# US 11,027,536 B2 · Diode laser fiber array for powder bed fabrication or repair > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,536 B2 - Document ID: US11027536B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/743,325 - Filed: 2020-01-15 - Published: 2020-07-16 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-16 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Marshall Gordon Jones; William Thomas Carter; James William Sears - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027536B2 ## CPC - B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)} - B22F 5/009: {of turbine components other than turbine blades (of turbine blades B22F5/04)} - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters - B22F 12/41: characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam - B22F 12/45: Two or more - B23K 26/0608: {in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] (B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence)} - B23K 26/0626: {Energy control of the laser beam (B23K26/0622 takes precedence)} - B23K 26/073: Shaping the laser spot - B23K 26/34: Laser welding for purposes other than joining - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/20: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B29C 64/277: using multiple radiation means, e.g. micromirrors or multiple light-emitting diodes [LED] - B29C 64/282: of the same type, e.g. using different energy levels - B29C 73/00: Repairing of articles made from plastics or substances in a plastic state, e.g. of articles shaped or produced by using techniques covered by this subclass or subclass B29D ({linings for tyres acting locally B60C5/142;} retreading tyres B29D30/54; devices for covering leaks in pipes or hoses F16L55/16) - B29C 73/34: for local heating - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - G02B 6/425: {Optical features (semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H10W90/00)} - B22F 10/362: for preheating - B23K 2101/001: {Turbines} - B23P 6/007: {using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding} - B29K 2105/251: {Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046)} - B29L 2031/08: Blades for rotors, stators, fans, turbines or the like, e.g. screw propellers - F05D 2230/31: Layer deposition - G02B 6/4206: {Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence)} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) - 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 - 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 - 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 - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method of forming a build in a powder bed includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, the selected fibers of the array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build; and simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed includes a diode laser fiber array including a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emitting the laser beam; a support configured to support a powder bed or a component configured to support the powder bed at a distance from ends of the optical fibers; and a controller configured to control the diode laser fiber array to emit a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, the selected fibers of the array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build and simultaneously melt the powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for generating a pattern in a powder bed, comprising: a diode laser fiber array comprising a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emit the laser beam; and a support configured to support a powder bed or a component configured to support the powder bed at a distance from ends of the optical fibers, wherein the diode fiber laser array is configured to emit a plurality of laser beams to simultaneously melt portions of a layer of powder in the powder bed to generate a desired pattern, and wherein the plurality of diode lasers are selectively activatable and deactivatable such that the plurality of laser beams emitted therefrom correspond to the pattern of a layer of a build to be formed in the powder bed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the diode laser fiber array and configured to control the diode laser fiber array. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of a duration of each laser beam, a pulse energy of each diode laser, a pulse width of each diode laser, an average output power of each diode laser, an energy distribution of each laser beam, power density of each laser beam, a rate of reduction of the power of each laser beam, and/or a distance of ends of the optical fibers from the powder bed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diode laser fiber array is further configured to emit laser beams from optical fibers adjacent to the pattern and heat powder adjacent to the layer to control a cooling rate of the melted powder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the diode laser fiber array is configured to heat the powder adjacent to the layer at least one of prior to and/or during simultaneous melting of the portions of the layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical fibers are provided in a plurality of linear arrays. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of linear arrays are arranged in closed packed configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each optical fiber comprises a core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a buffer surrounding the cladding. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the core and the cladding are formed of silica, and wherein a refractive index of the core is larger than a refractive index of the cladding. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a diameter of the core is from about 60 μm to about 105 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the cladding is about 10 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the buffer is formed of acrylate or polyimide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the buffer is about 62 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of each optical fiber is about 250 μm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical fibers have circular cross sections. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one lens, the at least one lens being configured to collimate the laser beams. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one lens, the at least one lens being configured to provide a predetermined divergence to each of the laser beams. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an actuator configured to move the support.