Metrology for additive manufacturing

A 3D printer system comprising:

• a fringe projection system that includes an optical system configured to project a fringe pattern on a surface of an object;
• an imaging system that includes at least one optical member configured to collect at least one of reflected and scattered light from the fringe projected on the surface to provide imaging data, the at least one optical member of the imaging system including an entrance optical member, and an optical axis of the entrance optical member inclined at an angle that is different from an angle of the projected fringe illuminated on the surface;
• and
• a processing system configured to:
• determine a phase map of the surface from the imaging data;
• and
• determine a topography of the surface based on the phase map.

A 3D printer system comprising:

• a support device including a support surface;
• a drive device configured to move the support device such that a specific position on the support surface is moved along a moving direction;
• a powder supply device configured to supply a powder to the moving support device to form a powder layer;
• an irradiation device configured to irradiate at least a portion of the powder layer with an energy beam to form at least a portion of a build object from the powder layer;
• a fringe projection system that includes an optical system configured to project a fringe pattern on a surface of the powder layer;
• an imaging system that includes at least one optical member configured to collect at least one of reflected and scattered light from the fringe projected on the surface via the optical member to provide imaging data;
• and
• a processing system configured to:
• determine a phase map of the surface from the imaging data;
• and
• determine a topography of the surface based on the phase map,
• wherein the imaging system collects the at least one of reflected and scattered light from the surface at an angle that is different from an angle of the projected fringe illuminated on the surface.

A 3D printing method comprising:

• preparing a powder layer;
• irradiating at least a portion of the powder layer with an energy beam to form at least a portion of a build object;
• projecting a fringe pattern on a surface of at least one of the powder layer and the portion of the build object;
• collecting at least one of reflected and scattered light from the fringe projected on the surface to provide imaging data;
• determining a phase map of the surface from the imaging data;
• and
• determining a topography of the surface based on the phase map,
• wherein the at least one of reflected and scattered light is collected from the surface at an angle that is different from an angle of the projected fringe illuminated on the surface.