# US 2015/0336331 A1 · Object production using an additive manufacturing process and quality assessment of the object

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2015/0336331 A1
- Document ID: US20150336331A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/758,679
- Filed: 2014-01-06
- Published: 2015-11-26
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07
- Assignees: BAE SYSTEMS plc
- Applicants: Bae Systems PLC
- Inventors: Mark Alfred Potter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150336331A1

## CPC

- B23P 6/00: Restoring or reconditioning objects (straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10)
- B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
- B22F 10/85: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B29C 64/10: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB]
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- G01N 23/00: Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
- G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
- G05B 19/401: characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/41875: {characterised by quality surveillance of production}
- B22F 10/12: by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP]
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 12/20: Cooling means
- B22F 12/41: characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
- B22F 12/53: Nozzles
- B29K 2105/251: {Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046)}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- G01N 2223/419: computed tomograph
- G01N 2223/6462: microdefects
- G05B 2219/35352: By making a testpiece
- G05B 2219/45166: Tomography
- G05B 2219/49021: Deposit layer, machine, mill layer, then new layer, SDM solid deposit manufacting
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- 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
- 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)
- 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
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus for producing and assessing at least part of an object (2), the methods comprise: performing, using Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8), an Additive Manufacturing process to produce a test specimen (30, 34, 38) and at least part of an object (2); performing, using micro-tomography apparatus (40), on the test specimen (30, 34, 38), a micro-tomography process to create a digital model (50) of the internal structure of the test specimen (30, 34, 38); determining whether or not the model (50) satisfies one or more criteria; and, if the model (50) satisfies the criteria, determining that the at least part of the object (2) produced by performing the Additive Manufacturing process is acceptable, or, if the model (50) does not satisfy the criteria, determining that the at least part of the object (2) produced by performing the Additive Manufacturing process is not acceptable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing and assessing at least part of an object (2), the method comprising:
providing an initial object; and
performing, using common Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8), an Additive Manufacturing process to:
add additional material to the initial object; and
produce a test specimen (30, 34, 38), the test specimen (30, 34, 38) being produced from the same material as the additional material that is added to the initial object, the test specimen (30, 34, 38) being produced on a surface of the initial object at a location that is at or proximate to the location, on the initial object, of the additional material that is added by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process;
performing, using computed-tomography apparatus (40), on the produced test specimen (30, 34, 38), a computed-tomography process to create a model (50), the model (50) being a digital model of the internal structure of the test specimen (30, 34, 38);
determining whether or not the model (50) satisfies one or more criteria; and
if the model (50) satisfies the one or more criteria, determining that the additional material added to the initial object is acceptable; or
if the model (50) does not satisfy the one or more criteria, determining that the additional material added to the initial object is not acceptable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the test specimen is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, before the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has begun to add the additional material to the initial object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the test specimen (30) is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, after the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has begun to add the additional material to the initial object and before the Additive Manufacturing apparatus has finished adding the additional material to the initial object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the test specimen (38) is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, after the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has finished adding the additional material to the initial object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the test specimen (30, 34, 38) comprises two or more portions selected from the group consisting of:
a portion (30) that is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, before the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has begun to add the additional material to the initial object;
a portion (34) that is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, after the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has begun to add the additional material to the initial object and before the Additive Manufacturing apparatus has finished adding the additional material to the initial object; and
a portion (38) that is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process, after the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) has finished adding the additional material to the initial object; and
the portions of the test specimen (30, 34, 38) are created as a stack of contiguous portions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein each portion has a differently shaped cross-sectional area to the one or more other portions with which that portion is contiguous.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether or not the model (50) satisfies one or more criteria comprises:
analysing the model (50) to detect features (52) in the model (50) that correspond to defects with the test specimen (30, 34, 38); and
determining whether or not the detected model features (52) satisfy the one or more criteria.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the features (52) are voids within the test specimen (30, 34, 38).

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein each of the one or more criteria is a criterion selected from the group of criteria consisting of:
a criterion that the total volume of the detected model features (52) is below a first pre-determined threshold value;
a criterion that the total surface area of the detected model features (52) is below a second pre-determined threshold value;
a criterion that the maximum volume of a detected model features (52) is below a third pre-determined threshold value;
a criterion that the maximum length of a detected model features (52) is below a fourth pre-determined threshold value;
a criterion that the total number of detected model features (52) is below a fifth pre-determined threshold value; and
a criterion that the detected model features (52) are not arranged in a predetermined pattern.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
after the production of the test specimen (30, 34, 38), performing, using the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8), an Additive Manufacturing process to produce a further test specimen, the further test specimen being produced from the same material as the additional material that is added to the initial object;
performing, using the computed-tomography apparatus, a computed-tomography process to create a further model, the further model being a digital model of the internal structure of the further test specimen;
determining whether or not the further model satisfies the one or more criteria; wherein
the at least part of the object (2) produced by performing the Additive Manufacturing process is only acceptable if the both the model (50) and the further model satisfy the one or more criteria; and
at least some of the at least part (2) of the object is produced, by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus performing the Additive Manufacturing process, between the production of the test specimen (30, 34, 38) and the production of the further test specimen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the Additive Manufacturing process is a process selected from the group of Additive Manufacturing processes consisting of: a blown powder Additive Manufacturing process, a powder bed fusion Additive Manufacturing process, a sheet lamination Additive Manufacturing process, a vat photopolymerisation Additive Manufacturing process, a laser blown powder Additive Manufacturing process, a laser powder bed Additive Manufacturing process, and an Additive Manufacturing process that implemented wire and arc technology.

### Claim 12

An apparatus for producing and assessing at least part of an object, the apparatus comprising:
Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) for performing an Additive Manufacturing process to, from the same material:
add additional material to an initial object; and
produce a test specimen the test specimen (30, 34, 38) being produced on a surface of the initial object at a location that is at or proximate to the location, on the initial object, of the additional material that is added by the Additive Manufacturing apparatus (8) performing the Additive Manufacturing process;
computed-tomography apparatus (40) for performing, on the test specimen (30, 34, 38), a computed-tomography process to create a model (50), the model (50) being a digital model of the internal structure of the test specimen (30, 34, 38); and
one or more processors (46) configured to:
determine whether or not the model (50) satisfies one or more criteria; and
if the model (50) satisfies the one or more criteria, determine that the additional material added to the initial object is acceptable; or
if the model (50) does not satisfy the one or more criteria, determine that the additional material added to the initial object is not acceptable.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A program or plurality of programs arranged such that when executed by a computer system or one or more processors it/they cause the computer system or the one or more processors to operate in accordance with the method of claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A machine readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program or at least one of the plurality of programs according to claim 13.

### Claim 15

(canceled)