Method and device in particular for generatively producing and coding a three-dimensional component

A method for producing and coding a three-dimensional component, comprising:

• providing a metal starting material;
• supplying a process gas to the starting material;
• melting the starting material with a heat source;
• and
• repeating the above steps until completion of the three-dimensional component,
• wherein, during at least at a predetermined time interval of the melting of the starting material, a gaseous coding component is added to the starting material and the coding component is integrated into the three-dimensional component such that the coding component is detectable in the three-dimensional component and the three-dimensional component is thereby coded, and
• wherein the gaseous coding component comprises at least one isotope of at least one gas, and content of the at least one isotope is changed in comparison to a naturally occurring content of the at least one isotope in the at least one gas,
• said method further comprising logging information about the coding component.