Powder Bed Conditioning Beam for Stable Additive Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Additive manufacturing systems face challenges with powder costs and size distribution control, particularly with fine powders leading to isolated powder melt rate issues, resulting in localized defects and contamination due to rapid vaporization and scattering of fine metallic particles during the laser scanning process.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a conditioning energy beam that precedes a melting energy beam along a track to sinter isolated powder particles, increasing contact between particles and preventing vaporization, using a power level 0.1-0.3 times that of the melting energy beam and forming a conditioning spot 150%-300% larger than the melt spot to maintain powder bed density and prevent contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a melting energy beam is used to process powder particles, then melting and fabrication of the workpiece is achieved, but fine isolated powder particles become superheated and vaporize rapidly causing smoke and scattering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecise control of solidification processVSAvoidrapid vaporization and smoke production from fine particles

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A conditioning energy beam traverses the track before the melting energy beam to preheat and sinter isolated powder particles, particularly fine particles, to increase their contact with adjacent particles. This preliminary action prevents the fine particles from becoming superheated and vaporizing when the main melting beam arrives, thereby eliminating smoke and scattering while maintaining precise solidification control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The conditioning energy beam acts as an intermediary between the fine isolated particles and the main melting energy beam. It modifies the state of fine particles by heating and sintering them first, creating a more stable condition that prevents harmful vaporization when the high-energy melting beam processes the area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If fine powder particles are used in the powder blend, then economic benefits are achieved by avoiding size sorting, but isolated fine particles lead to localized defects and contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeconomic benefit from using wide powder size rangeVSAvoidlocalized part defects and contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The conditioning energy beam performs preliminary heating and sintering of isolated fine powder particles before the main melting process. This pre-treatment increases contact between fine particles and adjacent larger particles, preventing the fine particles from causing localized defects, vaporization, and contamination during subsequent melting operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the energy beam heats isolated powder particles rapidly, then melting occurs quickly, but the limited heat extraction from point contacts causes superheating and vaporization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverapid melting rateVSAvoidsuperheating and vaporization temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The conditioning energy beam applies gentle preheating to isolated powder particles before the high-power melting beam arrives. This preliminary action increases particle contact and prepares the particles for melting, allowing the main beam to melt quickly without causing superheating and vaporization of fine isolated particles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 effectively reduces the risk of vaporization and scattering, maintaining a uniform powder bed density and preventing contamination, thereby improving the quality of the additive manufacturing process by ensuring consistent energy absorption and melting.

Implementation Method 1

traversing the track with a conditioning energy beam to sinter isolated powder particles of the multiple of powder particles along a denuded region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 2

The principle behind additive manufacturing processes involves the selective melting of atomized precursor powder particles in powder beds by a directed energy source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelective laser melting: Laser Beam Welding

Data Source

PatentUS11731214B2Conditioning process for additive manufacturing

Publication Date: 2023.08.22 RTX CORP

AI summary

A method of additively manufacturing includes determining a track for manufacturing a layer of a component with a powder blend; traversing the track with a conditioning energy beam to cause sintering of powder particles along a denuded region within the powder blend; and traversing the track with a melting energy beam subsequent to the conditioning energy beam to from the layer of the component. An additive manufacturing system includes a build chamber that contains a powder blend; a controller operable to determine a track for manufacturing a layer of a component with the powder blend in the build chamber; a conditioning energy beam directed along the track by the controller to cause sintering of powder particles along a denuded region within the powder blend; and a melting energy beam directed along the track by the controller subsequent to the conditioning energy beam to form the layer of the component.