Concept Laser Gmbh

General Electric Company

Bertram Gaerber

Christian Dicken

Justin Mamrak

MacKenzie Ryan Redding

Fabian Zeulner

Tim Klaussner

Ann-Kathrin Kleinschmidt

An additive manufacturing machine includes an energy beam system configured to emit an energy beam utilized in an additive manufacturing process, and first and second optical elements utilized by, or defining a portion of, the energy beam system and/or an imaging system of the additive manufacturing machine. The imaging system monitors one or more operating parameters of the additive manufacturing process. A light source is configured to emit an assessment beam that follows an optical path incident upon the first and second optical elements. One or more light sensors detect a reflected beam that is either internally reflected by the first optical element or reflectively propagated between the first and second optical elements. A control system determines, based at least in part on assessment data comprising data from the one or more light sensors, whether at least one of the first and second optical elements exhibits an optical anomaly.

Detecting optical anomalies on optical elements used in an additive manufacturing machine

Methods of determining at least one parameter of an irradiation device of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include generating an energy beam and guiding the energy beam across a structured test surface, generating a signal by detecting radiation that is emitted from the test surface, and determining the at least one parameter based on a frequency spectrum of the signal.

Focus adjustment and laser beam caustic estimation via frequency analysis of time traces and 2D raster scan data

An additive manufacturing machine may include an energy beam system configured to emit an energy beam utilized in an additive manufacturing process, and one or more optical elements utilized by, or defining a portion of, the energy beam system and/or an imaging system of the additive manufacturing machine. The imaging system may be configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the additive manufacturing process. The additive manufacturing machine may include a light source configured to emit an assessment beam that follows an optical path incident upon the one or more optical elements, and one or more light sensors configured to detect a reflected beam comprising at least a portion of the assessment beam reflected and/or transmitted by at least one of the one or more optical elements. The additive manufacturing machine may include a control system configured to determine, based at least in part on assessment data comprising data from the one or more light sensors, whether the one or more optical elements exhibit an optical anomaly.

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Neustadt, Germany

Bertram Gaerber