A Unified System Controller for Open-Source Powder Bed Fusion Systems

This paper presents an open-architecture systems controller for laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF). The controller gives the operator direct low-level hardware control, and thereby bridges the gap, between system and researcher, often invoked by the proprietary nature of commercial LPBF systems. As part of the open-source framework, the bespoke controller provides an open and customizable way of controlling the governing subsystems, e.g., scanner (XY2-100), laser, gas flow, and motorized actuation. Furthermore, the unified system controller was designed to retrieve feedback from the scanner and designated process sensors. Utilizing the process feedback the uni- fied system controller demonstrates its capabilities to support both open and closed-loop control routines. The embedded firmware and custom circuitry allow the unified systems controller to serve as a versatile controller for PBF systems, and a powerful tool when investigating and coupling process effects to system behavior.Mechanical Engineerin