Apparatus and method for changing laser spot size in an additive manufacturing machine
AssigneeElectroimpact, Inc.
InventorsRyan BISCHOFF, Benjamin Lee LARKIN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser focusing telescope includes one or more lenses arranged to focus a laser beam to a size corresponding with a selected tow width. An additive manufacturing machine selects an appropriate laser focusing telescope from a plurality of laser focusing telescopes each having an arrangement of one or more lenses that corresponds to a respective different tow width.
Claims21
A telescope box for use in an additive manufacturing machine (AMM), the telescope box comprising:
- a support structure holding one or more optical lenses disposed in a predetermined arrangement;
- the one or more optical lenses, arranged to achieve a predetermined projected size of a laser beam corresponding with a selected tow size;
- and
- one or more mechanical attachment structures configured for attaching the telescope box to the AMM.
An additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
- a robotic arm;
- and
- an end effector operably connected to an end of the robotic arm, the end effector including:
- a tow feed mechanism configured to convey for application to a workpiece at least a first tow selected from among a plurality of tows having differing widths,
- a laser source configured to supply heat, via a laser beam, to at least the first tow as it is applied to the workpiece, and
- telescope box including a support structure holding one or more optical lenses disposed in a predetermined arrangement, the one or more optical lenses being configured to focus the received laser beam to a size that corresponds to a size of the first tow;
- and
- a telescope box support structure configured to interchangeably hold the telescope box selected from among a plurality of interchangeable telescope boxes, between the laser source and the workpiece.
A method of changing a laser beam size of a laser source in an additive manufacturing machine (AMM) configured to feed to a workpiece a selected tow from a plurality of tows each having a different tow width, the method comprising the operations of:
- selecting, from a plurality of interchangeable laser focusing telescopes each configured for a different tow size, a laser focusing telescope, corresponding to the selected tow, and installing the selected laser focusing telescope in the AMM;
- providing laser energy, from a laser source of the AMM, to the selected laser focusing telescope;
- and
- replacing the selected laser focusing telescope with a laser focusing telescope configured for a different laser pattern width, a different laser pattern shape, or both a different laser pattern width and a different laser pattern shape, when a tow of a different width is selected from the plurality of tows.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.