Additive manufacturing machine

A hybrid machine tool comprising:

• a spindle head configured to receive and rotate a tool for machining a workpiece, the workpiece having predetermined dimensions prior to machining thereof;
• a wire supply including a wire drive configured to advance a wire at a wire feed rate and a wire heater configured to apply resistive heating to heat the wire;
• an additive head for emitting a laser beam to weld the wire to a substrate and form the workpiece;
• a controller operatively connected to the spindle head, wire supply, and the additive head, the controller configured to adjust any of the wire feed rate, the resistive heating, and a power of the laser beam as the laser beam welds the wire to form the workpiece having the predetermined dimensions so that the workpiece can be precisely machined by operation of the spindle head;
• and
• the controller configured to operate the spindle head to machine the workpiece having the predetermined dimensions via rotation of the tool.

A hybrid machine tool comprising:

• a spindle head having a spindle configured to receive a tool, the spindle head operable to rotate the rotate the spindle and tool received therein;
• a wire supply to advance a wire toward a substrate;
• an optical head configured to emit a laser beam to weld the wire to the substrate;
• a frame assembly configured for supporting the spindle head and the optical head for being driven along multiple transverse axes including an X axis;
• the frame assembly configured for supporting the spindle head to be driven along a Y1 axis perpendicular to the X axis and along a Z1 axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y1 axis;
• the frame assembly configured for supporting the optical head to be driven along a Y2 axis parallel to the Y1 axis and perpendicular to the X axis independently of driving the spindle head along the Y1 axis;
• the frame assembly configured for supporting the optical head to be driven along a Z2 parallel to the Z1 axis and perpendicular to the X axis and the Y2 axis independently of driving the spindle head along the Z1 axis;
• the spindle head and the optical head having respective bodies with the spindle head body larger than the optical head body at least along the Y1 and Y2 axes and Z1 and Z2 axes with the independent driving of the optical head relative to the spindle head along Y2 and Z2 axes allowing the optical head to be driven farther distances along the Y2 and Z2 axes than the spindle head is driven along the Y1 and Z1 axes, respectively;
• a controller operatively connected to the spindle head, wire supply, optical head, and frame assembly and being operable to cause the optical head to be selectively driven along the multiple axes for producing a workpiece via the optical head welding the wire;
• the controller further being operable to rotate the spindle for machining the workpiece with the tool.

A hybrid machine tool comprising:

• a spindle head configured to receive and rotate a tool to machine a workpiece;
• a wire supply to advance a wire for being welded to a substrate;
• an additive head configured to emit a laser beam to weld the wire to the substrate;
• an air source;
• a shield gas source;
• a valve operatively connected to the additive head, the air source, and the shield gas source, the valve having a first configuration wherein the valve directs air from the air source toward the additive head to protect the additive head from debris produced during machining of the workpiece and a second configuration wherein the valve directs shield gas from the shield gas source toward the additive head to provide a predetermined atmosphere for welding the wire;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the additive head and the valve, the controller configured to shift the valve from the first configuration to the second configuration upon operation of the additive head, the controller configured to shift the valve from the second configuration to the first configuration upon a termination of the operation of the additive head.

A hybrid machine tool comprising:

• a spindle head configured to receive and rotate a tool;
• a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of a substrate;
• a wire supply to provide a wire;
• an additive head configured to emit a first laser to weld the wire to the substrate;
• a controller operatively connected to the spindle head, temperature sensor, wire supply, and additive head, the controller configured to:
• determine whether the temperature of the substrate is at a target temperature based on the temperature of the substrate measured by the temperature sensor;
• adjust the additive head to emit a second laser having a greater diffusion on the substrate than the first laser upon the temperature of the substrate not being at the target temperature;
• and
• cause the additive head to emit the second laser and heat the substrate to the target temperature.

A method of heating a substrate using a hybrid machine tool having an additive head and a spindle head, the spindle head configured to receive and rotate a tool, the method comprising:

• measuring a temperature of a substrate;
• determining whether the substrate is at a target temperature;
• adjusting the additive head of the hybrid machine tool to emit a diffused laser at the substrate upon the temperature of the substrate not being at the target temperature;
• causing the additive head to emit the diffused laser to heat the substrate to heat the substrate to the target temperature;
• and
• causing the additive head to emit a welding laser that has a reduced diffusion on the substrate than the diffused laser to melt the substrate upon the substrate reaching the target temperature.