General Electric Company
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDLING OPTICAL ANOMALIES ON OPTICAL ELEMENTS OF AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE

Abstract:

A method of operating an additive manufacturing machine may include determining an operational state and/or a remedial event for the machine based on optical anomalies on one or more optical elements of an energy beam system determined by image data from a light sensor that detects a reflected portion of an imaging beam reflected by the optical elements. The remedial event may include a maintenance event and/or a replacement event. An object may be additively manufactured using nominal operating conditions during a nominal operational state, and/or using one or more augmented operating conditions during an augmented operational state. A maintenance operation may be performed, such as cleaning and/or calibrating the one or more optical elements and/or one or more components of the energy beam system, upon having determined the remedial event that comprises the maintenance event. A replacement operation may be performed, such as replacing the one or more optical elements, upon having determined the remedial event that comprises the replacement event.