Development of High-precision, High-efficiency, High-quality Molding System by Directed Energy Deposition Method

—Automatic Molding System with the Optimum Standoff Distance and Automatic Mold Repair—

Abstract

An automated modelling system was developed to use a directed energy deposition equipment (DED) easily without doing trial-and-error processes for determination of modelling parameters. In the development of the system, the stand-off distance (SOD) between the nozzle and the melt pool was measured in-process and modeling paths having the optimum SOD were automatically generated in real time. The SOD was measured in 0.3 s in the case of using a still image during a modeling process or in 0.1 s in the case of using a flame image of a continuous images after modeling a layer. The system realized automatic modeling with the optimum SOD. However, it caused a lack of modeling at edge parts. In order to solve the problem, a high accuracy modeling system was developed by re-modeling areas with lack of shape which were detected by recognizing the modeled shape of each layer using the measured discrete SODs. In addition, an automatic mold repair system was developed using the automated modelling system. The usefulness of the entire system was then verified through modelling experiments.