METHOD FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE APPARATUS FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

Abstract

Method for operating at least one 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 at least one energy beam (4), wherein the energy beam (4) can be guided along at least one defined beam path (9) arranged in a build plane (6) to irradiate build material (3), wherein dependent on at least one parameter relating to a length of the at least one defined beam path (9) and/or relating to a geometry of at least one region (10, 13) of at least one layer to be irradiated, the energy beam (4) is guided along the defined beam path (9) or along a substitute beam path (12).

Claims

1. Method for operating at least one 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 at least one energy beam (4), wherein the energy beam (4) can be guided along at least one defined beam path (9) arranged in a build plane (6) to irradiate build material (3), characterized in that dependent on at least one parameter relating to a length of the at least one defined beam path (9) and/or relating to a geometry of at least one region (10, 13) of at least one layer to be irradiated, the energy beam (4) is guided along the defined beam path (9) or along a substitute beam path (12).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that dependent on a beam path length of at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) the at least one energy beam (4) is guided along the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) or the energy beam (4) is guided along a substitute beam path (12), wherein the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) and the substitute beam path (12) are assigned to the same region (10, 13) of the build plane (6).

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the energy beam (4) is guided along the substitute beam path (12), if the beam path lengths of the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) falls below or matches a defined beam path length (11).

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the substitute beam path (12) extends through a defined point, in particular the center (14), of the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9).

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the substitute beam path (12) connects the centers (14) of the at least two, in particular of multiple, adjacent defined beam paths (9).

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) are at least partially arranged in parallel.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one defined beam path (9) and the substitute beam path (12) enclose a defined angle (15).

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defined beam path length (11) is defined dependent on a physical and/or chemical parameter of the build material (3) and/or an object parameter of the object (2) to be built.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defined beam path length (11) is defined dependent on at least one process parameter relating to the manufacturing process, in particular relating to the irradiation of build material, preferably the power and/or the intensity of the energy source and/or a scan speed of the energy source and/or the spot size of the energy source.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defined beam path length (11) is defined as 1 mm or below 1 mm.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defined beam path length (11) is defined dependent on an actual and/or nominal spot size of the energy beam (4).

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one energy beam (4) is guided along the substitute beam path (12), if the beam path lengths of a defined number of adjacent defined beam paths (9) fall below the defined beam path length (11), in particular more than two adjacent defined beam paths (9), preferably at least five adjacent defined beam paths (9).

13. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one energy beam (4) is guided along the substitute beam path (12) or the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) dependent on a distance (16) between two adjacent defined beam paths (9).

14. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) are defined dependent on object data, in particular three-dimensional data of the object.

15. 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 at least one energy beam (4), wherein the energy beam (4) can be guided along at least one beam path arranged in a build plane (6) to irradiate build material (3), characterized in that an irradiation device is adapted to guide the at least one energy beam (4) along the defined beam path (9) or along a substitute beam path (12) dependent on at least one parameter relating to a length of the at least one defined beam path (9) and/or relating to a geometry of at least one region (10, 13) of at least one layer to be irradiated.

Description

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the Fig. The sole Fig. are schematic diagrams, wherein

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an inventive apparatus; and

[0035] FIG. 2 shows an irradiation pattern that is to be irradiated in an inventive apparatus, preferably using the inventive method.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows 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 at least one energy beam 4, such as a laser beam or an electron beam. The energy beam 4 is guided via an irradiation device 5 in a build plane 6 to selectively irradiate the build material 3 and thereby generate the object 2.

[0037] Further a control unit 7 is provided which receives the object data of the object 2 to be built and therefore, generates slice data defining several layers of build material 3 that are arranged in the build plane 6, in particular that relate to the application of build material 3 in the build plane 6. Further the control unit 7 may generate irradiation data corresponding to an irradiation pattern the irradiation device 5 has to generate in the build plane 6 for each layer of build material 3.

[0038] The irradiation data particularly comprise at least one defined beam path the energy beam 4 is guided along to irradiate the build material 3 corresponding to the irradiation pattern. The control unit 7 may also be deemed as part of the irradiation device 5.

[0039] For example, an application unit (not shown) applies layer of build material 3 in the build plane 6. Corresponding to the irradiation data the irradiation device 5 guides the energy beam 4 a long a defined beam path 9 to irradiate the build material, as will be described with respect to FIG. 2 below.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an irradiation pattern 8 comprising five defined beam paths 9 that are arranged in parallel (optional). By guiding the energy beam 4 along the energy beam paths 9, a respective region 10 of the build plane 6, in particular a part of a layer of an object 2, is irradiated and thereby consolidated. FIG. 2 further shows that a defined beam path length 11 may be defined, for example via the control unit 7 or stored in the control unit 7, wherein, if a beam path length of one of the energy beam paths 9, preferably at least two adjacent energy beam paths 9, falls below or matches the defined beam path length 11, a substitute beam path 12 can be used to guide the energy beam 4 along. As the defined beam paths 9 are longer than the defined beam path length 11, the energy beam 4 is guided along the energy beam paths 9 in the region 10.

[0041] FIG. 2 further shows another region 13 in which the beam path lengths of the defined beam paths 9 are below the defined beam path length 11. Thus, a substitute beam path 12 is defined and the region 13 is irradiated by guiding the energy beam 4 along the substitute beam path 12. Hence, the substitute beam path 12 assigned to the region 13 irradiates the region 13 the defined beam paths 9 are assigned to. Hence, the substitute beam path 12 is assigned and covers the same region 13 as the defined beam paths 9. The region 13 corresponds to, for example, a filigree section or a fine structure of the object 2 that is built in the additive manufacturing process.

[0042] The defined beam path length 11 can for example be defined dependent on a material parameter of the build material 3, in particular physical parameter and/or a chemical parameter of the build material 3. It is also possible to define the defined beam path length 11 dependent on a geometrical parameter, in particular a parameter of the object 2, for example defining the shape of the regions 10, 13. Hence, the control unit 7 may for example utilize an algorithm that is suitable for determining whether the respective region 10, 13 has to be irradiated by guiding the energy beam 4 along the defined beam paths 9 or along the substitute beam path 12.

[0043] FIG. 2 further shows that the substitute beam path 12 extends through the centers 14 of the defined beam paths 9, wherein the substitute beam path 12 and the defined beam paths 9 enclose an angle 15. It is also possible to control the energy beam 4, in particular guide the energy beam 4 along the defined beam paths 9 or along the substitute beam path 12 dependent on a distance 16 between at least two defined beam paths 9.

[0044] Of course, the inventive method may be performed on the inventive apparatus 1.