Hybrid Laser Scanning for Faster Additive Manufacturing Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser-based additive manufacturing systems are limited by slower speeds and lower energy efficiency, particularly in high-capacity production, due to the physical limitations of movable-optic scanners which require time to change direction and can generate excess heat, leading to inefficiencies like skywriting and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
Combining movable-optic scanners with solid-state scanners to control the laser beam, allowing for faster and more accurate directional changes, and enabling complex scan patterns by combining their paths to improve scanning efficiency and reduce inefficiencies such as skywriting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If movable-optic scanners are used to scan the laser beam, then the system can cover large scanning areas, but the scanning speed is limited and energy efficiency decreases due to direction change time and heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning system is divided into two independent scanners: a movable-optic scanner (first scanner) that handles large-area coverage and a solid-state scanner (second scanner) that handles high-speed scanning. Each scanner operates independently to address different aspects of the scanning requirements, allowing the system to achieve both large scanning area and high scanning speed simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If movable-optic scanners are used to scan the laser beam, then the system can achieve basic scanning functionality, but energy efficiency decreases due to excess heat generation and skywriting inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a movable-optic scanner and a solid-state scanner into a unified scanning system. The solid-state scanner compensates for the energy inefficiencies of the movable-optic scanner by handling high-speed scanning movements, thereby reducing overall energy loss and eliminating skywriting inefficiencies while maintaining full scanning functionality.
3Device complexity
If only movable-optic scanners are used, then the system structure is simpler, but scanning precision and directional change accuracy are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning function is segmented between two specialized scanners: the movable-optic scanner provides coarse positioning and large-area coverage, while the solid-state scanner provides fine positioning and high-precision directional changes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high scanning precision without excessive overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing method and apparatus may implement a include a laser scanner with a movable-optic scanner including one or more optics, the movable-optic scanner configured move the one or more optics to scan the laser beam along a first path, and a solid-state scanner configured to scan the laser beam along a second path. The device may include a controller configured to control the laser scanner to operate the movable-optic scanner and the solid-state scanner to combine the first path and the second path to obtain a combined path during the additive manufacturing process.