An apparatus for generating electron radiation comprises: an elongated, wire-shaped hot cathode to emit electron radiation having an elongated, line-shaped cross section perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the electron radiation; a cathode electrode; an anode electrode with an opening through which the electron radiation emitted from the hot cathode can pass, wherein a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode accelerates electrons emitted from the hot cathode; and a deflecting unit to deflect the electron radiation downstream of the opening of the anode electrode, wherein a cross section of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation is changed by the deflecting unit to decease a longitudinal extent of the electron radiation and to increase a transverse extent of the electron radiation such that longitudinal and transverse extents of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation are about the same size.

A method for additively manufacturing an object from a metal powder is disclosed. The method includes distributing a first stratum of the metal powder in a powder-bed volume at least partially delimited by a build platform. The method further includes melting a first selected portion of the first stratum of the metal powder in a powder-bed volume by exposing the first selected portion of the first stratum of the metal powder to electromagnetic energy from an electromagnetic energy source while moving the electromagnetic energy source along a first predetermined path in a polar coordinate system to form at least a portion of a first layer of the object. The electromagnetic energy source is movable in a linear travel path along a linear rail and the linear rail is one of rotatable or revolvable in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis A.

A manufacturing machine is capable of additive manufacturing. The manufacturing machine includes: a connecting part configured to be connectable to a machine tool capable of subtractive manufacturing; and an additive manufacturing head configured to be positioned in a machining area of the machine tool and discharge a material, when the connecting part is connected to the machine tool. The manufacturing machine for additive manufacturing that can be installed at a low cost is thus provided.

A method and an apparatus pertaining to recycling and reuse of unwanted light in additive manufacturing can multiplex multiple beams of light including at least one or more beams of light from one or more light sources. The multiple beams of light may be reshaped and blended to provide a first beam of light. A spatial polarization pattern may be applied on the first beam of light to provide a second beam of light. Polarization states of the second beam of light may be split to reflect a third beam of light, which may be reshaped into a fourth beam of light. The fourth beam of light may be introduced as one of the multiple beams of light to result in a fifth beam of light.

Described is an additive manufacturing apparatus that includes a telescopic build tank operatively connected at opposing ends to a powder table and a build table. The telescopic build tank includes at least two segments telescopically coupled to one another, each of the at least two segments comprising a set of engagement grooves located on an interior surface of the at least two segments and a set of engagement pins located on an exterior surface of the at least two segments. The set of engagement pins is configured to engage with and travel along a corresponding set of engagement grooves of another of the at least two segments, and each engagement groove comprises a first axially extending channel positioned along a single axis and having at least one closed end, the at least one closed end being configured to impede separation of the at least two segments relative to one another.

The invention relates to a method for the additive manufacture of three-dimensional metallic components (12), said components (12) being built layer-by-layer or section-by-section under vacuum conditions by fusing a metallic material with the component (12) at a machining point by means of a radiation source with a high energy density. In order to keep the energy applied to the machining point by the radiation itself relatively low, the metallic material is supplied in the form of a wire (28) which is preheated under vacuum conditions before reaching the machining point.

A standard reference plate is configured for insertion into an additive manufacturing apparatus for calibrating an electron beam of the additive manufacturing apparatus. The standard reference plate includes a lower plate and an upper plate being essentially in parallel and attached spaced apart from each other, the upper plate including a plurality of holes. A predetermined hollow pattern is provided inside the holes, and a spacing between the holes and the size of the holes and a distance between the upper plate and the lower plate and a position of an x-ray sensor of the additive manufacturing apparatus with respect to the standard reference plate are arranged so that x-rays emanating from the lower plate, when the electron beam is passing through a hollow part of the hollow pattern, will not pass directly from the lower plate through any one of the holes to the x-ray sensor.

A method for forming at least one three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed, comprising the steps of: providing at least one model of said three-dimensional article, moving a support structure in z-direction at a predetermined speed while rotating said support structure at a predetermined speed, directing a first and second energy beam causing said powder layer to fuse in first and second selected locations according to said model, wherein a first cover area of said first energy beam on said powder layer is arranged at a predetermined minimum distance and non-overlapping from a second cover area of said second energy beam on said powder layer, a trajectory of said first cover area and a trajectory of said second cover area are at least one of overlapping each other, abutting each other or separated to each other when said support structure is rotated a full lap.

A computing device for controlling the operation of an additive manufacturing machine comprises a memory element and a processing element. The memory element is configured to store a three-dimensional model of a part to be manufactured, wherein the three-dimensional model defines a plurality of cross sections of the part. The processing element is in communication with the memory element. The processing element is configured to receive the three-dimensional model, determine a path across a surface of each cross section, wherein the path includes a plurality of parallel lines, calculate a power for a radiation beam to scan each of the lines, such that the power varies from line to line non-linearly according to a length of the line, and calculate a scan speed for the radiation beam for each of the lines, such that the scan speed varies line to line non-linearly according to the power of the radiation beam.

A method of additive manufacture suitable for large and high resolution structures is disclosed. The method may include sequentially advancing each portion of a continuous part in the longitudinal direction from a first zone to a second zone. In the first zone, selected granules of a granular material may be amalgamated. In the second zone, unamalgamated granules of the granular material may be removed. The method may further include advancing a first portion of the continuous part from the second zone to a third zone while (1) a last portion of the continuous part is formed within the first zone and (2) the first portion is maintained in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the first portion occupied within the first zone and the second zone.