EP4168200A1

EP4168200A1 - Powder-bed based additive manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: EP4168200A1
Application number: EP21740166.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hugo Jean-Louis Sistach
Original assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines SAS
Current assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines SAS
Priority date: 2020-06-23
Filing date: 2021-06-23
Publication date: 2023-04-26
Also published as: CN115996807A; US20230249256A1; WO2021260323A1; FR3111575A1

Abstract

The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: - extracting a sub-batch (18) from a batch (16) of powder, the batch having a ratio X₀ of a predetermined component, - manufacturing parts (22) using powder-bed based additive manufacturing until all of the sub-batch is used up (18); then- performing the following cycle a number n_max of times: - recycling the powder and continuing manufacture until all of the recycled powder is used up; - determining a contact surface S_n between the powder and a material fused into the parts (22), n designating the cycle number, and a mass M_n of accumulated powder used since the start of the method, and - measuring a ratio X_nmax of a predetermined component in at least one of the parts (22) or a test piece (24) manufactured during the last cycle, then - determining a quantity R such that: Formula (I); - performing the following cycle at least once: - recycling the powder and continuing manufacture until all of the recycled powder has been used up at least once, then - determining the contact surface S_n, and the mass M_n of accumulated powder, and - calculating, by means of S_n, M_n and R, a ratio X_n of the component in one of the parts (22) manufactured during the cycle.

Description

Powder bed additive manufacturing process FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the additive manufacturing of parts, for example aeronautical parts, by melting on a bed of metal powder. STATE OF THE ART

Powder bed laser fusion is a metal additive manufacturing process that consists of creating a part layer by layer through the fusion of powder particles via a laser beam. This technology is also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). It makes it possible to manufacture parts with geometries that cannot be achieved with conventional processes. You can replace the laser beam with an electron beam.

The process is carried out in an enclosure under neutral gas. It can be described in four steps:

- Once the powder is stored in a supply tank, a piston raises the tank to the height of a layer thickness;

- a layering member spreads a layer of powder of this thickness in a printing tank. This is the bed of powder;

- if the layering is valid, a laser passes through the layer and gives rise to a first section of the object by creating micro-beads next to each other resulting from the fusion of the powder particles located on its trajectory. If the layer formed is not uniform, a second layering is carried out to fill in the gaps before the laser passes;

- finally, the printing tank is lowered slightly (the thickness of a layer of powder) and the operation starts again. In this way, the particles will merge layer by layer until the finished part is obtained.

Once the part is finished, the powder which was installed but which was not used to make the part is recovered. It can then be recycled for the manufacture of a new part, and this several times in a row. Significant powder savings are thus achieved. However, it is observed that the chemical composition of the manufactured parts changes as the powder is recycled. This is in particular their rate of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen.

However, the content of these elements in the parts has an impact on the properties of the material, in particular the mechanical properties of traction and fatigue. It is therefore important to know, or even to master, this content in order to ensure the conformity of the parts with the basic composition of the material and thus their behavior in operation.

To this end, we can analyze the overall elementary chemical composition of a part of a part that can be destroyed or of an adjoining test piece of representative composition, to check its conformity with the basic composition. . A global chemical analysis is therefore carried out for each manufacture. But this generates a significant delay which blocks the delivery of parts. The cost is high and often not compatible with the expected profitability. And it is either to destroy a part for analysis, or to manufacture a test tube, which generates additional melting time and consumes powder, thus increasing the cost. It is therefore a long and expensive analysis.

It is of course possible to define a maximum number of recyclings, that is to say a limit number of reuse of the non-fused powder, ensuring not to have a modification of the chemical composition so significant that it becomes non-compliant. This solution can be implemented after having carried out a chemical analysis over several recycling cycles to check that the basic composition limits of the material associated with a type of machine and with a given fixed production are not exceeded. But it is expensive. Its implementation depends each time on the manufacturing installation and the parts produced. In addition, once the maximum number of times for recycling the powder has been reached, the powder must be completely discarded, which again results in a loss of material. However, the maximum number of recycling operations is generally low, for example equal to 5. This solution therefore results in the discarding of powder which would nevertheless be potentially acceptable for a new manufacture of less demanding parts. In addition, the chemical composition analyzes to be carried out remain numerous and therefore on the whole expensive. An object of the invention is to promote the conformity of the manufactured parts with the properties expected on them by means of an inexpensive and economical powder solution.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION To this end, according to the invention there is provided a manufacturing process comprising the following steps:

- extracting a sublot from a batch of powder, the batch having a level X _o of a predetermined compound,

- using the sublot, manufacture parts by additive manufacturing on a powder bed until the entire sublot is used; then

- perform the following cycle a _{maximum number of times:}

- recycle the powder from manufacturing and continue manufacturing until all of the recycled powder is used;

- determine: a contact surface S _n between the powder and a material fused in the parts, cumulated since the start of the process, n designating a cycle number, and a mass M _n of powder used cumulated since the start of the process, the recycled powder at each cycle counting for additional mass, and

- measure a rate X _nmax of the compound in at least one of the parts manufactured during the last cycle or a test specimen manufactured during the last cycle, then

- calculate a quantity R such that: - perform the following cycle at least once:

- recycle the powder and continue manufacturing until all of the powder is recycled at least once, then

- determine the contact surface S _n and the mass M _n of powder, and

- calculate, by means of S _n , M _n and R, a rate X _n of the compound in one of the parts manufactured during the cycle. The invention therefore makes it possible to estimate the rate X _n in the parts as the production cycles progress.

The theoretical principle of the process is that, during the melting of the part, in a given layer, the powder located near the melting bath sees its temperature increase. This increase promotes changes in the level of certain elements, including oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, in the powder.

Once the manufacture is completed, the recycling (by suction, sieving and mixing) homogenizes the distribution of the composition of the powder by diluting in the rest of the powder the powder which was close to the melting baths and whose composition has changed. This standardizes the overall evolution of the powder composition.

It is then possible to experimentally relate the evolution of the composition to the quantity of powder which is heated by the molten bath. This quantity can be related to the contact surface between the powder and the part fused to each layer (ie the surface of the part, excluding the upper surface and the lower surface). A law is proposed to link these quantities and predict the chemical composition after each fabrication and after several fabrication.

The proposed methodology associated with the law makes it possible to have a predictive follow-up of the chemical composition via the definition of the parameters of the law, the knowledge of the initial composition of the powder, the stability of the manufacturing process and the collection of some simple data. Manufacturing.

The method of the invention allows monitoring of the chemical composition of the manufactured parts which is rapid, even immediate, at low cost, non-destructive, without risk on the conformity of the parts and reusing the powder as much as possible to limit the quantity put into the waste. waste, while facilitating the management of the powder, for example when mixing powders during recycling.

It can be expected that the batch is new at the start of the implementation of the method.

The process is particularly applicable when the compound is oxygen, hydrogen or nitrogen, but it is possible to carry out it for other compounds.

Provision can be made for the method to then comprise the following steps: - determine whether the rate X _n fulfills a predetermined condition, and

- determine a follow-up to be given to the process depending on whether or not the rate meets the condition.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: - extracting another sublot from the batch of powder;

- mix the other sublot with the powder from the manufacturing process; and

- resume production with the mixture.

Thus, the operation makes it possible to "refresh" the powder resulting from the manufacture, in which the rate of the compound has varied, with the powder obtained from the batch. After mixing, the mixing rate is equal to the weighted sum of the rates.

As a variant, the refreshing of the powder can be done with powder which is not new and which has also already been used in additive manufacturing, subject to having a good estimate of its rate. Indeed, during such a mixture of powder sub-batches having had different uses, from the same initial batch, the final rate is itself also the average of the levels of the chemical composition of the two sub-batches, weighted by the mass.

We can therefore add little recycled powder, or even new, in a sublot that has already seen several recycling operations. Provision can be made for the above three steps associated with mixing to be carried out when the condition is not met.

Thus, the mixing, that is, the powder is refreshed, when it is determined that it needs this refreshing.

As a variant, provision can be made for these three steps to be carried out without first determining whether the rate X _n fulfills a predetermined condition.

So this time, we do the refresh anyway. For example, provision can be made for the refreshing to be carried out systematically as soon as the entire powder has been used during manufacture, for example in order to keep a constant rate for the compound.

In one embodiment:

- During at least some of the cycles, a rate X _n , _mes of the compound is measured in at least one of the parts manufactured during the cycle, in a test piece manufactured during the cycle or in the powder used during the cycle,

- we determine a standard deviation of the rates X _n , _mes , and

during at least some of the cycles subsequent to the step of calculating R, it is determined whether the _{calculated rate X n} satisfies a predetermined condition relating to the standard deviation.

These steps form a test which makes it possible to check whether the _{estimated rate X n} remains credible.

For example, we determine whether:

IX _n "X _{n, avg} I _{= <} 2 X σ where:

- X _n, avg denotes an average of the rates X _n of several cycles, and

- s is the standard deviation of the rates X _n , _meas .

There is also provided according to the invention an additive manufacturing installation on a powder bed comprising:

- means of additive manufacturing on powder bed and

- a controller configured to control the execution of the method according to the invention.

There is also provided according to the invention a computer program comprising code instructions arranged to control the execution of the method of the invention when it is used on a computer, a data recording medium comprising such a program under recorded form, and a method of making such a program available on a telecommunications network with a view to downloading or executing it remotely.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES We will now present an embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example in support of the drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a block diagram of the increase in the temperature of the powder and the diffusion of oxygen into the powder; - Figure 2 is a graph of the evolution of the oxygen level as a function of the number of recycling;

- Figure 3 is a block diagram of the increase in the oxygen level in the powder after manufacturing;

- Figure 4 is a block diagram of the chemical oxygen composition of a sample from the batch of powder after recycling;

- Figure 5 is a representative diagram of the magnitudes of the recycling law;

- Figure 6 is a representative diagram of the powder zones capturing oxygen and the zones not capturing oxygen in the recycling law;

FIG. 7 is a diagram representing the quantities Sn, Pn and An; and - Figure 8 is a diagram showing an installation according to the invention.

We will first present the theoretical foundations of the invention and then the course of the implementation of the method of the invention.

The following definitions are proposed:

- manufacturing or construction cycle: all the stages in the production of a part or an article, starting with the spreading of the first layer and ending with the melting of the last layer;

- manufacturing campaign: set of manufacturing cycles consisting in manufacturing parts or articles using the same powder sub-batch once; It is also a cycle, thus grouping together several manufacturing cycles. - recycling: operation consisting in unloading the powder from the installation, re-screening it, possibly steaming it, repackaging it, and then reusing it.

It is assumed here that the manufacture is carried out by means of a laser beam, but the present description also applies to an electron beam.

With reference to FIG. 1, the method uses a metal alloy powder known per se. The grains 2 of this powder comprise, in addition to one or more metals, elements such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. During the additive manufacturing of a part 22 by powder bed fusion, layers of metallic powder N, N-1, N-2, N-3, N-4, N-5 are superimposed on each other . After the establishment of each layer, the laser beam passes through one or more of the powder layers to effect the fusion of some of the powder grains in order to build part 22. Part 4 thus merged is illustrated in the right part of the figure. 1. More precisely, during the treatment of each layer by the laser, several adjacent layers are simultaneously reflowed. In the figure, it has thus been illustrated that the top five layers have been reflowed, unlike the lowest layer, N-5, which is not.

In the left part are the non-fused grains 2 of powder. However, some of these grains can be heated, especially those which are in the direct vicinity of the fused grains. The figure thus shows different levels of heating of the grains 2a, 2b, 2c according to their decreasing proximity to the fused part 4, with temperatures indicated as high, medium and low respectively, without exceeding the melting temperature however.

However, this heating leads to the modification of certain elements of the grains, in particular oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. This occurs by adding additional elements to the powder from the atmosphere of the manufacturing chamber. This contribution has been illustrated in the figure by the arrows 6. This atmosphere in fact comprises in particular air and humidity which penetrate between the powder grains 2 and leads to the aforementioned modification on the occasion of heating. .

This modification is visible during the successive recycling of the powder and can lead to modification of the chemical composition of the fused material (and therefore of the parts) to the point of rendering them non-compliant after several recycling of the powder. This can lead to parts whose material has non-conforming properties, particularly in terms of traction and fatigue, and which must therefore be scrapped.

FIG. 2 thus illustrates the change in the oxygen level in the parts as a function of the number of recycling operations of the powder. We see in this example that we go from an initial oxygen level of 0.015% in the parts manufactured with new powder to a rate which can rise to more than 0.022% after 10 recycles. In the present description, we are interested in oxygen, but the invention is also applicable to nitrogen, hydrogen or any other element modified during recycling. The invention aims to follow the evolution of the chemical composition of the parts to ensure their conformity with the expected properties.

We adopt here a methodology allowing a follow-up of the chemical composition of the powder and the parts which is fast, even immediate, at low cost, non-destructive, inexpensive to develop, which ensures without risk the conformity of the parts, which uses the powder as much as possible during manufacture, limits the quantity discarded and facilitates the management of the powder by allowing, for example, the mixing of powders during recycling.

As stated previously, the study of the general powder bed melting process has made it possible to highlight the parameters influencing the evolution of the chemical composition of the elements of the powder during the successive recycling operations. It has been possible to determine that the mechanism associated with this development is the capture or evaporation of elements due to the local heating of the powder during manufacture. From this study, we can determine that there is a local change in the composition of the non-fused powder at each production as a function of the distance from the fused zone, as shown in Figure 3 for oxygen. . This figure indeed illustrates the principle of increasing the oxygen level in the powder after manufacturing. It is thus observed that the grains 2a which are located in the zone closest to the fused part 4 have a relatively high oxygen level. This rate drops in the next zone, that is to say more to the left in the figure, to pass to an average rate in comparison in the grains 2b. In the other grains 2c which are located furthest to the left, the oxygen level is close to that of the powder before this recycling. From such a situation, at the end of the manufacture of the part, the non-fused powder is recovered and mixed according to validated procedures which ensure a homogeneous mixture. The grains 2a, 2b, 2c of different chemical compositions are therefore mixed together to give the configuration of FIG. 4 which illustrates the distribution of the grains and their oxygen levels in a sample of powder during recycling. It is this mixture which is used on the occasion of the following manufacture of a new part. During this production, this mixture is fused on the areas of the part reached by the laser beam. The fusion of the grains results in a part whose oxygen level is equal to the average of the oxygen levels of the grains. There is therefore homogenization in the molten bath which gives a chemical composition equivalent to the average composition weighted by the mass of the fused powder grains.

The manufacturing installation 10, which will be described in more detail below, comprises a manufacturing plate on which the layers of powder are deposited for the manufacture of each part. It includes a production tank into which the powder and the projections fall during this production. It includes a recovery tank into which, after each manufacture of a part, the non-fused powder and the projections are discharged. Finally, it comprises a sieve through which the contents of the recovery tank are passed for recycling, if necessary.

The following traceability references are set:

- C _n : Reference of the production campaign number n which is incremented from the first use of the powder;

- C ' _n , _y : Manufacturing or construction cycle reference; and

- R _n : Reference of the number n of powder recycling operations;

We set the following variables of n:

- H _n : Cumulative height (in m) of the construction cycles of a manufacturing campaign n;

- P _n : Perimeter (in m) of contact between the powder and the fused material of the construction cycles of a manufacturing campaign n averaged by the height;

- S _n : Surface (in m ² ) of contact between the powder and the fused material, cumulated over the construction cycles of a manufacturing campaign n;

- VM _n : Cumulative volume (in m ³ ) of the merged (built) parts of a manufacturing campaign n;

- VD _n : Cumulative volume (in m ³ ) of powder deposited on the production platform or in the recovery tank of a production campaign n; - A _n : Area (section, in m ² ) in a plane (generally horizontal, XY) perpendicular to the direction of construction of the parts produced during the construction cycles of a manufacturing campaign n, averaged by the height;

- X _n : Average global oxygen level (in% by mass) of the powder recovered at the end of a manufacturing campaign n, after recycling and mixing;

- ΔXo- _{> n} : Increase in the oxygen rate (in% by mass) between the powder supplied and the end of the manufacturing campaign n (recycling n). Xo corresponds to a recycling 0, that is to say to the starting situation without recycling;

- ΔX _n -i- _{> n} : Increase in the oxygen rate (in% by mass) between the powder from recycling n- 1 and that from recycling n;

-: Cumulative mass of powder (in g) of the construction cycles of a manufacturing campaign n recovered after recycling, including the powder from the production tank and from the recovery tank;

- Mass (in g) of the fused parts (fused material) of a manufacturing campaign n;

- MD _n : Mass (in g) of powder deposited on the production plate or in the recovery tank of a production campaign n;

- MP _n : Mass (in g) of powder and projections which are recovered by the sieve during recycling; - MC _n : Mass of powder (in g) recovered at the end of a manufacturing campaign n after recycling, which was heated during the melting of the part and which captured oxygen;

- MF _n : Mass of powder (in g) recovered at the end of a manufacturing campaign n after recycling, which was not heated during the melting of the part and which did not capture oxygen;

- XC _n : rate of oxygen (in% by mass) of the powder recovered at the end of a manufacturing campaign n after recycling, which was heated during the melting of the part and which captured oxygen;

- XF _n : Oxygen rate (in% by mass) of the powder recovered at the end of a manufacturing campaign n after recycling, which was not heated during the melting of the part and which was not oxygen capture; and

- TR _n : Regeneration rate (in%) of a manufacturing campaign n (if this rate is fixed for the entire campaign). We set the following constants:

- ΔX _machine : Standard increase in oxygen (constant, in% by mass) per unit of heated powder for a specific machine associated with a set of parameters and a version of the machine control program; - AP: Area (section, in m ² ) of the production platform;

- PP: Percentage of powder and average projections per volume of merged part which will be recovered by the sieve during recycling;

- e: Thickness (in m) of powder from the surface of the fused part which is heated and which captures oxygen; - p _p : packed density (in g / m ³ ) of the powder deposited on the production plate; and

- p _m : Density (in g / m ³ ) of the fused material.

The following diagrams make it possible to better represent the different values that are set to express the law on recycling. Thus: FIG. 5 is a diagram representing the magnitudes of the recycling law;

- Figure 1 is a representative diagram of the respective powder zones capturing oxygen and not capturing oxygen in the recycling law; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram representing the quantities S _n , P _n and A _n .

The aforementioned quantities have the following relations. The contact surface depends on the contact perimeter averaged by the height and the construction height:

S _n = P _n * H,

The volume of the merged part depends on the area averaged by the height and the construction height: VM _n = A _n * H _n

The volume of powder deposited depends on the area (section) on the build plate, the regeneration and the build height. In the case of constant regeneration over the whole of campaign n, we have:

VD _n = AP * TR _n * H The powder which does not capture oxygen therefore has the oxygen rate of the previous recycling:

XF _n = X _n-1

The oxygen content of the powder for recycling n is equal to the weighting by mass of the oxygen content of the heated and unheated powder:

The increase in the oxygen rate between the recycling powder n and n-1 is: The increase in the oxygen level between the supplied powder and the nmax recycle is the sum of all the increases in the recycles 0 to nmax:

The average standard increase in oxygen per unit volume is constant for a frozen machine (adjustment of machine parameters, machine program, protective gas) and is equal to the difference between the rates before and after heating the powder and therefore between the heated and unheated powder zones: The total mass after recycling is the sum of the mass of heated and unheated powder recovered after recycling:

M _n = MC _n + MF _n

The mass of heated powder depends on the density of packed powder associated with the thickness of the heated powder and the contact surface (volume of heated powder):

MC _n = p _p * e * S _n

The mass of powder from recycling n is equal to the mass of powder deposited minus the mass of powder which has been fused (and therefore not recycled because it is integrated into the part) minus the mass of powder which will be lost during recycling (projections and coarse powders thrown away during sieving or in the ashtray):

M _n = MD _n - MM _n - MP _n

The mass of the part built depends on the volume of the parts and the density of the fused material:

MM _n = p _m * VM _n

The mass of powder deposited in the machine depends on the volume of powder deposited and the density of the packed powder:

MD _n = p _p * VD _n

The mass of powder lost during recycling depends mainly on the projections, the percentage of which depends on the volume of the merged part:

MP _n = p _p * PP * VM _n

From these relationships, we can deduce a law making it possible to predict the rate of oxygen X _n as a function of the products. The law (I) gives the evolution between the manufacture n-1 and n, while the law (II) gives the evolution from the initial oxygen level Xo over several productions summed for the total number of recycling n _max :

These laws make it possible to predict the evolution of the oxygen composition of grains and parts. They make it possible to implement the method of the invention, for example, as will be explained in support of FIG. 8.

This process is implemented by means of an additive manufacturing installation on a powder bed 10 comprising:

- means 12 forming a powder bed additive manufacturing machine and - a control member 14 configured to control the execution of the process.

The machine is conventional and will not be described in detail.

The unit 14 comprises a computer associated with a program comprising code instructions arranged to control the execution of the method when it is used on the computer. This program is recorded on a data storage medium. Provision can be made for the program to be made available on an internal or external telecommunications network such as the Internet for downloading to the machine or for executing it remotely.

It is assumed that the installation 12 is stable in terms of manufacturing parameters such as power, speed of movement of the energy beam and protective atmosphere. For the latter, these are parameters such as humidity, oxygen, nitrogen, argon, protective gas or gas flow in the manufacturing chamber.

The process steps are here as follows.

Initiation phase A new batch of metal powder 16 is available which has an initial oxygen level Xo. This information appears, for example, among the data communicated by the powder supplier, for example in the supply certificate. It is desirable to know Xo with a sufficient number of significant digits.

This initial phase aims to determine the constant R of formula (II) for the installation and the manufacturing parameters.

A sublot 18 is extracted from the powder batch 16.

By means of sub-lot 18, with the installation of parts 22, we manufacture by additive manufacturing on a powder bed, until the entire sub-lot 18 is used. This means that we pass once all the powder of the sublot in the installation. The non-fused powder is recovered. This is the first campaign.

Then, the following cycle is carried out, called here the initiation cycle, a number n _max of times, for example 10 times, this number not being limiting (it can be replaced by 5, 15, etc.). This cycle is a production campaign.

1) The powder from the previous production campaign is recycled. This is the powder that has not been consumed to make up the parts and that can therefore be recovered after each manufacture.

2) The manufacture of parts 22 is continued until all of the recycled powder is used. During this step, one or more test pieces 24 are also manufactured.

3) During this cycle, the contact surface S _n and the mass M _{n are determined} .

4) A rate X _n of the compound is calculated from the surface S _n and the mass M _n .

5) A rate X _n , _mes of oxygen is measured in the test piece 24. This measurement is carried out, for example, twice. An alternative consists in carrying out this measurement on one of the parts 22 but it generally involves destroying the part. As a replacement or in addition, it is possible to perform the measurement on a sample of the powder used during the cycle.

Here ends this cycle. This cycle is therefore reproduced the number n _max of times. This leads in particular to manufacturing n _max groups of parts 22.

We therefore have a set of measured rates X _n , _mes and we calculate an average and a standard deviation of these rates X _n , _mes . Among the measurement of the levels X _n , _mes , we therefore measured in particular a rate X _nma x of oxygen in the test piece 24 manufactured during the last cycle.

The quantity R is then determined by means of formula (II). More precisely, once we have the data Xn, Sn and Mn, we can plot the graph of the law according to formula (II). From the equation of the curve and after checking that the calculated value for R is acceptable and that X _nma x is consistent with Xo, we validate the coefficient R.

Thus ends the initiation phase.

Operation phase

For the rest of the implementation of the method, R being henceforth known, it is possible to predict or estimate each X _n of the following production campaigns by virtue of formula (I).

Several new production campaigns are therefore carried out as follows.

The following cycle, called the operating cycle, is carried out at least once. This cycle is also a production campaign. 1) We recycle the powder that was not consumed in the previous manufacturing campaign and continue manufacturing until all of the powder is recycled at least once.

2) The contact surface S _n and the mass M _n of cumulated powder are determined.

3) By means of S _n , M _n and R, the rate X _n of oxygen in one of the parts 22 manufactured during this cycle is calculated. This calculation takes place using formula (I). This is a predicted or estimated rate. 4) It is determined whether this rate X _n fulfills a predetermined condition. In this case, it is determined whether the _{calculated rate X n} satisfies a predetermined condition relating to the standard deviation of the rates X _{n, mes} . For example, we determine whether:

| X _n - X _{n, avg} l = <2 X σ (III)

- X _n, _av denotes an average of the rate X _n previous campaigns, and

- s is the standard deviation.

In other words, we set up a predictive map using the law to predict the chemical composition after each manufacture. Then we check the conformity of the predicted rate with a margin of + 1-2 standard deviations on the average proposed by the law.

5) Next, a follow-up to the process is determined depending on whether or not the rate meets condition (III).

If condition (III) is verified, the operating cycle is completed and started again to carry out a new campaign with the remaining powder (recycling of the remaining powder, production, etc.).

If the condition is not verified, another sublot 20 is extracted from the powder batch 16. This other sublot 20 is mixed with the powder from the production. For this, the following mixture law is used to obtain a mixture having an acceptable oxygen level, from the rate To of the new sublot 20 and the rate X _n of the remaining powder, and their respective powder masses. .

In fact, it is possible to determine the rate X _mixture of a mixture of powders with different rates. It is assumed that the rates Xi and X of the two powder fractions to be mixed are known. These fractions are weighed to find out their respective masses M and M. The mass X _mixture of the mixture will be the sum of these two masses. The powders are mixed according to a procedure ensuring the homogeneity of the final mixture. The oxygen level in the mixture is calculated by the following weighting formula: A new operating cycle is then started with the powder mixture thus obtained. The powder from the previous campaign was thus refreshed.

Many operating cycles can thus be carried out. Whenever it appears necessary, the powder remaining after use at the end of the cycle is mixed with a new sublot of batch 16. This can be continued until batch 16 is exhausted.

In another embodiment, the powder remaining at each end of the cycle is mixed with a new sublot in order to keep a constant rate at the start of each cycle. So the mixing step is carried out without determining beforehand whether the rate X _n fulfills the condition (III) or else the mixing step is carried out even if the condition is fulfilled.

It can therefore be seen that the prediction of X _n makes it possible to refresh the powder used with a new powder in order to adjust its chemical composition and to reset it within the chemical composition limits of the criterion when one is too close to the limit of the criterion. It also makes it possible, as a variant, to carry out this continuous refresh in order to have a constant composition.

It is advantageous to carry out a counter-analysis on a sample of powder each time a predetermined number of recycles has been made, for example every 10 recycles, but this number is not limiting. This makes it possible to readjust the prediction law (I) by measuring an effective rate X _n . This is also the opportunity to verify that the difference between the measured value X _n and the predicted average value satisfies condition (III).

The process can be continued until all of the powder batch 16 is used up.

The method of the invention is inexpensive. Indeed, the data of the law are collected with standard manufacturing and some chemical analyzes during the initiation phase and the cost of one-off counter-analyzes is low compared to the other methods. It does not add cycle time. It is thrifty in powder and you shouldn't have any leftover powder with this process, especially if you allow yourself the refreshment. The invention does not require production of parts dedicated to the analysis. The invention makes it possible to provide a method for monitoring and industrial prediction of the chemical composition during manufacture and to anticipate when there is a risk of departing from the criteria for the material that could impact its properties. The invention makes it possible to monitor the chemical composition during successive manufacturing of parts, in particular aeronautical parts, in additive manufacturing on a bed of metal powder (with LBM / SLM laser or with EBM electron beam).

In another variant embodiment, provision can be made for the estimation of the rate X _n during the operating phase to be used first and foremost to determine whether the powder can be recycled as it is (that is to say without mixing) or if it needs to be scrapped. This is not the most powder-efficient version of the implementation of the invention. But it can be seen, with this variant, that the invention first and foremost makes it possible to take a decision on the follow-up to be given to the process.

Claims

1. Manufacturing process comprising the following steps:

- extract a sublot (18) from a batch (16) of powder, the batch having a level Xo of a predetermined compound,

- using the sublot, manufacture parts (22) by additive manufacturing on a powder bed until the entire sublot (18) is used; then

- perform the following cycle a _{maximum number of times:}

- determine: a contact surface S _n between the powder and a material fused in the parts (22), cumulated since the start of the process, n designating a cycle number, and a mass M _n of powder used cumulated since the start of the process, the powder recycled in each cycle counting as additional mass, and

- measure a rate X _nm ax of the compound in at least one of the parts (22) manufactured during the last cycle or a test tube (24) manufactured during the last cycle, then

- calculate a quantity R such that:

- perform the following cycle at least once:

- determine the contact surface S _n and the mass M _n of powder, and

- calculate, by means of S _n , M _n and R, a rate X _n of the compound in one of the parts (22) manufactured during the cycle.

2. Method according to the preceding claim, in which the batch (16) is new at the start of the implementation of the method.

3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the compound is oxygen, hydrogen or nitrogen.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, then comprising the following steps:

- determining whether the rate X _n fulfills a predetermined condition; and

determining a follow-up to be given to the method depending on whether the rate X _n fulfills the condition or not.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims then comprising the following steps:

- extracting another sublot (20) from the powder batch;

- mix the other sublot with the powder from the manufacturing process; and

- resume production with the mixture.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the steps of claim 5 are carried out when the condition is not met.

7. A method in which the steps of claim 5 are carried out without first determining whether the rate X _n fulfills a predetermined condition.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein:

- During at least some of the cycles, a rate X _n , _mes of the compound is measured in at least one of the parts (22) manufactured during the cycle, in a test tube (24) manufactured during the cycle or in the powder used during the cycle;

- a standard deviation of the rates X _n , _{mes is determined} ; and

9. Method according to the preceding claim, in which it is determined whether:

IX _n "X _{n, avg} I = <2 X σ where:

- X _n, avg denotes an average of the rates X _n of several cycles; and

- s is the standard deviation of the rates X _n , _meas .

10. Powder bed additive manufacturing installation (10), comprising: - means (12) for additive manufacturing on a powder bed, and

- a controller (14) configured to control the execution of the method according to at least any one of the preceding claims.

11. A computer program comprising code instructions arranged to control execution of the method according to at least any one of claims 1 to 9 when used on a computer.

12. Data recording medium comprising a program according to the preceding claim in recorded form.

13. A method of making a program available according to claim 11 on a telecommunications network with a view to downloading or executing it remotely.