EP-4737034-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

Abstract

A method for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects includes generating a laser beam with a laser beam source. A primary laser beam emitted along a beam path is generated using a first polarization direction of the laser beam unmodulated by a modulation device positioned downstream of the laser beam source, and a secondary laser beam emitted along the beam path is generated by modulating a second polarization direction of the laser beam via the modulation device. The primary laser beam and the secondary laser beam are coupled and directed, via a deflection device positioned downstream of the modulation device, onto a powder build material supported by a build platform.

Inventors

• ZIMMERMANN, MAIK
• STEELE, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• EICHENBERG, BORIS
• THOMPSON, BRIAN THOMAS

Assignees

• Concept Laser GmbH
• General Electric Company

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20251024

Claims (15)

1. A method for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the method comprising: generating a laser beam with a laser beam source; generating a primary laser beam emitted along a beam path using a first polarization direction of the laser beam unmodulated by a modulation device positioned downstream of the laser beam source; generating a secondary laser beam 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.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, via an optical polarization management device located downstream of the laser beam source and upstream of the modulation device, a power ratio of the laser beam placed into the first polarization direction or the second polarization direction; optionally further comprising generating, via a controller, one or more control signals for controlling the optical polarization management device.
3. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising shaping one or more of the first polarization direction or the second polarization direction of the laser beam; and/or further comprising modulating, via the modulation device, the second polarization direction to provide at least one of a beam profile or beam intensity distribution of the secondary laser beam for pre-heating the powder build material.
4. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising focusing, via the deflection device, the primary laser beam for melting the powder build material.
5. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising shaping, via a beam shaping device located downstream of the laser beam source and upstream of the modulation device, one or more of the first polarization direction or the second polarization direction of the laser beam.
6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein generating the laser beam with the laser beam source comprises generating the laser beam with a random polarized laser beam source; and/or further comprising generating, via a controller, one or more control signals for controlling the modulation device.
7. 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.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an optical polarization management device located downstream of the laser beam source and upstream of the modulation device, the optical polarization management device configured to modify a power ratio of the laser beam placed into the first polarization direction or the second polarization direction.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical polarization management device comprises a wave plate; and/or further comprising a controller configured to generate one or more control signals for controlling the optical polarization management device.
10. The apparatus of any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the modulation device is configured to modulate the second polarization direction to provide at least one of a beam profile or beam intensity distribution of the secondary laser beam for pre-heating the powder build material.
11. The apparatus of any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the modulation device comprises a spatial light modulator.
12. The apparatus of any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the deflection device is configured to focus the primary laser beam for melting the powder build material.
13. The apparatus of any of claims 7 to 12, further comprising a polarization-dependent beam shaping device located downstream of the laser beam source and upstream of the modulation device; optionally wherein the polarization-dependent beam shaping device is configured to shape the first polarization direction of the laser beam.
14. The apparatus of any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the laser beam source comprises a random polarized laser beam source.
15. 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.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects. BACKGROUND Three-dimensional objects may be additively manufactured using a powder bed fusion process in which an energy or laser beam is directed onto a powder bed to melt and/or sinter sequential layers of powder material. The properties of the three-dimensional object formed by melting and/or fusing the powder material may depend at least in part on one or more characteristics of the energy beam. The laser beam has beam properties defined by one or more laser beam parameter(s) or a beam profile defined by one or more laser beam parameter(s). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended FIGS., in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object in accordance with another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting an example computing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary. As used herein, the terms "first", "second", and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. As used herein, the terms "primary" and "secondary" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative direction with respect to an energy or laser beam along an optical pathway. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the laser beam originates or emanates, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the laser beam is propagating. The terms "coupled," "fixed," "attached to," and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrases "from X to Y" and "between X and Y" each refers to a range of values inclusive of the endpoints (e.g., refers to a range of values that includes both X and Y). Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as "about", "approximately", and "substantially", are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, or 20 percent margin. These approximating margins may apply to a single value, either or both endpoints defining numerical ranges, and/or the margin for ranges between endpoints. As described herein, the presently disclosed subject matter involves the use of additive manufacturing machines or systems. As used herein, the term "addit