Apparatus for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020903-B2
Application number	US-201715789352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects (2) by successive, selective layer-by-layer exposure and thus solidification of construction material layers of a construction material (3) that can be solidified by means of a laser beam (5) generated by a laser beam generation device (4), comprising:—a laser beam generation device (4) provided for generating a laser beam (5) with beam properties defined by at least one laser beam parameter, especially a beam profile defined by at least one laser beam parameter;—a modulation device (9) assigned to the laser beam generation device (4) provided for purposefully changing at least one laser beam parameter that influences the beam properties, especially the beam profile, of the laser beam (5) generated by the laser beam generation device (4) on the basis of a target value that is or can be specified, especially by a user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the device comprising:
a laser beam generation device provided for generating a laser beam with beam properties defined by at least one laser beam parameter;
a collimating device disposed downstream of the laser beam generation device;
an optical mirror device disposed downstream of the collimating device; and,
a modulation device disposed between the collimating device and the optical mirror device such that the laser beam generated by the laser beam generation device reaches the modulation device before the optical mirror device;
wherein the modulation device is assigned to the laser beam generation device provided for purposefully changing at least one laser beam parameter that influences the beam properties of the laser beam generated by the laser beam generation device on the basis of a target value that is or can be specified.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulation device comprises a plurality of optical modulation elements that are or can be connected to the beam path of the laser beam generated by the laser beam generation device, provided for influencing at least one laser beam parameter that influences the beam properties of at least one beam fraction of the laser beam generated by the laser beam generation device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical modulation elements are arranged or formed in at least one row and/or column.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical modulation elements are switchable individually or in groups to a state that allows for influencing the at least one laser beam parameter that influences the beam properties of the laser beam.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical modulation element is formed as or at least comprises a liquid crystal element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulation device is formed as or comprises a spatial light modulator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collimating device comprises at least one collimating lens.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulation device is optically connected downstream of the laser beam generation device, wherein an optical mirror device, a first lens device, a spatial filter device, another lens device, and a Fourier lens device, are connected downstream of the modulation device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a beam deflection device, which is provided for deflecting the laser beam to a construction material layer to be exposed selectively, is connected downstream of the modulation device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam parameter that can be changed purposefully via the modulation device and influences the beam properties comprises:
the amplitude of the laser beam, wherein the modulation device is provided for changing the amplitude of the laser beam, and/or
the phase of the laser beam, wherein the modulation device is provided for changing the phase of the laser beam, and/or
the polarization of the laser beam, wherein the modulation device is provided for changing the polarization of the laser beam.

Assignees

• Cl Schutzrechtsverwaltungs Gmbh
• Concept Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Herzog Frank
• Bechmann Florian
• Stark Markus

Classifications

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F10/36

  of energy beam parameters · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B23K26/0626

  Energy control of the laser beam (B23K26/0622 takes precedence) · CPC title