Method and device for generating control data for an additive manufacturing device
AssigneeEOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
InventorPeter Holfelder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and device for generating additive manufacturing control data. The control data are generated such that the energy beam has an intensity distribution, at the area of incidence on the build field, in a see tion plane running perpendicularly to the beam axis of the energy beam, which intensity distribution has at least one local minimum in a middle region along at least one secant of the intensity distribution in the section plane and has an intensity profile curve, running along the edge of the intensity distribution, which intensity profile curve has, at least at one point, a maximum value, and, at least at one point in a region opposite the maximum value on the intensity profile curve, a minimum value.
Claims21
A method for generating control data for an additive manufacturing process performed by an additive manufacturing device in which a build-up material is irradiated with at least one energy beam on a build field, the method comprising:
- providing a beam spot using the at least one energy beam that has an interior spot area and a perimeter surrounding that interior spot area, the beam spot being moved about a surface of the build field by the control data;
- defining an intensity distribution of the beam spot at a region of incidence of the beam spot on the build field in a section plane running perpendicularly to a beam axis of the energy beam, wherein the intensity distribution includes:
- at least one local minimum in a middle region of an area of the beam spot along at least one secant of the intensity distribution in the section plane;
- an intensity profile curve running along an edge of the intensity distribution and around the perimeter of the beam spot, the intensity profile curve having a maximum value at one point, and, at least a minimum value at another point opposite the maximum value on the intensity profile curve;
- and
- an intensity on the intensity profile curve running along the edge is, at any point, higher than the at least one local minimum in a middle of the intensity distribution.
A control data generation device for generating control data for an additive manufacturing apparatus performed by an additive manufacturing device in which build-up material is irradiated with at least one energy beam on a build field, the control data generation device comprising:
- providing a beam spot using the at least one energy beam that has an interior spot area and a perimeter surrounding that interior spot area, the beam spot being moved about a surface of the build field by the control data
- a computer-readable medium storing instructions;
- and
- a processor that executes the instructions to perform the following steps:
- defining an intensity distribution of the beam spot at a region of incidence of the beam spot on the build field in a section plane running perpendicularly to a beam axis of the energy beam, wherein the intensity distribution includes:
- at least one local minimum in a middle of an area of the beam spot along any secant of the intensity distribution in the section plane;
- an intensity profile curve running along an edge of the intensity distribution and around the beam spot perimeter, the perimeter of the beam spot having a radial width relative to an axis of the beam spot, the intensity profile curve having, at least at one point, a maximum value, and, at least at another point opposite the maximum value on the intensity profile curve, a minimum value;
- and
- an intensity on the intensity profile curve of the beam spot perimeter and running along the edge is, at any point, higher than the local minimum in a middle of the area of the beam spot of the intensity distribution.
A method for operating an additive manufacturing system having at least one energy beam generating a beam spot, the beam spot being controlled to impinge upon a build surface to solidify build material in consecutive layers of an object according to consecutive cross-sections of the object, further comprising;
- forming the beam spot with an interior area surround by a beam spot perimeter;
- and
- controlling a power intensity profile for the beam spot with the interior area surrounded by the beam spot perimeter having a lower power intensity than a perimeter power intensity maintained around the beam spot perimeter, the power intensity profile having a maximum value at one point and a minimum value at another point opposite the maximum value on the power intensity profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.