An additive manufacturing method includes: forming a powder bed by supplying a raw material powder; and irradiating the raw material powder that forms the powder bed with a light beam having an intensity distribution of a second or higher order mode or of a top hat shape.

A three-dimensional printing system includes a print bed and a shelf insertion mechanism for inserting a shelf of one or a plurality of auxiliary shelves into a print volume between the print bed and a printer head. A printer assembly is configured to deposit layers of material within the print volume to form one or more objects on a support platform, the support platform including the print bed or an auxiliary shelf that is inserted into the print volume by the shelf insertion mechanism. A controller is configured to control the shelf insertion mechanism to insert an auxiliary shelf between the print bed and a printer head of the system after formation of the objects on that support platform by the printer assembly is complete.

A three-dimensional printing system includes a print bed and a shelf insertion mechanism for inserting a shelf of one or a plurality of auxiliary shelves into a print volume between the print bed and a printer head. A printer assembly is configured to deposit layers of material within the print volume to form one or more objects on a support platform, the support platform including the print bed or an auxiliary shelf that is inserted into the print volume by the shelf insertion mechanism. A controller is configured to control the shelf insertion mechanism to insert an auxiliary shelf between the print bed and a printer head of the system after formation of the objects on that support platform by the printer assembly is complete.

Disclosed is a method for providing control data for manufacturing a three-dimensional object including accessing computer-based model data of at least one portion of the object, at least one data model specifying the scanning of locations of the region to be selectively solidified, using at least one beam along a first trajectory and a second trajectory substantially parallel thereto, the motion vectors of the beams in the construction plane having mutually opposite directional components during the scan along the two trajectories, and the distance between a starting point of the second trajectory and an end point of the previously scanned first trajectory is less than half a beam width of the beam at the end point of the first trajectory ;and a providing control data of the at least one data model for the generation of a control data set.

A method and apparatus for designing and manufacturing a component in a computer-aided design and manufacturing environment is disclosed. A method includes obtaining a geometric model of a component from a geometric model database, and determining at least one orientation parameter value associated with the geometric model of the component. The at least one orientation parameter value is associated with an orientation parameter that defines orientation of the component during additive manufacturing of the component. The method includes performing volumetric analysis of the component based on the at least one orientation parameter value associated with the component using the geometric model of the component. The method also includes computing one or more overheating areas in the component corresponding to the at least one orientation parameter value based on the volumetric analysis of the geometric model of the component, and outputting a multi-dimensional visual representation of the geometric model of the component Indicating one or more overheating areas in the component.

Methods and apparatuses for replaceable beam entry windows in additive manufacturing systems are disclosed.

Methods and apparatuses for replaceable beam entry windows in additive manufacturing systems are disclosed.

Magnesium alloys and a process of manufacturing an article using magnesium alloys. During additive manufacturing, where the magnesium alloy is being deposited in a layer-by-layer manner, solidification of the melted portion of a deposited layer is performed in such a way as to ensure that about 15 percent or more of the portion being solidified includes a non-equilibrium eutectic constituent. This in turn reduces the likelihood of encountering solidification conditions that otherwise would lead to hot tearing problems. Further, upon subsequent heat treatment of the solidified layer, the eutectic constituents that were used for hot tearing resistance are dissolved so that the solidified layer may be returned to a substantially single-phase magnesium matrix such that desirable material properties such as improved flammability point, improved corrosion resistance and one or more of high yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation are promoted.

Magnesium alloys and a process of manufacturing an article using magnesium alloys. During additive manufacturing, where the magnesium alloy is being deposited in a layer-by-layer manner, solidification of the melted portion of a deposited layer is performed in such a way as to ensure that about 15 percent or more of the portion being solidified includes a non-equilibrium eutectic constituent. This in turn reduces the likelihood of encountering solidification conditions that otherwise would lead to hot tearing problems. Further, upon subsequent heat treatment of the solidified layer, the eutectic constituents that were used for hot tearing resistance are dissolved so that the solidified layer may be returned to a substantially single-phase magnesium matrix such that desirable material properties such as improved flammability point, improved corrosion resistance and one or more of high yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation are promoted.

Apparatuses for dynamically sensing infrared (IR) radiation in an electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) printer are provided. A radiation collector receives radiation from a surface of the powder bed. An IR-transparent material rejects one or more non-IR wavelengths, and a lens focuses the IR radiation onto an optical fiber. The IR radiation is carried from the vacuum chamber of the printer to a sensor, where IR information is determined based on the received IR radiation. The IR information may be received from the sensor and used by the print controller to modify one or more parameters, such as beam intensity or scanning rate, on the fly or during the next print cycle. An occlusion member can be used to selectively block or expose the radiation collector to protect the radiation collector from condensation of vapor from vaporization of particles at high temperatures.