Abstract: A powder bed fusion apparatus in which an object is built in a layer-by-layer manner. The apparatus includes a build sleeve, a build platform for supporting a powder bed and the build platform lowerable in the build sleeve. A heating element is integrated in or located on the build platform or the build sleeve. A seal is provided for sealing a gap between the build platform and the build sleeve to prevent powder from passing through the gap. A build chamber is provided for maintaining an inert atmosphere both above and below the build platform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for additive manufacturing of components, in particular selective laser melting or laser sintering. The device comprises a processing head (7) with a plurality of spatially separated beam guides, via which one or more laser beams can be directed onto a processing plane (8) along spatially separated beam paths, and one or more optical switching devices (4) with which the beam path of the respective laser beam can be switched between the spatially separated beam paths. The device enables use of a laser beam source (1) for different beam paths or target positions with a processing head (7) of such kind, whereby it is possible to achieve better utilization of the beam sources used and irradiation of the processing plane (8) corresponding to a component geometry to be created with a smaller number of laser beam sources (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for machining a material layer using energetic radiation to produce three-dimensional components by melting a particulate material in layers. In the method, one or more energetic beams of one or more beam sources are directed onto a layer to be machined and guided over the layer by a dynamic beam guidance system. The method is characterized in that at least one of the energetic beams is divided into multiple individual beams by modulation over time, which are directed onto the layer to be machined in a spatially separated manner. The separation is carried out such that the sum of the power of the individual beams corresponds to the power of the respective energetic beam minus power losses caused by the separation process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the tool-free removal of support structures in the additive manufacturing of one or more components. The components are built in layers together with support structures for supporting regions of the components, and the support structures are removed from the components after a complete construction of the components. The support structures are constructed in such a manner that they have target separation points at a transition to the components, which have a structure that breaks down more rapidly by chemical or electrochemical reaction compared to component parts. The support structures are then separated from the components by chemical or electrochemical breakdown of the structure at the target separation points. With this tool-free removal of the support structures, the components can be both arranged in parallel and also completely automatically processed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for laser-based generative component production. The device comprises a processing head (1), using which a plurality of mutually separate laser beams are directed adjacently and/or overlapping to some extent onto the processing plane, The processing head (1) is moved across the processing plane using a movement apparatus (9), while the mutually separate laser beams are modulated independently of one another in terms of intensity, in order to obtain the desired exposure geometry. The laser power and the dimensional size can be scaled cost effectively during the generative production using the suggested device and the associated method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for laser-based generative component production. The device comprises a processing head (1), using which a plurality of mutually separate laser beams are directed adjacently and/or overlapping to some extent onto the processing plane, The processing head (1) is moved across the processing plane using a movement apparatus (9), whilst the mutually separate laser beams are modulated independently of one another in terms of intensity, in order to obtain the desired exposure geometry. The laser power and the dimensional size can be scaled cost effectively during the generative production using the suggested device and the associated method.