Granted Patent B2

US 12,292,384 · App. 18/661,222 · Granted May 6, 2025

Inventors: Vivek R. Dave (Concord, NH); Mark J. Cola (Santa Fe, NM); R. Bruce Madigan (Butte, MT); Alberto Castro (Santa Fe, NM); Glenn Wikle (Santa Fe, NM); Lars Jacquemetton (Santa Fe, NM); Peter Campbell (Albuquerque, NM)

Assignee: Divergent Technologies, Inc.

G01N21/71B33Y30/00B33Y50/00G01N21/00H01L22/12G01N2021/8411G06N20/00

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A method comprising:

controlling an energy beam of an additive manufacturing system to scan across a build region of a powder bed of the additive manufacturing system using a plurality of discrete scan paths, wherein each discrete scan path has a respective path length;

generating sensor data, using an optical sensor of the additive manufacturing system, based on photons emitted from the build region of the powder bed during each discrete scan path, wherein a corresponding intensity of each discrete scan path is based on the sensor data; and

operating the additive manufacturing system based on a comparison of a baseline relationship to a relationship between the intensity of each discrete scan path and the path length of each respective discrete scan path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of each respective discrete scan path comprises an entire length of each respective discrete scan path.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the operation of the additive manufacturing system based on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calibrating the additive manufacturing system based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relationship includes a best fit line.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete scan paths are related to a single layer of a part manufactured on the additive manufacturing system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of each respective discrete scan path is derived from the sensor data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intensity is an average intensity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the baseline relationship is derived from manufacturing a part on the additive manufacturing system.

10. A method comprising:

controlling an energy beam of an additive manufacturing system to move across a build region of a powder bed of the additive manufacturing system along a scan path having a path length;

generating sensor data, using an optical sensor of the additive manufacturing system, based on photons emitted from the build region of the powder bed while the energy beam moves along the scan path, wherein an intensity of the scan path is based on the sensor data; and

operating the additive manufacturing system to manufacture a part, wherein a defect in the part is based on a relationship between the intensity of the scan path the path length.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the path length is an entire length of the scan path starting at an on-state of the energy beam and ending at an off-state of the energy beam.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising changing the operation of the additive manufacturing system based on the defect detection.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calibrating the additive manufacturing system based on a comparison of the relationship to a baseline relationship.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the relationship includes a best fit line.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the path length is based on the sensor data.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the intensity is an average intensity.

17. An additive manufacturing system comprising:

a powder bed including a mechanism arranged to distribute a layer of powder across a build region of the powder bed;

an energy source configured to fuse at least a portion of the layer of powder to form a layer of a part, wherein a beam from the energy source is moved across the build region of the powder bed along a scan path;

a sensor arranged to receive electromagnetic energy from a region encompassing the powder bed; and

a computing system configured to receive data from the sensor while the beam is moved along the scan path, wherein a defect in the part is based on a relationship between an intensity for the scan path and a length for the scan path.

18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the length is an entire length of the scan path starting at an on-state of the beam and ending at an off-state of the beam.

19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the intensity is based on data generated by the sensor.

20. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the intensity is an average intensity.

Assignments (5)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (394)