Method of controlling and/or operating an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects

A method of controlling and/or operating an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the method comprising:

• simulating control and/or operation of at least one functionality of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects using a provisional software product to check at least one pre-defined certification criterion upon which controlling and/or operating the at least one functionality of the apparatus are preconditioned;
• generating a machine-readable software product upon the provisional software product having satisfied the at least one pre-defined certification criterion when simulating control and/or operation of the at least one functionality of the apparatus, the machine-readable software product generated at least in part by modifying the provisional software product based at least in part on a certification key provided to the provisional software product;
• and
• controlling and/or operating the at least one functionality of the apparatus using the machine-readable software product, the provisional software product being unreadable by the apparatus and requiring such modifying when generating the machine-readable software product as a precondition to such controlling and/or operating of the at least one functionality of the apparatus.

A system for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the system comprising:

• a simulator, the simulator configured to simulate control and/or operation of at least one functionality of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects using a provisional software product to check at least one pre-defined certification criterion upon which controlling and/or operating the at least one functionality of the apparatus are preconditioned;
• a certification device, the certification device configured to generate a machine-readable software product upon the provisional software product having satisfied the at least one pre-defined certification criterion when simulating control and/or operation of the at least one functionality of the apparatus, the machine-readable software product generated at least in part by modifying the provisional software product based at least in part on a certification key provided to the provisional software product;
• and
• an additive manufacturing machine, the additive manufacturing machine comprising at least one functionality controllable and/or operable using the machine-readable software product, the provisional software product requiring such modifying in order to be machine-readable by the apparatus to control and/or operate the at least one functionality of the apparatus.

A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor associated with an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, causes the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

• simulating control and/or operation of at least one functionality of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects using a provisional software product to check at least one pre-defined certification criterion upon which controlling and/or operating the at least one functionality of the apparatus are preconditioned;
• generating a machine-readable software product upon the provisional software product having satisfied the at least one pre-defined certification criterion when simulating control and/or operation of the at least one functionality of the apparatus, the machine-readable software product generated at least in part by modifying the provisional software product based at least in part on a certification key provided to the provisional software product;
• and
• controlling and/or operating the at least one functionality of the apparatus using the machine-readable software product, the provisional software product being unreadable by the apparatus and requiring such modifying when generating the machine-readable software product as a precondition to such controlling and/or operating of the at least one functionality of the apparatus.