Method for the additive construction of a structure and computer program product

Abstract

A method for the additive construction of a structure for a component includes the following steps: providing a prefabricated component for the component on a building board, wherein the component has a separating plane, providing a powder bed from a base material for the structure, moving the building board closer to a coating device, aligning a processing surface and the separating plane of the component for preventing adhesion between the component and the coating device, and optically measuring a surface of the powder bed.

Claims

1. A method for the additive construction of a structure for a component, the method comprising: providing a prefabricated part for the component on a construction plate, the part comprising a separating plane, providing a powder bed consisting of a base material for the structure, approaching the construction plate to a coating device, orientating a processing face and the separating plane of the part in order to prevent a collision between the part and the coating device, and optically measuring a surface of the powder bed, wherein the surface is measured during the coating of the processing face with the base material by the coating device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface is optically measured layer-by-layer during the additive construction of the structure.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angle (α) between the processing face and the separating plane is determined for the orientation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the angle is determined by the optical measurement of a portion, protruding from the processing face, of the part.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the approaching of the construction plate is carried out by a photoelectric barrier, and the construction plate is raised stepwise until the photoelectric barrier is broken.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a code in the separating plane of the part is optically identified during the measurement, and wherein the code contains information about a geometry and/or an orientation of the part.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the construction plate is nonplanar and the processing face is defined as a result of a best-fit calculation.

8. A method for the additive construction of a structure for a component, the method comprising: fixing a prefabricated part for the component in a fixing device in such a way that a separating plane of the part is orientated parallel to a reference surface of a carrier guided in the fixing device, recording an angle (α) between a processing face and the separating plane, and providing a powder bed consisting of a base material for the structure, additively constructing the structure on the processing face, in order to orientate the processing face, relative to the separating plane of the part, the angle (α) being recorded either by a measurement or by reading a code and being taken into account for the additive construction, wherein the carrier is standardized and is provided with a machine-readable code, and wherein the code is readable by the device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fixing device is transparent on the side facing away from the carrier.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the part is fixed in the fixing device by a filler material.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the angle (α) is measured by a camera, by the carrier being rotated through 360° and the smallest angle (α) between the part and the camera furthermore being stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further details of the invention will be described below with the aid of the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a prefabricated component and a portion of a coating device.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a structure constructed on a prefabricated part.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an alternative schematic sectional or side view of a structure constructed on a prefabricated part.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a prefabricated part.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a measuring device.

(7) FIG. 6 shows an alternative schematic sectional or side view to FIG. 5 of a measuring device.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a device which comprises a carrier in which a part is fixed.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a device rotated through 180° in comparison with FIG. 7.

(10) FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration of the device to FIG. 8.

(11) FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of the carrier of FIGS. 7 to 9 in an exemplary configuration.

(12) FIG. 11 indicates method steps of a method according to the invention with the aid of the device.

(13) FIGS. 12 to 17 indicate further portions of a method according to the invention.

(14) FIG. 18 indicates at least one portion of a CAM method as a portion of an additive process chain.

(15) FIGS. 19 to 21 indicate similar method steps to FIG. 18 of a method according to the invention.

(16) FIG. 22 indicates a method according to and embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

(17) In the exemplary embodiments and figures, elements which are the same or have the same effect may respectively be provided with the same references. The elements represented and the size proportions of the elements represented in the figures with respect to one another are not in principle to be regarded as true to scale; rather, individual elements may be represented exaggeratedly thick or largely dimensioned for better representability and/or for better comprehensibility.

(18) FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional or side view of a construction plate 2, on which a part 1 is arranged. The construction plate 2 comprises a planar surface (not explicitly denoted). The part 1 is arranged, for example fixed, on the surface. Advantageously, the part 1 has been arranged on the construction plate 2 in order to be further constructed by a powder bed-based method, in particular selective laser melting or electron beam melting, or has in this way been provided with a structure (cf. reference 10 in the following figures).

(19) In an alternative configuration, the construction plate 2 comprises a nonplanar surface, for example a surface which has not been high-precision ground or processed in another way, so that the orientation of the part, insofar as it is arranged on the construction plate 2, with a known geometry of the part 1, is not uniquely established relative to the construction plate.

(20) The part 1 comprises a separating cut, a separating face, or a separating plane TE. The separating plane TE is or has been advantageously exposed by a mechanical processing step, during which for example a worn subregion of a component 100 has been removed.

(21) In most cases, this separating cut TE is not parallel to a base face (not explicitly denoted) of the component 100, or of the part 1, which in the present case directly adjoins the construction plate 2. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the separating plane TE does not extend parallel to the surface of the construction plate 2. Furthermore, the separating plane is canted, or makes an angle not equal to zero with a processing plane or processing face BE. The processing face BE may, for example, be defined by a coater or a coating device 50.

(22) The coating device 50 furthermore comprises a blade 51, which is advantageously moved in the X and/or Y direction over a powder bed (cf. P in the following figures) in order to apply a new layer of powder or base material for the construction of the structure 10.

(23) If, for example, a portion of the part 1 protrudes beyond the processing plane indicated by the dashed line, i.e. for example from the powder bed, there is a threat of collision of said subregion with the blade 51, which is for example being moved or guided from right to left along the processing plane BE for the additive construction of the structure (coating).

(24) FIG. 2 shows a setpoint geometry of the component 100 in a side or sectional view. The structure 10 has been constructed, i.e. metallurgically connected to the part 1 by means of the separating plane TE, on the component 1, advantageously by an additive powder bed-based method (SLM or EBM). FIG. 2 advantageously shows a correct orientation of the structure 10 on the part 1.

(25) FIG. 3 shows a geometry or a construction of the component 100 in the event of deficient orientation (actual geometry). In the case of the component 100 of FIG. 3, for example, the constructed structure 10 is likewise connected to the part 1 by means of the separating plane TE, although in contrast to FIG. 2 the construction has been carried out in such a way that the applied layers do not extend parallel to the separating plane TE. In other words, a possible processing plane BE is not been orientated parallel to the separating plane TE.

(26) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional or side view of the part 1, the separating plane TE (in a similar way to the representation of FIG. 1) being orientated at an angle not equal to 0 and 90° with respect to the other surfaces of the part 1.

(27) In a similar way to the representation of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 shows a construction plate 2 and the coating device 50 according to the invention, for example implemented in an additive manufacturing device (not explicitly denoted). The coating device 50 furthermore comprises a measuring device 20. As an alternative, the measuring device 20 may be coupled to the coating device 50, the measuring device 20 furthermore being configured for layer-by-layer optical measurement of the surface of the construction plate, or of a powder bed arranged on the construction plate 2. The measuring device 20 may for example furthermore comprise a structured-light scanner, a line scanner, an infrared scanner and/or a thermography instrument or similar means, for example for measuring the layer quality or construction quality. The measuring device 20, or said scanner, is advantageously configured to determine nonplanarities and/or a topology of the powder bed and of the regions melted by an irradiation device, a laser or an electron beam. In particular, a topology of the powder bed (not explicitly denoted here) may be recorded during a coating process (the corresponding movement is indicated by the arrow directed leftward in FIG. 5), and a topology of the corresponding remelted and/or solidified powder or base material may be determined during a return movement (movement from left to right). By this configuration, information of each individual layer of the structure 10 for the component 100 (cf. FIGS. 2 and 3) may be determined and stored, in which case early detection of structural faults, shrinkage or distortions, unmelted regions, foreign bodies, defects or steps may at the same time be detected.

(28) The coating device 50 may furthermore comprise a photoelectric barrier (not explicitly denoted), with the aid of which the construction plate (in a corresponding production system) may be approached to the coating device or the processing plane. In particular, the construction plate 2 may be raised stepwise upward to the processing plane BE in the course of said approaching until a corresponding photoelectric barrier, which in FIG. 5 is set up for example in the vicinity of the blade 51, is broken.

(29) For the automated orientation of the construction plate 1, a collision must be avoided during the first “coater run”. Said photoelectric barrier can ensure that a certain distance, for example 10 mm, between the coater plane BE and the construction plate 2 is not fallen below. As an alternative or in addition, a plurality of photoelectric barriers may be set up for X and Y directions. The construction plate 2 is raised automatically until the signal of the photoelectric barrier stops the movement. If the photoelectric barrier is broken after the installation of the plate, it is automatically lowered until the distance is established and the signal stops the movement again.

(30) The angle is subsequently determined in a first run.

(31) By rotation about X and Y axes, the construction plate may be orientated parallel to the processing plane BE. A second “coater run” (return movement) may furthermore check the orientation.

(32) FIG. 6 shows a situation in which a powder bed P having a corresponding surface O is indicated on the surface of the construction plate 2. The surface O is, for example, optically measured actually during a coating operation by the measuring device 20. This may be done at or for each layer or for every second layer (cf. reference 11 in the following figures) by the measuring device 20.

(33) During the optical measurement of the surface of the powder bed P, a code in the separating plane TE of the part 1 may for example be optically detected, the code containing information about a geometry and/or orientation of the part 1. As an alternative or in addition, this information may be taken into account a priori in order to prevent a collision between a portion of the part or structure 10 and the coating device 50, in particular the blade 51.

(34) FIG. 7 indicates a further aspect of the present invention. In particular, a fixing device or device 30 is shown, with which to improve the orientation, for example of a structure to be applied on a component or a prefabricated part. In other words, the orientation of the separating plane TE and the processing face BE, or of the coating plane, may be simplified and/or automated, as described above.

(35) The measuring device 30 comprises a carrier 31. The measuring device 30 furthermore comprises a guide 32. The carrier 31 is advantageously arranged movably in the guide along a particular direction (here the vertical direction). The part 1 is furthermore arranged in the guide 32 so that the separating plane TE of the part 1 is advantageously orientated parallel to a reference surface RO of the carrier 31. The separating plane TE of the part 1 advantageously corresponds here to the lower face of the part 1, i.e. the opposite side from the carrier (cf. FIG. 7). The carrier 31 fixes or clamps the part 1 advantageously at least partially in the guide 32.

(36) The carrier 31 may furthermore be standardized. The carrier 31 is advantageously furthermore provided with a machine-readable code C, for example a QR code and/or an RFID code. Expediently, said code C may be read by means of corresponding means of the device 20, so that the carrier 31 can be identified.

(37) In one configuration, the device 30 may furthermore have a transparent bottom 34 or a transparent structure on the side facing away from the carrier 31. This bottom may, for example, consist of glass or acrylic glass or comprise these materials. The bottom 34 advantageously furthermore makes it possible to automatically read a code introduced into the separating cut TE (see above), for example by means of integrated illumination. This information may for example be assigned to said code of the carrier 31 and be read, in particular when an orientation and position of the carrier in the device 30 or the orientation angle (see above) is known, and this information is contained in the code.

(38) FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which the device 30 has been rotated through 180° relative to FIG. 7.

(39) FIG. 9 shows a further configuration. According to this configuration, a filler material 37 may be introduced into the device 30 through an opening 33 in order to fix the part 1. The filler material 37 is advantageously introduced into the device 30 in order to embed the component.

(40) FIG. 10 shows a plan view or sectional view of the carrier 31, which is indicated with an inner face 36. By means of the inner face 36, which corresponds for example to an asymmetrical surface, or a surface deviating from a cylindrical shape, a rotational movement of the carrier 31 may for example be carried out in a simplified manner.

(41) Introduction of the filler material 37 into the guide 32 is furthermore indicated in FIG. 11 by the arrow next to the opening 33.

(42) After curing of the filler material 37, for example, the carrier 31 and the component, or the part 1, may be removed from the guide 32, which is indicated with the aid of FIG. 12, in which the guide 32 is not represented.

(43) The filler material 37 may furthermore be an epoxy resin. As an alternative, it may comprise a material which, for example, can be selectively removed again by means of a chemical reaction.

(44) FIG. 13 shows, in an alternative configuration, that the part 1 may furthermore be connected to the carrier 31 by means of interlocking, or hooks 35.

(45) Through the transparent bottom 34, it is furthermore possible to record an angle α between the reference surface RO and a surface, adjacent thereto, of the part 1, advantageously in an optical manner.

(46) Said angle α may, for further additive construction of a structure on the part 1, correspond to an angle between the separating plane TE and a processing face (see above).

(47) The angle α may, as represented by way of example with the aid of FIG. 14, be recorded in an optical manner, in particular by means of a camera 38. The curved arrow in FIG. 14 indicates that the carrier 31 is rotated, advantageously through 360°, during the measurement of the angle α, that angle α which corresponds to the smallest contact area (cf. the circle in FIG. 16) furthermore being measured and stored.

(48) By the height measurement of a length L (see FIG. 17), the rotation angle and the angle α with respect to the contact area, the position of the separating cut TE is determined and may be stored automatically in the system.

(49) FIG. 15 shows the angle α between the carrier 31 and the part 1.

(50) FIG. 16 indicates a contact area (cf. circle) between the carrier 31 and the part 1.

(51) FIG. 17 furthermore denotes the angle α and a vertical length L of the part 1.

(52) FIG. 18 shows a schematic view of a component 100 which is composed of a multiplicity of layers 11.

(53) FIG. 19 shows a schematic sectional or side view of the component 100, or a model of the component.

(54) The model may at least partially represent a CAD file or a CAM file. The lower portion of the component shown is denoted as filled out, which is intended to indicate the part 1 described above. The upper part of the component 100 is indicated as lined, i.e. consisting of individual layers 11, which is intended to illustrate a CAM method for the additive production, for example comprising so-called “slicing”. It may furthermore be seen that the transitions from the lower portion to the upper portion and/or side walls of the component 100 are not straight, but rather the lower portion (part) and the upper portion (construction) constructed and/or modeled thereon are not orientated correctly (cf. FIG. 3). FIG. 19 furthermore shows an angle β that indicates the deficient orientation between the part 1 and the additive construction, or the structure 10, or corresponding main symmetry axes. The angle β may for example be at most 3°, 5°, 10° more or less.

(55) Said angle β may for example be proposed, defined and/or stored in software, a computer program or computer program product.

(56) Advantageously, by a method according to the invention, starting from an angle β greater than or greater than or equal to 3° (or 5°, 10° or more)—for example in the course of a CAM (computer aided manufacturing) method—layer subdivision for the component 100 (cf. FIG. 18), in particular “slicing”, and recalculation of irradiation vectors is carried out in an automated manner. This is advantageously done in such a way that a component quality, in particular a structural quality, defect density, hot crack resistance, is not influenced, which could otherwise be the case with significantly overhanging regions of the component.

(57) If, for example, the position of the separating cut TE is known and, for example, stored in a process control and documentation system, this information may be used in order to generate CAM files. As an alternative, a 3D measurement (scan) of the component 100 may be carried out and the separating cut or its position may be output as an element. This element may furthermore be marked as a construction face for the SLM process. From the information about the construction face (separating cut) and the setpoint geometry of the final component, the CAM files for the additive (SLM) construction may be generated individually. By means of the inclination and rotation angles of the part, the component 100 is advantageously newly “sliced”, or subdivided into layers (see above). By means of the position of the separating cut TE, the layer starting from which the additive construction of the structure 10 is intended to be carried out may furthermore be determined.

(58) With the described method, in the last step the X-Y position (lateral position in a construction space) and the angle determined according to the means described above may be received in the CAM method for the construction. The required information may, for example, be stored beforehand in a database.

(59) In particular, the described method, which may be implemented in a computer program and the results of which may be described by a computer program product, may comprise instructions that cause a computer to read information about the relative position of the separating plane TE of the part 1 into the computer or the data processing device (not explicitly denoted) and to newly carry out layer subdivision 11 of the structure 10 and/or establishment of irradiation parameters by means of a CAM method.

(60) In FIG. 20, particularly in contrast to FIG. 19, it may be seen that the component 100, or a CAD model thereof, which is represented here without restriction of generality or geometrical freedom of the component 100 as similar to a cross, comprises straight side faces. The layer subdivision, shown in FIG. 20, of the layers 11 is advantageously, in relation to an outer contour of the structure 10, different to that of FIG. 19. According to the described method, the layer subdivision has thus been newly defined (see above).

(61) In contrast to FIG. 19, FIG. 21 shows an orientation according to the invention between the part 1 and the structure 10 (setpoint geometry). The component 100 which is shown in FIG. 20 has advantageously also been additively constructed with the aid of the processes described here (after modeling or CAD design). As described above, the component 100 comprises the part 1 and the (additively constructed) structure 10. The upper section of the structure is denoted by different hatching than the lower region. It may furthermore be seen that the described angle β equals 0. In other words, the orientation—in comparison with that which is indicated in FIG. 19—is carried out optimally.

(62) The present methods according to the invention, which in particular represent alternative solutions for the recording of an angle (see above), are intended in particular for additive construction of the structure 10 for the component 100 and may comprise the following steps/features (cf. FIG. 22): —a) providing the prefabricated part 1 for the component 100 on a construction plate 2, the part 1 comprising a separating plane TE, —b) providing a powder bed P consisting of a base material for the structure 10, —c) approaching the construction plate 2 to a coating device 50, —d) orientating a processing face BE and the separating plane TE of the part 1 in order to prevent a collision between the part 1 and the coating device 50, and—e) optically measuring a surface O of the powder bed.

(63) The following method steps may furthermore be comprised: —f) fixing a prefabricated part 1 for the component 100 in a fixing device 30 in such a way that a separating plane TE of the part 1 is orientated parallel to a reference surface RO of a carrier 31 guided in the fixing device 10, —g) recording an angle α between a processing face BE and the separating plane TE, and—h) additively constructing the structure 10 on the processing face BE, in order to orientate the processing face BE, in particular relative to the separating plane TE of the part 1, the angle α being recorded either by a measurement or by reading a code C and being taken into account for the additive construction.

(64) The description with the aid of the exemplary embodiments does not restrict the invention to these exemplary embodiments; rather, the invention comprises any new feature and any combination of features. This includes in particular any combination of features in the patent claims, even if this feature or this combination per se is not explicitly indicated in the patent claims or exemplary embodiments.