# US 12,008,745 B2 · System and methods for printing defect detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,745 B2 - Document ID: US12008745B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/116,539 - Filed: 2020-12-09 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-09 - Assignees: Desktop Metal, Inc. - Applicants: Desktop Metal, Inc. - Inventors: George Hudelson; Matthew McCambridge; Jake Dec; Alexander Legendre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008745B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - B22F 1/10: Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material - B22F 3/105: by using electric current {other than for infrared radiant energy}, laser radiation or plasma (B22F3/11 takes precedence){; by ultrasonic bonding (B22F3/115 takes precedence)} - B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder - B22F 10/38: to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures - B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up - B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) - B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 10/85: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 2203/00: Controlling - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 2207/30144: Printing quality - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - 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 An additive manufacturing method includes depositing a first amount of metal powder onto a powder bed of a printing system, spreading the first amount of metal powder across the powder bed to form a first layer, and depositing a first amount of binder material on the first layer. The additive manufacturing method also includes exposing the first layer to a first lighting condition, imaging the first layer under the first lighting condition to generate a first image, analyzing the first image of the first layer, and determining whether to adjust at least one printing parameter based on the analyzing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting and ameliorating defects during metal additive manufacturing, comprising the steps of: spreading a metal powder on a powder bed of a metal additive manufacturing system and depositing a predetermined pattern of binder to the metal powder to form a layer of a green part; illuminating the layer of the green part with a first light source; capturing via an imaging device a first image of the illuminated layer of the green part; analyzing the first image and identifying a first defect in the layer of the green part, wherein the first defect is one of a blister, a divot, beading, a smear and a jet-out condition; and adjusting at least one printing parameter in response to identifying the first defect to ameliorate the first defect. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein an axis of the first light source is angled with respect to the powder bed by 1 degree to 10 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein an axis of the first light source is angled with respect to the powder bed by 70 degree to 110 degrees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of analyzing includes identifying at least one shadow in the first image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing includes identifying at least one region that is brighter than an average brightness of the layer of the green part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of analyzing includes detecting a bright spot and an associated shadow. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein step of analyzing includes detecting at least one of a region of missing binder material, a bright region and a shadow in the first image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the printing parameter is one of a vapor deposition rate, a binder deposition rate, and a negative feature pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of, illuminating the layer of the green part with a second light source; capturing via a second imaging device a second image of the illuminated layer of the green part; analyzing the second image and identifying a second defect in the layer of the green part; and adjusting at least one printing parameter in response to identifying the second defect to ameliorate the second defect. ### Claim 10 A method of detecting defects during metal additive manufacturing, comprising the steps of: spreading a metal powder on a powder bed of a metal additive manufacturing system and depositing a predetermined pattern of binder to the metal powder to form a layer of a green part; generating a first illumination condition and capturing a first image of the illuminated layer of the green part with a first imaging device; generating a second illumination condition and capturing a second image of the illuminated layer of the green part with a second imaging device; and comparing the first image and second image to at least one of each other, a design file and a third image and identifying a first defect in the layer of the green part, wherein the defect is one of a blister, a divot, a smear, beading and a jet-out condition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein an axis of the first light source is angled with respect to the powder bed by 1 degree to 10 degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein an axis of the second light source is angled with respect to the powder bed by 70 degree to 110 degrees. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the step of analyzing includes identifying at least one shadow in one of the first image and second image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing includes identifying at least one region that is brighter than an average brightness of the layer of the green part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the step of analyzing includes detecting a bright spot and an associated shadow. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein step of analyzing includes detecting at least one of a region of missing binder material, a bright region and a shadow in one of the first image and the second image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising adjusting at least one printing parameter in response to identifying the first defect, wherein the printing parameter is one of a vapor deposition rate, a binder deposition rate, and a negative feature pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the third image is an image of a preceding layer in the green part. ### Claim 19 A method of identifying and clearing clogged jetting orifices in a binder jetting metal additive manufacturing system, comprising the steps of: spreading from a printhead a metal powder on a powder bed of a metal additive manufacturing system and depositing a predetermined pattern of binder to the metal powder to form a layer of a green part; illuminating the layer of the green part with a high angle light source; capturing an image of the illuminated layer of the green part with an imaging device; identifying areas of unbound powder according to the brightness an amount of reflected light; comparing the areas of unbound powder to a design file and identifying a defect indicating a jet-out condition; and subjecting the printhead to a maintenance cycle.