Grayscale Area Printing With Light Recycling for Faster Powder Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing systems, such as Energy Deposited Printed Bed Fusion (ED-PBF-AM), face inefficiencies due to wasted light energy from rejected patterns, which limits printing rates and material complexity.
Innovation Solution
An optical system that recycles and reuses rejected light energy by redirecting and homogenizing it, allowing for increased intensity and efficient use of energy in the additive manufacturing process, enabling the printing of more complex materials and structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single point of energy is used to melt powder in ED-PBF-AM, then the system is simple to operate, but printing rates are limited and energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single energy beam into multiple parallel beams that can simultaneously process different areas of the powder bed, thereby increasing printing rate while maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional sequential processing (single point scanning) to two-dimensional parallel processing (multiple beams covering area), enabling simultaneous melting of multiple powder regions and dramatically improving productivity
2Ease of manufacture
If rejected light patterns are discarded, then the system is simple to manufacture, but energy efficiency decreases and printing rates are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers rejected light patterns by redirecting them through optical elements to be reused for additional processing, transforming what would be waste energy into useful processing capability and improving overall energy utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by recycling rejected light back into the processing system, eliminating idle time and ensuring that energy resources are continuously productive throughout the printing process
3Productivity
If higher energy intensity is applied to increase printing rate, then productivity improves, but material complexity handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different energy intensities to different regions of the powder bed simultaneously, allowing optimization for various material types and structural requirements in different areas, thereby handling material complexity while maintaining high productivity
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 enhances printing rates and material complexity by ensuring that all energy is utilized, reducing energy costs and improving the efficiency of the additive manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
An optical system that recycles and reuses rejected light energy by redirecting and homogenizing it
Implementation Method 2
redirecting and homogenizing it, allowing for increased intensity
Implementation Method 3
allowing for increased intensity and efficient use of energy in the additive manufacturing process
Implementation Method 4
Current Energy Deposited Printed Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing (ED-PBF-AM) uses a single point of energy to melt powder
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing system includes one or more light sources and one or more light valves that can be written with two-dimensional gray scale patterns that the light valves impose on beams from the one or more light sources to obtain one or more patterned beams. The one or more patterned beams are steered to each area of a plurality of areas on a layer of powder. The two-dimensional gray scale patterns are selected to achieve desired material properties at each pixel position of the patterned beam incident on the layer of powder. The light valves may modulate one or more of amplitude, phase, or coherence. The material properties may include one or more of Young's modulus, porosity, grain size, and crystalline microstructure.