SELECTIVE LASER SOLIDIFICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD
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Accused Products
Abstract
A selective laser solidification apparatus including; a powder bed onto which powder layers can be deposited, at least one laser module for generating a plurality of laser beams for solidifying the powder material deposited onto the powder bed, a laser scanner for individually steering each laser beam to solidify separate areas in each powder layer, and a processing unit. A scanning zone for each laser beam is defined by the locations on the powder bed to which the laser beam can be steered by the laser scanner. The laser scanner is arranged such that each scanning zone is less than the total area of powder bed and at least two of the scanning zones overlap. The processing unit is arranged for selecting, for at least one powder layers, which laser beam to use to scan an area of the powder layer located within a region wherein the scanning zones overlap.
203 Citations
46 Claims
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1-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. A selective laser solidification apparatus, comprising;
- a build platform for supporting a powder bed onto which powder layers can be deposited, at least one laser module for generating a plurality of laser beams for solidifying the powder material deposited onto the powder bed, a laser scanner for individually steering each laser beam to solidify separate areas in each powder layer, a scanning zone for each laser beam defined by the locations on the powder bed to which the laser beam can be steered by the laser scanner, the laser scanner arranged such that each scanning zone is less than the total area of the powder bed and at least two of the scanning zones overlap, and a processing unit arranged to select, for at least one of the powder layers, which one of the laser beams to use to solidify an area of the powder layer located within a region in which the scanning zones overlap.
- View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 38)
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33. A method of selecting which one of a plurality of laser beams to use to solidify an area of a powder layer in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein each laser beam is individually steered to solidify separate areas in each powder layer, a scanning zone for each laser beam defined by the locations on the powder bed to which the laser beam can be steered, each scanning zone being less than the total area of the powder bed and the scanning zones for at least two of the laser beams overlapping, the method comprising selecting, for at least one of the powder layers, which one of the laser beams to use to solidify an area of the powder layer located within a region in which the scanning zones of the laser beams overlap.
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34. A selective laser solidification apparatus, comprising;
- a build platform for supporting a powder bed onto which powder layers can be deposited, at least one laser module for generating a plurality of laser beams for solidifying the powder material deposited onto the powder bed, a laser scanner for individually steering each laser beam to solidify separate areas in each powder layer and a processing unit arranged to select a location in the powder bed of an object or objects being built based on how scanning of the object or objects is divided between the plurality of laser beams.
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35. A method of selecting which one of a plurality of laser beams to use to solidify an area of an object in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein each laser beam is individually steered to solidify separate areas in each powder layer, the method comprising selecting a location in the powder bed of an object or objects being built based on how scanning of the object or objects is divided between the plurality of lasers.
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36. A selective laser solidification apparatus, comprising;
- a build platform for supporting a powder bed onto which powder layers can be deposited, at least one laser module for generating a plurality of laser beams for solidifying the powder material deposited onto the powder bed, a laser scanner for individually steering each laser beam from spaced apart locations onto each powder layer, a scanning zone for each laser beam defined by the locations on the powder bed to which the laser beam can be steered by the laser scanner, the laser scanners arranged such that at least two of the scanning zones overlap or are coterminous, and a processing unit arranged to select, for at least one of the powder layers, which one of the laser beams to use to solidify a point on the powder layer in a region of the powder layer in which the scanning zones overlap/are coterminous based upon a parameter indicative of an angle of the laser beam to the powder layer when scanning the point.
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37. A method of selecting which one of a plurality of laser beams to use to solidify a point on a powder layer in selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein each laser beam is individually steered from spaced apart locations onto each powder layer, a scanning zone for each laser beam defined by the locations on the powder bed to which the laser beam can be steered by the laser scanner, the laser scanners arranged such that at least two of the scanning zones overlap or are coterminous, the method comprising selecting, for at least one of the powder layers, which one of the laser beams to use to solidify a point on the powder layer in a region of the powder layer in which the scanning zones overlap/are coterminous based upon a parameter indicative of an angle of the laser beam to the powder layer when scanning the point.
- 39. A selective laser solidification apparatus, comprising a build chamber having a window, a build platform for supporting a powder bed located within the build chamber onto which powder layers can be deposited, at least one laser module for generating a plurality of laser beams for solidifying the powder material deposited onto the powder bed, a laser scanner for individually steering each laser beam through the window to solidify separate areas of each powder layer
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42. A method for controlling a selective laser solidification apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object comprising a plurality of laser modules, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a first irradiation area and a second irradiation area as well as an overlap area arranged between the first and the second irradiation area on a layer of powder material supported by a build platform, assigning a first laser module of the plurality of laser modules to the first irradiation area and the overlap area, assigning a second laser module of the plurality of laser modules to the second irradiation area and the overlap area, determining a section of a scanning pattern and/or a contour scan along which laser beams emitted by the plurality of laser modules are to be guided over the layer to form the object that extends into the overlap area, splitting said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour, which is located in the overlap area arranged between the first and second irradiation areas, into a first portion and a second portion,— assigning the first portion of said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour to the first laser module, and assigning the second portion of said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour to the second laser module. - View Dependent Claims (43, 46)
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44. A selective laser solidification apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object comprising
a plurality of laser modules, a build platform for supporting a layer of powder material, a processor unit arranged to define a first irradiation area and a second irradiation area as well as an overlap area arranged between the first and the second irradiation area on a layer of powder material supported on the build platform, assign a first laser module of the plurality of laser modules to the first irradiation area and the overlap area, and to assign a second laser module of the plurality of laser modules to the second irradiation area and the overlap area,-determine a section of a scanning pattern and/or a contour scan along which laser beams emitted by the laser modules are to be guided over the layer to form the three-dimensional object that extends into the overlap area, to split said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour, which is located in the overlap area, into a first portion and a second portion, and to assign the first portion of said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour to the first laser module and to assign the second portion of said section of the scanning pattern and/or said contour to the second laser module.
Specification