurement inaccuracies in energy beam parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs a fluid stream (pneumatic or hydraulic system) directed at the determination base body to actively control its temperature. This fluid flow mechanism removes heat from the base body, maintaining thermal stability and ensuring accurate energy beam parameter measurements throughout the determination process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Measurement precision

If the determination base body is irradiated by the energy beam, then parameter determination is enabled, but heating effects falsify the intensity distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintensity distribution measurement accuracyVSAvoidbase body heating

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful heating effect caused by energy beam irradiation is converted into a beneficial cooling process. The fluid stream is specifically directed to absorb the heat generated during irradiation, transforming the problematic temperature rise into a controlled thermal management process that maintains measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The fluid stream is activated before and during the energy beam irradiation process to prevent temperature rise. By establishing cooling flow in advance and maintaining it throughout irradiation, the system preemptively counteracts heating effects that would otherwise falsify intensity distribution measurements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If successive layerwise irradiation is performed, then three-dimensional objects are manufactured, but cumulative heating affects process consistency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadditive manufacturing capabilityVSAvoidcumulative heating in build plane

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid stream cooling action continues continuously throughout the successive layerwise irradiation process. Rather than being applied only between layers, the cooling flow maintains constant operation to counteract cumulative heating effects, ensuring temperature stability and process consistency throughout the entire additive manufacturing operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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 stabilizes the intensity distribution of the energy beam, reducing heating effects on adjacent regions and maintaining consistent parameter measurements, thereby improving the accuracy and quality of the additive manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

using a fluid stream to dissipate heat and maintain stable conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat dissipation: Convection

Implementation Method 2

employing a determination unit with a thermal camera to capture intensity distributions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation detection: Thermography

Implementation Method 3

guiding the energy beam in advance to an additive manufacturing process onto the determination base body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnergy beam irradiation: Laser

Data Source

PatentUS11577467B2Apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 CONCEPT LASER

AI summary

An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects formed of successive layerwise consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by an energy beam. The apparatus may include a determination device confirmed to determine at least one parameter of the energy beam for a specific build material, wherein the determination device comprises at least one determination base body arrangeable or arranged in a beam guiding plane, in particular a build plane; and a tempering unit confirmed to temper the determination base body. Determination devices, along with methods, are also provided for determining at least one parameter of an energy beam of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects.