Infrared Lamp Array for Additive Manufacturing Thermal Gradient Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes face challenges with thermal gradients in tall parts, leading to warping, cracking, and caking of powder, which affects the quality and reusability of the material.
Innovation Solution
The use of independently controllable infrared lamps to pre-heat and heat-treat the outermost layer of the feed material before and after fusing with a laser beam, controlling thermal gradients and reducing residual stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a laser beam is used to fuse powder in additive manufacturing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but thermal gradients cause warping and cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heating using infrared lamps before the laser beam fuses the powder. This pre-heating reduces the thermal gradient between the laser-heated zone and surrounding areas, preventing warping and cracking while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters by introducing controlled heating zones around the laser path. This modifies the temperature distribution profile, reducing peak thermal gradients and preventing harmful thermal stress effects.
2Productivity
If high energy is used to fuse powder quickly, then productivity is improved, but powder caking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heating locally and selectively using independently controllable infrared lamps positioned at specific zones around the laser path. This ensures that only necessary areas receive additional heat, preventing excessive temperature rise that causes caking while maintaining fast fusing speed in the target zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback control to monitor and adjust the heating applied by infrared lamps based on the actual thermal state of the powder bed, preventing overheating and caking 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 improves the sintering quality, reduces thermal stress, and minimizes powder caking, allowing for better part quality and increased powder recycling.
Implementation Method 1
a laser configured to generate a laser beam to impinge an outermost layer of the feed material and coupled to the controller to fuse the feed material in the pre-defined pattern
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of independently controllable infrared lamps, each infrared lamp directed to a different section of an outermost layer of the feed material
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing system includes a platform to support an object to be fabricated, a dispenser to deliver a plurality of layers of a feed material over the platform, a controller configured to store digital data representing a pre-defined pattern, a laser configured to generate a laser beam to impinge an outermost layer of the feed material and coupled to the controller to fuse the feed material in the pre-defined pattern, and a plurality of independently controllable infrared lamps, each infrared lamp directed to a different section of an outermost layer of the feed material.