Apparatus and method for additive manufacturing three-dimensional objects

An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising:

• a build platform configured to support a powder build material;
• a laser beam source configured to generate a laser beam;
• a modulation device disposed downstream of the laser beam source, the modulation device configured to generate a primary laser beam emitted along a beam path using a first polarization direction of the laser beam unmodulated by the modulation device, the modulation device configured to modulate a second polarization direction of the laser beam to generate a secondary laser beam emitted along the beam path;
• and
• a deflection device located downstream of the modulation device configured to couple and direct the primary laser beam and the secondary laser beam onto the powder build material.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor associated with an additive manufacturing machine, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• generating a laser beam with a laser beam source;
• and
• generating a primary laser beam from the laser beam, via a modulation device positioned downstream of the laser beam source, emitted along a beam path using a first polarization direction of the laser beam unmodulated by the modulation device;
• generating a secondary laser beam from the laser beam, via the modulation device, emitted along the beam path by modulating a second polarization direction of the laser beam via the modulation device;
• and
• coupling and directing, via a deflection device positioned downstream of the modulation device, the primary laser beam and the secondary laser beam onto a powder build material supported by a build platform.