# US 10,766,242 B2 · System and methods for fabricating a component using a consolidating device

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- Number: US 10,766,242 B2
- Document ID: US10766242B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/685,128
- Filed: 2017-08-24
- Published: 2019-02-28
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-24
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Jason Harris Karp; Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766242B2

## CPC

- B22F 12/44: characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 12/45: Two or more
- B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B29C 64/277: using multiple radiation means, e.g. micromirrors or multiple light-emitting diodes [LED]
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- G02B 26/0816: {by means of one or more reflecting elements}
- G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)}
- G02B 27/141: {using dichroic mirrors}
- B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters
- B22F 10/366: Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy
- B22F 12/33: translatory in the deposition plane
- B22F 12/47: parallel to the deposition plane
- B22F 12/49: Scanners
- B23K 26/0643: {comprising mirrors}
- B23K 26/0648: {comprising lenses}
- B23K 26/067: Dividing the beam into multiple beams, e.g. multi-focusing
- B23K 26/342: Build-up welding
- B23K 26/354: by melting
- B23K 26/705: {Beam measuring devices}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A consolidating device for an additive manufacturing system is provided. The consolidating device includes at least one first energy beam generator, at least one second energy beam generator, at least one first lens, at least one second lens, and at least one reflective element. The first energy beam generator is configured to generate a first energy beam. The second energy beam generator is configured to generate a second energy beam. The first lens has a first entrance pupil and is positioned between the first energy beam generator and the layer of material. The second lens has a second entrance pupil and is positioned between the first lens and the layer of material. The first entrance pupil and the second entrance pupil substantially overlap. The reflective element is positioned between the first lens and the second lens, and is configured to reflect the second energy beam onto the layer of material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A consolidating device for an additive manufacturing system, said consolidating device comprising:
at least one first energy beam generator configured to generate a first energy beam for forming a first melt pool in a layer of material;
at least one second energy beam generator configured to generate a second energy beam for forming a second melt pool in the layer of material;
at least one first lens having a first entrance pupil, said first lens positioned between said first energy beam generator and the layer of material, wherein said first lens is a first unilaterally telecentric lens and is configured to receive the first energy beam;
at least one second lens having a second entrance pupil, said second lens positioned between said first lens and the layer of material, wherein said second lens is a second unilaterally telecentric lens and is configured to receive the first energy beam from said first lens, wherein the first entrance pupil and the second entrance pupil substantially overlap, and wherein said first unilaterally telecentric lens and said second unilaterally telecentric lens create an afocal plane at a midpoint between said first unilaterally telecentric lens and said second unilaterally telecentric lens; and
at least one reflective element positioned between said first lens and said second lens, said reflective element configured to receive the second energy beam and to reflect the second energy beam through said second lens to be incident on the layer of material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The consolidating device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first energy beam generator comprises an array of first hatching laser devices and said second energy beam generator comprises a contouring laser device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The consolidating device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises a dichroic beam splitter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The consolidating device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said dichroic beam splitter is configured to transmit light having a wavelength of approximately 980 nanometers (nm) and to reflect light having a wavelength of approximately 1070 nm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The consolidating device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an energy beam sensing system comprising an energy beam detector configured to detect at least one of the first energy beam and the second energy beam after being reflected by the material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The consolidating device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said energy beam detector comprises at least one of a photodiode and an image sensor.

### Claim 7

An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a material to be consolidated; and
a consolidating device comprising:
at least one first energy beam generator configured to generate a first energy beam for forming a first melt pool in a layer of material;
at least one second energy beam generator configured to generate a second energy beam for forming a second melt pool in the layer of material;
at least one first lens having a first entrance pupil, said first lens positioned between said first energy beam generator and the layer of material, wherein said first lens is a first unilaterally telecentric lens and is configured to receive the first energy beam;
at least one second lens having a second entrance pupil, said second lens positioned between said first lens and the layer of material, wherein said second lens is a second unilaterally telecentric lens and is configured to receive the first energy beam from said first lens, wherein the first entrance pupil and the second entrance pupil substantially overlap, and wherein said first unilaterally telecentric lens and said second unilaterally telecentric lens create an afocal plane at a midpoint between said first unilaterally telecentric lens and said second unilaterally telecentric lens; and
at least one reflective element positioned between said first lens and said second lens, said reflective element configured to receive the second energy beam and to reflect the second energy beam through said second lens to be incident on the layer of material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein said first energy beam generator comprises an array of first hatching laser devices and said second energy beam generator comprises a contouring laser device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein said reflective element comprises a dichroic beam splitter.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein said dichroic beam splitter is configured to transmit light having a wavelength of approximately 980 nanometers (nm) and to reflect light having a wavelength of approximately 1070 nm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 8 further comprising an energy beam sensing system comprising an energy beam detector configured to detect at least one of first energy beam and the second energy beam after being reflected by the material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein said energy beam detector comprises at least one of a photodiode and an image sensor.