Reducing surface defects for multi-laser pbf-l

A method of making a component using multi-laser powder bed fusion (PBF-L) additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, comprising the steps of:

• distributing, with a build powder distributor and a recoater, an active layer of build powder onto a build powder bed on a build platform;
• directing a laser beam from a first laser source onto a first scan area of the build powder bed to melt the active layer of build powder within the first scan area;
• directing a laser beam from a second laser source onto a second scan area of the build powder bed to melt the active layer of build powder within the second scan area;
• providing a dwell time to permit the active layer of build powder to resolidify;
• lowering the build powder platform to permit distribution of another active layer of build powder over a resolidified active layer of build powder;
• distributing, with a build powder distributor and a recoater, another active layer of build powder onto the build powder bed on the build platform;
• repeating the steps recited above a preselected number of times to deposit, melt, and solidify sufficient layers of build powder to form the component;
• wherein the first scan area is adjacent to the second scan area and the first scan area and second scan area overlap each other at an overlap point in an overlap zone;
• wherein the steps of directing a laser beam from a first laser source and directing a laser beam from a second laser source are performed concurrently;
• and
• wherein the overlap point for each succeeding active layer of build powder is different than the overlap point for the preceding active layer.