US 12,447,557 B2
Laser treatment systems and methods for in-situ Laser Shock Peening (LSP) treatment of parts during production thereof by a Selective Laser Sintering or Melting (SLS/SLM) process, and additive manufacturing systems and methods implementing the same
Nikola Kalentics, Lausanne (CH); and Roland Logé, Lausanne (CH)
Assigned to Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne (CH)
Appl. No. 17/774,226
Filed by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne (CH)
PCT Filed Nov. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/059448
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/090043, PCT Pub. Date May 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0395906 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/32 (2021.01); B22F 10/50 (2021.01); B22F 10/73 (2021.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B23K 26/16 (2006.01); B23K 26/342 (2014.01); B23K 26/356 (2014.01); B23K 26/70 (2014.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); C21D 10/00 (2006.01); B22F 10/60 (2021.01)
CPC B23K 26/342 (2015.10) [B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/32 (2021.01); B22F 10/50 (2021.01); B22F 10/73 (2021.01); B22F 12/22 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B23K 26/16 (2013.01); B23K 26/356 (2015.10); B23K 26/706 (2015.10); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); C21D 10/005 (2013.01); B22F 10/60 (2021.01); B22F 2201/02 (2013.01); B22F 2201/11 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laser treatment system structured to impart residual stresses into a workpiece during production thereof by a Selective Laser Sintering or Melting (SLS/SLM) process, the laser treatment system comprising:
a powder bed structured to receive powder particles and in which the workpiece can be progressively produced, layer after layer, in accordance with the SLS/SLM process;
a first laser unit producing a first laser beam that is selected to carry out an in-situ Laser Shock Peening (LSP) treatment on the workpiece as the workpiece is progressively being produced in the powder bed;
an LSP module operable in conjunction with the first laser unit to be selectively brought, during the in-situ LSP treatment, in contact with a surface of the powder bed; and
a laser guiding system operable to guide the first laser beam, during the in-situ LSP treatment, over selected portions of the surface of the powder bed to impart residual stresses into the workpiece upon being subjected to the action of the first laser beam,
wherein the LSP module includes:
a confining window transparent to the first laser beam; and
consumable confining material, distinct from the confining window, which is positioned between the confining window and the surface of the powder bed, the consumable confining material including a consumable confining layer transparent to the first laser beam,
and wherein the consumable confining material is positioned and guided in such a way that the consumable confining layer surrounds the confining window and runs along top and bottom surfaces of the confining window to protect the confining window from contamination by process residues.