Concept Laser Gmbh

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Cl Schutzrechtsverwaltungs Gmbh

General Electric Company

Ge Additive Germany Gmbh

Florian Bechmann

Frank Herzog

Fabian Zeulner

Frank Schödel

Jens Stammberger

Ralf Hetzel

Jean Pierre Kruth

Markus Lippert

Tom Craeghs

Sebastian Berumen

Tobias Bokkes

Christian Diller

Philipp Schumann

Marie-Christin Ebert

Alexander Hofmann

Peter Pontiller-Schymura

Alexandra Popp

Johanna Windfelder

Markus Stark

Kai Hertel

Benedikt Roidl

Juergen Werner

Christian Wacker

Viktor Engel

Dominic Graf

Johanna Hoch

Tobias Dressel

Johannes Stroessner

Jan Michael Friese

Patrick Dueck

Alexey Tarasov

Maik Zimmermann

Werner Jürgen

Tobias Bakkes

Methods of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by one or more energy beams include selectively directing a first energy beam across a powder bed along a plurality of first hatching paths and a first contour path that defines a first outer contour portion and a first stitching portion, wherein the first outer contour portion at least partially defines a first edge portion of an outer edge of the three-dimensional object, and wherein the first edge portion is non-linear, and selectively directing a second energy beam across the powder bed along a plurality of second hatching paths and a second contour path that at least partially defines a second edge portion of the outer edge of the three-dimensional object, wherein the second edge portion is adjacent the first edge portion, and wherein the first stitching portion extends into the plurality of second hatching paths along a non-linear stitching path.

Additive manufacturing methods and systems

A process monitoring system for an additive manufacturing apparatus includes a scanner, a sensor device, and an optical focus-tracking device. The scanner includes an optical adjustment device that directs a melting beam emitted by a laser melting device onto a construction plane to generate a melting section of the construction plane. The sensor device may detect reflected radiation from the melting section and generate sensor data indicative of a size, shape, and/or temperature corresponding to the melting section. The optical focus-tracking device includes a focusing lens located between the scanner and the sensor device. The focusing lens may be actuatable by electronic machine data derived from the sensor data to impart a first focus adjustment with respect to the reflected radiation detected by the sensor followed by a second focus adjustment with respect to the melting beam directed by the optical adjustment device.

Device for the additive production of three-dimensional components

An additive manufacturing apparatus comprises a laser beam source emitting a laser beam, a build platform, a powder source depositing a layer of powder onto the build platform, and a scanning assembly disposed along an optical path between the laser beam source and the build platform. The scanning assembly comprises at least one solid state optical deflector that modifies at least one of a size or an impingement location of the laser beam on the layer of powder at a scanning position of the laser beam. The at least one solid state optical deflector may be used to heat treat the layer of powder either before or after the powder is melted.

Additive manufacturing using solid state optical deflectors

A method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object may include allocating irradiation of respective ones of a plurality of sequential layers of construction material between a first region and a second region based at least in part on a first irradiation time and/or a second irradiation time. Irradiation of the first region is allocated to a first scanner and the first irradiation time is indicative of a time required for the first scanner to irradiate the first region with respect to at least one of the plurality of sequential layers of construction material. Irradiation of the second region is allocated to a second scanner and the second irradiation time is indicative of a time required for the second scanner to irradiate the second region with respect to at least one of the plurality of sequential layers of construction material. The first irradiation time and the second irradiation time may be at least approximately the same.

Method and apparatus for controlling the exposure of a selective laser sintering or laser melting apparatus

An apparatus () for the additive manufacturing of at least one three-dimensional object () by selectively compacting layer by layer at least one compactible building material () by means of at least one energy beam () generated by at least one radiation generating device (), comprising at least one radiation generating device () for generating at least one energy beam () for compacting at least one compactible building material (), at least one coating device () for carrying out at least one coating operation to apply a defined building material layer () of at least one compactible building material () to a building plane () or to a building material layer () of at least one compactible building material () that has previously been applied in the course of carrying out a previous coating operation, and also at least one recording device () for recording layer information describing.

Methods for damage detection during additive manufacturing of at least one three-dimensional object using detected layer information and smoothness

Sensor values captured by a sensor device are determined, one or more regions of a three-dimensional component having a deviation from an intended value are determined based at least in part on build coordinates for additively manufacturing the three-dimensional component corresponding to the sensor values, and a quality of the three-dimensional component is evaluated based at least in part on the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value. The sensor values correspond to an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by a melt pool formed by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation emitted from a laser apparatus, with the beam of radiation generating the melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed.

Method for producing a three-dimensional component

An irradiation assembly for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an irradiation device and a magnetic mounting device configured to displaceably support the irradiation device. The irradiation device may include one or more illumination elements respectively configured to emit an energy beam. The magnetic mounting device may include a magnetic slider element coupled to the irradiation device and a magnetic stator element couplable to a housing structure of an additive manufacturing machine. The magnetic stator element may include a displacement track configured to guide the magnetic slider element along a movement path above at least a portion of a construction plane of the additive manufacturing machine while the one or more illumination elements respectively emit the energy beam to selectively irradiate build material at specified regions of the construction plane.

Apparatus for the additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object

An irradiation device for an additively manufacturing apparatus may include a working beam generation device configured to provide a working beam, a modulation beam generation device configured to provide a modulation beam, and a solid-state optical modulator that includes a crystalline material that exhibits a change in refractive index in response to photoexcitation of free electrons within the crystalline material. The irradiation device may include a power source coupled to the solid-state optical modulator and configured to introduce free electrons into the crystalline material. The modulation beam may cause photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material. The photoexcitation of the free electrons within the crystalline material may cause the crystalline material to exhibit a change in refractive index. The working beam, when incident upon the crystalline material, may exhibit a change in one or more parameters, such as a phase shift, attributable at least in part to the change in refractive index exhibited by the crystalline material.

Modulating a working beam of an additive manufacturing machine with a solid-state optical modulator

A system () for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects, comprising one or more working stations (), which are provided for performing at least one working process in the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects, at least one freely positionable mobile storage unit () comprising a rack-like storage device () comprising at least one storage room () provided for storing at least one powder module (), especially for the purpose of conveying the powder module () between different working stations () of the system (), and at least one driverless, freely movable mobile conveying unit () comprising a receiving device () provided for receiving at least one mobile storage unit () for the purpose of conveying the storage unit () between different working stations () of the system ().

Plant for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects

A method for producing a three-dimensional component by means of a laser melting process, in which the component is produced by consecutively solidifying individual layers made of building material by melting the building material, wherein said building material can be solidified by the action of radiation, wherein the melting area produced by a punctiform and/or linear energy input is detected by a sensor device and sensor values are derived therefrom in order to evaluate the component quality. The sensor values detected in order to evaluate the component quality are stored together with the coordinate values that locate the sensor values in the component and are displayed by means of a visualization unit in two- and/or multi-dimensional representation with respect to the detection location of the sensor values in the component.

An unpacking device () for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object () from the unsolidified construction material () surrounding it after completion of an additive construction process, wherein the unpacking device () is formed as a robot () having at least three robot axes (A-A), especially an industrial robot, wherein at least one unpacking tool () is arranged or formed on a robot axis (A), which is provided for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object () from the unsolidified construction material () surrounding it after completion of an additive construction process, or the unpacking device () comprises at least one such robot ().

Unpacking device for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object from the surrounding construction material

A device for producing three-dimensional objects by successively solidifying layers of a construction material that can be solidified using radiation on the positions corresponding to the respective cross-section of the object, with a housing comprising a process chamber, a construction container situated therein, an irradiation device for irradiating layers of the construction material on the positions corresponding to the respective cross-section of the object, an application device for applying the layers of the construction material onto a carrying device within the construction container or a previously formed layer, a metering device for delivering the construction material, wherein the application device comprises a coating element which distributes the construction material delivered by the metering device as a thin layer in an application area along a linear application movement, wherein at the end of a coating process for a layer when returning the coating elementto a coating starting position.

Device for producing three-dimensional objects by successively solidifying layers and an associated method and evasive return movement with coating device

Method for controlling operating of at least one additive manufacturing apparatus () for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects is provided by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a powdered build material which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam, embodiments including exemplary steps of: supplying authorization data (AD) which contains at least one authorization parameter that authorizes the operation of at least one additive manufacturing apparatus () or at least one functional unit (-) of the at least one additive manufacturing apparatus () from an external data supply source (), transmitting the authorization data (AD) from the external data supply source () to a control unit () of the at least one additive manufacturing apparatus (), and controlling operation of the additive manufacturing apparatus () or the at least one functional unit (-).

Method for controlling operation of at least one additive manufacturing apparatus for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects

A powder module for an apparatus for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects, comprising a powder chamber limiting a powder room that can be filled with powdered construction material and a carrying device arranged in the powder room and limiting the powder room at the bottom, wherein between at least one powder chamber wall limiting the powder room and the carrying device a gap extending at least partially along the powder chamber wall limiting the powder room is formed, through which powdered construction material from the powder room can enter a powder module section lying below the carrying device, wherein the gap opens out into a receiving section of a receiving element arranged or formed on the powder chamber, wherein the receiving section is formed as or comprises an especially ring-shaped circumferential flow channel structure provided for receiving construction material from the gap.

Powder module for an apparatus for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional object

A system () for producing three-dimensional objects () by way of the solidification above one another of layers of a building material which can be solidified by means of radiation at the points which correspond to the respective cross section of the object, wherein the system () comprises at least one process station () which is arranged in a first housing () for carrying out the layer-by-layer generative building process in a building container (), and a handling station () in at least one second housing () for unpacking produced objects () from the building container () which can be moved between the at least one process station () and the at least one handling station (), wherein the at least one process station () and the at least one handling station () are arranged in separate housing units ().

Growing community of inventors

Lichtenfels, Germany

Florian Bechmann