A method for manufacturing an object, in particular an orthodontic appliance, by a 3D-printing device comprising a supply device for provision of a non-solidified material and means for illumination to solidify a layer of non-solidified material provided by the supply device at least zonally to fabricate the object, characterized by the following steps: a virtual model of the object to be printed is provided for the 3D-printing device, the supply device provides a layer of the non-solidified material, the means for illumination solidify the layer at least zonally, whereby the means for illumination comprises illumination pixels arranged in a grid, preferably with a dimension (between 10 μm and 80 μm, particularly preferred between 30 μm and 50 μm, wherein at least one dimension of the object represented by the virtual model is chosen to be aligned with the dimension of the illumination pixels.

Methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing are described. A method for additive manufacturing may include exposing a layer of material on a build surface to one or more projections of laser energy including at least one line laser having a substantially linear shape. The intensity of the line laser may be modulated so as to cause fusion of the layer of material according to a desired pattern as the one or more projections of laser energy are scanned across the build surface.

Methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing are described. A method for additive manufacturing may include exposing a layer of material on a build surface to one or more projections of laser energy including at least one line laser having a substantially linear shape. The intensity of the line laser may be modulated so as to cause fusion of the layer of material according to a desired pattern as the one or more projections of laser energy are scanned across the build surface.

A method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object may be performed using an irradiation sequence that is based at least in part on a predicted location of one or more fume plumes emitted from the powder material when irradiated by a plurality of energy beams. An exemplary method may include determining, with a computing device, an irradiation sequence for selectively consolidating powder material using an energy beam system of an additive manufacturing machine, and providing control commands, from the computing device to the energy beam system, configured to cause the energy beam system to emit a plurality of energy beams to selectively consolidate the powder material.

A method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object may be performed using an irradiation sequence that is based at least in part on a predicted location of one or more fume plumes emitted from the powder material when irradiated by a plurality of energy beams. An exemplary method may include determining, with a computing device, an irradiation sequence for selectively consolidating powder material using an energy beam system of an additive manufacturing machine, and providing control commands, from the computing device to the energy beam system, configured to cause the energy beam system to emit a plurality of energy beams to selectively consolidate the powder material.

A 3-dimensional shaping apparatus manufactures a 3-dimensional shaped object. The 3-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a beam irradiation unit, a spatial light modulator, a splitting optical system, and a scanning unit. The beam irradiation unit emits a light beam. The spatial light modulator spatially modulates the light beam emitted by the beam irradiation unit at least on the first axis. The splitting optical system includes at least one lens array having a plurality of lenses arranged along the first axis and splits the light beam modulated by the spatial light modulator into a plurality of light beams by the lens array. The scanning unit scans the shaping material with the plurality of light beams from the splitting optical system.

A 3-dimensional shaping apparatus manufactures a 3-dimensional shaped object. The 3-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a beam irradiation unit, a spatial light modulator, a splitting optical system, and a scanning unit. The beam irradiation unit emits a light beam. The spatial light modulator spatially modulates the light beam emitted by the beam irradiation unit at least on the first axis. The splitting optical system includes at least one lens array having a plurality of lenses arranged along the first axis and splits the light beam modulated by the spatial light modulator into a plurality of light beams by the lens array. The scanning unit scans the shaping material with the plurality of light beams from the splitting optical system.

A method of calibrating a laser of an additive manufacturing system involves processing a test pattern with the laser while varying one or more of laser power and/or scan speed. Thermal energy emitted from the resulting meltpool is measured while processing the test pattern. The power of the laser is calculated using a relationship between volumetric energy density and the thermal emissions, and the laser power is adjusted based on the calculated laser power. An additive manufacturing system for performing such a method may include a laser, a thermal sensor configured to measure meltpool thermal emissions, a processor configured to calculate a laser power based on the measured meltpool thermal emissions of the test pattern, and a controller configured to adjust the laser power based on the calculated laser power.

The invention relates to an additive manufacturing method in which a component (10, 42, 43, 44, 45) is produced in layers using an energy beam (8, 41, 58) which solidifies a starting material (4) and is irradiated by energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61) while the starting material (4) is held by a base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) arranged on a base element (2, 16, 29, 35, 51). While the starting material (4) is being irradiated with the energy beam (8, 41, 58), the base element (2, 16, 29, 35, 51) is moved by a rotational component which has a base element rotational axis, wherein the starting material (4) is held on the base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) by a centrifugal acceleration generated by the rotational component. The invention is characterized in that a rotational movement is produced for at least some of the energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61). Analogously, at least one energy beam rotational axis (46) is proposed for rotating at least some of the energy beam irradiating means (9, 22, 31, 38, 39, 55, 59, 61) in an additive manufacturing device in which the starting material (4) is held on a base surface (3, 15, 30, 36, 52) by a centrifugal acceleration.

An additive manufacturing system includes a laser array including a plurality of laser devices. Each laser device of the plurality of laser devices generates an energy beam for forming a melt pool in a powder bed. The additive manufacturing system further includes at least one optical element. The optical element receives at least one of the energy beams and induces a predetermined power diffusion in the at least one energy beam.