# US 2021/0334685 A1 · System and process for verifying powder bed fusion additive manufacturing operation as being defect free > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0334685 A1 - Document ID: US20210334685A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/859,349 - Filed: 2020-04-27 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27 - Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Masoud Anahid; Tahany Ibrahim El-Wardany; Sergei F. Burlatsky; William K. Tredway - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210334685A1 ## CPC - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - G06N 7/01: Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks - G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - G05B 2219/49023: 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - 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 - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - 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) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method of evaluating an additive manufacturing process includes receiving a set of additive manufacturing parameters and an additive manufacturing part design at an analysis module, receiving a set of random values at the analysis module, determining a probability distribution of stochastic flaws within a resultant additively manufactured article using at least one multidimensional space physics model, and categorizing the additive manufacturing part design as defect free when the probability distribution is below a predefined threshold. Each value in the set of random values corresponds to a distinct variable in a set of variables. Each variable in the set of variables at least partially defines at least one of an uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameter and an uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of evaluating an additive manufacturing process comprising: receiving a set of additive manufacturing parameters and an additive manufacturing part design at an analysis module; receiving a set of random values at the analysis module, each value in the set of random values corresponds to a distinct variable in a set of variables, and each variable in the set of variables at least partially defines at least one of an uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and an uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters; determining a probability distribution of stochastic flaws within a resultant additively manufactured article using at least one multidimensional space physics model; and categorizing the additive manufacturing part design as defect free when the probability distribution is below a predefined threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the set of random values at the analysis module comprises generating the set of random values using a random variable module, and wherein each variable in the set of variables corresponds to a distinct one of the at least one of the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters include at least one of a local powder packing density, a hatch-contour offset, an interlayer dwell time, a powder particle size, a stripe overlap, a layer thickness, and a stripe width. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters include each of a local powder packing density, a hatch-contour offset, an interlayer dwell time, a powder particle size, a stripe overlap, a layer thickness, and a stripe width. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the set of random values is reiterated at least 2000 times to determine the probability distribution of stochastic flaws. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising manufacturing a part according to the additive manufacturing part design in response to the probability distribution being below the predefined threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one multidimensional space physics model includes at least one of a model for determining a probability of stochastic unmelt, a probability of stochastic keyhole flaws, a probability of stochastic balling, a probability of stochastic overhang, and a probability of stochastic unmelt with balling. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one multidimensional space physics model includes all of the model for determining a probability of stochastic unmelt, the probability of stochastic keyhole flaws, the probability of stochastic balling, the probability of stochastic overhang, and the probability of stochastic unmelt with balling. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a correlation between at least one variable in the set of variables and the probability of the occurrence of at least one of the stochastic flaws. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining the probability distribution of stochastic flaws is adapted based on the determined correlation. ### Claim 11 An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a platform within the chamber; and a controller, the controller including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions for causing the controller to determine a probability distribution of stochastic flaws within a resultant additively manufactured article using at least one multidimensional space physics model and categorize the additive manufacturing part design as defect free when the probability distribution is below a predefined threshold in response to receiving a set of additive manufacturing parameters and an additive manufacturing part design at an analysis module stored in the controller and receiving a set of random values each value in the set of random values corresponds to a distinct variable in a set of variables, and each variable in the set of variables at least partially defines at least one of an uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and an uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein receiving the set of random values includes generating the set of random values using a random variable module, and wherein each variable in the set of variables corresponds to a distinct one of the at least one of the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters include at least one of a local powder packing density, a hatch-contour offset, an interlayer dwell time, a powder particle size, a stripe overlap, a layer thickness, and a stripe width. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein the uncontrolled additive manufacturing parameters and the uncontrollable additive manufacturing parameters include each of a local powder packing density, a hatch-contour offset, an interlayer dwell time, a powder particle size, a stripe overlap, a layer thickness, and a stripe width. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein receiving the set of random values is reiterated at least 2000 times to determine the probability distribution of stochastic flaws. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein the controller further includes instructions for causing the additive manufacturing system to manufacture a part according to the additive manufacturing part design in response to the probability distribution being below the predefined threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one multidimensional space physics model includes at least one of a model for determining a probability of stochastic unmelt, a probability of stochastic keyhole flaws, a probability of stochastic balling, a probability of stochastic overhang, and a probability of stochastic unmelt with balling. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The additive manufacturing system of claim 17, wherein the at least one multidimensional space physics model includes all of the model for determining a probability of stochastic unmelt, the probability of stochastic keyhole flaws, the probability of stochastic balling, the probability of stochastic overhang, and the probability of stochastic unmelt with balling. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, further comprising determining a correlation between at least one variable in the set of variables and the probability of the occurrence of at least one of the stochastic flaws. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The additive manufacturing system of claim 19, wherein the step of determining the probability distribution of stochastic flaws is adapted based on the determined correlation.