DE102021200730B4 - Method and device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for the generative production of at least one component (2) from a formless material, in which a hardening agent is applied to the formless material for the purpose of solidifying the formless material in certain areas at least on the surface of the applied formless material and/or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of melting the formless material in certain areas for the purpose of subsequently solidifying the molten material, wherein during and/or after separation of the component (2) from a surrounding powder bed (1), at least one item of information relating to at least one property of at least one structure (4) produced generatively during the production of the component (2) is displayed in a field of vision of an operator in a visually perceptible manner by means of a visualization device (10) designed as augmented reality glasses for the computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, and the operator uses this information to separate the component (2) from at least one support structure (3) in a property-adequate manner.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material.

Generative or additive manufacturing processes, often referred to as 3D printing, often require complex post-processing after the completion of the actual manufacturing process, such as removing the manufactured component from the powder bed and, if necessary, individual powder particles from the component. In addition, support structures are often created in the same generative manufacturing process to support low-strength component sections. These support structures are mechanically firmly connected to the component being manufactured.

In additive or generative manufacturing processes in a so-called powder bed, many components, which may also be different, are often manufactured simultaneously per construction job.

In this process, powder particles of a starting material are bonded together layer by layer using a production system at the points where the component geometry is to be located.

The connection is made either by fusion, whereby relevant additive or generative manufacturing processes using this principle are, for example, powder bed-based melting (laser melting or “Selective Laser Melting”, SLM, as well as “Electron Beam Melting”, EBM), laser sintering (“Selective Laser Sintering”, SLS) and “Multi-Jet Fusion” (MJF), or by bonding, e.g. with the so-called binder application (“Binder Jetting”, BJ).

After a build job is completed, i.e., once powder particles in all layers have been selectively bonded together, post-processing follows. In the first step, the excess powder, i.e., the unfused or unbonded powder, must be removed, e.g., by suction or using a brush. This exposes or unpacks the individual components from the so-called powder cake. This process step can only be partially automated and requires a high degree of manual labor.

Unpacking is a complex process, particularly in additive manufacturing processes where the components are not firmly bonded to a base plate and where the powder cannot be easily vacuumed away, e.g., because it has become sticky due to thermal influences: Components must first be manually located in the powder cake and carefully removed—especially in the case of fragile components. Additional challenges arise from the fact that loose powder and solid components are often visually indistinguishable from one another, or that particularly small components are lost during the unpacking process.

When support structures are produced generatively at the same time as the manufacturing process of the respective component, these support structures must subsequently be removed from the respective component, often mechanically by manual work, such as milling or breaking.

A challenge, especially with delicate components, is to distinguish support structures from the actual component geometry and to avoid damaging the component when removing support structures.

Both of these post-processing processes are carried out manually in many manufacturing facilities and without specific support from those carrying out the processes, especially in the production of individual pieces, which is typical for additive or generative manufacturing.

In some cases, vibrating devices, rotating drums, or computer-controlled suction devices are used for automated powder removal. Automated removal of support structures is possible, for example, through chemical stripping or the use of a second, water-soluble build material. However, this approach is only possible for extrusion/melt deposition processes or so-called fused filament fabrication (FFF).

A disadvantage of automated removal of components from the powder bed is that the components are unsorted after unpacking. They must then be reassigned to customer orders.

Furthermore, automated powder removal is not possible for all components, as this could damage the components.

To facilitate certain manufacturing or pre- and/or post-processing processes, computer-aided augmentation of reality perception is increasingly being used. Computer-aided augmentation of reality perception is commonly referred to as augmented reality (AR).

The US 2019 / 0 279 433 A1 discloses a method for quality control in the manufacture of components by means of a virtual representation of the of the component to be manufactured. This virtual representation can be achieved by projecting it onto the actual component in the manufacturing process, or by displaying it on a display device, such as a screen or augmented reality glasses. Furthermore, additional information can also be visually displayed in text or image form.

The US 8 847 953 B1 It shows how a person is informed about the printed component during and after a 3D printing process. Cameras detect the component and display a virtual representation of the component, possibly along with information about the manufactured component.

The US 9 776 364 B2 shows a method for instructing a 3D printing system comprising a 3D printer equipped with a printing coordinate system to print at least one first object onto an existing second object, comprising providing or receiving at least one image representing at least a portion of the existing second object, determining or receiving an alignment between at least a portion of the at least one first object and at least a portion of the existing second object, determining a pose of the existing second object relative to the printing coordinate system according to the at least one image, and providing the pose and the orientation to the 3D printing system to the 3D printer in order to print at least a portion of the at least one first object onto the existing second object according to the pose and the orientation.

• https://www.wbk. kit. edu/wbkintern/Forschung/Projekte/KitkAdd/download/KitkAdd_Abschluss ver%C3%B6ffentlichung_final.pdf [abgerufen am 31.07.2024 ] ist ein 3-D-Druckvorgang bekannt.

From the article KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (KIT) (ed.): KitkAdd - Combining and integrating established technologies with additive manufacturing processes. Karlsruhe, 2020 - ISBN 978-3-00-065337-7 . URL:

• https://www.wbk.kit.edu/wbkintern/Forschung/Projekte/KitkAdd/download/KitkAdd_Abschluss ver%C3%B6ffentlichung_final.pdf [accessed on 31 July 2024] ] a 3D printing process is known.

• https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=UuKAeTGIO5w [abgerufen am 31.07.2024 ] wird ein 3D-Profilometer gezeigt.

In the video in YouTube. KEYENCE CORPORATION: 3D Profilometer | 3D Profilometer | KEYENCE VR Series, April 25, 2019 . URL:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuKAeTGIO5w [accessed on 31.07.2024 ] a 3D profilometer is shown.

In: Konradin Industrie. Precision testing equipment for roughness, contour, and surface quality, July 15, 2016. URL: https://epp.industrie.de/technik/produktneuheiten/praezisionspruefgeraetefuer-rauheit-kontur-und-oberflaechenguete/# [accessed July 31, 2024] ]a 3D printing process is shown

In: Wikipedia, Augmented Reality. Edited on December 18, 2020, 10:28 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erweiterte_Realit%C3%A4t&oldid=206655256 [accessed January 14, 2025] ] an expanded representation of reality is shown.

The invention is based on the object of providing a method and a device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material, with which a separation of the component from bodies not belonging to the component is made possible in a simple and efficient manner.

This object is achieved by the inventive method for the generative production of at least one component according to claim 1 and by the inventive device for the generative production of at least one component according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the method for the generative production of at least one component are specified in subclaims 2-8.

A first aspect of the invention is a method for the additive production of at least one component from a formless material, in which a solidifying agent is applied to the formless material at least on the surface of the applied formless material for the purpose of regionally solidifying the formless material and/or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of regionally melting the formless material for the purpose of subsequent solidification of the molten material. In the method, during and/or after separation of the component from a surrounding powder bed, at least one piece of information relating to at least one property of at least one structure additively produced during the production of the component is visually displayed in a field of vision of an operator by means of a visualization device designed as augmented reality glasses for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality. This enables an operator, using this information, to carry out a property-adequate separation of the component from at least one body not belonging to the component and/or to assign the component.

The body not belonging to the component can be a support structure, or powder or a powder agglomerate or the powder bed.

The visible generatively manufactured structure can be the component itself or a section thereof, or it can be a support structure or a section thereof, which is necessary to give the component the necessary mechanical strength during the generative manufacturing process.

A computer-assisted extension of reality perception is typically understood as so-called augmented reality (AR), which can be used to create visual representations of additional information or virtual objects using overlays and overlays of the real world. When used in the present method, the computer-assisted extension of reality perception is capable of displaying relevant information for the removal of powder and/or a support structure to an operator, while simultaneously visualizing the powder bed or powder cake, or even a generatively manufactured structure.

The information can also be displayed in a relatively short time before depowdering, so that the operator receives a visual impression of the position, size and/or shape of the component to be depowdered.

Likewise, if the information is displayed after the depowdering process, this occurs relatively soon afterward to enable an operator to assign the depowdered component.

With the knowledge of the information presented, the operator can separate the manufactured component from the powder.

The displayed information helps the operator to locate the component in question or a section of it, and if necessary also to convey contours of the component for the purpose of safe and efficient removal of powder from the component.

With knowledge of the information displayed, the operator can separate the component to be manufactured from at least one support structure.

The displayed information helps the operator to locate the component in question or a section thereof and/or a support structure arranged thereon, and if necessary also to convey contours of the component or the support structure for the purpose of safe and efficient removal of the support structure from the component.

Information can also be provided about the position of an optimal separation of the support structure from the component.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the operator is also shown information regarding a tool that is optimally used for removing powder from the component or for removing a support structure from the component.

With knowledge of the information displayed, the operator can assign the component to be manufactured.

The displayed information can help the operator to feed the manufactured component to a defined storage position in order to sort several components produced in one printing process.

The method according to the invention can also be designed in such a way that the operator is also shown information regarding the correct storage position or the correct storage container for the manufactured component.

Accordingly, post-processing in additive manufacturing can be optimized and made more efficient through the use of computer-aided augmentation of reality perception.

In particular, the information may contain a statement about the shape, size, position, orientation and/or assignment of the generatively produced structure.

This information can relate to the component to be printed or a support structure, or even to the respective print job.

The information can be conveyed through a visual representation of the generatively produced structure or through the display of text or data.

In particular, the virtual representation of the component or a section of it can show an operator where the component is located in the powder bed, how it is aligned, and what shape and size it has.

In this way, the unpacking of components from the powder cake can be facilitated by the computer-aided extension of the perception of reality by displaying the positions of the individual components in the three-dimensional space, which is essentially formed by the powder cake.

Furthermore, additional information can be output, such as strength data and material specifications of the generatively manufactured structure.

In addition, it cannot be ruled out that information regarding the nature of at least one body not belonging to the component, such as powder agglomerates surrounding the component and their strength or the strength of their bond to the component to be manufactured, is also displayed.

Alternatively or additionally, information can also be provided visually regarding the progress of powder removal or the removal of the component from the powder bed in order to show the operator the work progress.

This function can be coupled with documentation of the operations carried out, by recording and storing the visible or displayed views and information, if necessary in combination with the information regarding the work progress.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method, it is provided that the information is generated from design data and/or manufacturing data of the respective manufactured component.

The design data may in particular correspond to CAD data of the component in question that was generated before the additive or generative manufacturing process.

As part of the construction job preparation, the position, orientation, and size of all components to be manufactured are defined virtually in three-dimensional space in the so-called "nesting" process. Using this data, the geometric information for all components can be retrieved and visualized after the manufacturing process is completed.

For example, the powder cake can be displayed semi-transparently or transparently for an operator, allowing the individual components to be identified in three-dimensional space. This facilitates localization, assignment, and removal.

Alternatively or additionally, manufacturing data on the basis of which the respective generative manufacturing process was carried out can be used to create the information, such as physical parameters used in the manufacturing process from which properties of the manufactured component can be derived, such as data on a distance traveled or temperatures generated from which conclusions can be drawn regarding the shape and/or size of the manufactured component.

This means that, based on the design or production data, the operator is presented with relevant information, such as the size of the component to be manufactured or its position. Furthermore, information regarding the strength of specific sections of the component can be displayed. Alternatively or additionally, information can be displayed that makes it easier for the operator to assign the generatively manufactured structure in question, namely to components and support structures that are not part of the production order, or for the purpose of sorting several manufactured components and assigning them to defined print jobs and/or logistics containers, which can also be visualized using computer-aided augmentation of the perception of reality for the recognized component.

At least a section of the generatively produced structure can be displayed as information.

This means that in this embodiment of the additive manufacturing method, the additively manufactured structure is not visible to the operator in reality, but is represented virtually, especially when the component is still embedded in powder.

The virtual representation of the additively manufactured structure can also be generated based on design data, particularly CAD data and/or manufacturing data of the manufactured component. This means that information about the component is not generated and utilized through optical recognition of the component, but rather an ideal model of the component to be manufactured is created from the design and/or manufacturing data and then represented virtually.

In addition to this virtual representation of the generatively produced structure, further information can be displayed in the form of text and/or data or in character form.

Glasses designed for this purpose are augmented reality glasses.

These glasses are designed to display information regarding at least one property of at least one component used in the production of the powder bed or the component being manufactured when the operator using the glasses looks towards the powder bed or towards the component being manufactured. of the component's generatively manufactured structure. Augmented reality glasses can also be combined with safety goggles, which are required as personal protective equipment for manual work anyway.

In the case of representation by means of a screen, it is intended that the generatively produced structure is displayed on the screen, if necessary together with further information.

Smartphones or tablet computers, among others, can be used as output media with a screen. In this case, the image of reality, captured in real time with a camera, is displayed on the screen and overlaid with the relevant additional information.

In an alternative embodiment of the method, it is provided that the generatively produced structure is visible as a real object in the field of vision of the glasses as a visualization device for computer-aided extension of the perception of reality, wherein the displayed information is directed to a property of the visible generatively produced structure.

In particular, this embodiment of the method can be used to visualize support structures.

This means that the additively manufactured structure can simply be viewed in reality through glasses for computer-aided augmentation of the perception of reality. This computer-aided augmentation of the perception of reality then displays at least one additional piece of information once the component has already been separated from the powder. This allows the display of a relevant support structure and, if necessary, the position of a planned separation between the component and the support structure.

The information additionally displayed on the generatively produced structure appears virtually through the glasses for computer-assisted extension of the perception of reality.

The generatively manufactured structure can be at least a portion of the component to be manufactured, or at least a portion of the support structure on the manufactured component.

The removal of support structures is also facilitated by computer-aided augmentation of the perception of reality. Support structures are marked or visually highlighted in the augmentation, for example, by color. This makes it easier for an operator to identify which structures need to be removed during post-processing. The starting point for this can be the CAD data used to manufacture the component. Additional information can also be displayed, for example, to help select the most suitable tools for support structure removal in each specific situation/location, depending on the position, geometry, type, and material of the support structures.

Furthermore or additionally, the information can be provided by optically highlighting at least a section of the generatively produced structure and/or by displaying written information, e.g. in the form of text and/or data.

Information can be conveyed, for example, by the coloring or different coloring of the component and support structure and/or powder bed.

A further aspect of the present invention is a device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material, in which a hardening agent is applied to the formless material for the purpose of solidifying the formless material in certain areas at least on the surface of the applied formless material and/or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of melting the formless material in certain areas for the purpose of subsequently solidifying the molten material, comprising a visualization device which is designed as augmented reality glasses for the visual representation of at least one piece of information, wherein this information can be used for a property-adequate separation of the component from at least one support structure, with regard to at least one property of at least one structure produced generatively during the production of the component by means of computer-aided extension of the perception of reality.

A component of this device for the generative production of at least one component can furthermore be a data processing device which is designed to generate the information to be presented from design data and/or production data of the respective component produced.

The invention is explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

• 1: den Einsatz einer Visualisierungseinrichtung bei der Lokalisierung von Bauteilen in einem Pulverbett, und
• 2: den Einsatz einer Visualisierungseinrichtung bei der Visualisierung einer Stützstruktur an einem hergestellten Bauteil.

It shows

• 1 : the use of a visualization device for locating components in a powder bed, and
• 2 : the use of a visualization device for visualizing a support structure on a manufactured component.

1 shows schematically a powder bed 1 used in a generative process, in which several different components 2 were generatively produced.

The visualization device 10 here is a so-called AR headset for computer-assisted augmentation of reality perception. This visualization device illustrates the components 2 in the powder bed 1 as virtual representations 11. For this purpose, the powder bed 1 is displayed transparently. This allows an operator to recognize both the shape and the approximate size, as well as the position and orientation of the respective component 2 in the powder bed 1, and thus to adequately remove powder from the respective component 2. The displayed components 2 are generatively manufactured structures 4.

The representation of the shape, size, position and orientation of the respective component 2 in the powder bed 1 thus includes several pieces of information about the properties of the generatively manufactured structure, here the component 2 itself.

In the embodiment shown here, it is also evident that a virtual representation 11 in the form of written information 12 is displayed for a component 2, which makes it easier for the operator to assign this component 2 to a respective print job and/or a storage position provided for it.

2 shows a further area of application of the visualization device 10 after the generative manufacturing process has been carried out, namely for the optical highlighting of a support structure printed together with the component 2. By means of the AR glasses used here as the visualization device 10 for computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, it is possible for an operator to easily identify a respective support structure 3 on the component 2 and to recognize the area where a separation between component 2 and support structure 3 is to be carried out.

The support structure 3 and the component 2 are generatively manufactured structures 4.

List of reference symbols

1

powder bed

2

component

3

Support structure

4

generatively manufactured structure

10

Visualization device

11

virtual representation

12

written information

Claims (9)

Method for the generative production of at least one component (2) from a formless material, in which a hardening agent is applied to the formless material for the purpose of solidifying the formless material in certain areas at least on the surface of the applied formless material and/or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of melting the formless material in certain areas for the purpose of subsequently solidifying the molten material, wherein during and/or after separation of the component (2) from a surrounding powder bed (1), at least one item of information relating to at least one property of at least one structure (4) produced generatively during the production of the component (2) is displayed in a field of vision of an operator in a visually perceptible manner by means of a visualization device (10) designed as augmented reality glasses for the computer-assisted expansion of the perception of reality, and the operator uses this information to separate the component (2) from at least one support structure (3) in a property-adequate manner. Method for the generative production of at least one component according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the information contains a statement about the shape, size, position, orientation and/or assignment of the generatively produced structure (4). Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the Claims 1 and 2 , characterized in that the information is generated from design data and/or production data of the respective manufactured component (2). Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a section of the generatively produced structure (4) is represented as information. Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the Claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is visible as a real object in the field of vision of the glasses as a visualization device (10) for the computer-aided extension of the perception of reality, wherein the represented The information provided is directed to a property of the visible generatively produced structure (4). Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is at least a section of the component (2) to be produced. Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the Claims 1 - 6 , characterized in that the generatively produced structure (4) is at least a section of the support structure (3) on the manufactured component (2). Method for the generative production of at least one component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information is provided by optically highlighting at least one section of the generatively produced structure (4) and/or by displaying written information (12). Device for the generative production of at least one component from a formless material, in which a hardening agent is applied to the formless material at least on the surface of the applied formless material for the purpose of solidifying the formless material in certain areas and/or thermal energy is introduced into the formless material for the purpose of melting the formless material in certain areas for the purpose of subsequently solidifying the molten material, comprising a visualization device (10) which is designed as augmented reality glasses for the visual representation of at least one item of information, wherein this information can be used for a property-adequate separation of the component (2) from at least one support structure (3), with regard to at least one property of at least one structure (4) produced generatively during the production of the component (2) by means of computer-aided extension of the perception of reality.

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