Additive Manufacturing Scan Means Calibration for Sector Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Additive manufacturing techniques face a decrease in resolution and accuracy when producing large objects due to the need for increased focal length, leading to lower manufacturing precision and potential discontinuities between sectors.

Innovation Solution

The method involves calibrating scan means by establishing a sector coordinate system and a reference coordinate system, determining initial and corrected transformation functions to align the point of incidence accurately across sectors, ensuring precise alignment and high resolution through overlapping sectors and using camera systems or sensors for precise coordinate measurement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the focal length of the scan means is increased to cover a larger surface area, then the construction zone size is improved, but the resolution and manufacturing precision decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconstruction zone sizeVSAvoidresolution

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The construction zone is divided into multiple sectors, each covered by a separate energy ray with its own scan means. Each sector maintains a short focal length for high resolution, while collectively covering a large construction zone area through multiple segmented regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If the focal length of the scan means is increased to cover a larger surface area, then the construction zone size is improved, but the positional accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconstruction zone sizeVSAvoidpositional accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If several energy rays are used to cover different sectors, then the construction zone coverage is improved, but the alignment accuracy between sectors deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconstruction zone coverageVSAvoidalignment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A calibration process is performed before manufacturing to determine transformation functions that map sector coordinate systems to a reference coordinate system. This preliminary calibration ensures accurate alignment between sectors, preventing discontinuities and defects at sector boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The calibration process uses measured deviations between expected and actual positions to calculate corrected transformation functions. This feedback mechanism compensates for misalignments and ensures precise positioning across all sectors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10725446B2Method and device for calibrating multiple energy rays for the additive manufacturing of an object

Publication Date: 2020.07.28 LAYERWISE

AI summary

The invention concerns a method and a device for calibrating at least one scanning system (4, 5, 17) when producing an object (8) by additive manufacturing, wherein the coordinates of one or several reference positions are measured in the relative coordinate system of each scanning system (4, 5, 17), after which the calibration of each of the scanning systems is adapted starting from the measured coordinates of the reference positions.