METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL WORK PIECE WITH THERMAL FOCUS SHIFT COMPENSATION OF THE LASER

• Main Authors: Krol, Toni Adam, Wiesner, Andreas, Schwarze, Dr. Dieter
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 14.09.2016
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method for producing a three-dimensional work piece comprises the steps of applying a raw material powder onto a carrier (16), and selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder applied onto the carrier (16) by means of an irradiation unit (18) in order to produce the work piece from said raw material powder on the carrier (16) by a generative layer construction method, wherein the irradiation unit (18) comprises a radiation source (24) and a plurality of optical elements (30, 32, 34, 35). Operation of the irradiation unit (18) is controlled in dependence on an operating temperature dependent change of at least one optical property of at least one optical element (30, 32, 34, 35) of the irradiation unit (18).