Tunable system and method for stress resolution in additive manufacturing

A stress relief system for forming a product by additive manufacturing, the system comprising:

• a build platform;
• an ultrasonic transducer coupled with the build platform;
• a material delivery system configured to add successive layers of a material to build the product;
• a laser system configured to add energy to incorporate the material of each layer into the product;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• access stress relief profile parameters for each layer;
• apply a signal to the ultrasonic transducer to produce an ultrasonic input having stress relief parameters to resolve stress as the product is built up, wherein the stress relief parameters are determined prior to manufacturing the product and are based on physical properties of the product include resonant frequencies of the product and a material from which the product is manufactured;
• determine, based on the stress relief profile parameters, whether at an individual layer of the successive layers during the build of the product, stress relief is required;
• determine, based on the stress relief profile parameters and sensor input on the product being built, a frequency and a power level for the stress relief at the individual layer;
• and
• apply, through the ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic input with the frequency and the power level to relieve stress as the product is built up;
• and
• vary the ultrasonic input as a depth of the material incorporated into the product increases.

A method of stress relief in forming a product by additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

• determining, prior to manufacturing the product, stress relief profile parameters of an ultrasonic input based on physical properties of the product, including resonant frequencies of the product and a material from which the product is manufactured;
• adding, by a material delivery system, successive layers of the material to build the product;
• adding energy by a laser system to incorporate the material of each layer into the product;
• accessing, by a processor from a storage device, the stress relief profile parameters for each layer;
• determining, by the processor and based on the stress relief profile parameters, whether at an individual layer of the successive layers during the build of the product, stress relief is required;
• determining, by the processor and based on the stress relief profile parameters and sensor input on the product being built, a frequency and a power level for the stress relief at the individual layer;
• varying the frequency and amplitude as a depth of the material incorporated into the product increases;
• and
• applying, by the ultrasonic transducer, an acoustic profile with the frequency and the power level to resolve relieve stress as the product is built up, the acoustic profile tailored to settle and compact the material.