Laser-Sintered Ceramic Powder With Transforming Absorber for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic manufacturing using laser irradiation faces challenges with light diffusion and uneven fusion due to light scattering, leading to poor manufacturing accuracy and denseness, particularly in eutectic systems like Al2O3-ZrO2, where regions outside the desired fusion area are affected, causing uneven sintering and projections.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic manufacturing powder comprising a composition with an absorber that strongly absorbs laser light, such as Tb4O7, which changes to a composition with reduced absorption after irradiation, minimizing light diffusion and ensuring precise fusion by local heating, thereby improving manufacturing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If laser irradiation is applied to ceramic powder for fusion, then energy input is provided for sintering, but light diffusion occurs in powder causing uneven fusion and poor manufacturing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
An absorber substance is introduced as an intermediary component in the ceramic powder composition. This absorber strongly absorbs laser light and converts it to heat, which then indirectly heats and fuses the ceramic particles. The absorber mediates the energy transfer from laser to ceramic, solving the light diffusion problem while maintaining manufacturing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the powder composition are changed by adding an absorber with specific light-absorbing characteristics. This parameter change in the powder's optical absorption capability enables effective laser energy coupling without light diffusion, allowing precise control of the fusion process while maintaining high manufacturing accuracy.
2Reliability
If eutectic system Al2O3-ZrO2 is used to lower melting point, then denseness is improved, but light scattering occurs and manufacturing accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite powder system combining ceramic particles (Al2O3-ZrO2 eutectic) with an absorber substance. This composite structure maintains the denseness benefits of the eutectic system while the absorber component prevents light scattering, enabling both high reliability and manufacturing accuracy to be achieved simultaneously.
3Use of energy by moving object
If laser irradiation is applied to already processed regions, then re-absorption of laser light occurs, but manufacturing accuracy is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The absorber substance is consumed during the first laser irradiation, converting to a composition that relatively weakly absorbs laser light. This 'discarding' of the strong absorption property after initial use prevents re-absorption issues when the laser passes over already processed regions, thereby maintaining manufacturing accuracy.
4Manufacturing precision
If absorber strongly absorbs laser light to suppress diffusion, then manufacturing accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The absorber is designed to be consumed during the first laser irradiation, converting to a composition with reduced absorption. This temporary strong absorption only during the critical first pass suppresses light diffusion and improves accuracy, while the subsequent weak absorption state reduces overall energy consumption during multi-pass processing.
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
The use of the absorber-containing powder enables high manufacturing accuracy by reducing light diffusion and uneven sintering, resulting in a ceramic object with narrow sintered boundaries and enhanced structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the absorber relatively strongly absorbs the laser light compared to other compositions forming the powder
Implementation Method 2
irradiation with a laser; a part of the absorber changes to a different composition that relatively weakly absorbs the laser light by irradiation with a laser
Implementation Method 3
a sintered or fused region is not easily affected by laser irradiation during subsequent manufacturing
Implementation Method 4
neither Al2O3 nor ZrO2 clearly seem to absorb the light, and commensurate energy is required in order to fuse and solidify the material system
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a powder for laser manufacturing which can be stably manufactured and from which a three-dimensional manufactured object ensuring a manufacturing accuracy can be obtained and a using method thereof. A powder for ceramic manufacturing for obtaining a manufactured object by repeatedly sintering or fusing and solidifying in sequence a powder in an irradiation portion with laser light, in which the powder includes a plurality of compositions, at least one composition of the compositions is an absorber that relatively strongly absorbs the laser light compared to other compositions, and at least a part of the absorber changes to a different composition that relatively weakly absorbs the laser light by irradiation with the laser light and a using method of a powder in which the powder is used.