# US 11,999,109 B2 · Method and assembly for separating excess material from an additively manufactured component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,109 B2 - Document ID: US11999109B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/620,869 - Filed: 2020-05-15 - Published: 2022-11-03 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-28 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Dirk Hartmann; Christoph Kiener; Meinhard Paffrath - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999109B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/68: Cleaning or washing - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - 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 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 12/88: Handling of additively manufactured products, e.g. by robots - B22F 2003/247: {Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface} - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract In order to separate excess material from an additively manufactured component, spatially resolved structural data on the component are received. On the basis of the structural data, a process for emptying material from the component is simulated, wherein a sequence of emptying poses of the component is determined. For an associated emptying pose: the component is moved into the associated emptying pose in accordance with the simulated emptying process, movement of material is detected by sensors, as a result of a detection of a decrease in the movement of material, a trigger signal is generated, and a movement of the component into a subsequent emptying pose is initiated by the trigger signal, the trigger signal being considered higher priority than the simulated emptying process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for separating excess material from an additively manufactured component, wherein a) spatially resolved structural data relating to the component are received, b) on the basis of the spatially resolved structural data a process for emptying material from the component is simulated, wherein a sequence of emptying poses of the component is ascertained, and c) for a respective emptying pose: the component is moved into the respective emptying pose on the basis of the simulated emptying process, a material movement is detected by one or more sensors, a trigger signal is generated as a consequence of the detection of a reduction in the material movement, and the trigger signal prompts a movement of the component into a subsequent emptying pose, wherein the trigger signal is considered higher priority than the simulated emptying process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the basis of the spatially resolved structural data a cavity of the component is ascertained and divided into spatial regions, wherein for a respective spatial region a path length of a path running in the cavity to an opening of the cavity and a pouring direction, in which this path length shortens, are ascertained and assigned to the respective spatial region, and wherein the sequence of emptying poses is derived from the ascertained pouring directions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a shortest path length of a respective spatial region to the opening is ascertained by a fast-marching method. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cavity of the component is simulatively filled with virtual material, wherein a spatial region that has a shorter path length to the opening and/or that is filled with more virtual material than other spatial regions is selected, wherein a pouring direction assigned to the selected spatial region is ascertained, and wherein an emptying pose is derived from the ascertained pouring direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a movement-related distribution of virtual material in the component is simulated within the scope of the simulation of the emptying process. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is rotated into different spatial orientations and/or made to mechanically vibrate by a movement device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material movement is detected by a balance which weighs material poured out of the component, and wherein the trigger signal is generated as soon as a weight of the material) poured out remains at least approximately stationary. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein material falling from the component is detected by an optical sensor, and wherein the trigger signal is generated as soon as a detection result drops below a specified threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein to detect the material falling from the component, the material is illuminated by a laser. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein noises of material falling from the component are detected by an acoustic sensor, and wherein the trigger signal is generated as soon as a detection result drops below a specified threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein movements of the material within the component are detected by a motion sensor, and wherein the trigger signal is generated as soon as a detection event drops below a specified threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a specified time interval is awaited following the detection of a reduction in the material movement before the component is moved to the subsequent emptying pose. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An assembly for separating a material from an additively manufactured component, configured to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a movement device for moving the component into a respective emptying pose and a sensor system for detecting a material movement.