Multi-Beam 3D Printing Scan Control for Gas-Flow-Aligned Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-beam apparatuses for additive layer construction methods face challenges in achieving uniform utilization of beam sources, preventing collisions of smoke trails, and avoiding the melting of splash particles during the manufacturing of three-dimensional workpieces.
Innovation Solution
A control method that divides the solidifiable material into sections and surface pieces, assigns each piece to a specific beam, and controls the points of incidence to ensure that beams are aligned with the gas flow direction, avoiding interference and optimizing the exposure of each section to prevent splash particle melting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple beams are used to increase productivity, then manufacturing speed improves, but uniform utilization of all beam sources becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The build platform is divided into multiple zones, with each zone assigned to a specific beam source. This segmentation ensures that each beam has a dedicated processing area, enabling uniform utilization of all beam sources while maintaining high manufacturing speed through parallel processing of multiple zones simultaneously.
2Productivity
If beams are directed at material to be solidified, then manufacturing progress is made, but smoke trails may collide with subsequent beams causing interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and determines an optimal beam sequence that accounts for smoke trail generation. By planning the processing sequence in advance, the control system ensures that beams processing adjacent zones are executed in an order that prevents smoke from one beam's processing area from interfering with the path of subsequent beams, thus maintaining manufacturing progress while eliminating smoke interference.
3Productivity
If beams process material rapidly to maintain productivity, then manufacturing speed improves, but splash particles may be melted by subsequent beams
Solution Approach 1:
The control system pre-determines a beam processing sequence that maintains appropriate temporal and spatial spacing between beams processing adjacent zones. This preliminary planning ensures that when one beam completes processing and moves to the next zone, any splash particles from the previous zone have sufficient time to cool and solidify before a subsequent beam arrives, preventing unintended melting while maintaining high manufacturing speed through efficient parallel 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
This approach ensures uniform utilization of beam sources, prevents collisions and melting of splash particles, and enhances the quality and efficiency of three-dimensional workpiece manufacturing by optimizing the scan strategy and exposure times.
Implementation Method 1
The irradiation can take place by means of electromagnetic radiation, in particular laser radiation
Implementation Method 2
The irradiation can take place by means of electromagnetic radiation, in particular laser radiation
Implementation Method 3
a gas flow direction of a gas flow that is used to remove smoke arising during solidification by the beams
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a control method for controlling a multi-beam apparatus having one or more beam sources for producing a plurality of beams of a system for manufacturing a three-dimensional workpiece by means of an additive layer construction method, in which method a material that can be solidified in order to manufacture the three-dimensional workpiece is applied in layers to a surface of a carrier and the material that can be solidified is solidified by the plurality of beams in a respective layer at points of incidence of the plurality of beams on the material that can be solidified, wherein the points of incidence of the beams for solidifying selective regions of the layers of the material that can be solidified in order to manufacture the three-dimensional workpiece are each controlled substantially against a gas flow direction of a gas flow over the surface of the carrier; wherein the control method comprises (a) dividing the material to be solidified in the respective layer into at least two sections, wherein two of the at least two sections extend in the gas flow direction of the gas flow prevailing over the two of the at least two sections in succession at least in part, (b) dividing at least one of the two of the at least two sections into at least two surface pieces, (c) assigning each of the surface pieces to exactly one specific beam, which solidifies the material to be solidified in the assigned surface piece, (d) controlling the points of incidence of the beams such that, at at least one point in time during an exposure of the material to be solidified, the material to be solidified is solidified in at least two surface pieces, and a network consisting of straight lines extending between each center point of the points of incidence to every other center point of the points of incidence, at no point in time during the exposure, in which all center points of the points of incidence are located outside of a predetermined distance from each other, has a straight line parallel to the gas flow direction of the gas flow prevailing over the two of the at least two sections.