Methods for detecting a working area of a generative manufacturing device and manufacturing devices for generatively manufacturing components from a powder material

A manufacturing device for generatively manufacturing a component from a powder material, comprising:

• a beam device arranged to generate an optical working beam to generatively manufacture the component from the powder material using the optical working beam;
• a working area arranged to support generatively manufacturing the component from the powder material upon the working area;
• a single scanner arranged to scan the optical working beam across all or a portion or portions of the working area;
• a light detector arranged to detect remitted light of the optical working beam traveling along an optical axis of the optical working beam, wherein the light detector is arranged on the optical axis of the optical working beam;
• and
• a control device arranged
• to control the single scanner for scanning the optical working beam in the working area to detect location-dependent signal values of the light detector during the scan of the optical working beam,
• to assign a signal value of the light detection to each location of the scan of the optical working beam in the working area, wherein the signal value of the remitted light detected by the light detector is detected in a spatially resolved manner in that an output signal of the light detector is assigned in a time-dependent manner to a synchronous state of the single scanner for scanning the optical working beam to obtain an image of a preform in the working area upon which the component is to be generatively built up from the powder material within the working area, from the location-dependent detected signal values, wherein the preform includes at least one notch on or in a surface of the preform, and wherein the notch is filled with a working powder of the generative manufacturing device as a marking on the surface of the preform, and
• to evaluate the image to analyze or monitor the preform in a coordinate system of the optical working beam or a coordinate system of the single scanner used to scan the optical working beam, wherein evaluating the image comprises determining a position of the preform within the working area based on at least one edge of the preform recognizable in the image;
• and
• to control the single scanner to generatively build the component upon the preform in the working area;
• wherein
• the control device is arranged to operate the optical working beam for detecting the working area with an optical output power that is reduced compared to a lower power limit for the optical output power of the optical working beam for generative manufacturing.