Ring-Shaped Laser Deposition Head for Precise Powder Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The directed energy deposition method in additive manufacturing faces challenges with low material powder usage efficiency due to complex parameter combinations, leading to material waste, maintenance difficulties, and scattering issues, especially when feeding powder outside the laser beam.
Innovation Solution
An additive-manufacturing head with a material feeding unit that releases powder inside a ring-shaped laser beam, allowing for precise feeding close to the laser-irradiated area, combined with a coaxial feed of powder and laser beam, enhances powder usage efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If material powder is fed from outside the laser beam, then the additive manufacturing can be performed, but the material powder usage efficiency is low and scattering occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a carrier gas as an intermediary medium to transport material powder from the feeding unit through the ring-shaped laser beam to the workpiece. The carrier gas creates a controlled flow path that guides powder particles through the laser-irradiated region, preventing scattering and improving deposition accuracy while maintaining efficient material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional linear powder feed path into a three-dimensional configuration by positioning the feeding unit coaxially with the ring-shaped laser beam. Powder is fed along the central axis of the ring beam, creating a spatial arrangement where material is delivered from the center through the laser-irradiated annular region, improving control over powder trajectory and deposition precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the combination of laser output, material powder amount, carrier gas amount, and feed rate is optimized, then deposition accuracy improves, but the parameter combination becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the ring-shaped laser beam, specifically the ring radius and axial position of the powder feeding unit. By optimizing these geometric parameters, the system achieves improved deposition accuracy while reducing the complexity of parameter combinations, as the ring beam geometry provides inherent spatial control over powder delivery.
3Productivity
If material powder is fed at higher speed, then productivity improves, but deposition accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic delivery using carrier gas to transport material powder at controlled high speeds through the ring-shaped laser beam. The gas flow dynamics enable rapid powder delivery while maintaining precise control over particle trajectories, achieving both high deposition speed and high accuracy simultaneously.
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 configuration improves material powder usage efficiency by ensuring precise deposition within the laser-irradiated region, reducing waste and maintenance issues, and facilitating efficient additive manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
a region near a melt pool, which is formed in a surface of a workpiece by irradiation with a laser beam
Implementation Method 3
an optical system generating a laser beam having a ring-band-shaped cross section from the laser beam emitted from the laser source
Data Source
AI summary
An additive-manufacturing head is used for performing additive manufacturing by feeding a material to a workpiece and irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam. The additive-manufacturing head includes: a ring-shape laser beam forming unit configured to form a laser beam in a ring shape; a laser beam emitting unit configured to emit the ring-shape laser beam toward a workpiece; and a material feeding unit having an outlet which is disposed inside the ring-shape laser beam emitted from the laser beam emitting unit and from which the material is released, and configured to feed the material from the outlet toward the workpiece. The head configured in this manner can improve the material usage efficiency for the directed energy deposition method.