# US 11,305,354 B2 · Machine control for additive manufacturing process and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,354 B2 - Document ID: US11305354B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/775,133 - Filed: 2016-11-14 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-16 - Assignees: Renishaw PLC - Applicants: Renishaw PLC - Inventors: Ramkumar Revanur; Ceri Brown - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305354B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 10/00: Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) - B22F 10/30: Process control - B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber - B22F 10/322: of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction - 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 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - G05B 19/4093: characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part program, for the NC machine - B22F 10/10: Formation of a green body - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 12/49: Scanners - B22F 12/70: Gas flow means - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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) - 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 - 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 - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method controls an additive manufacturing apparatus, in which an object is built by consolidating material in a layer-by-layer manner. The method includes receiving commands to be executed by the additive manufacturing apparatus to cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to carry out a build of an object, wherein each command includes an identifier identifying a time during the build at which the command is to be executed, and executing each command on the additive manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the time identified by the associated identifier. Further, an apparatus and a data carrier carry out the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling an additive manufacturing apparatus, in which an object is built by consolidating material in a layer-by-layer manner, the method comprising: receiving commands to be executed by the additive manufacturing apparatus to cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to carry out a build of an object, each command comprising an identifier identifying a time during the build at which the command is to be executed; and executing each command on the additive manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the time identified by the associated identifier, wherein the commands are such that execution of the commands at the identified times causes two or more actions of the build to occur simultaneously, the actions being scanning of an energy beam simultaneously with i) scanning of another energy beam, ii) moving of a wiper to form a layer of material, and/or iii) moving of a build platform supporting the object being built. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the commands include commands i) for controlling movement of a steering module for steering the energy beam to consolidate material at desired locations, ii) for controlling the movement of the wiper in the formation of a material layer, iii) for controlling the movement of the platform that supports the object as it is built, iv) for controlling a heating device for pre-heating selected areas of a layer of material before consolidation and/or v) for controlling a device for plastically deforming consolidated material before formation of a subsequent layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier identifies a time relative to a start time of the build. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the commands are executed based upon signals from a master clock of a central controller of the additive manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the commands are executed based upon signals from a local clock local to a device for executing the commands, the method comprising synchronising the local clock(s) to a master clock of a central controller of the additive manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, comprising time stamping sensor data obtained by sensors for monitoring the build with a time that can be linked back to actions that were executed at that time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing apparatus comprises a plurality of subsystems and the commands cause the plurality of subsystems of the additive manufacturing apparatus to carry out the build of the object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein each command specifies actions to be carried out by a plurality of the subsystems. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein execution of each command comprises generating a plurality of sub-commands to be executed by the subsystems. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the identifier identifies a time at which a central controller generates sub-commands that are sent to the systems. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of subsystems comprises a sensor for monitoring a parameter of the additive manufacturing process, wherein the commands or sub-commands comprise a sensor command for causing the sensor to capture a sensor value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the sensor command includes the identifier and the method comprises the sensor i) executing the sensor command to capture the sensor value and ii) generating a sensor data package including the sensor value labeled with the identifier contained in the sensor command. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, comprising associating the sensor value with a defined location in a build volume or the object based upon the identifier labeling the sensor value, wherein the defined location is determined from a demand position at the time identified by the identifier or a further sensor value from a further sensor having a corresponding identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the defined location is a capture location for the sensor value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the defined location is a location of a consolidation region at a time the sensor value is captured. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, comprising visualising the sensor values based upon the defined locations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising executing each of the commands on the additive manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the time identified by the associated identifier such that a timing between actions of the additive manufacturing apparatus in carrying out the build of the object are predetermined. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A controller for controlling an additive manufacturing apparatus, in which an object is built by consolidating material in a layer-by-layer manner, the controller comprising a processor, wherein the processor is arranged to carry out the method of claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The controller according to claim 18, comprising a master clock, wherein the processor is arranged to cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to execute commands based upon signals from the master clock and the times specified by the identifier associated with each command. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising the controller according to claim 18. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 20, comprising two or more devices used for consolidating material in layers, the controller arranged to cause execution of commands such that the two or more devices carry out actions simultaneously. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the devices comprise a combination of one or more i) steering devices for steering one or more of the energy beams or plasma jets, ii) the wiper for forming the layer of material, and/or iii) the movable build platform supporting the object. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) A non-transient data carrier having instruction stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of an additive manufacturing apparatus causes the processor to carry out the method of claim 1. ### Claim 24 A method of controlling an additive manufacturing apparatus, in which an object is built by consolidating material in a layer-by-layer manner, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising steering devices for steering energy beams and a controller for controlling the additive manufacturing apparatus, and the method comprising: receiving commands to be executed by the additive manufacturing apparatus to cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to carry out a build of an object, wherein each command comprises an identifier identifying a time during the build at which the command is to be executed by the controller; and executing each of the commands on the additive manufacturing apparatus with the controller in accordance with the time identified by the associated identifier to cause scanning of one of the energy beams simultaneously with scanning of another of the energy beams such that a timing between the scanning of the energy beams is predetermined. ### Claim 25 A method of controlling an additive manufacturing apparatus, in which an object is built by consolidating material in a layer-by-layer manner, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising (i) steering devices for steering energy beams, (ii) a wiper for forming each layer, and (iii) a controller for controlling the additive manufacturing apparatus, and the method comprising: receiving commands to be executed by the additive manufacturing apparatus to cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to carry out a build of an object, wherein each command comprises an identifier identifying a time during the build at which the command is to be executed by the controller; and executing each of the commands on the additive manufacturing apparatus with the controller in accordance with the time identified by the associated identifier to cause scanning of one of the energy beams simultaneously with moving of the wiper to form a layer of material.