US Patent 11536671 Defect identification using machine learning in an additive manufacturing system

An additive manufacturing system comprises an apparatus arranged to distribute layer of metallic powder across a build plane and a power source arranged to emit a beam of energy at the build plane and fuse the metallic powder into a portion of a part. The system includes a processor configured to steer the beam of energy across the build plane and receive data generated by one or more sensors that detect electromagnetic energy emitted from the build plane when the beam of energy fuses the metallic powder. The received data is converted into one or more parameters that indicate one or more conditions at the build plane while the beam of energy fuses the metallic powder. The one or more parameters are used as input into a machine learning algorithm to detect one or more defects in the fused metallic powder.