Detecting optical anomalies on optical elements used in an additive manufacturing machine

US11752558B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• General Electric Company · US
• Concept Laser, GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Fabian Zeulner · Lichtenfels, DE
• Christian Dicken · Weidenberg, DE
• Justin Mamrak · Sharonville, US
• MacKenzie Ryan Redding · Cincinnati, US
• Bertram Gaerber · Neustadt bei Coburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 16, 2021
• Grant date: Sep 12, 2023
• Expiry date: Jul 6, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/25
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An additive manufacturing machine may include an energy beam system configured to emit an energy beam utilized in an additive manufacturing process, and one or more optical elements utilized by, or defining a portion of, the energy beam system and/or an imaging system of the additive manufacturing machine. The imaging system may be configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the additive manufacturing process. The additive manufacturing machine may include a light source configured to emit an assessment beam that follows an optical path incident upon the one or more optical elements, and one or more light sensors configured to detect a reflected beam comprising at least a portion of the assessment beam reflected and/or transmitted by at least one of the one or more optical elements. The additive manufacturing machine may include a control system configured to determine, based at least in part on assessment data comprising data from the one or more light sensors, whether the one or more optical elements exhibit an optical anomaly.