Irradiation device (5) for an apparatus (1) for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects (2) by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a build material (3) which can be consolidated by means of an energy source, which Irradiation device (5) comprises at least one irradiation unit (6-8), preferably an optical unit, arranged in a housing (9) of the Irradiation device (5), wherein a stream generating device (10) is provided that is adapted to guide a gas stream (11) that is adapted to be charged with residues present inside the housing (9) through the housing (9) of the Irradiation device (5) along a streaming path in which the gas stream (11) at least partially streams alongside or through the at least one irradiation unit (6-8) for removing residues from the housing (9).

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing systems implementing adaptive optics in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes an additive manufacturing system including a laser source configured to form an output beam, a scanning mirror disposed in an optical path of the output beam, wherein the scanning mirror is configured to reflect and scan the output beam at a range of scan angles, a deformable mirror disposed in the optical path of the output beam, wherein the deformable mirror has a plurality of configurations for reflecting and altering a wavefront of the output beam, wherein the configuration of the deformable mirror is based on the scan angle of the scanning mirror, and a print bed configured to hold a print material, wherein the output beam is configured to fuse the print material to form a build object.

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing systems implementing adaptive optics in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes an additive manufacturing system including a laser source configured to form an output beam, a scanning mirror disposed in an optical path of the output beam, wherein the scanning mirror is configured to reflect and scan the output beam at a range of scan angles, a deformable mirror disposed in the optical path of the output beam, wherein the deformable mirror has a plurality of configurations for reflecting and altering a wavefront of the output beam, wherein the configuration of the deformable mirror is based on the scan angle of the scanning mirror, and a print bed configured to hold a print material, wherein the output beam is configured to fuse the print material to form a build object.

An irradiation device for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include a beam generation device configured to generate an energy beam, an optical modulator including a micromirror array disposed downstream from the beam generation device, and a focusing lens assembly disposed downstream from the optical modulator. The micromirror array may include a plurality of micromirror elements configured to reflect a corresponding plurality of beam segment of the energy beam along a beam path incident upon the focusing lens assembly. The focusing lens assembly may include one or more lenses configured to focus the plurality of beam segments such that for respective ones of a plurality of modulation groups including a subset of micromirror elements, a corresponding subset of beam segments are focused to at least partially overlap with one another at a combination zone corresponding to the respective modulation group.

Methods and systems for fabricating a component by consolidating a first portion of a particulate include a louvered particulate containment wall positioned around the component and a second portion of the particulate. At least one louver is coupled to the particulate containment wall adjacent at least one opening in the particulate containment wall. The particulate containment wall is positionable between a first position in which the louver prevents the second portion of the particulate from flowing through the passage and a second position in which the second portion of the particulate is able to flow through the passage. The methods include switching the particulate containment wall from the first position to the second position and allowing the second portion of the particulate to flow out of the interior space through the at least one opening.

A tooling assembly and method of aligning a plurality of components for a repair process in an additive manufacturing machine includes positioning the plurality of components such that a repair surface of each of the plurality of components contacts an alignment plate, e.g., under the force of gravity or using biasing members. The method further includes surrounding the alignment plate with containment walls to define a reservoir around the plurality of components and dispensing a fill material, such as wax or a potting material, into the reservoir which is configured for fixing a relative position of the plurality of components when the fill material is solidified.

An additive manufacturing system includes one or more light sources and one or more light valves that can be written with two-dimensional gray scale patterns that the light valves impose on beams from the one or more light sources to obtain one or more patterned beams. The one or more patterned beams are steered to each area of a plurality of areas on a layer of powder. The two-dimensional gray scale patterns are selected to achieve desired material properties at each pixel position of the patterned beam incident on the layer of powder. The light valves may modulate one or more of amplitude, phase, or coherence. The material properties may include one or more of Young's modulus, porosity, grain size, and crystalline microstructure.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece is provided. The apparatus comprises an irradiation unit comprising at least one scanning unit configured to scan a radiation beam over an uppermost layer of raw material powder to predetermined sites of the uppermost layer of the raw material powder in order to solidify the raw material powder at the predetermined sites. An axis corresponding to the radiation beam when it impinges on the uppermost layer of raw material powder at an angle of 90° is defined as a central axis for the scanning unit. The apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to receive work piece data indicative of at least one layer of the three-dimensional work piece to be produced, and assign at least a part of a contour of the layer of the three-dimensional work piece to the at least one scanning unit. According to a first aspect, the control unit is configured to generate control data for controlling the irradiation unit, the control data defining a scan strategy of the radiation beam such that for more than 50% of a predefined length, the radiation beam moves away from the central axis, the predefined length being defined as a length the radiation beam moves along the contour assigned to the at least one scanning unit, excluding sections concentric with regard to the central axis. Further, corresponding methods and computer program products are provided.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece is provided. The apparatus comprises an irradiation unit comprising at least one scanning unit configured to scan a radiation beam over an uppermost layer of raw material powder to predetermined sites of the uppermost layer of the raw material powder in order to solidify the raw material powder at the predetermined sites. An axis corresponding to the radiation beam when it impinges on the uppermost layer of raw material powder at an angle of 90° is defined as a central axis for the scanning unit. The apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to receive work piece data indicative of at least one layer of the three-dimensional work piece to be produced, and assign at least a part of a contour of the layer of the three-dimensional work piece to the at least one scanning unit. According to a first aspect, the control unit is configured to generate control data for controlling the irradiation unit, the control data defining a scan strategy of the radiation beam such that for more than 50% of a predefined length, the radiation beam moves away from the central axis, the predefined length being defined as a length the radiation beam moves along the contour assigned to the at least one scanning unit, excluding sections concentric with regard to the central axis. Further, corresponding methods and computer program products are provided.

A method of monitoring an additive manufacturing apparatus. The method includes receiving one or more sensor signals from the additive manufacturing apparatus during a build of a workpiece, comparing the one or more sensor signals to a corresponding acceptable process variation of a plurality of acceptable process variations and generating a log based upon the comparisons. Each acceptable process variation of the plurality of acceptable process variations is associated with at least one state of progression of the build of the workpiece and the corresponding acceptable process variation is the acceptable process variation associated with the state of progression of the build when the one or more sensor signals are generated.