Wire-Laser Additive Manufacturing for Heat Input and Form Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing additive manufacturing techniques using arc welding and laser beam irradiation face challenges with low processing speed and difficulty in achieving higher precision due to thermal shrinkage and heat input issues, leading to reduced form accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing apparatus that includes a power supply to heat the material, a beam source for irradiation, and a drive unit to shift the feed and irradiation positions, with the irradiation position leading in a moving path relative to the feed position, allowing for controlled heat input and improved precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If laser beam irradiation is used to form the molten pool, then the processing speed is improved, but the heat input to the workpiece increases causing thermal shrinkage and reduced form accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating function into two independent systems: a laser beam for rapid heating and molten pool formation, and a separate heating source (such as a heater or induction heating system) for controlled preheating and thermal management. This segmentation allows the laser to operate at high power for speed while the separate heating system compensates for thermal shrinkage and maintains form accuracy through controlled thermal input.
2Productivity
If higher heat input is applied to accelerate processing, then the productivity is improved, but the thermal strains in the formed object increase reducing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary heating of the workpiece or specific zones before laser processing begins. This preheating action, performed by a separate heating system, raises the base temperature to reduce the thermal gradient during laser processing, thereby minimizing thermal strains and distortion while allowing the laser to operate at high power for accelerated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts heating parameters (temperature, heating rate, distribution) using a separate controllable heating system to compensate for the high heat input from the laser. By independently controlling the heating parameters apart from the laser power, the system can maintain optimal thermal conditions that reduce thermal strains while preserving high processing speed.
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 enables higher precision forming by controlling heat input and reducing thermal strains in the formed object, resulting in improved accuracy and reduced processing time.
Implementation Method 1
a power supply to supply a current to the material, the current being used for heating the material that is fed to a workpiece
Implementation Method 2
a beam source to produce a beam with which the workpiece is irradiated
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing apparatus forms layers with a material that is molten to produce a formed object. The additive manufacturing apparatus includes a CMT power supply that supplies as a power supply current to heat a wire that is the material fed to a workpiece, to the material; a laser oscillator that produces as a beam source a laser beam that is a beam with which the workpiece is irradiated; and a head drive unit that shifts as a drive unit a feed position for the material on the workpiece and an irradiation position for the beam on the workpiece. The additive manufacturing apparatus shifts the feed position and the irradiation position, with the irradiation position leading in a moving path for the feed position in spaced relation to the feed position.