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Quasi-Static Position Calibration of the Galvanometer Scanner on the Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed
Published
Author(s)
Brandon M. Lane, Shawn P. Moylan, Ho Yeung, Josephine J. Chavez-Chao, Jorge E. Neira
Abstract
The Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed (AMMT) is a fully customized laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) research platform designed and constructed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This system incorporates a galvanometer (galvo) scanner, consisting of two mirrors which can be controlled to rotate over fixed angles and reflect and position a focused, high power laser onto a substrate. This Technical Note describes the methods for calibrating the quasi-static position of the laser spot, positioned via the galvo, as a function of the digital command to the galvo controller. In addition, the procedures for calibrating the galvo position encoders to the physical laser spot position are provided. An example is provided of a measured galvo position errors before and after a calibration and compensation. Finally, an error reporting and uncertainty budget is provided
Lane, B.
, Moylan, S.
, Yeung, H.
, Chavez-Chao, J.
and Neira, J.
(2020),
Quasi-Static Position Calibration of the Galvanometer Scanner on the Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2099
(Accessed November 3, 2025)