Real Time Controller for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing

我们的团队最近开发并验证了几种用于增材制造（3D打印）中的激光粉末床融合过程的监测和控制策略，这些策略使用了声发射以及高温计和红外相机进行温度测量。该实时控制器的目的是显著提高增材制造零件的可重复性、可靠性和质量，特别是在航空航天、汽车和医疗设备行业。实时控制器使用人工智能工具，特别是机器学习和深度学习进行在线缺陷检测和过程控制。缺陷可以实时识别，而不需要对成品进行破坏性测试。这对于提高所生产零件的质量和优化制造过程（包括成本效益）至关重要。控制器将在加拿大开发，从而在加拿大工业中更广泛地采用金属增材制造技术。实现这一愿景的下一步是证明该技术作为当前工业增材制造机器（3D打印机）的附加功能的适用性。这项新技术需要提高当前工业3D打印机的能力和AM技术在工业中的采用，以及满足工业中对增材制造零件认证日益增长的需求。

Our group has recently developed and validated several monitoring and control strategies for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion process in Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) using sensory information namely acoustic emission as well as pyrometer and IR camera for temperature measurement. The aim of this real-time controller is to significantly improve the repeatability, reliability and quality of the additively manufactured parts particularly in the aerospace, automotive, and medical device industries. The real-time controller uses artificial intelligence tools, specifically machine learning and deep learning for on-line defect detection and process control. Defects are identified in real-time without the need for destructive testing of a finished part. This is essential for enhancing the quality of the parts produced and optimizing the manufacturing process including cost effectiveness. The controller will be developed in Canada resulting in wider adoption of the metal additive manufacturing technologies in Canadian industry. The next step toward fulfilling this vision is to demonstrate the applicability of this technology as an add on to current industrial additive manufacturing machines (3D printers). This new technology is needed for increasing the capabilities of current industrial 3D printers and the adoption of AM technologies in industry, as well as meeting the increased demand for additively manufactured part certification in industry.