System for use in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece using an additive layer manufacturing technique and corresponding control unit and method
AssigneeNikon SLM Solutions AG
InventorDieter Schwarze
Life of this patent
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Abstract
We describe a system for use in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece using an additive layer manufacturing technique, the system comprising: an irradiation unit configured to selectively irradiate an irradiation plane with an irradiation beam, and a control unit coupled to the irradiation unit and configured to control the irradiation unit to modulate, as a function of a local process parameter when producing the three-dimensional workpiece, an irradiation beam property of the irradiation beam.
Claims13
A system for use in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece using an additive layer manufacturing technique, the system comprising:
- an irradiation unit configured to selectively irradiate an irradiation plane with an irradiation beam, and
- a control unit coupled to the irradiation unit and configured to control the irradiation unit to modulate, as a function of a local process parameter when producing the three-dimensional workpiece, an irradiation beam property of the irradiation beam,
- wherein the local process parameter at a particular location on and/or above the irradiation plane is independent of a geometry of the three-dimensional workpiece to be produced and varies in time and/or location when producing the three-dimensional workpiece,
- wherein the system is configured to divide the irradiation plane into a plurality of zones, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the irradiation unit to modulate the irradiation beam property based on which one of the zones is irradiated by the irradiation beam, and
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the irradiation unit to vary a time interval between two consecutive irradiation events based on a spatial distance of a said zone to a process gas inlet and/or process gas outlet of the apparatus, wherein the time interval is varied such that the closer the zone is to the process gas outlet, the more the time interval is increased.
A control unit for controlling an irradiation unit of an apparatus configured to selectively irradiate an irradiation plane with an irradiation beam for producing a three-dimensional workpiece using an additive layer manufacturing technique, wherein the control unit comprises:
- an input configured to receive data relating to a local process parameter during production of the three-dimensional workpiece, wherein the local process parameter at a particular location on and/or above the irradiation plane is independent of a geometry of the three-dimensional workpiece to be produced and varies in time and/or location when producing the three-dimensional workpiece,
- a processor configured to process said data to generate control data for controlling the irradiation unit, and
- an output couplable to the irradiation unit and configured to output the generated control data to the irradiation unit for controlling the irradiation unit to modulate an irradiation beam property of the irradiation beam,
- wherein the system is configured to divide the irradiation plane into a plurality of zones, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the irradiation unit to modulate the irradiation beam property based on which one of the zones is irradiated by the irradiation beam, and
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the irradiation unit to vary a time interval between two consecutive irradiation events based on a spatial distance of a said zone to a process gas inlet and/or process gas outlet of the apparatus, wherein the time interval is varied such that the closer the zone is to the process gas outlet, the more the time interval is increased.
A method for controlling an irradiation beam of an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece using an additive layer manufacturing technique, the apparatus being configured to selectively irradiate an irradiation plane with the irradiation beam, the method comprising:
- determining a local process parameter during production of the three-dimensional workpiece using the additive layer manufacturing technique, wherein the local process parameter at a particular location on and/or above the irradiation plane is independent of a geometry of the three-dimensional workpiece to be produced and varies in time and/or location when producing the three-dimensional workpiece,
- controlling the irradiation beam as a function of the determined local process parameter so as to modulate an irradiation beam property of the irradiation beam,
- dividing the irradiation plane into a plurality of zones, and controlling the irradiation unit to modulate the irradiation beam property based on which one of the zones is irradiated by the irradiation beam, and
- varying a time interval between two consecutive irradiation events based on a spatial distance of a said zone to a process gas inlet and/or process gas outlet of the apparatus, wherein the time interval is varied such that the closer the zone is to the process gas outlet, the more the time interval is increased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.