Dual-Beam Irradiation Calibration for Faster Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The calibration process for irradiation devices in additive manufacturing is cumbersome and time-consuming, requiring multiple calibration steps to avoid stitching errors and ensure precise alignment of energy beams, which can lead to inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the generation of multiple calibration patterns at different positions using two energy beams, determining position information, and simulating adjustments to irradiation parameters to optimize calibration quality, reducing the number of calibration steps needed by iteratively improving the calibration quality value until a maximum or minimum is reached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple calibration steps are performed to ensure precise alignment of energy beams, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming calibration processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a simulation of the calibration process before actual calibration. The simulation predicts optimal irradiation parameters and calibration patterns, allowing the system to prepare correction values in advance. This preliminary simulation reduces the number of actual calibration iterations needed, thereby improving productivity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using measured position information from calibration patterns to generate correction values that are applied back to the irradiation device. The system continuously monitors calibration quality values and adjusts parameters based on this feedback, enabling convergence to optimal alignment with fewer calibration steps, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple calibration patterns are measured and analyzed, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to extensive measurement processes
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation component performs preliminary analysis of expected calibration patterns and their positions before actual measurement. By predicting which calibration patterns will be most informative and what optimal parameters should be, the system reduces the number of actual measurements needed, thereby reducing measurement time while maintaining calibration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simulation to create a virtual copy of the calibration process. Instead of repeatedly performing physical measurements and analyses, the system creates simulated calibration patterns and analyzes their expected properties. This virtual copying allows rapid evaluation of different calibration scenarios without the time cost of physical measurements, reducing measurement time while preserving accuracy.
3Reliability
If extensive irradiation and measurement of test specimens is performed, then reliability of calibration is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to increased calibration complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation performs preliminary determination of optimal irradiation parameters and expected calibration quality before actual calibration. This preliminary action identifies the most critical parameters and optimal measurement strategies, allowing the actual calibration process to focus only on essential measurements. This reduces the number of test specimens needed while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates the simulation function from the physical calibration process. By taking out the computational analysis and prediction functions into a separate simulation stage, the system can evaluate multiple calibration scenarios virtually without the overhead of performing all corresponding physical measurements. This extraction maintains reliability through thorough virtual analysis while improving productivity by reducing physical calibration steps.
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 significantly reduces the number of calibration steps required, improving efficiency by directly optimizing the irradiation device's calibration without the need for extensive irradiation and measurement of multiple test specimens, thus enhancing the precision and speed of the additive manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
generating at least two first and two second calibration patterns, wherein the at least two first calibration patterns are generated in at least two different first positions via the first energy beam and the at least two second calibration patterns are generated in at least two different second positions via the second energy beam
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for calibrating an irradiation device for an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects include generating at least two first and two second calibration patterns, in at least two different first positions and at least two different second positions; determining position information relating to the positions of the calibration patterns; generating a calibration quality value relating to a calibration status of the irradiation device; simulating at least two first calibration patterns and at least two second calibration patterns based on at least one changed irradiation parameter; determining a calibration quality value for the simulated calibration patterns; and repeating the simulation and determination of the calibration quality value until a maximum or minimum calibration quality value is reached.