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

US12162073B2 · 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: Aug 11, 2023
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2024
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2043

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 includes an energy beam system configured to emit an energy beam utilized in an additive manufacturing process, and first and second 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 monitors one or more operating parameters of the additive manufacturing process. A light source is configured to emit an assessment beam that follows an optical path incident upon the first and second optical elements. One or more light sensors detect a reflected beam that is either internally reflected by the first optical element or reflectively propagated between the first and second optical elements. A control system determines, based at least in part on assessment data comprising data from the one or more light sensors, whether at least one of the first and second optical elements exhibits an optical anomaly.