US Patent Application 18448458. DETECTING OPTICAL ANOMALIES ON OPTICAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE simplified abstract
Contents
DETECTING OPTICAL ANOMALIES ON OPTICAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE
Organization Name
Inventor(s)
Fabian Zeulner of Lichtenfels (DE)
Christian Dicken of Bamberg (DE)
Justin Mamrak of Loveland OH (US)
MacKenzie Ryan Redding of Mason OH (US)
Bertram Gaerber of Neustadt bei Coburg (DE)
DETECTING OPTICAL ANOMALIES ON OPTICAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18448458 titled 'DETECTING OPTICAL ANOMALIES ON OPTICAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE
Simplified Explanation
The patent application describes an additive manufacturing machine that uses an energy beam system for the manufacturing process.
- The machine has first and second optical elements that are used by the energy beam system and/or an imaging system.
- The imaging system monitors the operating parameters of the manufacturing process.
- A light source emits an assessment beam that travels through the first and second optical elements.
- Light sensors detect a reflected beam that is either internally reflected by the first optical element or reflected between the first and second optical elements.
- A control system analyzes the data from the light sensors to determine if there are any optical anomalies in the first or second optical elements.
Original Abstract Submitted
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.
