Abstract: A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material includes applying a layer of the building material within a build area by means of a recoater moving in a recoating direction across the build area, selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured by means of a solidification device, and repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed. A local action confined to a region between the recoating unit moving across the build area and the solidification device and/or compaction device moving behind the recoating unit across the build area is performed on the applied layer of the building material.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-wise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layer corresponding to the cross-section of the object to be manufactured by introducing energy by means of electromagnetic radiation, wherein a calculation, which stresses will occur inside of the object during the layer-wise manufacturing, is carried out and wherein the object to be manufactured obtains additional structures with respect to the required shape of the object to be manufactured when a critical value is exceeded.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer solidification of building material at the points corresponding to the cross-section of the object to be manufactured in a respective layer. The apparatus includes a process chamber in which the object is to be built up layer by layer by selectively solidifying layers of a building material in a build area, a gas supply device, and a recirculating air filter device, wherein the apparatus comprises a pressure stabilization device configured to keep the pressure in the process chamber substantially constant.

Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional object on a support by applying layer by layer and selectively solidifying a building material in powder form. The method includes lowering the support to a predetermined height below a working plane, applying a layer of the building material in powder form in the working plane, selectively solidifying the applied powder layer at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be produced and repeating the steps of lowering, applying and selectively solidifying until the object is completed. By doing so, the quantity of applied building material in powder form is reduced in a section in an actively controlled way or substantially no building material in powder form is applied in a section in an actively controlled way.

Abstract: Method for calibrating an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by layer-wise selective solidification of building material with the step of generating an substantially periodic first modulation pattern in a first sub-area of the build area, the step of generating an substantially periodic second modulation pattern in a second sub-area of the build area, wherein in the overlap zone, the first modulation pattern and the second modulation pattern form an substantially periodic superposition pattern, whose period is larger than the period of the first modulation pattern and the period of the second modulation pattern, the step of detecting the superposition pattern, and the step of determining the deviation of the position of the superposition pattern on the build area from a reference position.

Abstract: A calibration ledge serves for calibrating a manufacturing device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer solidification of a building material at the points corresponding to the respective cross-section of the object by selectively irradiating layers of the building material with a radiation in a working plane. The calibration ledge has an elongated shape and includes an aperture ledge extending in its longitudinal direction and comprising several aperture openings arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the calibration ledge which are more permeable for the radiation of the irradiation device than the region of the aperture ledge surrounding the aperture openings.

Abstract: A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form includes a powder container for receiving building material in powder form and a filling chamber for filling in building material in powder form into the powder container. The powder discharge unit is configured to fluidise the building material in powder form in the powder container and the building material in powder form in the filling chamber independently of one another.

Abstract: A recoater for applying a building material in a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object within a build area by solidifying layers of the building material at the points corresponding to the respective cross-section of the object is suitable for applying a building material layer by moving across the build area in a movement direction. The recoater comprises a first scanning device including a first line sensor, for capturing at least a subarea of the build area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-assisted method for examining an input data set of a generative layer building device, comprising at least the following step: —comparing at least one parameter value in a computer-based model of an object that is to be produced using said generative layer building device, to a limiting parameter value which is an extreme value for the parameter able to be obtained in a method for producing the object, and particularly an extreme value for the parameter that can be obtained in a process-stable manner.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material by exposure to a radiation. A hollow body is arranged in a process chamber above a build area which hollow body substantially extends from the build area in a direction of an upper side of the wall of the process chamber. Gas is supplied to the process chamber in such a manner and gas is discharged from the process chamber in such a manner that a lower pressure exists in the region of the process chamber lying within the hollow body than in the region of the process chamber lying outside the hollow body.

Abstract: An exposure optics serves as an equipping and/or retrofitting optics for a device for producing a three-dimensional object by selectively solidifying building material, layer by layer. The exposure optics includes at least a first object-sided lens system having a first focal length f1 and a second image-sided lens system having a second focal length f2, which lens systems can be arranged in the beam path of the radiation emitted by the radiation source. The focal plane of the first lens system and the focal plane of the second lens system coincide in a plane between the two lens systems. The focal length f1 of the first lens system is equal to or greater than the focal length f2 of the second lens system. The exposure optics is designed and can be arranged such that the electromagnetic radiation is incident substantially perpendicular on the working surface.

Abstract: A device includes a recoater that can be moved in an application direction across a build area, the recoater having at least a first recoating unit for applying a layer of the building material to the build area and a solidification device that can be moved in the application direction across the build area, the solidification device having at least a first solidification unit for selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object to be produced. The device can repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object is completed. The recoater includes at least a second recoating unit that is arranged at the other side of the first solidification unit than the first recoating unit with respect to the application direction.

Abstract: The invention refers to a device and a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The object (3) is manufactured on at least one support (2) movable in height. The horizontal extent of the support/s defines a construction field (5). An input device (6, 8, 9) directs radiation of at least one radiation source in a controlled way onto regions of an applied layer. The input device (6, 8, 9) directs a plurality of beams simultaneously onto different regions of the applied layer. Each one of the plurality of beams is directed exclusively onto a partial region of the layer assigned to it, wherein the partial region is smaller than the complete construction field (5). The complete construction field (5) is covered by the total number of partial regions. The input device (6, 8, 9) is controlled by means of a control unit (10). At least one of the partial regions overlaps with at least one of the other partial regions partially, but not completely.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a three-dimensional object by layer-wise applying and selectively solidifying a building material. The method includes (a) applying a layer of the building material to a build area by means of an application device, (b) selectively solidifying the applied layer at positions that correspond to the cross-section of the object in the respective layer and at positions that correspond to the cross-section of an envelop region and (c) repeating the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object and the envelop region are completed. The envelop region encloses the object in at least a section thereof, wherein those positions that correspond to the envelop region are solidified less strongly than those positions that correspond to the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an object in a build area by successive layer-by-layer solidification of a building material in powder form. The method includes applying a layer of the building material in powder form having a predetermined thickness onto a layer of the building material already previously applied which has been solidified in a region corresponding to a cross section of the object A recoater is moved in a direction across the layer already previously applied, and the building material is solidified in a shape corresponding to a cross section of the object. Prior to the application of a layer, for a solidified region having a thickness d1 in the layer applied before, the maximum of the product of the extension of this region in movement direction of the recoater and the thickness d1 is determined and during the application of the layer, at least an additional powder amount proportional to the value of the maximum is additionally provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a beam melting installation and method for producing components thereof, in which a component to be produced is produced layer-wise, wherein, a coating slide moves across a build platform, a powder layer is applied onto the build platform and already produced component layers by a blade fastened on the coating slide, and melt traces are subsequently inscribed in the powder layer by means of a directed beam, so that the powder melts in the melt trace and bonds to underlying component layers, wherein, during the travel of the coating slide in order to apply a new powder layer, perturbations of the travel of the coating slide or components connected thereto are metrologically detected, and in particular the beam melting installation is controlled and/or regulated as a function of the detected measured values. The invention furthermore relates to a device for retrofitting beam melting installations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for layered production of a three-dimensional object, wherein a powdery or fluid building material, which can be solidified by the effects of electromagnetic or particle radiation, is applied in layers having a layer thickness d, and the locations in each layer which correspond to a cross-section of the object allocated to said layer are solidified by means of electromagnetic or particle radiation. According to the invention, each cross-section consists of a contour region and an inner region and the method comprises the following sub-step: in a sequence of N successive cross-sections, wherein N is a whole number greater than 1, a partial region is defined in every cross-section as a critical region and the rest of the cross-section is defined as a non-critical region, a number of N layers are applied successively, without solidification of the non-critical regions.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material. The method includes applying a layer of the building material to a build area by a recoater and selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured by a solidification device. The steps of applying and solidifying are repeated until the three-dimensional object is completed. A heating element locally introduces thermal energy into the newly applied layer of the building material and/or into the layer of the building material which is already selectively solidified. In the course of this, the thermal energy released by the heating element is adjustable depending on the position of this point in the build area.

Abstract: A method for making a three-dimensional object by means of layer-wise application and selective solidification of a pulverulent building material The method includes applying a layer of the pulverulent building material onto a build area by an application device The application device includes a recoating unit movable across the build area in an application direction. The method further includes solidification of the applied powder layer at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be made, and repeating the steps of applying and selective solidification until the object is completed. The pulverulent building material to be applied onto the build area is heated locally by a radiant heater before being applied.

Abstract: A polyamide powder is disclosed for use in a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selectively solidifying layers of the polyamide powder at the locations corresponding to the cross-section of the object in the respective layer by application of electromagnetic radiation. The polyamide powder of the invention is reclaimed after manufacturing of an object and, then is treated with water or water vapor and subsequently dried. After treatment, the powder preferably can have a molar weight Mn (numeric average) of more than about 20,000 g/mol and a Mw (weight average) of more than about 40,000 g/mol. Also, the powder preferably has an excess of carboxylic end groups relative to amino end groups of at least 4:1 up to at most 200:1.