Workpiece Interface Pretreatment for Additive Repair Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently printing on pre-existing workpieces, particularly in achieving precise bonding due to variations in elevation and surface features, which is crucial for repairing and upgrading components like compressor blades in turbomachines.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a vision system to accurately locate and pretreat workpiece interfaces using an energy beam, followed by additive manufacturing to print extension segments, ensuring near net shape components with improved bonding and surface finish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If additive printing is performed directly on pre-existing workpieces without pretreatment, then the printing process can be simplified, but bonding quality deteriorates due to elevation variations and surface features
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting workpiece surface characteristics before printing and dynamically adjusting printing parameters accordingly. The vision system captures images of the workpiece surface, and the controller modifies printing parameters based on detected elevation variations and surface features, ensuring optimal bonding quality without requiring manual pretreatment
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts printing parameters in real-time based on detected workpiece surface conditions. The controller continuously adapts printing parameters such as energy source power, scanning speed, and layer thickness according to the actual surface topology, transforming a static printing process into a dynamic one that responds to surface variations
2Manufacturing precision
If pretreatment is applied to workpiece surfaces to improve bonding, then bonding quality improves, but the process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates idle time between detection and printing by continuously adapting printing parameters during the printing process itself. The vision system and controller work in tandem to provide continuous feedback, allowing the printing process to proceed without interruption while maintaining optimal bonding quality through real-time parameter adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual or mechanical pretreatment processes with an automated vision-based detection and parameter adjustment system. Instead of physically preparing the surface through mechanical means, the system uses optical detection and computational parameter modification to achieve the same bonding quality improvement, significantly reducing process time
3Measurement precision
If manual inspection and measurement of workpieces is performed, then positioning accuracy improves, but labor costs and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the workpiece surface through vision system imaging, replacing physical manual inspection. The controller uses this digital representation to determine precise workpiece location and orientation, eliminating the need for manual measurement while maintaining high positioning accuracy through image processing algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual inspection and measurement mechanics with an automated vision-based optical system. The controller processes visual data to achieve precise positioning automatically, eliminating human labor from the measurement process while improving both accuracy and processing speed through computational image analysis
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 precise and efficient repair or rebuilding of components by addressing elevation variations and surface issues, reducing the need for extensive post-processing and lowering labor costs, while enhancing the performance and reliability of turbomachine blades.
Implementation Method 1
sequential layers of powder are bonded (e.g., melted or fused) to one another using an energy source that has a focal point
Implementation Method 2
using an energy source that has a focal point generally corresponding to the elevation of the layer of powder being melted or fused
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
Methods of additively printing an extension segment on a workpiece may include pretreating a workpiece-interface of a workpiece using an energy beam from an additive manufacturing machine, providing a pretreated workpiece-interface having received a pretreatment, with the pretreatment remediating an aberrant feature of the workpiece and/or the workpiece-interface. Such methods may additionally include additively printing an extension segment on the pretreated workpiece-interface using the energy beam from the additive manufacturing machine. Exemplary additive manufacturing system for printing an extension segment on a workpiece may include a controller operably coupled to a vision system and an additive manufacturing machine.