Additive Manufacturing Scan Planning for Fewer Irradiation Vectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for planning locally selective irradiation in additive manufacturing generate an unnecessarily large number of irradiation vectors, including many shortened vectors, leading to reduced productivity and increased waiting times due to overheating risks.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that define an origin on the component contour to overlay irradiation regions with predetermined dimensions independent of the component contour, optimizing irradiation parameters and reducing the number of irradiation vectors, especially shortened ones, by using a planning device to generate strip-shaped regions that adjoin without gaps or overlaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a closed geometric shape is placed around all contour sections and overlaid with a pattern of predetermined irradiation regions, then complete coverage of the component contour is achieved, but an unnecessarily large number of irradiation vectors are generated including many shortened vectors
Solution Approach 1:
The component contour is segmented into individual contour sections, and irradiation regions are generated specifically for each section rather than applying a uniform pattern across the entire bounding shape. This segmentation eliminates unnecessary irradiation vectors in regions outside actual contour sections.
Solution Approach 2:
Irradiation regions are adapted to match the local geometry of each contour section. The planning device generates irradiation regions that conform to the actual component geometry, ensuring complete coverage where needed while avoiding generation of vectors in non-component areas.
2Reliability
If an unnecessarily large number of irradiation vectors are generated, then complete irradiation coverage is ensured, but additional waiting times must be introduced to avoid overheating of the powder material
Solution Approach 1:
The planning device performs preliminary planning to generate an optimized set of irradiation vectors before the actual irradiation process. By pre-calculating the exact number and position of vectors needed for complete coverage, unnecessary vectors are eliminated, reducing waiting times while ensuring complete irradiation coverage.
3Manufacturing precision
If the width of strip-shaped irradiation regions is selected to contact boundaries at outer corners or edges, then complete contour coverage is achieved, but the width cannot be selected in a constant and optimized manner with regard to irradiation parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The planning device dynamically adjusts irradiation parameters including region width based on the specific geometry of each contour section. Rather than using a fixed width that must contact boundaries at corners, the system optimizes parameters for each local geometry, achieving both complete coverage and parameter optimization.
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 enhances productivity and component quality by minimizing irradiation vectors, reducing waiting times, and ensuring homogeneous irradiation without seam formation or defects, particularly in island sections.
Implementation Method 1
an energy beam is typically displaced selectively to predetermined irradiation positions of a working region in order to locally solidify powder material arranged in the working region
Data Source
AI summary
A method for planning locally selective irradiation of a working region with an energy beam in order to produce a component from a powder material arranged in the working region includes defining an origin on a component contour of a component layer to be generated on a powder material layer in the working region, and overlaying the component contour, based on the origin, with an arrangement of irradiation regions to be irradiated with the energy beam. Each irradiation region has a dimension that is predetermined independently of the component contour and identical for all irradiation regions.