US 11,813,791 B2
Method and system for producing a workpiece using additive manufacturing techniques
Marcin B. Bauza, Plymouth, MN (US); Tobias Held, Noerdlingen (DE); Richard H. Knebel, Brighton, MI (US); Thomas Engel, Aalen (DE); Nils Haverkamp, Aalen (DE); Rainer Sagemueller, Aalen (DE); and Dominik Seitz, Schwaebisch Gmuend (DE)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss Industrielle MesstechnikGmbH, Oberkochen (DE); and Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, LLC, Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed by Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH, Oberkochen (DE); and Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, LLC, Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/409,449.
Application 17/409,449 is a continuation of application No. 16/740,422, filed on Jan. 11, 2020, granted, now 11,104,064, issued on Aug. 31, 2021.
Application 16/740,422 is a continuation of application No. 16/284,960, filed on Feb. 25, 2019, granted, now 10,532,513, issued on Jan. 14, 2020.
Application 16/284,960 is a continuation of application No. 14/248,610, filed on Apr. 9, 2014, granted, now 10,220,566, issued on Mar. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0379823 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 64/153 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/153 (2017.08) [B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing a workpiece by using additive manufacturing techniques, the method comprising:
obtaining CAD data representing the workpiece in a plurality of workpiece layers, wherein the CAD data includes a plurality of workpiece layer definitions corresponding respectively to the plurality of workpiece layers;
selecting a first workpiece layer definition of the plurality of workpiece layer definitions;
preparing a powder bed of powder material on a build platform;
producing, based on the selected workpiece layer definition, a workpiece layer on the build platform by controlling a layer tool to selectively melt or sinter the powder material on the build platform;
assessing the produced workpiece layer, including:
measuring the produced workpiece layer using a measuring head;
analyzing the measurements of the produced workpiece layer; and
in response to the analyzing indicating that the produced workpiece layer is defective, reprocessing the produced workpiece layer by controlling the layer tool to selectively melt or sinter the powder material on the build platform; and
selecting each additional one of the plurality of workpiece layer definitions and repeating the preparing, the producing, the measuring, and the assessing for the selected workpiece layer definition.