Additive manufacturing in metals with a fiber array laser source and adaptive multi-beam shaping
US11267074B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 15, 2020 |
| Grant date | Mar 8, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 15, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/25
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system that uses a scalable array of individually controllable laser beams that are generated by a fiber array system to process materials into an object. The adaptive control of individual beams may include beam power, focal spot width, centroid position, scanning orientation, amplitude and frequency, of individual beams. Laser beam micro scanner modules (MSMs) are arranged into 2D arrays or matrices. During operation of the MSMs, a fiber tip that projects the laser beam is displaced along the x and y-axis in order to scan the focal spot. Each MSM within a matrix can process a corresponding cell (e.g., one square centimeter) during focal spot scanning, and the plurality of MSMs may be operated in parallel to process a plurality of corresponding cells (e.g., with a 10×10 matrix of MSM, 100 cm2) without rastering or otherwise repositioning the assembly over the build surface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.