IP Library Granted Patent US 10,222,785
Granted Patent B2
US 10,222,785 · App. 15/514,127 · Granted Mar 5, 2019

Method for manufacturing a component of a field device

Inventors: Joachim Albert (Leonberg, DE); Detlev Wittmer (Maulbronn, DE); Marc Baret (Kembs, FR); Dietmar Spanke (Steinen, DE); Thomas Uehlin (Schopfheim, DE)
Assignee: Endress-Hauser SE+Co. KG
G05B19/4099B33Y10/00B33Y50/02B22F3/1055B22F2003/1057G05B2219/49023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,222,785
App. No.
15/514,127
Granted
Mar 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a component of a field device for determining or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a container, wherein the component is created via a 3D printing method, wherein during the creation the component is supplied at an intermediate state of the component with an exciter signal, wherein a response signal of the component to the exciter signal is registered, wherein shape and/or structure of the component are/is modified via the 3D printing method, when the current response signal does not agree with a predetermined response signal, and wherein the two previous method steps are alternately repeated, until the current response signal agrees with the predetermined response signal within predetermined tolerance limits.

Claims (36)

1. A method for manufacturing a component of a field device for determining or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a container, comprising:

defining an intermediate creation state of a component of a field device;

at least partially creating the component via a 3D printing method until the intermediate creation state is reached;

exciting the component at the intermediate creation state with an exciter signal;

registering a response signal of the component to the exciter signal;

modifying a shape and/or a structure of the component via the 3D printing method when the response signal does not agree with a predetermined response signal within a predetermined tolerance; and

alternately repeating the registering and the modifying until the response signal agrees with the predetermined response signal within the predetermined tolerance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the exciter signal is applied to ascertain a physical parameter or a characteristic variable of the physical parameter of the component.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined response signal is established customer and/or application specifically.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for the 3D printing of the component at least one metal or at least one synthetic material is applied, and a selective laser melting is used as the 3D printing method.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for the 3D printing of the component at least one metal or at least one synthetic material is applied, and a selective laser sintering is used as the 3D printing method.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one synthetic material is applied for the component, and fused deposition modeling or multi jet modeling is used as the 3D printing method for the at least one synthetic material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is an oscillatable unit of a vibronic sensor, wherein exciting the component includes applying a periodic vibrating signal to the oscillatable unit, and wherein registering the response signal includes registering a resonant frequency or an amplitude of the response signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the oscillatable unit is an oscillatory fork.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the oscillatable unit is a single rod oscillator.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the oscillatable unit is a membrane oscillator.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is an oscillatable unit of a vibronic sensor, wherein exciting the component includes applying a pulse signal to the oscillatable unit, and wherein registering the response signal includes registering the decay behavior of the response signal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is an electrical resistor, wherein exciting the component includes passing an electrical current through the resistor, and wherein registering the response signal includes measuring a voltage across the resistor.

13. A component manufactured via a method comprising:

defining an intermediate creation state of a component of a field device;

at least partially creating the component via a 3D printing method until the intermediate creation state is reached;

exciting the component at the intermediate creation state with an exciter signal;

registering a response signal of the component to the exciter signal;

modifying a shape and/or a structure of the component via the 3D printing method when the response signal does not agree with a predetermined response signal within a predetermined tolerance; and

alternately repeating the registering and the modifying until the response signal agrees with the predetermined response signal within the predetermined tolerance,

wherein the component is an oscillatable unit of a vibronic level sensor.

14. The component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the exciter signal is applied to ascertain a resonant frequency of the oscillatable unit.

15. The component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the exciter signal is applied to ascertain a characteristic variable of a physical parameter of the component, and the characteristic variable is an amplitude or a frequency of the response signal or a phase shift between the exciter signal and the response signal.

16. A component manufactured via a method comprising:

defining an intermediate creation state of a component of a field device;

at least partially creating the component via a 3D printing method until the intermediate creation state is reached;

exciting the component at the intermediate creation state with an exciter signal;

registering a response signal of the component to the exciter signal;

modifying a shape and/or a structure of the component via the 3D printing method when the response signal does not agree with a predetermined response signal within a predetermined tolerance; and

alternately repeating the registering and the modifying until the response signal agrees with the predetermined response signal within the predetermined tolerance,

wherein the component is an electrical resistor.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2018
From: ENDRESS+HAUSER GMBH+CO. KG
To: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
Reel/Frame 046443/0294 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2017
From: ALBERT, JOACHIM; WITTMER, DETLEV; BARET, MARC; SPANKE, DIETMAR; UEHLIN, THOMAS
To: ENDRESS+HAUSER GMBH+CO. KG
Reel/Frame 041723/0024 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2014 113 997 · Sep 26, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170308062A1 · Oct 26, 2017