DE102020131032A1 - Process for displacing a continuous energy beam and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method for displacing a continuous energy beam (5) along an irradiation path (101) formed by a sequence of beam positions (17), the irradiation path (101) is provided to apply a powder material (2nd ) to solidify in a powder layer. In the process, the continuous energy beam (5) is radiated onto the powder material (2) in order to form a layer of a component (4) as part of an additive manufacturing process. Furthermore, the energy beam (5) is shifted within the working area (9) by superimposing an optical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a deflection device (13) and a mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a scanner device (7). The mechanical deflection is designed to position the energy beam (5) at a plurality of irradiation positions (11) arranged in the working area (9), the irradiation positions (11) essentially spanning the working area (9). The optical deflection is designed to deflect the energy beam (5) around each of the irradiation positions (11) within a beam region (15) to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17). The optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are changed simultaneously or sequentially in order to scan the sequence of beam positions (17) with the energy beam (5).

Description

The present invention relates to methods for displacing a continuous beam of energy along a radiation path formed by a sequence of beam positions. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for the additive manufacturing of components from a powder material.

The laser-based additive (also generative) manufacturing of, in particular metallic or ceramic, components is based on solidifying a starting material in powder form by irradiating it with laser light. When additively manufacturing components from a powder material, an energy beam such as a laser beam is typically displaced to predetermined irradiation positions of a work area—in particular along a predetermined irradiation path—in order to locally solidify powder material arranged in the work area. In particular, this is repeated layer by layer in powder material layers arranged one after the other in the working area, in order finally to obtain a three-dimensional component made of solidified powder material.

Additive manufacturing processes are also known as powder bed-based processes for manufacturing components in a powder bed, selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, laser metal fusion (laser metal fusion - LMF), direct metal laser melting (direct metal laser melting - DMLM). ), Laser Net Shaping Manufacturing (LNSM), and Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS). The manufacturing device disclosed herein is accordingly set up in particular for carrying out at least one of the aforementioned additive manufacturing methods.

The concepts disclosed herein can be used in machines for (metallic) 3D printing, among other things. An exemplary machine for the production of three-dimensional products is in EP 2 732 890 A1 disclosed. The advantages of additive (generative) manufacturing are generally the simple manufacture of complex and individually producible components. In particular, defined structures in the interior and/or structures optimized for the flow of forces can be implemented.

In the interaction of the energy beam with the powder material, parameters such as intensity/energy, beam diameter, scanning speed, dwell time at one location and, on the part of the powder material type, parameters such as grain size distribution and chemical composition enter into the energy beam. Furthermore, with regard to the energy input, thermal parameters that result from the environment of the interaction zone, among other things, also have an impact. Thus, already solidified areas of already created layers of the component as well as already solidified areas of the same layer adjoining the interaction zone dissipate the introduced heat better than unfused (or not yet) powder material that is under a structure of the component or in the same layer can be located. If powder material is overheated, droplets can detach/splash from the melt, which can adversely affect product quality and the manufacturing process in general.

One aspect of this disclosure is based on the task of enabling irradiation concepts and in particular irradiation paths that go beyond the limitations of a conventional scanner device. In particular, overheating of the melted powder should be avoided, regardless of the course of the irradiation path, and this should also be ensured as far as possible when high energies are introduced. Furthermore, an object is to specify a method for the flexibly adjustable displacement of a continuous energy beam along a radiation path and a device for the additive manufacturing of components from a powder material for the implementation of such methods.

At least one of these objects is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a production device according to claim 21. Further developments are specified in the dependent claims.

• - Einstrahlen des kontinuierlichen Energiestrahls auf das Pulvermaterial, um im Rahmen eines additiven Fertigungsverfahrens eine Schicht eines Bauteils zu formen; und
• - Verlagern des Energiestrahls innerhalb des Arbeitsbereichs durch ein Überlagern einer optischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls mit einer Ablenkeinrichtung und einer mechanischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls mit einer Scannereinrichtung, wobei
  • - die mechanische Ablenkung dazu ausgebildet ist, den Energiestrahl an einer Mehrzahl von im Arbeitsbereich angeordneten Bestrahlungspositionen zu positionieren, wobei die Bestrahlungspositionen den Arbeitsbereich im Wesentlichen aufspannen, und
  • - die optische Ablenkung dazu ausgebildet ist, den Energiestrahl um jede der Bestrahlungspositionen innerhalb eines Strahlbereichs auf mindestens eine Strahlposition

der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen abzulenken.One aspect relates to a method for displacing a continuous energy beam along an irradiation path formed by a sequence of beam positions, which is intended to solidify a powder material in a powder layer in a work area of a production facility. The procedure includes the steps:

• - irradiating the continuous energy beam onto the powder material in order to form a layer of a component as part of an additive manufacturing process; and
• - Relocating the energy beam within the work area by superimposing an optical deflection of the energy beam with a deflection device and a mechanical deflection of the energy beam with a scanner device, wherein
  • - the mechanical deflection is designed to position the energy beam at a plurality of irradiation positions arranged in the work area, the irradiation positions essentially spanning the work area, and
  • - The optical deflection is designed to the energy beam to each of the Bereisungspo positions within a beam area to at least one beam position

the sequence of beam positions.

The optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are changed simultaneously or sequentially to scan the sequence of beam positions with the energy beam.

• - eine Strahlerzeugungseinrichtung, die eingerichtet ist zum Erzeugen eines kontinuierlichen Energiestrahls zum Bestrahlen des Pulvermaterials,
• - eine Scannereinrichtung, die für eine mechanische Ablenkung eingerichtet ist, um den Energiestrahl an einer Mehrzahl von Bestrahlungspositionen zu positionieren, wobei die Bestrahlungspositionen den Arbeitsbereich im Wesentlichen aufspannen,
• - eine Ablenkeinrichtung, die für eine optische Ablenkung eingerichtet ist, den Energiestrahl um jede der Bestrahlungspositionen innerhalb eines Strahlbereichs auf mindestens eine Strahlposition der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen abzulenken, und
• - eine Steuereinrichtung, die mit der Scannereinrichtung und der Ablenkeinrichtung wirkverbunden und eingerichtet ist, um die Ablenkeinrichtung und die Scannereinrichtung derart anzusteuern, dass die optische Ablenkung und die mechanische Ablenkung zeitgleich oder aufeinanderfolgend verändert werden, um mit dem kontinuierlichen Energiestrahl einen durch eine Abfolge der Strahlpositionen ausgebildeten Bestrahlungspfad, der dazu vorgesehen ist, im Arbeitsbereich das Pulvermaterial in einer Pulverschicht zu verfestigen, abzutasten.

In a further aspect, a manufacturing device for additively manufacturing a component from a powder material, which is provided in a work area, has:

• - a beam generating device that is set up to generate a continuous energy beam for irradiating the powder material,
• - a scanner device which is set up for mechanical deflection in order to position the energy beam at a plurality of irradiation positions, the irradiation positions essentially spanning the working area,
• - a deflection device, which is set up for an optical deflection, to deflect the energy beam around each of the irradiation positions within a beam area to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions, and
• - a control device, which is operatively connected to the scanner device and the deflection device and is set up to control the deflection device and the scanner device in such a way that the optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are changed simultaneously or sequentially in order to use the continuous energy beam to create a sequence of beam positions trained irradiation path, which is intended to solidify the powder material in a powder layer in the work area to scan.

In some developments of the method, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the changing of the optical deflection and the changing of the mechanical deflection take place at the same time in such a way that the sequence of beam positions is carried out at a specified speed or in a target speed range around the specified speed is scanned. In particular, a scanning speed of the mechanical deflection, which can optionally be limited in terms of adjustability by a mass inertia parameter of a moving component of the scanner device (e.g. a deflection mirror of a galvo scanner), can be taken into account when changing the optical deflection and when changing the mechanical deflection.

In some developments of the method, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam at least partially compensates for a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam in a direction transverse to the irradiation path, so that the irradiation path changes from a sequence of with the scanner device set irradiation positions. Optionally, the optical deflection of the energy beam can have a component in the direction of the radiation path, so that in particular a speed at which the sequence of beam positions in a segment of the radiation path is scanned is constant or remains in a target speed range around a predefined speed.

In some developments of the method, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam in at least a first direction at least partially compensate each other. Additionally or alternatively, a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam can add up in at least a second direction.

In some developments of the method, the irradiation path can include a curved segment. Accordingly, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the energy beam is continuously displaced along the curved segment. In particular, the mechanical deflection can be changed continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed. Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical deflection can bring about a sequence of irradiation positions set with the scanner device, which is arranged on a curved scan path, with a curvature of the scan path being less than a curvature of the curved segment.

In some developments of the method, the radiation path can include two, in particular linear, radiation path segments that together form a radiation path corner. Accordingly, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the energy beam is continuously displaced along each of the irradiation path segments. In particular, the energy beam along at least one of the two Irradiation paths ments are shifted in the direction of the radiation path corner. Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical deflection can be changed continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed. Furthermore, additionally or alternatively, the mechanical deflection can bring about a sequence of irradiation positions set with the scanner device, which is arranged on a curved scanning path.

In some developments of the method, the radiation path can include two, in particular linear, radiation path segments that together form a radiation path corner, each of which includes a subsequence of beam positions. Accordingly, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the energy beam is shifted alternately to at least one beam position of the subsequence of a first of the radiation path segments and at least one beam position of the subsequence of a second of the radiation path segments. In particular, the mechanical deflection can be changed continuously, optionally with a varying scan speed, and/or the mechanical deflection can cause a sequence of irradiation positions set with the scanner device, which is arranged on a curved scan path. Alternatively or additionally, the shifting with the optical deflection between the sub-sequences can take place abruptly.

In some developments of the method, the scanner device can scan a sequence of irradiation positions with a constant, optionally with a varying, scanning speed.

In some developments of the method, the irradiation path can comprise a subsequence of beam positions, the positions of which lie within an associated beam region of the deflection device when the mechanical deflection is fixed at an irradiation position in the working area. Accordingly, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the sub-sequence is scanned only by changing the optical deflection while the mechanical deflection is fixed.

In some developments of the method, the sub-sequence of beam positions can form a series of parallel, in particular linear, scan vectors, and a length of each of the scan vectors can be less than or equal to an extent of the beam area of the deflection device in the direction of the respective scan vector.

• - jede der Mehrzahl von Unterabfolgen nur durch eine Veränderung der optischen Ablenkung bei fixierter mechanischer Ablenkung abgetastet wird und
• - zwischen dem Abtasten von zwei Unterabfolgen der Mehrzahl von Unterabfolgen die mechanische Ablenkung von einer Bestrahlungsposition zu einer anderen Bestrahlungsposition verändert wird.

In some developments of the method, the irradiation path can comprise a plurality of sub-sequences of beam positions whose positions lie within a beam range of the deflection device when the mechanical deflection is fixed in the working area at an irradiation position belonging to a sub-sequence. Accordingly, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that

• - each of the plurality of subsequences is scanned only by a variation of the optical deflection with the mechanical deflection fixed, and
• - between the scanning of two subsequences of the plurality of subsequences, the mechanical deflection is changed from one irradiation position to another irradiation position.

In some developments of the method, the irradiation path can also include a sub-sequence of beam positions that are assumed by changing the mechanical deflection with a fixed or varying optical deflection.

In some developments of the method, the deflection device and the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the speed at which a sequence of spatially adjacent beam positions is scanned is independent of whether one of the beam positions in the sequence of spatially adjacent beam positions is changed by changing the optical deflection and/or changing the mechanical deflection.

In some developments of the method, the deflection device can comprise an optical, in particular transparent, material such as a crystal in a passage region provided for the energy beam, which material has optical properties that can be set to bring about the optical deflection.

• - Anregen einer akustischen Welle mit einer akustischen Wellenlänge im optischen Material zur Ausbildung eines akusto-optischen Beugungsgitters,
• - Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls auf den Durchtrittsbereich,
• - Beugen des Energiestrahls am akusto-optischen Beugungsgitter zu einem großen Teil, insbesondere zu mindestens 80 % und bevorzugt zu mindestens 90 %, unter einem Beugungswinkel in eine erste Beugungsordnung,
• - Führen des gebeugten Energiestrahls an eine erste der Strahlpositionen (17), und
• - Verändern der optischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls durch Ändern der akustischen Wellenlänge. Dabei kann das Ändern der akustischen Wellenlänge den Beugungswinkel der ersten Beugungsordnung derart ändern, dass der gebeugte Energiestrahls an eine zweite der Strahlpositionen geführt wird. Insbesondere kann die akustische Wellenlänge schrittweise um eine

In some developments, the method can also include:

• - Excitation of an acoustic wave with an acoustic wavelength in the optical material to form an acousto-optical diffraction grating,
• - Radiation of the energy beam onto the passage area,
• - Bending the energy beam at the acousto-optic diffraction grating to a large extent, in particular at least 80% and before pulls at least 90%, under a diffraction angle in a first diffraction order,
• - guiding the diffracted energy beam to a first of the beam positions (17), and
• - Changing the optical deflection of the energy beam by changing the acoustic wavelength. In this case, changing the acoustic wavelength can change the diffraction angle of the first diffraction order in such a way that the diffracted energy beam is guided to a second of the beam positions. In particular, the acoustic wavelength step by step by one

Wavelength change are changed, so that the energy beam successively introduces energy in beam positions of the irradiation path, wherein in a transitional period in which there are two acoustic wavelengths in the passage region, energy is introduced simultaneously in two beam positions. Furthermore, the wavelength change can bring about a change in the diffraction angle such that spatially adjacent beam positions of the irradiation path or spatially spaced, in particular thermally decoupled, beam positions are scanned sequentially in time by the energy beam.

In some developments, the deflection device can be controlled in such a way that at least one beam position is skipped when scanning the sequence of beam positions, with the skipped beam position being scanned at a subsequent point in time.

• - Anlegen einer Spannung am optischen Material zum Einstellen eines Brechungsindex oder eines Brechungsindexgradienten,
• - Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls auf den Durchtrittsbereich,
• - Ablenken des Energiestrahls basierend auf dem eingestellten Brechungsindex oder Brechungsindexgradienten,
• - Führen des abgelenkten Energiestrahls an eine erste der Strahlpositionen, und
• - Verändern der optischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls durch Ändern der angelegten Spannung.

In some developments, the method can also include:

• - applying a voltage to the optical material to adjust a refractive index or a refractive index gradient,
• - Radiation of the energy beam onto the passage area,
• - deflection of the energy beam based on the adjusted refractive index or refractive index gradient,
• - directing the deflected energy beam to a first one of the beam positions, and
• - Changing the optical deflection of the energy beam by changing the applied voltage.

In some developments of the production device, the deflection device can be set up to suddenly shift the energy beam to a plurality of discrete beam positions.

In some developments of the production device, the control device can be set up to control the scanner device and the deflection device according to the methods disclosed herein. The scanner device can have at least one scanner, in particular a galvanometer scanner, piezo scanner, polygon scanner, MEMS scanner, and/or a working head that can be displaced relative to the work area.

In some developments of the production device, the deflection device can have at least one electro-optical deflector and/or acousto-optical deflector, preferably two electro-optical or acousto-optical deflectors that are not oriented parallel, in particular perpendicular to one another. The deflection device can have at least one acousto-optical deflector with an optical material, such as a crystal, and an exciter for generating acoustic waves in the optical material.

In some developments of the manufacturing device, the beam generating device can be designed as a continuous wave laser.

Here, an optical deflection is understood to mean a deflection optically induced with a deflection device. An example of an optical deflection is a variation of an optical parameter of an optical medium in the beam path, which causes a change in the beam path. The optical deflection differs from a mechanical deflection, which is understood as a deflection mechanically induced with a scanner device. An example of a mechanical deflection is a mechanically-controlled reflective deflection of a laser beam.

• 1 eine schematische räumliche Darstellung einer Fertigungseinrichtung zur generativen Fertigung,
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung eines beispielhaften Strahlengangs der Fertigungseinrichtung ,
• 3A - 3C Skizzen zur Erläuterung einer akusto-optischen Ablenkung bei der generativen Fertigung,
• 4 eine Skizze zur Erläuterung einer elektro-optischen Ablenkung bei der generativen Fertigung,
• 5A - 5C Skizzen zu linearen Abtastvorgängen basierend auf optischen Ablenkungen,
• 6 eine Skizze zur Verdeutlichung der gleichzeitigen Belichtung von Scanvektoren in Bestrahlungszonen,
• 7A - 8 Skizzen zur Verdeutlichung von auf mechanischer Ablenkung und optischer Ablenkung basierenden Bestrahlungspfaden,
• 9A und 9B Skizzen von Bestrahlungspfaden, die mit einer lateralen optischen Ablenkung eine Verbreiterung eines „mechanischen“ Scanvektors nutzen, und
• 10A - 10D Skizzen zur additiven Fertigung von filigranen Strukturen.

Concepts are disclosed herein that allow at least some aspects of the prior art to be improved. In particular, further features and their usefulness result from the following description of embodiments with reference to the figures. From the figures show:

• 1 a schematic spatial representation of a manufacturing facility for additive manufacturing,
• 2 a schematic representation of an exemplary beam path of the production facility,
• 3A - 3C Sketches to explain an acousto-optical deflection in additive manufacturing,
• 4 a sketch to explain an electro-optical deflection in additive manufacturing,
• 5A - 5C Sketches for linear scanning processes based on optical deflections,
• 6 a sketch to clarify the simultaneous exposure of scan vectors in irradiation zones,
• 7A - 8th Sketches to clarify radiation paths based on mechanical deflection and optical deflection,
• 9A and 9B Sketches of radiation paths that use a broadening of a "mechanical" scan vector with a lateral optical deflection, and
• 10A - 10D Sketches for additive manufacturing of filigree structures.

1. a) eine mechanische Ablenkung mittels einer oder mehrerer trägen Achsen, die eine niedrige Beschleunigung mit einer üblicherweise großen Bewegungsreichweite aufweisen, und
2. b) eine optische Ablenkung mittels einer oder mehrerer dynamischen Achsen, die eine höhere Beschleunigung mit einer üblicherweise kleineren Bewegungsreichweite aufweisen.

Aspects described herein are based in part on the recognition that positioning the energy beam on a powder bed of an additive manufacturing facility can be broken down into

1. a) mechanical deflection by means of one or more inertial axes exhibiting low acceleration with a usually large range of motion, and
2. b) an optical deflection using one or more dynamic axes that have a higher acceleration with a usually smaller range of motion.

Deflection about inertial axes is typically accomplished in additive manufacturing by positioning mirrors in a scanner device and is referred to herein as mechanical deflection. Scanner devices are operated, for example, with in-process scanning speeds of a few hundred millimeters per second, with maximum scanning speeds of the order of m/s (e.g. up to 30 m/s). Galvo scanners have scanning speeds of e.g. 1 m/s up to 30 m/s.

A deflection about dynamic, fast axes can take place by influencing the optical properties of optical elements/materials in the beam path of the energy beam in the production facility. This is referred to herein as optical deflection. It can be brought about, for example, by acousto-optical or electro-optical effects in an optical crystal. The optical crystal interacts with the energy beam and influences the beam path very quickly so that switching times between beam positions are of the order of 1 µs and corresponding switching speeds of up to several 1,000 m/s (e.g. 10,000 m/s and more) depending on the jump distance. A deflection angle of the energy beam, e.g. with an acousto-optical deflector (AOD) or an electro-optical deflector (EOD) - as examples for an optical solid state deflector - can be adjusted by varying the acoustic excitation frequency or a applied voltage can be adjusted in a deflection range around a central value. Maximum scanner accelerations at AODs and EODs to 160,000 rad / s ² are. Depending on the dimensioning of the additive manufacturing device, this results in scanner accelerations of, for example, 80,000 m/s ² (depending on the respective working distance from the AOD/EOD).

The division proposed here during the deflection of an energy beam can enable irradiation concepts with which disadvantages are avoided which can occur, inter alia, in the case of movements with sharp changes in direction by means of a purely mechanical deflection. See, inter alia, the exemplary explanations of an angular irradiation path in connection with FIG 7A until 8th .

Furthermore, the inventors have recognized that the dynamic (fast) axis can also be used to step the position of the energy beam. This makes it possible, for example, to always scan segments of the radiation path in the direction of the taper when manufacturing tapering structures. See, inter alia, the exemplary explanations of an angular radiation path in connection with 7B .

Furthermore, the inventors have recognized that the possibility of an instantaneous, abrupt optical deflection can generally make it possible to use an energy input with the energy beam (e.g. a power value of a laser beam) that is above a limit value, as is usually the case for a powder material type (determined by, among other things, a grain size distribution and a chemical composition of the powder material) in the case of continuous scanning with a beam diameter at a predetermined scanning speed and the component geometry to be produced is given.

For this purpose, the dynamic (fast) axis provided by the optical deflection can be used for “spatially local” exposure in a kind of pulse mode. In this way, delicate components and sections with poor heat dissipation (e.g. in the area of overhangs or pointed structures) can be exposed to the "spatially locally pulsed" energy beam, which means that better component quality can be achieved. Such a "spatially locally pulsed" irradiation with a continuous energy beam (e.g. a cw laser beam) can increase the productivity of the additive manufacturing process, especially in comparison to a production with a pulsed laser beam.

With a "spatially locally pulsed" irradiation, two or more sections to be processed in a pulsed manner can be processed, for example, which are within the (small) movement range of the optical deflection (e.g. with an acousto-optical deflector up to a few millimeters or even centimeters depending on the position of the same in the Beam path) lie. For example, a spot can be exposed in a first section; then a jump can be made to a second (different) section and a point exposed there; subsequently, after a jump back into the (original) first section, another point, adjacent to or at a distance from the first point, can be exposed. In other words, beam positions of an irradiation path that are not spatially adjacent to one another are assumed in a temporal succession.

See, among other things, the exemplary explanations for jumping along a radiation path (explained in connection with 5B) , for jumping within or between several hatches (irradiation zones) (explained in connection with 6 ) and for jumping at an angular portion of an irradiation path (explained in connection with 7C ).

Furthermore, when using the optical deflection, a broadening of the mechanically scanned area can be brought about. For this purpose, the optical deflection can take place laterally with respect to a main scanning direction of the energy beam on the powder bed, the main scanning direction being given by the mechanical deflection. Optionally, the lateral deflection can also take into account thermal aspects of overheating, as in connection with the 9A and 9B be explained.

Finally, the concepts disclosed herein can be used in the additive manufacturing of a filigree structure of a component, which is, for example, of the order of magnitude of the beam area provided by the optical deflection. In this case, the mechanical deflection can optionally be supplemented by the optical deflection for coarser, larger, in particular flat structures. In some embodiments, filigree structures, in particular closed structure sections, can be generated at a fixed irradiation position simply by controlling the deflection device and generating a local beam profile - formed by means of an almost simultaneous illumination of several beam positions in the beam area of the optical deflection - without the scanner device being controlled, in particular in that a beam profile in the shape of the structural section to be formed is generated by suitable control of the deflection device. The scanning of filigree structures with an energy beam is used in connection with the 10A until 10D explained.

In addition to a conventional scanner device, an optical deflector can be installed in the beam path of the energy beam for the implementation of the concepts discussed above and explained below by way of example in connection with the figures. A beam deflection with the optical deflector can be integrated into the machine control of the manufacturing facility as a further parameter for additive manufacturing. With such a combination of a mechanical deflection (e.g. galvo scanner) for positioning/moving/displacing the energy beam over large distances and an optical deflection (e.g. acousto-optical deflector) for very fast positioning without loss of time within a locally limited area (beam area of the optical deflection) a flexible control of the spatial and temporal energy input can be realized without loss of time between several interaction zones. In particular, for a continuous energy beam/cw laser beam, switching beam positions with an optical deflector (AOD/EOD) enables a higher energy of the energy beam/power of the cw laser beam to be introduced into the powder material.

• - eine Strahlerzeugungseinrichtung 3, die eingerichtet ist zum Erzeugen eines Energiestrahls 5,
• - eine Scannereinrichtung 7, die eingerichtet ist, um den Energiestrahl 5 innerhalb eines Arbeitsbereichs 9, üblicherweise gegeben durch die Ausmaße eines Pulverbetts der Fertigungseinrichtung, an eine Mehrzahl von Bestrahlungspositionen 11 zu verlagern (mechanische Ablenkung), um mittels des Energiestrahls 5 ein Bauteil 4 aus dem in dem Arbeitsbereich 9 angeordneten Pulvermaterial 2 herzustellen,
• - eine Ablenkeinrichtung 13, die eingerichtet ist, um den Energiestrahl 5 ausgehend von einer Bestrahlungsposition 11 der Mehrzahl von Bestrahlungspositionen 11 innerhalb eines Strahlbereichs 15 - insbesondere sprunghaft - an eine Mehrzahl von Strahlpositionen 17 im Strahlbereich 15 zu verlagern (optische Ablenkung), und
• - eine Steuereinrichtung 19, die mit der Ablenkeinrichtung 13, sowie optional der Strahlerzeugungseinrichtung 3 und der Scannereinrichtung 7, wirkverbunden und eingerichtet ist, um die Ablenkeinrichtung 13 anzusteuern, um die für die Herstellung des Bauteils 4 benötigten Strahlpositionen des Strahlbereichs 15 (mit dem Energiestrahl 5) einzunehmen.

1 shows a manufacturing device 1 for the additive manufacturing of components from a powder material 2. The manufacturing device 1 includes

• - a beam generating device 3, which is set up to generate an energy beam 5,
• - A scanner device 7, which is set up to move the energy beam 5 within a working area 9, usually given by the dimensions of a powder bed of the production device, to a plurality of irradiation positions 11 (mechanical deflection) in order to use the energy beam 5 to cut a component 4 to produce the powder material 2 arranged in the working area 9,
• - a deflection device 13, which is set up to shift the energy beam 5 starting from one irradiation position 11 of the plurality of irradiation positions 11 within a beam region 15 - in particular abruptly - to a plurality of beam positions 17 in the beam region 15 (optical deflection), and
• - a control device 19, which is operatively connected to the deflection device 13, and optionally to the beam generating device 3 and the scanner device 7, and is set up to control the deflection device 13 in order to determine the beam positions of the beam area 15 required for the production of the component 4 (with the energy beam 5 ) to take.

The production facility 1 is preferably set up for selective laser sintering and/or for selective laser melting as part of the additive manufacturing of components. In 1 the already partially manufactured component 4 is indicated, layers that have already solidified being covered by the powder material 2 in the powder bed.

The production device 1 usually provides a work surface in a closed housing (not shown), which includes the work area 9 and optionally a powder storage area. For a (layered) construction of the component 4 with the energy beam 5 , the powder material 2 is applied sequentially/layered in the work area 9 . In order to solidify the powder material 2 locally, the energy beam 5 is applied locally to the powder material 2 in the work area 9 in order to produce the component 4 layer by layer. In particular, a layer of the component 4 is formed by displacing the (continuous) energy beam 5 along an irradiation path 101 formed by a sequence of beam positions 17 . The irradiation path 101 is designed in such a way that the powder material 2 of a powder layer is solidified in the working area 9 of the production device 1 according to the geometry of the component 4 .

The location of a beam position 17 at which the energy beam 5 hits the work area 9 results from the settings made for the mechanical deflection and the optical deflection. An irradiation position 11, from which the optical deflection can be viewed, can be assigned to the mechanical deflection. The irradiation positions 11 usually span the working area 9 (essentially). Starting from a predetermined irradiation position 11, the resulting possible beam positions 17 span the beam area 15. That is, the energy beam 5 can be shifted around each of the irradiation positions 11 within a corresponding beam area 15, whereby irradiation positions 11 as starting points for corresponding beam areas 15 can be set usually in the entire work area 9. The beam area 15 has a surface area that is larger than a cross section of the energy beam 5 projected onto the working area 9. The beam area 15 is very much smaller than the working area 9. In particular, the beam area 15 preferably has a length scale in the range of a few (that that is, less than ten) millimeters up to a few centimeters, and preferably a flat extent in the range from a few square millimeters to a few square centimeters. The working area 9, on the other hand, can have a length scale in the range from a few decimeters to a few meters, and preferably an areal extent in the range from a few square decimeters to a few square meters.

In other words, an irradiation position 11 is understood to mean, in particular, a location within the working area 9 at which energy can be deposited locally by means of the energy beam 5 in the working area 9, in particular in the powder material 2 arranged there. The energy input determines the respective interaction zone and thus a melting area of the powder material 2. The scanner device 7 is set up to move the energy beam 5 within the working area 9 - assuming there is no superimposition of an optical deflection - along a "mechanical" scan path 103, wherein the mechanical scan path 103 consists of a temporal sequence of irradiation positions 11 swept over one after the other by the energy beam 5 . The individual irradiation positions 11 can be arranged at a distance from one another, but can also overlap and merge with one another.

If the mechanical deflection is superimposed with an optical deflection, the result is the irradiation path 101, which is formed by the sequence of the beam positions 17 set with the scanner device 7 and the optical deflection device 13. The resulting irradiation path 101 may be a path that is continuously scanned with the energy beam 5 . Furthermore, the resulting irradiation path 101 can have path segments that each include at least one beam position 17 . The scanning of the path segments with the energy beam 5 can include jumps between spatially spaced path segments, the jumps being controlled with the optical deflection device 13 .

The beam generating device 3--embodied, for example, as a continuous wave (cw) laser--supplies the energy beam 5 for the powder fusion. An energy beam is generally understood to mean directed radiation that can transport energy. This can generally involve particle radiation or wave radiation. In particular, the energy beam propagates through the physical space along a propagation direction and thereby transports energy along its propagation direction. In particular, by means of the energy beam, it is possible to use energy locally in to deposit the work area 9 in the powder material 2.

Here, the energy beam 5 is generally an optical working beam, which can thus be deflected by means of the optical deflection device 13 . An optical working beam is to be understood in particular as directed electromagnetic radiation, continuous or pulsed, which is suitable in terms of its wavelength or a wavelength range for the additive (generative) manufacturing of the component 4 from the powder material 2, in particular for sintering or melting the powder material 2 In particular, an optical working beam is understood to mean a laser beam which is irradiated—preferably continuously—onto the working area 9 . The optical working beam preferably has a wavelength or a wavelength range in the visible electromagnetic spectrum or in the infrared electromagnetic spectrum or in the overlapping area between the infrared range and the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

In summary, a beam guidance system of the production device 1 for guiding the energy beam 5 to the powder bed thus for a mechanically-induced deflection of the energy beam 5 comprises the scanner device 7. In the scanner device 7, for example, the energy beam can be deflected by rotating mirrors (using a galvo scanner, for example). 5 (here, for example, the laser beam) are effected. The mechanical deflection can be used alone (scan path 103) or in combination with an optical deflection for scanning an irradiation path 101 for the exposure of a powder layer.

The scanner device 7 preferably has at least one scanner, in particular a galvanometer scanner, piezo scanner, polygon scanner, MEMS scanner and/or a working head or processing head that can be displaced relative to the work area. Such scanner devices are known and are particularly suitable for shifting the energy beam 5 within the working area 9 between a plurality of irradiation positions 11 .

Due to the mass inertia of an optical element to be moved mechanically (e.g. a deflection mirror), the spatial distribution of the energy input, which is only controlled by means of a mechanical deflection, takes place sluggishly. As a result, irradiation paths that are to be scanned solely by mechanical deflection, e.g. the scan path 103, can expose the additive manufacturing process to the risk of local overheating of the powder melt. It should be noted that local overheating is avoidable in the case of a purely mechanical deflection with a loss of productivity due to idle times (delays introduced in the irradiation process). The concepts proposed herein can prevent or at least reduce this productivity loss.

According to the invention, the beam guidance system of the manufacturing device 1 for guiding the energy beam 5 to the powder bed also includes the deflection device 13 for an optically induced deflection. The deflection device 13 is set up to displace the energy beam 5 within the beam area 15 - assuming a fixed irradiation position 11 - and thus to be able to apply the energy beam to a specific area - the beam area 15 - within the working area 9 at the fixed irradiation position 11. Beam area 15 is larger than the cross section of energy beam 5 projected onto work area 9.

Since the scanner device 7 is set up to shift the energy beam between irradiation positions 11, it enables the deflection device 13 to sweep the energy beam 5 over a new beam area 15 around a different irradiation position, i.e. at a different location of the working area 9. The deflection device 13 is therefore used for a local deflection of the energy beam 5 starting from an irradiation position 11, while the scanner device 7 is used for the global displacement of the energy beam 5 on the work area 9.

The deflection device 13 is set up in particular to shift the energy beam 5 abruptly to the plurality of beam positions 17 in the beam region 15, it being possible for the beam positions 17 to be discrete beam positions. In particular, it is possible for successively processed beam positions 17 to be arranged at a distance from one another. However, it is also possible for beam positions 17 processed in succession to overlap and merge with one another, at least in certain areas. In some embodiments, the energy beam 5 is not shifted continuously from beam position to beam position by the deflection device 13, but rather in discrete steps. Without restriction and without wanting to be bound to theory, it can be assumed for all practical purposes that the energy beam 5 disappears at a sudden or discrete shift from a first beam position to a second beam position at the first beam position and appears at the second beam position , especially without sweeping over intermediate areas. See the explanations for the 3A until 3D . In this way, a very rapid displacement of the energy beam 5 within the Beam area 15 possible, and it can preferably material transport processes that can occur with a continuous displacement of the energy beam 5, especially with a high energy input, can be avoided, whereby the quality of the resulting component can be increased.

Examples and explanations of optical deflectors for an optically induced deflection of a laser beam are given in "Electro-optic and acousto-optic laser beam scanners"; Romans G.R.B.E. et al., Physics Procedia 56 (2014) 29-39.

Optical deflectors include acousto-optical (AOD) deflectors, which rely on the generation of a periodic change in refractive index as sound waves propagate in an optically transparent material of the AOD (usually an optically transparent crystal). An optical deflection with an AOD 111 shown schematically and a change in the acoustic excitation is in the 3A until 3C clarified. With regard to the diffraction behavior present at the AOD, reference is also made to the 3 in Roemer et al. referred. This results in a diffraction angle of the first diffraction order that is dependent on the laser wavelength, the refractive index of the undisturbed material, the frequency of the acoustic wave and the speed of the acoustic wave in the material. An angular range that can be scanned with the first order results from the bandwidth with which acoustic waves can be excited in the material.

3A shows schematically how an incident laser beam 113—preferably at an angle of incidence in the Brewster angle range—impinges on the AOD 111, in particular on a passage region of the AOD 111. A lattice-like structure 115A (refractive index modulation, acousto-optical diffraction grating) forms in the AOD 111 due to an acoustic excitation on the upper side of the AOD 111 (eg with an exciter 112 for generating acoustic waves in the material). This is characterized by an excitation wavelength λ1. The incident laser beam 113 is diffracted at the lattice-like structure 115A, so that in addition to a (possibly low-intensity) undiffracted zero-order beam 117, a (possibly high-intensity) diffracted first-order laser beam 119A penetrates the AOD 111 at a deflection angle α1 associated with the wavelength λ1 Transit area of the AOD 111, leaves.

The first-order laser beam 119A would be in the arrangement of the 1 fed to the scanner device 7 and hit the powder bed at a location x1 coming from above, with the deflection in the AOD (ie the set deflection angle α1 of the first order) also determining the final position on the powder bed. Accordingly, the energy input takes place at location x1, as shown by a schematic intensity distribution I(x) 121A.

If the wavelength of the exciting sound wave is varied continuously or discretely, the angle of the first diffraction order changes and thus the position of the laser beam 119A. By varying the wavelength of the excited sound wave, a controllable deflection of the diffracted beam can be performed; i.e. a desired target position of the energy input can be set on the powder bed.

In other words, changing the acoustic wavelength results in replacing the first acoustic wave with a second acoustic wave in the AOD. Velocities of sound in solids are, for example, of the order of 1000 m/s or several 1000 m/s (depending on the hardness of the crystal, among other things). If a first acoustic wave (with a first wavelength) in e.g. a crystal of the AOD is to be completely replaced by a second acoustic wave (with a second wavelength), the first acoustic wave must first run out of the crystal so that it (if possible at the same time) can be replaced by the second acoustic wave. Assuming the crystal acts on a beam of energy with a diameter of about 1 cm, the acoustic wave travels this distance in a few microseconds, e.g. about 3 µs. After this period of time, the interaction with the second acoustic wave takes place. In general, this time increases the larger and softer the crystal is and the smaller the smaller and harder the material of the AOD. During the change from the first acoustic wave to the second acoustic wave, energy (the laser beam) can be temporarily diffracted at both resulting grating-like structures into the corresponding first orders. Switching between acoustic waves and thereby deflecting the energy beam to different locations (i.e. switching the deflection from a first to a second angle) can generally occur on the megahertz time scale.

the 3B and 3C illustrate a sudden change in position using the AOD 111. For this purpose, the exciting sound wave is changed to a wavelength λ2 (lattice-like structure 115B, deflection angle α2 of the laser beam 119B of the first order, location x2 of the energy input on the powder bed). The change in the exciting sound wave correspondingly causes a change in the position of the diffracted laser beam 119B by a discrete distance Δx (“x2-x1”).

In 3B a transition 123 between the refractive index modulations in the AOD can be seen, with the transition 123 having already migrated from the top to the middle of the AOD 111. At this time, half of the incident laser beam 113 hits the refractive index modulation of wavelength λ1 and the other half hits the refractive index modulation of wavelength λ2. Correspondingly, a schematic intensity distribution I(x) 121B shows equal intensities/energy inputs for the diffracted laser beams 119A and 119B at the respective locations x1 and x2.

Has become, as in 3C shown, the refractive index modulation with wavelength λ2 developed over the entire AOD 111, the maximum intensity of the laser beam 119B will hit the powder bed at location x2 (see intensity distribution I(x) 12IC).

The advantage of beam displacement with an AOD can be seen from the intensity distributions I(x) 121A to 121C; In the example, the beam displacement realizes the case already mentioned, that an area between the starting position (here the location x1) and the end position (here the location x2) is not exposed to the laser beam, since the periodic changes in the refractive index essentially overlap without the formation of a diffractive transition behavior pass over Accordingly, the energy input is limited to the starting position and the end position; this corresponds to a sudden change in the optical deflection.

Optical deflectors also include electro-optical deflectors (EOD) whose deflection is based on refraction upon passage of an optically transparent material. 4 13 schematically shows an adjustable optical deflection with an EOD 131, the refractive index or a refractive index gradient of the optically transparent material of the EOD 131 being adjustable by applying a voltage. Depending on the voltage applied, the deflection of a laser beam 133 varies, which is preferably again incident on the EOD 131 at the Brewster angle and emerges from it at a correspondingly adjustable deflection angle. Such a deflected laser beam 133A could be in the arrangement of 1 be fed to the scanner device 7 . A voltage source 135 enables the voltage to be set precisely, for example in 4 between the top and bottom of the prismatic crystal constituting the EOD 131. Depending on the voltage set, the refractive index or the refractive index gradient and thus the optical deflection can be set. With regard to the refraction behavior present at the EOD, reference is also made to 2 in Roemer et al. referred.

Both AODs and EODs can provide the deflection of a laser beam, referred to herein as optical deflection, which can be adjusted quickly, i.e., in near real-time relative to the powder fusion process in additive manufacturing.

Referring again to 1 the scanner device 7 and the optical deflection device 13 differ not only in the extent of the deflection that can be carried out, but also with regard to the time scale on which the energy beam 5 is deflected: In particular, the deflection of the energy beam 5 by the optical deflection device within the beam region 15 preferably takes place on a shorter, in particular a much shorter time scale than the deflection within the working area 9 by the scanner device 7, that is to say, much faster than changing from one irradiation position to the next irradiation position. Preferably, the time scale on which the energy beam can be deflected by the deflection device (e.g. jumping over a maximum extent of the beam area, ie from e.g. "-5 mm" to "+5 mm", within one microsecond corresponds to a speed of 10,000 m/s s; generally a quasi-instantaneous jumping from any point in the beam area to any other point in the beam area) by a factor of 10 to 10000, preferably 20 to 200, preferably 40 to 100, or more, smaller than the time scale, on which the energy beam is deflected by the scanner device.

The control device 19 is set up to implement the movement of the impact point of the energy beam 5 on the powder bed according to a predetermined irradiation strategy. The control device 19 is preferably selected from a group consisting of a computer, in particular a personal computer (PC), a plug-in card or control card, and an FPGA board. In a preferred embodiment, the control device 19 is an RTC6 control card from SCANLAB GmbH, in particular in the version currently available on the date determining the seniority of the present property right.

The control device 19 is preferably set up to synchronize the scanner device 7 with the deflection device 13 by means of a digital RF synthesizer. In this case, the RF synthesizer can be controlled via a programmable FPGA board of the control device 19 . In addition, there is preferably a division into the comparatively slow movement of the scanner device 7 and the rapid movement of the deflection device 13 by means of a frequency filter. Position values and default values are preferred calculated for the movement of the point of impact, which can then be converted in the FPGA board into time-synchronous frequency specifications for the RF synthesizer. For this purpose, the optical deflection can be spatially assigned to irradiation positions 11 in the respective powder material layer. The latter can preferably already be carried out in a build processor when creating the irradiation strategy. The build processor can write the corresponding data to a control file, for example, which can preferably be read in and converted by the control device 19 .

In particular, the scanner device 7/the mechanical deflection on the one hand and the deflection device 13/the optical deflection on the other hand allow a separation of the time and length scales relevant for the production of the component 4 being produced. While the scanner device 7 is set up to shift the energy beam more or less globally over the entire work area 9 on a time scale that is greater than that of the deflection device 13 along the plurality of irradiation positions 11, in particular along a predetermined scan path 103, the deflection device 13 is set up to to shift the energy beam on a time scale that is shorter relative to the time scale of the scanner device 7, quasi locally, at an irradiation position 11 specified by the scanner device 7 and quasi fixed due to the time scale separation, to the plurality of beam positions 17 within the beam region 15.

Due to the time scale separation, in some embodiments a local scanning sequence of beam positions 17 in the respective beam area 15 can be carried out quasi-statically at each irradiation position 11 of the plurality of irradiation positions 11 and/or a specific beam profile can be created as a geometric shape and as an intensity profile of the beam area 15. In other words, the scanner device 7 can shift the beam profile generated in this way and generally the beam area 15, i.e. the optically controllable beam positions 17, along the plurality of irradiation positions 11, in particular along the scan path 103. By changing the control of the deflection device, the beam profile of the beam area, in particular the shape of the beam area and/or the intensity profile in the beam area, can now advantageously be changed as desired, if necessary even from irradiation position to irradiation position. Furthermore, a scanning sequence when shifting the beam positions 17 can take thermal effects into account. In some specific embodiments, a plurality of adjacent irradiation positions 11, in particular in each case a contiguous section of the scan path 103, can be swept over with the same beam profile and/or the same scanning sequence. Alternatively, different portions of the scan path 103 can be swept with different beam profiles and/or different scanning orders.

In some embodiments, the generated beam profile and/or the scanning sequence can be viewed as quasi-static with regard to the melting process in the powder material 2, with the time scale for the deflection of the energy beam 5 by the optical deflection device 13 being significantly shorter than the characteristic interaction time of the energy beam 5 with the powder material 2. The dynamically generated beam profile can then, averaged over time, interact with the powder material like a statically generated profile. The same applies to sampling the dynamically generated sampling order.

2 illustrates an exemplary beam path, as in the production facility 1 of 1 can be implemented. The deflection device 13 is located in the propagation direction of the energy beam 5 in front of the scanner device 7. The deflection device 13 has in particular at least one acousto-optical deflector 21, here in particular two acousto-optical deflectors 21 oriented non-parallel, in particular perpendicular to one another, namely a first acousto-optical Deflector 21.1 and a second acousto-optical deflector 21.2. The acousto-optical deflectors 21, which are oriented perpendicularly to one another, allow the energy beam 5 to be deflected in two mutually perpendicular directions and thus in particular to scan the entire surface of the beam region 15. The acousto-optical deflectors 21.1 and 21.2, which are not parallel to one another, are preferably arranged one behind the other in the propagation direction of the energy beam 5 arranged.

An acousto-optical deflector is understood in particular to mean an element which has a solid body which is transparent to the energy beam and to which sound waves, in particular ultrasonic waves, can be applied, the energy beam passing through the transparent solid body depending on the frequency of the sound waves with which the transparent solid is applied, is deflected. In this case, in particular an optical lattice is generated in the transparent solid by the sound waves. Such acousto-optical deflectors are advantageously able to deflect the energy beam very quickly by an angular range predetermined by the frequency of the sound waves generated in the transparent solid. In particular, switching speeds of up to 1 MHz can be achieved. In particular, the switching times for such an acousto-optical deflector are clear faster than typical switching times for conventional scanner devices, particularly galvanometer scanners, which are generally used to displace an energy beam within a work area of a manufacturing device of the type discussed here. Therefore, such an acousto-optical deflector can be used in a particularly suitable manner to generate a quasi-static beam profile in the beam area.

Modern acousto-optical deflectors can deflect the energy beam with an efficiency of at least 90% (in particular at least 80%) in a predetermined angular range of the first diffraction order, so that they are excellently suited as a deflection device for the production device proposed here. The material used, which is transparent to the energy beam, and a suitably high intensity of the coupled ultrasonic waves are particularly decisive for the high efficiency.

In particular, if the deflection device 13 has acousto-optical deflectors, the AODs, due to their configuration analogous to an optical grating, generate an undiffracted zeroth-order partial beam and a diffracted or deflected first-order partial beam. In most cases, however, only the first-order partial beam should be used to irradiate the working area. The production facility 1 has in 2 shown embodiment also in the direction of propagation of the energy beam 5 behind the deflection device 13 and in front of the scanner device 7 a separation mirror 23, which is set up to separate the partial beam of the zeroth order from the partial beam of the first order of the energy beam 5. For this purpose, the separation mirror 23 has in particular a through hole 25 which is provided in a surface 27 of the separation mirror 23 which reflects the energy beam 5 and which completely penetrates the separation mirror 23 . The first-order partial beam, which is to be forwarded in the desired manner to the scanner device 7, is guided through the through hole 25 and thus finally reaches the scanner device 7. The undesired zero-order partial beam, and possibly also undesired higher-order partial beams, on the other hand, impinge on the reflecting surface 27 and are deflected to a beam trap 29.

The separation mirror 23 is arranged in particular in the vicinity of an intermediate focus 31 of a telescope 33, in particular not exactly in a plane of the intermediate focus 31, particularly preferably offset at a distance of one fifth of the focal length of the telescope 33 along the propagation direction, in particular in front of the intermediate focus 31. This advantageously prevents the reflective surface 27 from being exposed to an excessively high power density of the energy beam 5 .

The telescope 33 preferably has a first lens 35 and a second lens 37 . It is preferably designed as a 1:1 telescope. The telescope 33 preferably has a focal length of 500 mm.

The mode of operation of the telescope 33 is preferably twofold: on the one hand, the telescope 33 enables a particularly advantageous and clean separation of the different orders of the energy beam 5 deflected by the deflection device 13, particularly with the arrangement of the separation mirror 23 chosen here; on the other hand, the telescope 33 advantageously images an imaginary, common beam pivot point 39 of the deflection device 13 onto a pivot point 41 of the scanner device 7 . Alternatively, the telescope 33 preferably images the center of rotation of the beam 39 onto a point with the smallest aperture.

In order to enable a compact arrangement of the production device 1, the energy beam 5 is preferably deflected several times by deflection mirrors 43.

In summary, as part of a method for shifting a continuous energy beam along a radiation path formed by a sequence of beam positions during the additive manufacturing of a component 4 from a powder material, the energy beam 5 can be shifted preferably within the working area 9 to a plurality of beam positions 17 in order to Energy beam 5 to produce the component 4 in layers from the arranged in the work area 9 powder material 2. The energy beam 5 is shifted to a plurality of beam positions 17 with respect to an irradiation position 11 within a beam region 15 .

In preferred embodiments, a continuous energy beam is continuously displaced at least in sections along a radiation path. For example, a cw laser beam can be moved continuously along scan vectors of a radiation path defined within the framework of the radiation strategy, with the scan vectors in radiation zones (hatches) running parallel to one another. The scan vectors of an irradiation zone can be traversed uniformly in the same direction or alternately in opposite directions. This corresponds to continuous exposure of the scan vectors.

5A shows a linear scanning process as an example of a continuous method in which spaced beam positions A1, A2, . Schematically are in 5A furthermore, circles around the beam positions A1, A2, . In general, adjacent beam positions of a sub-sequence can be spaced apart from each other by at least one diameter of the energy beam or at least 50% of the diameter of the energy beam in the work area.

One recognizes in 5A , that the distance ΔX1 was selected in such a way that adjacent melting areas partially overlap, so that a continuous melting of the powder material can be brought about. In the present example 5A the melting takes place along a line, for example along a scan vector in an irradiation zone.

The linear scanning process can be performed from a fixed irradiation position or with a changing mechanical deflection, whereby in the latter case the optical deflection (the distance ΔX1) has to be adjusted according to the mechanically-induced movement of the irradiation position in the irradiation strategy.

Furthermore, a discontinuous shifting of the energy beam can be carried out, with positions being jumped to and illuminated along the irradiation path. Such discontinuous exposure may be performed, for example, within a scan vector of an exposure zone, when changing to non-adjacent scan vectors of an exposure zone, or when changing between exposure zones.

In these cases, a cw laser beam can, for example, scan discrete beam positions along the irradiation path in a sequence specified in the irradiation strategy. A discontinuous exposure differentiates between a geometry of the irradiation path and an adjustability of a point in time of the irradiation. The geometry of the radiation path is thus assigned a sequence of times at which the respective beam positions of the radiation path are exposed. The geometry of the radiation path is essentially given by the layer-specific cross section of the component 4, with segments of the radiation path being able to be introduced for technical reasons; these are, for example, the (in particular parallel, linear) scan vectors running next to one another in the irradiation zones, it being possible for neighboring irradiation zones to have different orientations of the scan vectors. The adjustability of the timing of the irradiation determines parameters of the interaction of the energy beam with the powder material at a beam position. For example, a duration of irradiation is set by setting periods of time between changes between beam positions. Furthermore, the choice of the distance between beam positions can influence thermal aspects, such as a dissipation of introduced heat into the powder material/powder melt.

5B shows a first example for a discontinuous displacement of the energy beam in the context of a linear scanning process. A scanning order in 5B includes a group 61 of, for example, seven beam positions B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, which are scanned abruptly according to a predetermined sequence. For this purpose, the optical deflection brings about changes in the position of the energy beam 5, which consist of several possible discrete paths, two paths ΔX1 and ΔX2 in are exemplary 5B shown. The discrete distances are selected in such a way that the discrete distance ΔX2 skips a beam position. The scanning sequence can be performed from a fixed irradiation position (ie temporarily the mechanical deflection is held stationary or can be considered stationary). Scanning sequences can also follow each other spatially (as in 5B indicated with a group 61', eg starting from a correspondingly further moved irradiation position) and/or they can be repeated at the same location and/or spatially offset. Furthermore, the optical deflection can be superimposed with a continuous mechanical deflection, with the optical deflections (the distances ΔX1 and ΔX2) having to be adapted according to the movement of the irradiation position in the irradiation strategy.

Schematically are in 5B circles around the beam positions 317A, 317B, 317G again showing melting regions are indicated. Due to the scanning sequence 61, not only adjacent beam positions are successively exposed, resulting in new thermal interaction parameters that differ from those in 5A illustrated irradiation strategy. The result is again melting along a line, for example along a section of a scan vector in an irradiation zone. However, in some embodiments, the new thermal interaction parameters may allow the energy input with the energy beam to be increased while reducing the exposure time at a beam position. Accordingly, the manufacturing process can be carried out more efficiently in terms of time.

5C shows another example of a discontinuous displacement of the energy beam. In this case, an underlying scanning sequence is chosen such that adjacent groups 71A, 71B are irradiated by four beam positions C1, C3, C5, C7 and C2, C4, C6, C8 quasi-simultaneously. For this purpose, the optical deflection causes position changes of the energy beam 5, in which two or three beam positions are skipped; are exemplary in 5C two possible discrete distances ΔX3 and ΔX4 are indicated.

The beam positions B1,...B7 and C1,...C8 each represent sub-sequences of beam positions (17) comprising only one beam position of the sequence of the radiation path (101). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these subsequences can be extended to two or more adjacent beam positions as long as the energy input stays within the given limits. The radiation strategies 5B and 5C thus represent examples of subsequences that are scanned in such a way that a sudden change in the optical deflection causes the energy beam to jump over a region between the spaced subsequences, so that successively spatially spaced, in particular thermally decoupled, subsequences from the energy beam (in the examples of 5B and 5C if, for example, a distance from a beam position is present) can be taken.

In general, beam positions of a subsequence may be spaced at least 1.5 to 2 times or more the diameter of the energy beam apart in the work area. Generally, when changing between sub-sequences, areas of the work area selected from the group of areas comprising an area of the work area not yet irradiated, an area of the work area not to be irradiated and an area of the work area already irradiated can also be skipped. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that at least one beam position skipped in scanning the sequence of beam positions may be scanned at a subsequent time.

Here, too, a fixed irradiation position or a movement of the irradiation position can be assumed. Due to the large distances between successive interaction areas, the energy input can be further increased and the irradiation time correspondingly shortened, so that the manufacturing process can be carried out efficiently.

In another irradiation strategy, it is possible to jump ahead along the irradiation path by a maximum jump distance (e.g. from beam position A1 in 5A to ray position A7) in order to jump backwards and then counter to the direction of movement of the mechanical deflection with smaller jumps until all skipped ray positions along the occupation path have been taken (in 5A e.g. in the order A2-A3-A4-A5-A6 as an example of a subsequence of beam positions that includes multiple beam positions). Then jump again as far as possible forward on the radiation path, etc.

6 shows how two or more scan vectors can be exposed simultaneously in one or more irradiation zones using optical deflection. A row of irradiation zones HA1, HB1, HA2, HB2, HA3 can be seen, with scan vectors S1 to S6 running parallel to one another being exposed in each of the irradiation zones according to the irradiation strategy, with scanner device 7 deflecting the energy beam in the direction of scan vectors S1 to S6 of the respective irradiation zone. A continuously irradiated scan vector of a treatment zone represents a sub-sequence of beam positions that includes multiple beam positions. An irradiation zone (hatch) can, for example, have an edge length in the range from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. These dimensions are in the range of the jump distance that can be implemented with an optical deflection device (AOD/EOD), for example in the range of a few millimeters, eg ±10 mm, usually at least ±5 mm).

To make it clear that the scan vectors S1 to S6 are primarily traversed with the scanner device 7, the scan vectors have been shown as dashed lines. There are different orientations of the scan vectors S1 to S6 in adjacent irradiation zones, so that the scan vectors S1 to S6 each run parallel in the irradiation zones HA1, HA2, HA3, just like in the irradiation zones HB1, HB2. A corresponding arrangement in two dimensions results in what is known as a chessboard array of irradiation zones, with the concepts being applicable analogously in strip arrangements of irradiation zones.

A conversion of jumping within the irradiation zone HA1 is indicated in the irradiation zone HA1. During the mechanical deflection in the direction of the scan vectors, the optical deflector causes a hopping between the scan vectors. In the example of 6 the energy beam jumps between the scans, for example vectors S1-S4 and S2-S5 and S3-S6, respectively; In this case, there are always two scan widths (the size of the melting areas) between the locations of the energy input (distance to be jumped ΔX3).

If different irradiation zones are within range of the optical deflection, scan vectors in different irradiation zones can be exposed simultaneously. In 6 the optically-induced jumps can occur, for example, in the direction of the mechanical deflection (indicated simultaneous exposure of scan vectors S1 in the irradiation zones HB1 and HB2, distance ΔXX) or transverse to the mechanical deflection (indicated simultaneous exposure of scan vectors S2 in the irradiation zones HA2 and HA3, distance ΔXX).

In general, significantly more energy/laser energy can be introduced into the component if the distance between the jumped beam positions is selected to be large enough so that they do not affect each other thermally. As a result, productivity can be increased compared to drawing a melt track in the powder bed with a (circular/Gaussian) laser beam.

As in the example discussed scanning sequences of 5B and 5C and 6 As has been shown, in one aspect of the invention, the energy input can be controlled using time and location control. This can be used in particular in additive manufacturing in an overhang area or in a filigree component structure. This can also make it possible to reduce or avoid local overheating even when exposed to continuous laser radiation, in that the energy input takes place at discrete, spaced-apart locations and/or is limited in time.

For this purpose, for example, a continuous laser beam is terminated at this location after a period of irradiation of the powder material that depends on the type of powder material, with the aid of optical deflection in order to give the melted material the opportunity to dissipate heat and to avoid local overheating with unwanted expansion of the melt pool. In other words, overheating can be avoided by the fact that after the exposure of a first point (e.g. B1 in 5B or C1 in 5C ) with the planned irradiation time to another second location (e.g. B2 in 5B or C2 in 5C ) that is far enough away from the first location that there is no relevant heat input at the first location from the exposure at the second location. As a result, local overheating can also be achieved with a temporally continuous irradiation (if possible duty cycle of 1) and thus without loss of time.

However, this requires a very rapid deflection of the laser beam from the first location to the second location. The quick deflection is necessary in order to avoid losing any time through the jump path from the first point to the second point and to avoid unwanted exposure/processing of the material along the jump path. Although the mechanically induced scanner devices usually used in systems (e.g. galvo scanners) do not meet this requirement due to the mass inertia of the mirrors, a corresponding abrupt displacement can be carried out using optical deflection, as explained here. Since the optical deflection distances that can be realized, e.g. using AOD, are small, a scanner device such as a galvo scanner is also required for positioning the laser beam over larger areas (in particular the working area 9).

The implementation of an example irradiation path with a large change in direction is given in connection with 7A explained using the example of a corner E in a radiation path 201, the corner E being formed by a linear path segment 201A and a linear path segment 201B of the radiation path 201 and the linear path segments 201A, 201B meeting at right angles.

In general, when an angular contour is exposed using only a mechanical scanner device, i.e. an inertial axis, a scanning movement of an optical component (e.g. a deflection mirror) of the scanner device is temporarily brought to a complete standstill before another or the same optical component moves into a new one Direction, for example at a 90 ° angle, is accelerated. With constant energy input from a continuous energy beam (constant laser power), this can lead to overheating of the powder melt in the area of the formed corner. Overheating can occur in particular when the heat cannot dissipate properly due to the non-melted (and correspondingly insulating) powder surrounding, for example, a layered pointed structure.

With the proposed division into a mechanical deflection (inertial axis of the scanner device) and an optical deflection (dynamic axis of the optical deflection device), the inertial axis can now traverse a rounded curve near the corner (see the exemplary scan path 203 in the form of a quadrant in 7A) .

In particular, a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam can at least partially compensate for a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam in a direction transverse to the irradiation path 201, so that the irradiation path 201 deviates from a sequence of irradiation positions (scan path 203) set with the scanner device 7. Optionally, the optical deflection of the energy beam (5) can have a component in the direction of the irradiation path 201, so that in particular a speed at which the sequence of beam positions 217 is scanned in a segment (path segments 201A, 201B) of the irradiation path 201 is constant or in remains within a target speed range around a predetermined speed.

In general, a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam can at least partially compensate for one another in at least a first direction. A change in the optical deflection of the energy beam and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam can add up in at least a second direction.

The dynamic axis performs a compensatory movement in such a way that the energy beam is on the angular contour, in 7A the linear path segments 201A, 201B. Braking and re-accelerating in the area of the corner E is limited by the acceleration of the dynamic axis, which is greater than that of the mechanical deflection, so that the risk of overheating can be at least significantly reduced. When planning the irradiation strategy, care must be taken to ensure that deviations in the position of the irradiation positions set by the inertial axis from the beam positions required for the target contour can be compensated for by the dynamic axes. In the case of 7A the position deviations to be compensated for are in the area of a beam area 215, which is 7A for an irradiation position 211 is drawn in schematically. The position deviation at the point in time when the scanner device assumes the irradiation position 211 corresponds to a distance ΔXE if the energy beam is intended to hit the corner E at this point in time. Due to the path length differences between the irradiation path 201 and the scanning path 203, in order to achieve a constant scanning speed, the mechanical deflection can be reduced in speed. A run-ahead of the beam position was indicated by a distance ΔXV as an example.

In general, a scan speed along the irradiation path 201 can be chosen by matching the speeds of the mechanical deflection and the optical deflection. In this way, the energy input of the energy beam along the irradiation path 201 can also be influenced.

Thus, the aspects described herein can in particular make it possible to reduce or even avoid braking phases, acceleration phases and adjustments in the energy of the energy beam that are required as a result. The effort involved in process development can thus also be reduced, since in particular the energy in the energy beam has to be adapted for each type of powder material (particle size distribution, chemical composition).

For example, in the additive manufacturing of the in 1 component 4 shown, the corner E may be part of an overhang structure. To further reduce the energy input into the corner, the exposure can be further modified using the optical deflector, as discussed below in connection with FIG 7B is explained. Provided that an angular structure to be formed has dimensions that are essentially within the range of instantaneous, abrupt optical deflections, the angular contour can again be made with linear path segments 201A and 201B′ of the irradiation path 201 . The mechanical deflection can bring about, for example, a sequence of irradiation positions set with the scanner device, which is arranged on a curved scan path 203 . However, each of the path segments 201A and 201B' is now continuously scanned in the direction of the corner E of the radiation path (generally towards a taper/tip of a component to be formed), optionally with a varying scanning speed. Path segments 201A and 201B' are also examples of sub-sequences of beam positions, each comprising multiple beam positions. Similarly, the arrowhead of path segment 201B' was also drawn at corner E. For example, a scan can first be made along the path segment 201A, with deviations in the mechanical deflection being compensated for again by the optical deflection. If the corner E has been reached, the optical deflection device jumps to the start of the path segment 201B′ and, starting from there, scanning again in the direction of the corner E of the irradiation path 201.

In this way, solidification processes can generally take place from the “better heat dissipating” area to a “poorer heat dissipating” area (eg a peak in the structure of component 4 to be manufactured), which can further reduce the risk of overheating. It is noted that just those proposed herein Concepts for dividing into a mechanical and an optical deflection can advantageously implement such a procedure. The energy beam does not have to be switched off, since the required jump occurs almost instantaneously, so that valuable time is not lost by shifting the energy beam before continuing the process "from the other side".

7C also clarifies how the production of an angular structure can be accelerated by increasing the incident energy if the possibility of an instantaneous abrupt optical deflection is also used. This means that an energy input with the energy beam (e.g. the power of a laser beam) can be used that is above a limit value, as is usually the case for a powder material type (particle size distribution, chemical composition of the powder material 2) in continuous scanning with a beam diameter at a given scanning speed is predetermined and, for example, in the case of irradiation in accordance with the 7A and 7B explained irradiation strategies must be observed.

For this, as in 7C two (particularly linear, and together forming a radiation path corner (E)) path segments 201A" and 201B" are shown as examples of sub-sequences of beam positions 217. The subsequences are exposed point by point, ie at beam positions 217, and at the same time from the inside outwards, ie towards corner E. For this purpose, the energy beam can be shifted alternately to at least one beam position of the subsequence of a first of the radiation path segments, eg path segment 201A", and at least one beam position of the subsequence of a second of the radiation path segments, eg path segment 201B". For clarification is in 7C an exemplary sequence 1 to 10 is given in exemplary ten beam positions (with overlapping melting areas indicated in a circle) along the path segments 201A'' and 201B''. The optical deflection must at least allow jumping from beam position 1 to beam position 2. In general, the shifting with the optical deflection between the sub-sequences can be done in leaps and bounds. The mechanical deflection can be changed continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed. For example, the mechanical deflection can bring about a sequence of irradiation positions 211 set with the scanner device, which are arranged on a curved scan path 203 .

In 8th a further example for a possible interaction of mechanical deflection and optical deflection in the formation of an irradiation path 301 is shown. The irradiation path 301 comprises an area of abrupt curvature K up to which the energy beam can be guided purely mechanically at constant speed. Following the curvature K is made possible by activating the optical deflection, which keeps the energy beam on the irradiation path 301 during Scan path 303 of the mechanical deflection of the scanner device moves sluggishly beyond the point of curvature before it is accelerated back to the irradiation path 301 in order to take over the sole management of the energy beam again. The mechanical deflection causes a sequence of irradiation positions set with the scanner device, which is arranged on a curved scan path 303 and scanned continuously, optionally at a varying scan speed, with the curvature of the scan path 303 being less than the curvature of the curved segment. Exemplary are in 8th an irradiation position 311, an associated beam area 315 and optical correction paths ΔX are shown.

the 9A and 9B explain the formation of radiation paths in which a “mechanical” scan vector (scan path) is broadened beyond the diameter of the energy beam with the aid of lateral optical deflection. The widening is in the 9A and 9B indicated as stripes 403' and 503', respectively. The strip 403' or 503' represents a region of a layer to be exposed, for example a section which forms an overhang region of the component during manufacture.

• 9A zeigt eine quasi-stationäre Belichtungsstrategie, bei der der Bestrahlungspfad eine Unterabfolge von Strahlpositionen umfasst, deren Positionen bei im Arbeitsbereich an einer Bestrahlungsposition fixierter mechanischer Ablenkung innerhalb eines zugehörigen Strahlbereichs der Ablenkeinrichtung liegen. Eine Scannereinrichtung positioniert den Energiestrahl an einer Bestrahlungsposition 411A, die z.B. einer Mittelpunktposition einer zu belichtenden Teilfläche T eines Scanvektors entspricht. Mit einem optischen Deflektor der optischen Ablenkeinrichtung wird der Energiestrahl dann nacheinander auf unterschiedliche Strahlpositionen 417 der Teilfläche T gerichtet, um diese in einer vorgegebenen Reihenfolge während einer vorgegebenen Dauer zu belichten. Eine beispielhafte Reihenfolge 1-2-3-4-5-6-7... n bei der Einnahme der einzunehmenden Strahlpositionen 417 ist in 9A angedeutet. Bei dieser Reihenfolge werden benachbarte Stellen nicht direkt nacheinander belichtet. Die Teilfläche T ist dabei in den Ausmaßen durch den Strahlbereich 415 bezüglich der Bestrahlungsposition 411A begrenzt. Im vorliegenden Fall ist die Teilfläche T kleiner als der Strahlbereich 415. Die Unterabfolge der Strahlpositionen auf der Teilfläche T wird nur durch eine Veränderung der optischen Ablenkung bei fixierter mechanischer Ablenkung abgetastet.

For a given combinability of mechanical deflection and optical deflection, two strategies for processing overhanging areas while avoiding local overheating are explained below as examples:

• 9A shows a quasi-stationary exposure strategy in which the irradiation path comprises a sub-sequence of beam positions whose positions lie within an associated beam range of the deflection device when the mechanical deflection is fixed at an irradiation position in the working area. A scanner device positions the energy beam at an irradiation position 411A, which corresponds, for example, to a center position of a partial area T to be exposed of a scan vector. Using an optical deflector of the optical deflection device, the energy beam is then successively directed at different beam positions 417 of the partial area T in order to expose these in a predetermined sequence for a predetermined duration. An example order 1-2-3-4-5-6-7... n when taking the to be taken Beam positions 417 is in 9A implied. With this sequence, adjacent areas are not exposed directly one after the other. In this case, the partial area T is limited in terms of dimensions by the beam region 415 with respect to the irradiation position 411A. In the present case, the partial area T is smaller than the beam area 415. The subsequence of the beam positions on the partial area T is scanned only by changing the optical deflection with a fixed mechanical deflection.

With the goal of an improved manufacturing process, as described above, the energy beam will only expose non-adjacent beam positions 417 directly one after the other. During the exposure of the partial area T by the rapid deflection, there is no displacement of the irradiation position 411 (i.e. no movement of the scanner device). A static exposure situation is therefore temporarily present with regard to the mechanical deflection. If the entire partial area T has been exposed, the scanner device is activated and a new irradiation position 411B is set, so that a subsequent partial area of the strip 403′ can be exposed.

9B shows an on-the-fly exposure in which a mechanical deflection is carried out continuously and superimposed with an optical deflection. The scanner device leads the energy beam along a defined path, the scan path 503. The scan path 503 can - as in the example 9B - be a linear scan vector or it can follow a given contour. At the same time as the mechanical scanning movement, the energy beam jumps to beam positions 517 by means of optical deflection, which can lie, for example, on the right and left, ie laterally, and on the scan path 503 . Here, too, the energy beam will only expose non-adjacent beam positions 517 directly one after the other, if possible. An exemplary order 1-2-3-4-5 for taking the beam positions 517 to be taken is shown in 9B implied.

For example, according to the embodiments of FIG 7A until 9B the scanner device can be controlled in such a way that the mechanical deflection positions the energy beam continuously/incrementally at a sequence of irradiation positions. At the same time, the deflection device is controlled in such a way that the energy beam successively assumes the beam positions of sub-sequences that cover the beam area of the corresponding irradiation position 411, and in particular a predetermined beam shape of the beam area (see, for example, the beam area 415 and the partial area T in 9A) , partially or completely cover.

With a view to the various exemplary embodiments for the irradiation of beam positions, the person skilled in the art will also recognize that the deflection device can be controlled in such a way that the energy beam at one irradiation position of the plurality of irradiation positions within a beam area is displaced to a plurality of beam positions in order to create a beam profile to be irradiated of the beam area during the manufacture of a component. The energy beam can be shifted abruptly to the plurality of discrete beam positions of the beam profile to be irradiated. Furthermore, the energy beam can, in particular, jump over beam positions that are spatially adjacent to one another in the beam area and, in particular, can only occupy beam positions in the beam area that are not spatially adjacent to one another in a temporal succession.

the 10A until 10D explain irradiation strategies for additive manufacturing of filigree structures, in which a detailed exposure of partial areas is carried out only by means of optical deflection.

Similar to in 9A For example, for a fixed mechanical deflection, a subsequence of beam positions can form a row of parallel, in particular linear, scan vectors, and a length of each of the scan vectors can be less than or equal to an extent of the beam area of the deflection device in the direction of the respective scan vector.

In the case of filigree components, there are often a number of short scan vectors when planning the irradiation. In other words, the irradiation path can comprise a plurality of sub-sequences of beam positions, the positions of which lie within a beam range of the deflection device when the mechanical deflection is fixed in the working area at an irradiation position belonging to a sub-sequence.

When the short vectors are controlled with a relatively sluggish mechanical scanner device, the exposure requires a large proportion of acceleration and braking distances (skywriting, scanner delay) between the individual short vectors. This therefore causes a high proportion of non-productive time during the exposure if the exposure alone, for example with the scanner device 7 in 1 is carried out. Furthermore, successive exposure of short vectors can lead to local overheating or (in order to avoid local overheating) process pauses can be forced instead, which are to be provided for when mechanical deflection is used for filigree structures. The process pauses are to be selected in such a way that they ensure that along the Irradiation path can dissipate sufficient heat.

With the concepts disclosed here of the combination of e.g. a galvano scanner and an AOD, filigree structures are written/exposed using only the optical deflection of the AOD. In other words, each of the plurality of subsequences can be scanned only by changing the optical deflection with the mechanical deflection fixed. Between the scanning of two subsequences of the plurality of subsequences, the mechanical deflection can be changed from one irradiation position to another irradiation position. This can reduce or avoid waiting times and/or overheating.

the 10A until 10D show sketches to explain irradiation strategies for additive manufacturing of filigree structures. 10A shows an irradiation strategy for a pointed filigree structure F in a component layer. For the exposure, the filigree structure is assigned a partial area T _M, in which the exposure is carried out exclusively along a group of long scan vectors S _M shown in dashed lines. The long scan vectors S_M can, for example, be exposed/scanned solely by means of mechanical deflection of the laser beam and then represent radiation paths of the scanner device.

You can see in the 10A until 10D , that the filigree structure in the component layer also forms a narrow, tapering partial area T_O. In the narrow partial area T_O, the filigree structure is tapered to a width that is smaller than the extent of a possible beam region 615 of the optical deflection device. Exemplary beam areas 615 are in 10A around irradiation positions 611 are indicated.

• - z.B. stehendem Galvanoscanner-Spiegeln (Bestrahlungspositionen 611 in 10A) oder
• - sich nur langsam bewegenden Galvanoscanner-Spiegeln (Scanpfad 703 10B).

With these proportions, a change in the type of scanning can take place, in which scanning is now exclusively effected by means of optical deflection. the 10A until 10D show short scan vectors S_O for the narrow partial areas T_O of the component layer of the filigree structure F. The short scan vectors S_O are scanned only by optical deflection of the laser beam, specifically at

• - E.g. standing galvano scanner mirroring (irradiation positions 611 in 10A) or
• - slowly moving galvano scanner mirrors (scan path 703 10B) .

Due to the fast optical deflection using AOD, there are no disadvantageous delay times when changing between short scan vectors S_O.

Since, due to the short scan vectors, sequential exposure can lead to overheating if the energy beam returns too quickly to a previously exposed area, the individual short scan vectors S_O of the partial area T_O can also be exposed in almost any vector sequence. 10C illustrates vector orders 1-2-3-4-5, 1'-2'-3'-4'-5', 1"-2"-3" for the case of a temporarily stationary mechanical deflection three beam areas 815, which can be optically scanned around irradiation positions 811, are always skipped by at least one short scan vector S_O.

In 10C Furthermore, a scan direction was indicated for the scan vectors S_M and S_O, which is inverted for consecutive scan vectors (whether short or long).

In other words, non-adjacent short scan vectors S_O, which always have a minimum distance, can be scanned using the optical fast deflection, so that—without stopping the optical deflection—the short scan vectors S_O of the filigree structure F can be processed efficiently.

10D shows another advantage of the flexibility of the optical deflection. The use of optical deflection means that scanning can always be done in one direction. Due to the rapid deflection within the beam area 915, empty runs that are necessary for this are not significant in terms of time. For example, the scanning of the short scan vectors S_O of the filigree structure F can be directed in the scanning direction against a gas flow G guided over the working area 9, whereby a higher process quality can be achieved in the region of the filigree structure F.

The short scan vectors S_O are also examples of sub-sequences of beam positions, each of which includes a plurality of beam positions.

With regard to the various exemplary embodiments for irradiating sub-sequences of beam positions, the person skilled in the art will recognize that, taking into account, in particular ensuring, the outflow of the energy introduced into the sub-sequences with the energy beam, a number of sub-sequences along the irradiation path and/or a number of beam positions in one of the subsequences and/or a spatial distance between successively occupied ones Subsequences can be determined. In particular, the energy or irradiation duration introduced into the sub-sequences with the energy beam can be limited. The selection of energy and irradiation duration at a beam position depends, among other things, on whether one jumps between two, three or even more sub-sequences: If, for example, only one beam position is skipped, there may still be another, albeit reduced, thermal interaction between-both sub-sequences, and only jumps back and forth between two sub-sequences, one can possibly put twice as much energy into each of the sub-sequences per unit time (compared to continuous irradiation); analogous if you jump between four sub-sequences, for example (assuming the same irradiation time per beam position). If necessary, one can also irradiate close, thermally interacting sub-sequences if one builds in enough "thermal breaks" between the exposures by further exposure at other sub-sequences/beam positions. Among other things, it is thermally relevant whether the energy/power input during production is so much higher than the heat/power dissipated at one point that the peak temperature is too high, which could lead to discolouration, an unstable production process or other problems, for example.

It is noted that the irradiation strategies disclosed herein may generally also include irradiation paths with a sub-sequence of beam positions taken by changing the mechanical deflection with fixed or varying optical deflection.

In general, a speed at which a sequence of spatially adjacent beam positions is continuously scanned can also be selected independently of whether one of the beam positions of the sequence of spatially adjacent beam positions is occupied by changing the optical deflection and/or changing the mechanical deflection will. In additive manufacturing, preferred speeds for such a continuously performed scanning movement—similar to a purely mechanical scanner device—are in the range from one meter per second to a few meters per second. The speed can be selected specifically for the powder material type and the energy beam/laser beam type. With regard to scanning beam positions as uniformly as possible, a target speed range is, for example, in the range of a few percent (possibly up to ±10% and more) around a speed specified for an irradiation situation (powder material type, energy beam/laser beam), which is e.g Laser beam parameters and powder material parameters was determined.

If the possibility of abrupt activation of non-adjacent beam positions is built in and the energy of the energy beam is correspondingly increased, a scanning speed related to the entire radiation path can assume correspondingly higher values, with a correspondingly increased manufacturing efficiency.

• Aspekt 1. Verfahren zum Verlagern eines kontinuierlichen Energiestrahls (5) entlang eines durch eine Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) ausgebildeten Bestrahlungspfads (101), der dazu vorgesehen ist, in einem Arbeitsbereich (9) einer Fertigungseinrichtung (1) ein Pulvermaterial (2) in einer Pulverschicht zu verfestigen, mit den Schritten:
  • Einstrahlen des kontinuierlichen Energiestrahls (5) auf das Pulvermaterial (2), um im Rahmen eines additiven Fertigungsverfahrens eine Schicht eines Bauteils (4) zu formen; und
  • Verlagern des Energiestrahls (5) innerhalb des Arbeitsbereichs (9) durch ein Überlagern einer optischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls (5) mit einer Ablenkeinrichtung (13) und einer mechanischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls (5) mit einer Scannereinrichtung (7), wobei
  • - die mechanische Ablenkung dazu ausgebildet ist, den Energiestrahl (5) an einer Mehrzahl von im Arbeitsbereich (9) angeordneten Bestrahlungspositionen (11) zu positionieren, wobei die Bestrahlungspositionen (11) den Arbeitsbereich (9) im Wesentlichen aufspannen, und
  • - die optische Ablenkung dazu ausgebildet ist, den Energiestrahl (5) um jede der Bestrahlungspositionen (11) innerhalb eines Strahlbereichs (15) der Ablenkeinrichtung (13) auf mindestens eine Strahlposition der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) abzulenken,

wobei die optische Ablenkung und die mechanische Ablenkung zeitgleich oder aufeinanderfolgend verändert werden, um die Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) mit dem Energiestrahl (5) abzutasten.Further aspects of the invention are summarized below:

• Aspect 1. Method for displacing a continuous energy beam (5) along an irradiation path (101) formed by a sequence of beam positions (17), which is intended to inject a powder material (2) into a work area (9) of a production facility (1). to solidify a layer of powder, with the steps:
  • Radiating the continuous energy beam (5) onto the powder material (2) in order to form a layer of a component (4) as part of an additive manufacturing process; and
  • Displacing the energy beam (5) within the working area (9) by superimposing an optical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a deflection device (13) and a mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a scanner device (7), wherein
  • - the mechanical deflection is designed to position the energy beam (5) at a plurality of irradiation positions (11) arranged in the working area (9), the irradiation positions (11) essentially spanning the working area (9), and
  • - the optical deflection is designed to deflect the energy beam (5) around each of the irradiation positions (11) within a beam region (15) of the deflection device (13) to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17),

wherein the optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are changed simultaneously or sequentially in order to scan the sequence of beam positions (17) with the energy beam (5).

[In general, the beam area is given here by a maximum extent of the optical deflection of the deflection device.]

• Ansteuern der Ablenkeinrichtung (13) und der Scannereinrichtung (7) derart, dass der Energiestrahl (5) nacheinander Unterabfolgen, die jeweils mindestens eine Strahlposition der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) des Bestrahlungspfads (101) umfassen, abtastet, wobei durch eine sprunghafte Veränderung der optischen Ablenkung ein Bereich zwischen den beabstandeten Unterabfolgen vom Energiestrahl (5) übersprungen wird, sodass nacheinander räumlich voneinander beabstandete, insbesondere thermisch entkoppelte, Unterabfolgen vom Energiestrahl eingenommen werden.

Aspect 2. The method of aspect 1, further comprising:

• Driving the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) such that the Ener energy beam (5) successively sub-sequences, each of which comprises at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17) of the radiation path (101), with a region between the spaced sub-sequences being skipped by the energy beam (5) as a result of a sudden change in the optical deflection, so that successively spatially spaced, in particular thermally decoupled, sub-sequences are occupied by the energy beam.

• - einer Anzahl von Unterabfolgen entlang des Bestrahlungspfads,
• - einer Anzahl von Strahlpositionen in einer der Unterabfolgen und
• - ein räumlicher Abstand zwischen nacheinander eingenommenen Unterabfolgen unter Berücksichtigung/Gewährleistung des Abflusses der mit dem Energiestrahl (5) in die Unterabfolgen eingetragenen Energie, insbesondere einer Limitierung der mit dem Energiestrahl in die Unterabfolgen eingetragenen Energie oder Bestrahlungsdauer, bestimmt werden.

Aspect 3. The method of aspect 2, wherein at least one of

• - a number of subsequences along the irradiation path,
• - a number of beam positions in one of the subsequences and
• - a spatial distance between successively taken sub-sequences, taking into account/ensuring the discharge of the energy introduced into the sub-sequences with the energy beam (5), in particular a limitation of the energy or irradiation duration introduced into the sub-sequences with the energy beam.

Aspect 4. Method according to aspect 2 or 3, wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that
adjoining beam positions (17) of the radiation path (101) are not occupied consecutively.

Aspect 5. Method according to one of aspects 2 to 4, wherein the deflection device (13) in a passage region provided for the energy beam (5) comprises an optical, in particular transparent, material which has optical properties which are set to bring about the optical deflection , and wherein the deflection device (13) comprises, in particular, a crystal in which an acoustic wave having an acoustic wavelength is formed or a refractive index or a refractive index gradient is adjusted in order to effect the optical deflection.

• - Anregen einer akustischen Welle mit einer akustischen Wellenlänge im optischen Material zur Ausbildung eines akusto-optischen Beugungsgitters,
• - Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls auf den Durchtrittsbereich,
• - Beugen des Energiestrahls am akusto-optischen Beugungsgitter zu einem großen Teil, insbesondere zu mindestens 80 % und bevorzugt zu mindestens 90 %, unter einem Beugungswinkel in eine erste Beugungsordnung,
• - Führen des gebeugten Energiestrahls an eine erste der Strahlpositionen (17) und
• - Verändern der optischen Ablenkung des Energiestrahls durch Ändern der akustischen Wellenlänge, wobei insbesondere ein diskretes Verändern der akustischen Wellenlänge zum sprunghaften Verändern der akusto-optischen Ablenkung vorgenommen wird, sodass der Bereich zwischen den beabstandeten Unterabfolgen, und insbesondere mindestens eine räumlich zwischen den Unterabfolgen liegende Strahlposition (17) des Bestrahlungspfads (101), vom Energiestrahl (5) übersprungen wird.

Aspect 6. The method of aspect 5, further comprising

• - Excitation of an acoustic wave with an acoustic wavelength in the optical material to form an acousto-optical diffraction grating,
• - Radiation of the energy beam onto the passage area,
• - Bending the energy beam at the acousto-optical diffraction grating to a large extent, in particular at least 80% and preferably at least 90%, at a diffraction angle in a first diffraction order,
• - guiding the diffracted energy beam to a first of the beam positions (17) and
• - Changing the optical deflection of the energy beam by changing the acoustic wavelength, in particular a discrete changing of the acoustic wavelength for abruptly changing the acousto-optical deflection is carried out, so that the area between the spaced sub-sequences, and in particular at least one spatially between the sub-sequences lying beam position (17) of the irradiation path (101) is skipped by the energy beam (5).

Aspect 7. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein spatially non-adjacent beam positions (17) of the radiation path (101) are occupied in temporal succession and/or
the spaced sub-sequences are spaced apart from each other in the work area (9) by at least one diameter of the energy beam or at least 50% of the diameter of the energy beam or at least 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the energy beam and/or
Areas of the work area (9) are skipped, which are selected from the group of areas comprising an area of the work area (9) that has not yet been irradiated, an area of the work area (9) that is not to be irradiated and an area of the work area (9) that has already been irradiated.

Aspect 8. Method according to one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein while the scanner device (7) is controlled in such a way that the mechanical deflection positions the energy beam (5) at an irradiation position (11), the deflection device (13) is controlled in such a way that the energy beam (5) successively occupies the beam positions (17) of subsequences that completely cover the beam area (15) of the corresponding irradiation position (11), and in particular a predetermined beam shape of the beam area (15).

Aspect 9. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein, while the scanner device (7) is controlled in such a way that the mechanical deflection positions the energy beam (5) continuously at a sequence of irradiation positions (11), the deflection device (13) such is controlled that the energy beam (5) successively occupies the beam positions (17) of sub-sequences that the beam area (15) of the corresponding irradiation position (11), and in particular partially or completely cover a predetermined beam shape of the beam area (15).

Aspect 10. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the deflection device (13) is controlled in such a way that the energy beam (5) at an irradiation position (11) of the plurality of irradiation positions (11) within a beam region (15) at a plurality is shifted from beam positions (17) in order to shape a beam profile of the beam area during the manufacture of a component (4), and the energy beam (5) is shifted abruptly to the plurality of discrete beam positions (17), the energy beam (5) in particular skips spatially adjacent beam positions (17) in the beam area (15) and in particular only occupies spatially non-adjacent beam positions (17) in the beam area (15) consecutively in time.

• Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls (5), indem die Scannereinrichtung (7) derart angesteuert wird, dass der Energiestrahl (5) entlang einer Unterabfolgen von Bestrahlungspositionen (11) gemäß eines Scanpfads (103) positioniert wird, und die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) zeitgleich derart angesteuert wird, dass der Energiestrahl (5) zwischen Strahlpositionen (17) einer zweidimensionalen Anordnung von Strahlpositionen (17), insbesondere zwischen quer zum Scanpfad (103) angeordneten Strahlpositionen (17), hin und her springt.

Aspect 11. The method of aspect 10, further comprising:

• The energy beam (5) is radiated in by the scanner device (7) being controlled in such a way that the energy beam (5) is positioned along a sub-sequence of irradiation positions (11) according to a scan path (103), and the deflection device (13) is controlled in this way at the same time that the energy beam (5) jumps back and forth between beam positions (17) of a two-dimensional array of beam positions (17), in particular between beam positions (17) arranged transversely to the scan path (103).

• Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls (5), indem die Scannereinrichtung (13) derart angesteuert wird, dass die Bestrahlungsposition (11) entlang einem ersten Scanvektor (S1) der Scanvektoren (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) verlagert wird, und die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) zeitgleich derart angesteuert wird, dass der Energiestrahl (5) zwischen dem ersten Scanvektor (S1) der Scanvektoren (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) und mindestens einem weiteren Scanvektor (S4) der Scanvektoren (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) hin und her springt.

Aspect 12. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the irradiation path (101) has at least one irradiation zone (HA1) in which a plurality of sub-sequences of irradiation positions in the form of adjacent, at least partially parallel scan vectors (S1, S2, S3 , S4, S5, S6), in particular of the same length, is also defined with:

• Irradiating the energy beam (5) by controlling the scanner device (13) in such a way that the irradiation position (11) is displaced along a first scan vector (S1) of the scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6), and the Deflection device (13) is controlled at the same time such that the energy beam (5) between the first scan vector (S1) of the scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) and at least one further scan vector (S4) of the scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) jumps back and forth.

• Einstrahlen des Energiestrahls (5), indem die Scannereinrichtung (7) derart angesteuert wird, dass die Bestrahlungsposition (11) entlang einer Unterabfolgen von Bestrahlungspositionen (11) gemäß eine Scanrichtung verlagert wird, und die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) zeitgleich derart angesteuert wird, dass der Energiestrahl (5) zwischen entlang der Unterabfolge angeordneten Strahlpositionen in und entgegen der Scanrichtung springt.

Aspect 13. The method of any one of aspects 1 to 12, further comprising:

• The energy beam (5) is radiated in by the scanner device (7) being controlled in such a way that the irradiation position (11) is displaced along a subsequence of irradiation positions (11) in accordance with a scanning direction, and the deflection device (13) is controlled at the same time in such a way that the Energy beam (5) jumps between beam positions arranged along the subsequence in and against the scanning direction.

Aspect 14. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the irradiation path (101) has at least two irradiation zones (HA2, HA3; HB1, HB2), in each of which a plurality of subsequences of irradiation positions in the form of adjacent, at least partially parallel ones Scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) of equal length is defined, where
to displace the energy beam (5), the scanner device (7) is controlled in such a way that the energy beam travels along a first scan vector (S1; S2) of the scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) in a first of the irradiation zones (HA2 , HA3; HB1, HB2) is positioned, and
the deflection device is controlled at the same time in such a way that the energy beam between the first of the scan vectors in the first of the irradiation zones (HA2, HA3; HB1, HB2) and
at least one further scan vector (S1, S2) of the scan vectors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) of a further one of the irradiation zones (HA2, HA3; HB1, HB2) jumps back and forth.

• - einer Strahlerzeugungseinrichtung (3), die eingerichtet ist zum Erzeugen eines kontinuierlichen Energiestrahls (5) zum Bestrahlen des Pulvermaterials (2),
• - einer Scannereinrichtung (7), die für eine mechanische Ablenkung eingerichtet ist, um den Energiestrahl (5) an einer Mehrzahl von Bestrahlungspositionen (11) zu positionieren,

wobei die Bestrahlungspositionen (11) den Arbeitsbereich (9) im Wesentlichen aufspannen,

• - einer Ablenkeinrichtung (13), die für eine optische Ablenkung eingerichtet ist, um den Energiestrahl (5) um jede der Bestrahlungspositionen (11) innerhalb eines Strahlbereichs (15) auf mindestens eine Strahlposition der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) abzulenken, und
• - einer Steuereinrichtung (19), die mit der Scannereinrichtung (7) und der Ablenkeinrichtung (13) wirkverbunden und eingerichtet ist, um die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) und die Scannereinrichtung (7) derart anzusteuern, dass die optische Ablenkung und die mechanische Ablenkung zeitgleich oder aufeinanderfolgend verändert werden, um mit dem kontinuierlichen Energiestrahl (5) einen durch eine Abfolge der Strahlpositionen (17) ausgebildeten Bestrahlungspfad (101) abzutasten, wobei der Bestrahlungspfad (101) dazu vorgesehen ist, im Arbeitsbereich (9) das Pulvermaterial (2) in einer Pulverschicht zu verfestigen.

Aspect 15. Manufacturing device (1) for the additive manufacturing of a component (4) from a powder material (2), which is provided in a work area (9), with

• - a beam generating device (3) which is set up to generate a continuous energy beam (5) for irradiating the powder material (2),
• - a scanner device (7) which is set up for mechanical deflection in order to position the energy beam (5) at a plurality of irradiation positions (11),

wherein the irradiation positions (11) essentially span the working area (9),

• - a deflection device (13) which is set up for optical deflection in order to deflect the energy beam (5) around each of the irradiation positions (11) within a beam region (15) to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17), and
• - A control device (19) which is operatively connected to the scanner device (7) and the deflection device (13) and set up to to control the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) in such a way that the optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are changed simultaneously or sequentially in order to scan a radiation path (101) formed by a sequence of beam positions (17) with the continuous energy beam (5). , wherein the irradiation path (101) is intended to solidify the powder material (2) in a powder layer in the work area (9).

• - den Energiestrahl (5) sprunghaft an eine Mehrzahl von diskreten Strahlpositionen (17) zu verlagern, und/oder
• - mit dem Energiestrahl (5) nacheinander Unterabfolgen, die jeweils mindestens eine Strahlposition (17) der Abfolge von Strahlpositionen (17) des Bestrahlungspfads (101) umfassen, abzutasten, wobei durch eine sprunghafte Veränderung der optischen Ablenkung ein Bereich zwischen den beabstandeten Unterabfolgen vom Energiestrahl (5) übersprungen wird, sodass nacheinander räumlich voneinander beabstandete, insbesondere thermisch entkoppelte, Unterabfolgen vom Energiestrahl eingenommen werden.

Aspect 16. Production device (1) according to aspect 15, wherein the deflection device (13) is set up

• - to shift the energy beam (5) abruptly to a plurality of discrete beam positions (17), and/or
• - using the energy beam (5) to scan sub-sequences in succession, each of which comprises at least one beam position (17) of the sequence of beam positions (17) of the radiation path (101), with an abrupt change in the optical deflection removing a region between the spaced sub-sequences from the energy beam (5) is skipped, so that successively spatially spaced apart, in particular thermally decoupled, sub-sequences are occupied by the energy beam.

• - die Steuereinrichtung (19) dazu eingerichtet ist, die Scannereinrichtung (7) und die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) gemäß einem Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 14 anzusteuern,
• - die Scannereinrichtung (7) mindestens einen Scanner, insbesondere einen Galvanometer-Scanner, Piezo-Scanner, Polygonscanner, MEMS-Scanner, und/oder einen relativ zu dem Arbeitsbereich (9) verlagerbaren Arbeitskopf aufweist,
• - die Ablenkeinrichtung (13) mindestens einen elektro-optischen Deflektor und/oder akusto-optischen Deflektor (21), vorzugsweise zwei nicht parallel, insbesondere senkrecht zueinander orientierte elektro-optische oder akusto-optische Deflektoren (21), aufweist,
• - die Ablenkeinrichtung mindestens einen akusto-optischen Deflektor (21) mit einem optischen Material, wie einem Kristall, und einem Anreger (112) zum Erzeugen akustischer Wellen im optischen Material aufweist, und/oder
• - die Strahlerzeugungseinrichtung (3) als Dauerstrich-Laser ausgebildet ist.

Aspect 17. A manufacturing facility (1) according to any one of aspects 15 or 16, wherein

• - the control device (19) is set up to control the scanner device (7) and the deflection device (13) according to a method according to one of claims 1 to 14,
• - the scanner device (7) has at least one scanner, in particular a galvanometer scanner, piezo scanner, polygon scanner, MEMS scanner, and/or a working head that can be displaced relative to the work area (9),
• - the deflection device (13) has at least one electro-optical deflector and/or acousto-optical deflector (21), preferably two electro-optical or acousto-optical deflectors (21) which are not oriented parallel, in particular perpendicular to one another,
• - the deflection device has at least one acousto-optical deflector (21) with an optical material, such as a crystal, and an exciter (112) for generating acoustic waves in the optical material, and/or
• - The beam generating device (3) is designed as a continuous wave laser.

It is explicitly emphasized that all features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are to be regarded as separate and independent from each other for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of limiting the claimed invention independently of the combinations of features in the embodiments and/or the claims should. It is explicitly stated that all indications of ranges or groups of units disclose every possible intermediate value or subgroup of units for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of limiting the claimed invention, in particular also as a limit of a range indication.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• EP 2732890 A1 [0004]

Claims (23)

Method for displacing a continuous energy beam (5) along an irradiation path (101) formed by a sequence of beam positions (17), which is intended to apply a powder material (2) in a powder layer in a work area (9) of a production device (1). solidify, with the steps: Radiating the continuous energy beam (5) onto the powder material (2) in order to form a layer of a component (4) as part of an additive manufacturing process; and Displacing the energy beam (5) within the working area (9) by superimposing an optical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a deflection device (13) and a mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) with a scanner device (7), wherein - the mechanical deflection is designed to position the energy beam (5) at a plurality of irradiation positions (11) arranged in the working area (9), the irradiation positions (11) essentially spanning the working area (9), and - the optical deflection is designed to deflect the energy beam (5) around each of the irradiation positions (11) within a beam region (15) to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17), the optical deflection and the mechanical deflection being simultaneous or consecutive be changed to scan the sequence of beam positions (17) with the energy beam (5). procedure after claim 1 , wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that the changing of the optical deflection and the changing of the mechanical deflection take place at the same time in such a way that the sequence of beam positions (17) moves at a predetermined speed or in a desired Speed range around the specified speed is sampled. procedure after claim 1 or 2 , wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam (5) at least partially compensates for a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) in a direction transverse to the irradiation path (101). , so that the irradiation path (101) deviates from a sequence of irradiation positions (11) set with the scanner device (7), and optionally the optical deflection of the energy beam (5) has a component in the direction of the irradiation path (101), so that in particular a speed with which the sequence of beam positions (17) in a segment of the radiation path (101) is scanned, is constant or remains in a target speed range around a predetermined speed. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam (5) and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) in at least a first direction at least partially compensate and/ or a change in the optical deflection of the energy beam (5) and a change in the mechanical deflection of the energy beam (5) add up in at least a second direction. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 4 , wherein the irradiation path (101) comprises a curved segment (301) and the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that the energy beam (5) is continuously displaced along the curved segment (301), wherein in particular - the changing the mechanical deflection takes place continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed, and/or - the mechanical deflection causes a sequence of irradiation positions (11) set with the scanner device (7), which is arranged on a curved scanning path (303), with a curvature of the Scan path (303) is less than a curvature of the curvature segment (301). Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , wherein the radiation path (201) comprises two, in particular linear, radiation path segments (201A, 201B) that together form a radiation path corner (E), and the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that the energy beam (5) is continuous is displaced along each of the radiation path segments (201A, 201B), in particular - the energy beam (5) is displaced along at least one of the two radiation path segments (201A, 201A", 201B, 201B', 201B") in the direction of the radiation path corner (E). - the mechanical deflection is changed continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed, and/or - the mechanical deflection causes a sequence of irradiation positions (211) set with the scanner device (7) and arranged on a curved scan path (203). Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , wherein the irradiation path (201) has two, in particular whose linear radiation path segments (201A", 201B") that together form a radiation path corner (E), each of which includes a subsequence of beam positions (217), and the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that the Energy beam (5) is shifted alternately to at least one beam position (217) of the subsequence of a first of the radiation path segments (201A", 201B") and at least one beam position (217) of the subsequence of a second of the radiation path segments (201A", 201B"), and wherein in particular - the mechanical deflection is changed continuously, optionally with a varying scanning speed, and/or the mechanical deflection causes a sequence of irradiation positions (211) set with the scanner device (7), which is arranged on a curved scanning path (203), and - the shifting with the optical deflection between the sub-sequences occurs in leaps and bounds. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , wherein the scanner device (7) travels through a sequence of irradiation positions (211) with a constant, optionally with a varying, scanning speed. procedure after claim 1 , wherein the irradiation path (17) comprises a subsequence of beam positions, the positions of which lie within an associated beam range (415, 615) of the deflection device (13) when the mechanical deflection is fixed at an irradiation position (411A, 611) in the work area (9), and wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that the sub-sequence is scanned only by changing the optical deflection while the mechanical deflection is fixed. procedure after claim 9 , wherein the sub-sequence of beam positions forms a row of parallel, in particular linear, scan vectors (S_O) and a length of each of the scan vectors (S_0) is less than or equal to an extent of the beam area (815) of the deflection device (13) in the direction of the respective scan vector (So is. procedure after claim 9 or 10 , wherein the irradiation path (17) comprises a plurality of sub-sequences of beam positions, the positions of which lie within a beam range of the deflection device when mechanical deflection is fixed in the work area at an irradiation position (411A, 611) belonging to a sub-sequence, and the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) can be controlled in such a way that - each of the plurality of subsequences is scanned only by a change in the optical deflection with a fixed mechanical deflection and - between the scanning of two subsequences of the plurality of subsequences the mechanical deflection from one irradiation position to another Irradiation position is changed. Procedure according to one of claims 9 until 11 wherein the radiation path (101) further comprises a sub-sequence of beam positions (17) occupied by a change in mechanical deflection with fixed or varying optical deflection. Method according to any of the preceding Claims 1 until 12 , wherein the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) are controlled in such a way that a speed at which a sequence of spatially adjacent beam positions (17) is scanned is independent of whether one of the beam positions (17) of the sequence of beam positions (17) spatially adjacent to one another are assumed by changing the optical deflection and/or changing the mechanical deflection. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the deflection device (13) in a passage region provided for the energy beam (5) comprises an optical, in particular transparent, material such as a crystal, which has optical properties which are set to bring about the optical deflection. procedure after Claim 14 , also with - exciting an acoustic wave with an acoustic wavelength in the optical material to form an acousto-optical diffraction grating, - irradiating the energy beam onto the passage area, - diffracting the energy beam on the acousto-optical diffraction grating to a large extent, in particular to at least 80% and preferably at least 90%, at a diffraction angle in a first diffraction order, - guiding the diffracted energy beam to a first of the beam positions (17), and - changing the optical deflection of the energy beam by changing the acoustic wavelength. procedure after claim 15 wherein changing the acoustic wavelength changes the diffraction angle of the first diffraction order such that the diffracted energy beam is directed to a second one of the beam positions (17). procedure after claim 15 or 16 , wherein the acoustic wavelength is changed stepwise by a wavelength change, so that the energy beam introduces energy in beam positions of the irradiation path one after the other, energy being introduced in two beam positions simultaneously in a transition time in which there are two acoustic wavelengths in the passage region. procedure after Claim 17 , wherein the wavelength change causes a change in the diffraction angle, so that spatially adjacent beam positions (17) of the irradiation path (101) or spatially spaced, in particular thermally decoupled, beam positions (17) are scanned sequentially in time by the energy beam (5). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the deflection device (13) is controlled in such a way that at least one beam position (17) is skipped when scanning the sequence of beam positions (17), the skipped beam position (17) being scanned at a subsequent point in time. procedure after Claim 14 , further with - applying a voltage to the optical material to set a refractive index or a refractive index gradient, - irradiating the energy beam onto the passage area, - deflecting the energy beam based on the set refractive index or refractive index gradient, - guiding the deflected energy beam to a first of the beam positions (17th ), and - changing the optical deflection of the energy beam by changing the applied voltage. Manufacturing device (1) for the additive manufacturing of a component (4) from a powder material (2), which is provided in a work area (9). - a beam generating device (3) which is set up to generate a continuous energy beam (5) for irradiating the powder material (2), - a scanner device (7) which is set up for mechanical deflection in order to position the energy beam (5) at a plurality of irradiation positions (11), the irradiation positions (11) essentially spanning the working area (9), - a deflection device (13) which is set up for optical deflection in order to deflect the energy beam (5) within a beam area (15) around each of the irradiation positions (11) to at least one beam position of the sequence of beam positions (17), and - a control device (19), which is operatively connected to the scanner device (7) and the deflection device (13) and set up to control the deflection device (13) and the scanner device (7) in such a way that the optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are performed simultaneously or be changed in succession in order to scan with the continuous energy beam (5) an irradiation path (101) formed by a sequence of beam positions (17), the irradiation path (101) being provided in the working area (9) to expose the powder material (2) in a to solidify the powder layer. Manufacturing facility (1) after Claim 21 , wherein the deflection device (13) is set up to shift the energy beam (5) abruptly to a plurality of discrete beam positions (17). Production device (1) according to one of Claims 21 or 22 , wherein - the control device (19) is set up to, the scanner device (7) and the deflection device (13) according to a method according to one of Claims 1 until 20 - the scanner device (7) has at least one scanner, in particular a galvanometer scanner, piezo scanner, polygon scanner, MEMS scanner, and/or a working head that can be displaced relative to the work area (9), - the deflection device (13) at least has an electro-optical deflector and/or acousto-optical deflector (21), preferably two electro-optical or acousto-optical deflectors (21) which are not oriented parallel, in particular perpendicular to one another, - the deflection device has at least one acousto-optical deflector (21 ) having an optical material, such as a crystal, and an exciter (112) for generating acoustic waves in the optical material, and/or - the beam generating device (3) is designed as a continuous wave laser.

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