Multiple Wire Electron Beam Melting for Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing techniques using electron beam energy face challenges in achieving both high build rates and small feature precision, with electron beam welding-like approaches being slow due to large melt pools and powder bed methods being slow and low power.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing system employing a high-power electron beam gun and multiple independent wire feeders to maintain multiple melt pools within a build envelope, allowing for precise control and rapid fabrication of three-dimensional workpieces with improved microstructure and build rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electron beam welding-like approach is used with high-power electron beam and wire, then build rate is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to large melt pool size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single electron beam into multiple independent electron beams, each capable of creating its own melt pool. This segmentation allows simultaneous operation of multiple melt pools, increasing overall build rate while each individual melt pool maintains sufficient precision for small features. The build envelope is divided into multiple zones, each served by an independent beam-wire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point electron beam approach to a multi-point distributed beam system across the build envelope. By adding the dimension of spatial distribution with multiple beams operating simultaneously at different locations, the system achieves both high productivity through parallel processing and maintained precision through controlled individual melt pool sizes.
2Manufacturing precision
If powder bed approach is used with stationary gun and powder material, then manufacturing precision is improved with smaller pool size and faster cooling rates, but productivity deteriorates due to slow build rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single slow powder bed process into multiple parallel wire feeding processes, each with its own electron beam. This segmentation maintains the precision benefits of controlled melt pools while multiplying the productivity through parallel operation of multiple wire feeders and beams simultaneously building different sections of the workpiece.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material feed form from powder to wire, and changes the electron beam power level from low to high. These parameter changes enable faster melting rates and higher build rates while maintaining controlled melt pool dimensions through the distributed multi-beam configuration, thus improving productivity without sacrificing precision.
3Productivity
If multiple independent wire feeders and electron beams are used, then productivity is improved with increased build rates, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the electron beam gun system with universal capabilities where a single multi-beam gun structure can serve multiple functions: generating multiple independent beams, controlling each beam's position and parameters, and coordinating with multiple wire feeders. This universality reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate single-beam systems for each melt pool.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple electron beam generation capabilities into a single integrated electron beam gun system, and combines multiple wire feeding systems under a unified control architecture. This merging approach consolidates control functions and reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining high productivity through multiple simultaneous melt pools.
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 enables the formation of small features while increasing build rates and improving microstructure through controlled multiple melt pools, offering a balance between precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
An electron beam gun generates a focusable electron beam with a beam power in the range of from about three (3) to about sixty (60) kW
Implementation Method 2
The process, however, does not lend itself to small features and the large melt pool leads to a relatively slow cooling rate and relatively larger grain sizes
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing system includes an electron beam gun with a multiple of independent wire feeders and a beam control system operable to control the electron beam gun and the multiple of independent wire feeders to maintain a multiple of melt pools to fabricate a three-dimensional workpiece.