# US 2019/0315053 A1 · Method for operating at least one apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0315053 A1 - Document ID: US20190315053A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/275,262 - Filed: 2019-02-13 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13 - Assignees: Concept Laser GmbH - Applicants: Concept Laser GmbH - Inventors: Timo VOIGT; Jürgen WERNER; Stefan BRÜSCHKE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190315053A1 ## CPC - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters - B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding} - B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)} - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 12/70: Gas flow means - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## 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 ### Claim 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). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two adjacent defined beam paths (9) are at least partially arranged in parallel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defined beam path length (11) is defined as 1 mm or below 1 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) 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). ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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.