Systems and Methods for Simulating Process Monitoring

A system for simulating process monitoring by a sensor system in an additive layer manufacturing, in particular selective laser melting, process used to solidify material from which a three-dimensional workpiece is to be produced, wherein the system comprises:

• a data input coupleable to a data output of the sensor system and configured to receive, from the sensor system, sensor data relating to the process monitored by the sensor system, wherein the data input is further configured to receive one or more input parameters (i) relating to the additive layer manufacturing process and/or (ii) associated with an additive layer manufacturing apparatus used for the additive layer manufacturing process and/or (iii) associated with the process monitoring and/or the sensor system;
• and
• a processing unit coupled to the data input and configured to generate, from the sensor data and the one or more input parameters, a model for simulating said process monitoring, in particular melt pool monitoring,
• wherein the processing unit comprises an artificial neural network,
• wherein said generation of the model comprises:
• generating a data set comprising the sensor data and the one or more input parameters;
• dividing the data set into a test data set and a training data set;
• selecting a neural network model for the artificial neural network;
• training the artificial neural network based on the neural network model using the training data set;
• and
• evaluating the neural network model using the test data set,
• wherein the system is configured to:
• simulate sensor data which is output by the sensor system based on the model and the one or more input parameters;
• compare the sensor data which is output by the sensor system with the simulated sensor data;
• detect an anomaly and/or process error during the additive layer manufacturing process based on said comparison;
• perform said comparison in-situ during the additive layer manufacturing process;
• and
• provide, based on said comparison, a signal to the additive layer manufacturing apparatus to adapt the current additive layer manufacturing process, in particular by stopping the current additive layer manufacturing process.