# US 11,993,007 B2 · Measuring system for a device for the generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,007 B2 - Document ID: US11993007B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/624,363 - Filed: 2018-06-26 - Published: 2021-05-20 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-28 - Assignees: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems - Applicants: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems - Inventors: Thomas Mattes; Jochen Philippi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993007B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B22F 12/45: Two or more - B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors - B23K 26/02: Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam - B29C 64/112: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 12/13: to preheat the material - B22F 12/41: characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam - B22F 12/49: Scanners - B22F 12/63: Rollers - 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 - 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 - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A measuring system serves for equipping or retrofitting a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material. The device includes an irradiator for selectively irradiating a layer of the building material applied in a working plane of the device at locations corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured. The irradiator includes at least two irradiation units, and each irradiation unit can be projected onto a pixel in the working plane and can be at least switched on and off. The measuring system includes at least one camera for determining and evaluating the radiation emitted by the irradiator and/or the position and/or orientation of the irradiation unit(s) in absolute and/or relative to one another, and at least one distance sensor for detecting an extension in a direction (z) perpendicular to the working plane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measuring system for equipping or retrofitting a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material, wherein the device includes an irradiator for selectively irradiating a layer of the building material applied in a working plane of the device at locations corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured to thereby solidify the irradiated locations, the irradiator including at least two irradiation units, the measuring system comprises: a positioning unit and a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit; at least one camera for capturing an image of an element located above the camera and for determining and evaluating radiation emitted by the irradiator and/or the position and/or orientation of the at least one of the irradiation units in absolute and/or relative to one another; and at least one distance sensor for determining a vertical distance to an element located above the distance sensor, wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are mounted in a fixed position relative to one another on the measuring head holder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one power measuring device for determining a radiation power of the irradiator and/or of at least one irradiation units. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the device further includes a recoater, and further comprising at least one switch that is designed to avoid a collision of the irradiator and the a recoater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein: the camera comprises a CMOS sensor and/or a CCD sensor, and/or the power measuring device comprises a photodiode and/or a photo resistor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two irradiation units are laser arrays. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are integrated in a single measuring device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The measuring system according to claim 4, wherein the photodiode and/or the photo resistor of the power measuring device are integrated in an Ulbricht sphere. ### Claim 8 A measuring system for equipping or retrofitting an additive manufacturing device that solidifies building material at a working plane, wherein the additive manufacturing device includes at least two laser arrays, the measuring system comprising: a positioning unit and a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit; a camera for capturing an image of an element located above the camera and for determining and evaluating at least one of (a) radiation emitted by at least one of the laser arrays; (b) a position of at least one of the laser arrays; and (c) an orientation of at least one of the laser arrays; and a distance sensor that measures a distance between the distance sensor and another element located above the distance sensor, wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are mounted in a fixed position relative to one another on the measuring head holder. ### Claim 9 A measuring system for a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material, wherein the device includes a plurality of irradiation units, the measuring system comprising: a positioning unit; a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit, the measuring head holder including a camera, a power measuring device, and a distance sensor each mounted in a fixed position relative to each other, wherein the camera captures an image of the irradiation units in a light-emitting state and converts the image into an image signals via an image sensor, the image signal evaluating at least one of (a) radiation emitted by the irradiation units; (b) an orientation of the irradiation units within the device; and (c) an orientation of the irradiation units relative to each other; wherein the power measuring device determines radiation power emitted by the irradiation units by converting an optical power of the irradiation units into a power signal; and wherein the distance sensor determines a vertical distance to an element located above the distance sensor and creates a distance signal representing the vertical distance.