US 12,076,814 B2
Systems and methods for fabricating a component with a simulated laser array
Subhrajit Roychowdhury, Schenectady, NY (US); James William Sears, Niskayuna, NY (US); and Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Clifton Park, NY (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/615,163.
Prior Publication US 2018/0345382 A1, Dec. 6, 2018
Int. Cl. B23K 26/067 (2006.01); B22F 7/06 (2006.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01); B22F 12/49 (2021.01); B23K 26/342 (2014.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B23K 26/0676 (2013.01) [B22F 7/064 (2013.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01); B22F 12/49 (2021.01); B23K 26/342 (2015.10); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 12/38 (2021.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A powder melting device for an additive manufacturing system, said powder melting device comprising:
a laser device configured to emit an energy beam;
a beam modulator configured to selectively induce a plurality of predetermined angular deflections in the energy beam, each angular deflection maintained for an associated predetermined time period such that each predetermined angular deflection of the energy beam generates a melt pool in a powder bed, each respective associated predetermined time period being of a sufficiently short duration to facilitate the beam modulator cycling through each predetermined angular deflection prior to exceeding a melting time constant of powdered material of the powder bed, the melting time constant representing a time period for which the melt pool remains in a liquid state prior to transitioning to a different material state without further application of energy; and
a controller coupled to said laser device and said beam modulator, said controller programmed to control emissions of the energy beam from said laser device, and programmed to control said beam modulator to switch between the plurality of predetermined angular deflections and maintain each angular deflection for the associated predetermined time period, thereby creating a plurality of contemporaneous melt pools.