A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of: providing a model of said three dimensional article, providing a first powder layer on a work table, directing a first energy beam from a first energy beam source over said work table causing said first powder layer to fuse in first selected locations according to said model to form a first cross section of said three-dimensional article, directing a second energy beam from a second energy beam source over said work table causing said first powder layer to fuse in second selected locations according to said model to form the first cross section of said three-dimensional article, wherein said first and second locations of said first powder layer are at least partially overlapping each other.

Method and apparatus for additive manufacturing

A process and apparatus for free form fabrication of a three-dimensional work piece comprising (a) feeding raw material in a solid state to a first predetermined location; (b) depositing the raw material onto a substrate as a molten pool deposit under a first processing condition; (c) monitoring the molten pool deposit for a preselected condition; (d) comparing information about the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit with a predetermined desired value for the preselected condition of the monitored molten pool deposit; (e) solidifying the molten pool deposit; (f) automatically altering the first processing condition to a different processing condition based upon information obtained from the comparing step (d); and repeating steps (a) through (f) at one or more second locations for building up layer by layer a three-dimensional work piece. The apparatus is characterized by a detector that monitors a preselected condition of the deposited material and a closed loop electronic control device for controlling operation of one or more components of the apparatus in response to a detected condition by the detector.

Electron beam layer manufacturing

The invention relates to a method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of locations of a powder bed. The method comprising: providing a model of said three-dimensional article; applying a powder layer on a work table; determining a maximum scan length of an energy beam; directing said energy beam from a first energy beam source over said work table with constant energy causing said first powder layer to fuse in first selected locations according to said model to form a first cross section of said three-dimensional article, wherein locations with a shorter scan length than said maximum scan length is provided with a time sink before and/or after said scan line so that the time period between each two adjacent scan lines is constant throughout the manufacture of said three-dimensional article.

Method for additive manufacturing

Various embodiments provide a method and apparatus for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table in an additive manufacturing machine, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article. The method comprises the steps of: applying a layer of predetermined thickness of powder particles on the work table, applying a coating on at least a portion of the powder particles, which coating is at least partially covering the powder particles, and fusing the powder particles on the work table with an electron beam.

The invention concerns a method for producing three-dimensional objects (6) layer by layer using a powdery material (7) which can be solidified by irradiating it with a high-energy beam(4), said method comprising the steps of: applying a first layer of powdery material onto a working area (5); solidifying a part of said first layer by irradiating it with a high-energy beam; andapplying a second layer (8) of powdery material onto thefirst, partly solidified layer. The invention is characterized in that the method comprises the step of: determining a rate at which the temperature of the second layer (8) increases after application onto the first layer.The invention also concerns an apparatus configured to operate according tothe above method.

Method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional objects

In a charge carrier beam machine, as an electron beam welding machine, a system for establishing the relative position of a beam impingement spot on a workpiece surface and a machine reference position, as a beam gun axis, comprises an X-ray sensor defining at least one measuring field boundary intersecting the workpiece surface at a line of intersection spaced from the gun axis. During repetitive measuring periods, the beam is deflected from the normal working position along a measuring path, which crosses the line of intersection, and a signal functionally related to the period of time the beam needs to travel from a reference position along the measuring path to the line of intersection is produced. This signal comprises the desired information about the relative position and can be used in a regulating apparatus for maintaining a desired relationship. Two sensors having differently oriented measuring field boundaries can be used to detect any deviations of the workpiece surface from a desired plane and the output signals of these detectors are useful for maintaining a desired positional relationship between a welding site and a filler wire supplied to the welding site. The shape of the cross-section of the beam may be altered during the measuring period to improve the accuracy of the measurement.

Position regulation of a charge carrier beam

A method and an apparatus for the control of the filler material supply rate in energy beam welding as electron beam welding is disclosed. The width or cross-sectional area of a gap defined by opposed faces of two workpiece parts to be joined is measured by radiation, preferably X-ray radiation, and the rate with which filler material is supplied into a welding zone produced by the energy beam is controlled in proportion to the result of the measurement. The measurement may be made in advance of the welding zone and the control is then delayed by a period of time, which the welding zone takes to arrive at the position of the gap, where the measurement was made.

Method and apparatus for control of method parameters in energy beam welding

A system for sealing the working vacuum chamber of a charged particle beam machine which is movable with respect to a workpiece is disclosed. The system includes a housing with a central compartment having wire-shaped elements urged against the workpiece to provide a seal therebetween, and lateral compartments, each having a packing of sealing material which is biased against the workpiece surface of a spring arrangement. Rollers and a flexible lip seal arrangement having a flexible sheath of synthetic rubber are also disclosed.

Sealing system for a movable vacuum chamber of a charged particle beam machine

Process and plant are described for adjusting the welding parameters when joining two workpieces sepd. by a gap, where the cross-sectional area (XSA) of the gap varies along its longitudinal direction. Welding is undertaken by an energy beam, e.g. an electron beam. During welding, the XSA is monitored and employed to adjust >=1 welding parameter. The XSA is pref. monitored at a distance (A) in front of the beam, and a delay network employed so the parameter(s) are not adjusted until the measured spot reaches the beam. The XSA may be used to adjust the feed of filler rod, beam energy, workpiece speed w.r.t. the beam, and/or the amplitude of oscillation of the beam between each side of the welding gap. The XSA may be monitored by light, X-rays, gamma rays, or gas, passing through the gap, or by a probe using inductance measurements. Used e.g. for electron beam welding of long plates, >=30 mm, where the width of the welding gap can vary from 0-3 mm, Provides continuous adjustment of welding parameters to suit the gap width.

Electron beam welding plant - where process parameters are adjusted to match varying gap between two workpieces being welded together

Bei einer Ladungstragerstrahl -Werkzeugmaschine, wie einer Elektronenstrahl -Schweismaschine, wird die Position des Fleckes, wo der Ladungstragerstrahl (14) wahrend der Bearbeitung einer Werkstuckanordnung (10) auf deren Oberflache auftrifft, bezuglich der Achse (30) eines den Strahl liefernden Strahlerzeugungssystems dadurch geregelt, das der Strahl wahrend kurzer, den Bearbeitungsvorgang unterbrechender Mesperioden langs eines geschlossenen Mesweges (22) abgelenkt wird, der eine zu bearbeitende Zone (12) der Werkstuckanordnung (10) in Bearbeitungs-oder Vorschubrichtung (x) vor dem augenblicklichen Bearbeitungsbereich (12) kreuzt, die im Strahlauftreff-Fleck entstehende Rontgenstrahlung durch eine Rontgenstrahlungssensoranordnung erfast wird, welche mindestens eine scharfe Mesbereichsgrenze (28a, 150) hat, die im Abstand vom Bearbeitungsbereich (18) verlauft und den Mesweg (22) schneidet, und ein Stellsignal fur eine in Vorschubrichtung (x) und / oder eine quer (y) zu dieser wirkende Stellvorrichtung in Abhangigkeit von der mittels der Rontgenstrahlungssensoranordnung bestimmten Grose eines Stuckes des Mesweges zwischen einer Mesweg-Referenzposition (18) und der Stelle (40), wo der Mesweg die Mesbereichsgrenze schneidet, erzeugt wird. When a charged particle beam -Werkzeugmaschine as an electron beam welding machine, the axis (30), the position of the spot where the charged particle beam (14) during the machining of a workpiece arrangement (10) impinges on the surface thereof, with respect to a beam providing beam forming system characterized regulated that the beam during short, the processing operation interrupting measurement periods along a closed measurement path (22) is deflected, crossing a to edit zone (12) of the workpiece arrangement (10) in processing or feed direction (x) before the current machining area (12) that produced in the beam landing spot X-ray radiation is detected by an X-ray sensor arrangement which has at least one sharp measuring range (28a, 150) at a distance from the machining area (18) and the measuring path (22) intersect, and an actuating signal for an in feed direction (x) and / or transversely (y) to this acting adjusting device in dependence on the particular means of the x-ray sensor array size of a piece of the measurement path between a measuring path reference position (18) and the point (40) where the measurement path intersects the measuring range, is produced. Zur Erhohung der Mesgenauigkeit kann der Strahlquerschnitt wahrend der Mesperioden durch eine ladungstrageroptische Vorrichtung, wie einen Stigmator oder eine Hilfsfokussierungslinse gegenuber dem wahrend des Bearbeitungsvorganges verwendeten Strahlquerschnitt geandert werden. To increase the measuring accuracy of the beam cross-section, during the measurement periods by a charge carrier-optical device, such as a stigmator or an auxiliary focusing lens relative to the beam cross-section used during the machining process to be changed.

Peter Ing Grad Anderl

Papers

Position regulation of a charge carrier beam

Method and apparatus for control of method parameters in energy beam welding

Sealing system for a movable vacuum chamber of a charged particle beam machine

Electron beam welding plant - where process parameters are adjusted to match varying gap between two workpieces being welded together

Method and apparatus for regulating the position of a charged-particles beam in a charged-particles beam machine