Tile-Based Printing With Dynamic Laser Beam Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional powder-bed fusion systems lack optimized control of laser beams, resulting in inefficient material consolidation and suboptimal properties of build pieces due to constant energy profiles and lack of dynamic beam shaping.
Innovation Solution
A system that subdivides the build layer into tiles, allowing for customized energy profiles and dynamic beam shaping, adjusting power density, duration, and geometry of the laser beam based on tile-specific parameters to optimize fusion and microstructure, with a controller managing the beam shaping component to apply varying energy profiles to each tile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a constant energy profile laser beam is used in conventional PBF systems, then the system structure is simple and easy to control, but material consolidation efficiency is poor and build piece properties are suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The build layer is subdivided into multiple tiles, and the laser beam energy profile is segmented to match each tile's specific requirements. This allows different energy parameters to be applied to different regions, improving material consolidation efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular control.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser beam energy profile is made dynamic rather than constant, allowing real-time adjustment of power density, duration, and geometry based on tile-specific parameters. This dynamic control optimizes fusion and microstructure for each region, significantly improving productivity despite increased control system complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If dynamic beam shaping with tile-specific energy profiles is implemented, then residual stress and thermal stresses are reduced, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each tile is assigned a customized energy profile with specific power density, duration, and geometry parameters tailored to local requirements. This local optimization reduces thermal stresses and residual stresses by matching beam characteristics to regional material and geometric conditions, while the modular tile-based approach keeps control complexity manageable.
3Manufacturing precision
If customized energy profiles are applied to each tile, then microstructure and fusion quality are improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam parameters (power density, duration, geometry) are systematically varied across different tiles based on pre-calculated energy profiles. This parameter optimization improves microstructure quality and fusion precision while the automated tile-based workflow minimizes additional processing time through efficient batch processing of energy profile applications.
4Productivity
If constant power density laser beam is used, then the laser system is simple to operate, but fusing speed and throughput are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam power density is made dynamic, varying across different tiles and processing stages according to optimized energy profiles. This dynamic adjustment significantly improves fusing speed and throughput by applying higher power where needed while the automated controller manages the complexity, making the system easy to operate despite advanced functionality.
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 the control over the laser beam, improving residual stress, fusing speed, and microstructure of the build pieces, increasing throughput and reducing thermal stresses by applying tailored energy profiles to each tile, resulting in more complex and precise geometric shapes.
Implementation Method 1
a laser beam source configured to produce a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
fusing (e.g., melting and cooling), via a laser beam, areas of the powder layer
Implementation Method 3
a beam shaping component configured to adjust an energy profile of the laser beam to obtain a beam energy profile
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects are provided for additively manufacturing a build piece using tile-based printing with dynamic beam shaping. An apparatus may include a powder bed depositor that deposits a layer of powder material in a powder bed, a laser beam source configured to produce a laser beam, a beam shaping component configured to adjust an energy profile of the laser beam to obtain a beam energy profile, and a controller. The controller can be configured to obtain information of the layer of powder material and control the beam shaping component to adjust a beam energy profile of the laser beam to correspond to tile energy profiles associated with a plurality of tiles in the layer. Further, the controller can be configured to apply a pulse of the laser beam to the plurality of tiles to fuse portions of the build piece corresponding to respective tiles.