US 11,839,914 B1
Process monitoring and feedback for metal additive manufacturing using powder-bed fusion
Derek Schmuland, El Segundo, CA (US); Thomas J Ronacher, Los Angeles, CA (US); and Erik Palitsch, Manhattan Beach, CA (US)
Assigned to Freeform Future Corp., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed by Freeform Future Corp., El Segundo, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/773,876.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/943,473, filed on Dec. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/799,709, filed on Jan. 31, 2019.
Int. Cl. B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B22F 10/10 (2021.01); G06F 17/14 (2006.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/10 (2021.01) [B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); G06F 17/142 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of metal additive manufacturing, comprising:
generating a plurality of laser beams;
directing the plurality of laser beams to selected portions of a surface of a powder bed of powdered metal;
clustering respective laser beams of the plurality of laser beams to provide clustered laser beams that at least partially overlap on the surface of the powder bed to form a melt pool on the surface of the powder bed;
monitoring the powder bed while performing the generating, directing, and clustering, the monitoring comprising imaging the melt pool on the surface of the powder bed using a camera; and
based on the monitoring, adjusting settings selected from the group consisting of respective powers of some of the clustered laser beams, respective positions on the surface of the powder bed of some of the clustered laser beams, respective speeds on the surface of the powder bed of some of the clustered laser beams, and respective spot sizes on the surface of the powder bed of some of the clustered laser beams; wherein:
the directing comprises directing the plurality of laser beams to selected portions of a first layer of powdered metal in the powder bed and to selected portions of a second layer of powdered metal in the powder bed, the method further comprising depositing the second layer above the first layer in the powder bed;
the monitoring comprises monitoring the powder bed while directing the plurality of laser beams to the selected portions of the first layer; and
the adjusting comprises:
modifying the settings for the second layer, based on the monitoring performed while directing the plurality of laser beams to the selected portions of the first layer; and
using the modified settings for the second layer.