US 11,964,435 B2
Method and system for monitoring a powder bed process in additive manufacturing
Matteo Seita, Singapore (SG); and Tan-Phuc Le, Singapore (SG)
Assigned to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (SG)
Appl. No. 17/272,148
Filed by NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Singapore (SG)
PCT Filed Aug. 30, 2019, PCT No. PCT/SG2019/050432
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/046212, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 5, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10201807457T (SG), filed on Aug. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0331399 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 64/205 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); G01B 11/30 (2006.01); G06T 5/70 (2024.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC B29C 64/386 (2017.08) [B29C 64/205 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); G01B 11/303 (2013.01); G06T 5/70 (2024.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30144 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of monitoring a powder bed process in additive manufacturing, using at least one processor, the method comprising:
obtaining a first image of a powder bed layer from scanning the powder bed layer in a first scanning direction using a first contact image sensor, the powder bed layer being formed by a powder re-coater arm in the powder bed process and the first contact image sensor being attached to the powder re-coater arm;
determining a focus level property of the first image; and
detecting non-uniformities in the powder bed layer based on the focus level property of the first image.