METHOD FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE APPARATUS FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS
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 ).
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 ).
2 . 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 ).
3 . 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 ).
4 . 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 ).
5 . 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 ).
6 . Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least two adjacent defined beam paths ( 9 ) are at least partially arranged in parallel.
7 . 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 ).
8 . 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.
9 . 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.
10 . Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the defined beam path length ( 11 ) is defined as 1 mm or below 1 mm.
11 . 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 ).
12 . 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 ).
13 . 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 ).
14 . 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.
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.