IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,246,382
Granted Patent B2
US 12,246,382 · App. 17/285,910 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Additive manufacturing apparatus

Inventors: Shigeru Takushima (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Kawano (Tokyo, JP); Yoshitsugu Sawa (Tokyo, JP); Daiji Morita (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
B22F12/90B22F12/57B23K26/032B33Y30/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,246,382
App. No.
17/285,910
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An additive manufacturing apparatus is an additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by depositing a molten fabrication material at a working position while moving the working position on a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process. The apparatus includes a height measurement unit that outputs a measurement result representing the height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece at a measurement position, and a control unit that controls a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result.

Claims (49)

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by supplying a fabrication material to a working position, melting the fabrication material, and depositing a fabrication material solidified after melting at the working position, while moving the working position of a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a height measurement circuit to perform measurement of a height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece at a measurement position during the additive manufacturing process, and output a measurement result representing a result of the measurement; and

a controller to control a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result,

wherein the measurement position is moved according to movement of the working position and leads or trails the working position as the working position is moved, the measurement position being a position where the fabrication material has solidified, wherein

the height measurement circuit includes:

a measurement lighting device to apply illumination light for measurement to the measurement position; and

a light receiving optical system to receive reflected light of the illumination light for measurement on a light receiving element, the reflected light being reflected from the measurement position, and

the height measurement circuit computes the height of the manufactured product formed on the workpiece on the basis of a light reception position of the reflected light on the light receiving element.

2. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement position is situated on a side in a direction in which the working position moves on the workpiece when viewed from the working position.

3. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller reduces a supply amount of the fabrication material to be supplied to the working position in a case in which the measurement result is greater than a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, and increases the supply amount in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

4. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller increases a speed of moving the working position in a case in which the measurement result is greater than a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, and reduces the speed of moving the working position in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

5. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller raises a height of a leading end of the fabrication material before melting according to a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, increases an amount of raising the height before melting in a case in which the measurement result is greater than the target value, and reduces the amount of raising the height before melting in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

6. An additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by supplying a fabrication material to a working position, melting the fabrication material, and depositing a fabrication material solidified after melting at the working position, while moving the working position of a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a height measurement circuit to output a measurement result representing a height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece, at a measurement position; and

a controller to control a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result,

wherein the measurement position is moved according to movement of the working position, and is a position where the fabrication material has solidified, the measurement position being situated on a side in a direction in which the working position moves on the workpiece when viewed from the working position, and the measurement position leads or trails the working position in a moving direction of the working position, wherein

the height measurement circuit includes:

a measurement lighting device to apply illumination light for measurement to the measurement position; and

a light receiving optical system to receive reflected light of the illumination light for measurement on a light receiving element, the reflected light being reflected from the measurement position, and

the height measurement circuit computes the height of the manufactured product formed on the workpiece on the basis of a light reception position of the reflected light on the light receiving element.

7. An additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by supplying a fabrication material to a working position, melting the fabrication material, and depositing a fabrication material solidified after melting at the working position, while moving the working position of a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a height measurement circuit to output a measurement result representing a height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece, at a measurement position; and

a controller to control a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result,

wherein the measurement position is moved according to movement of the working position, and is a position where the fabrication material has solidified,

the height measurement circuit includes:

a measurement lighting device to apply illumination light for measurement to the measurement position; and

a light receiving optical system to receive reflected light of the illumination light for measurement on a light receiving element, the reflected light being reflected from the measurement position, and

the height measurement circuit computes the height of the manufactured product formed on the workpiece on the basis of a light reception position of the reflected light on the light receiving element.

8. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the measurement position is situated on a side in a direction in which the working position moves on the workpiece when viewed from the working position.

9. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , comprising:

a machining optical system to focus machining light for melting the fabrication material onto the working position.

10. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the light receiving optical system is integrated with the machining optical system.

11. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the measurement position is within a visual field of the light receiving element.

12. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the illumination light for measurement is a line beam applied in shape of a line.

13. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the illumination light for measurement is a line beam applied in shape of a circle.

14. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein an amount of change of the line beam in a direction in which a line of the line beam extends is greater than or equal to 90 degrees.

15. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller reduces a supply amount of the fabrication material to be supplied to the working position in a case in which the measurement result is greater than a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, and increases the supply amount in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

16. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller reduces an output of the machining light in a case in which the measurement result is greater than a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, and increases the output of the machining light in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

17. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller increases a speed of moving the working position in a case in which the measurement result is greater than a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, and reduces the speed of moving the working position in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

18. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller raises a height of a leading end of the fabrication material before melting according to a target value that is a preset height of a layered product, increases an amount of raising the height before melting in a case in which the measurement result is greater than the target value, and reduces the amount of raising the height before melting in a case in which the measurement result is less than the target value.

19. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein a wavelength of the illumination light differs from a wavelength of the machining light.

20. An additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by supplying a fabrication material to a working position, melting the fabrication material, and depositing a fabrication material solidified after melting at the working position, while moving the working position of a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a height measurement circuit to perform measurement of a height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece at a measurement position during the additive manufacturing process, and output a measurement result representing a result of the measurement; and

a controller to control a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result,

wherein the measurement position is moved according to movement of the working position, and is a position where the measurement position is situated away from the working position, and the fabrication material has solidified, the position being out of the range in which the fabrication material is in a molten state.

21. An additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by supplying a fabrication material to a working position, melting the fabrication material, and depositing a fabrication material solidified after melting at the working position, while moving the working position of a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a height measurement circuit to output a measurement result representing a height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece, at a measurement position; and

a controller to control a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result,

wherein the measurement position is moved according to movement of the working position, and is a position where the measurement position is situated away from the working position, and the fabrication material has solidified, the position being out of the range in which the fabrication material is in a molten state, the measurement position being situated on a side in a direction in which the working position moves on the workpiece when viewed from the working position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: TAKUSHIMA, SHIGERU; KAWANO, HIROYUKI; SAWA, YOSHITSUGU; MORITA, DAIJI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055938/0399 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210370409A1 · Dec 2, 2021
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