US 12,434,301 B1
Detecting and removing defects in laser powder bed fusion manufacturing
Jamee-Dawn Marie Gray, Kansas City, MO (US); Benjamin Ross Brown, Lee's Summit, MO (US); Daniel Scott Kessler, Stilwell, KS (US); and Andrew David Deal, Overland Park, KS (US)
Assigned to Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC, Kansas City, MO (US)
Filed by Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC, Kansas City, MO (US)
Filed on Dec. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/557,523.
Int. Cl. B22F 10/50 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B23K 26/0622 (2014.01); B23K 26/38 (2014.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01)
CPC B22F 10/50 (2021.01) [B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B23K 26/0624 (2015.10); B23K 26/38 (2013.01); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for preventing formation of defects on a part during a laser powder bed fusion manufacturing process, the system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to detect parameters associated with the laser powder bed fusion manufacturing process;
an ablation laser operable to remove the defects;
a fusion material configured to form the part;
a manufacturing laser operable to melt the fusion material to form the part;
at least one processor; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method of removing the defects from forming on the part during the laser powder bed fusion manufacturing process, the method comprising:
controlling the manufacturing laser to melt the fusion material and form the part at a part formation region;
detecting, by the at least one sensor, vapor plume characteristics of a vapor plume at the part formation region; and
during the laser powder bed fusion manufacturing process, further providing the ablation laser to the defects to remove the defects based on the vapor plume characteristics.