Apparatus and method for monitoring the state of a covering glass of a manufacturing system and manufacturing system for an additive manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a manufacturing system 1 for manufacturing a workpiece 26 by exposing a powder material and / or a workpiece element. The manufacturing system 1 comprises: at least one light source 4 for illuminating a powder material 18 and / or a workpiece element arranged in a processing chamber 12; a light path 14 generated by the light source 4, which light path extends through the protective glass 10 into the processing chamber 12 of the manufacturing system 1, in which the protective glass 10 is provided for preventing damage and / or contamination. At least one exposure device L1-L9 is provided for exposing an object plane 30 associated with a protective glass 10 of the manufacturing system 1. The exposure means L1-L9 at least partially, preferably completely surround the protective glass 10 and comprise a plurality of similar light emitting diodes, LEDs for uniform illumination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automatable manufacturing system based on optical interaction, in particular a manufacturing system for selective laser melting (SLM), and to an integrable device, wherein the state of contamination, damage and / or aging of one or more protective glasses integrated in the manufacturing system is determined by optical detection and analysis of an object surface assigned to the manufacturing system. Furthermore, the invention relates to a manufacturing system for the automated production of workpieces by irradiation of the material to be processed, which manufacturing system makes it possible to evaluate the state and / or service life of the protective glass by means of signal exchange between integrated analysis devices. Background Art

[0002] Due to the increasingly complex working processes and the resulting requirements for being able to produce as precisely as possible, in an automated manner and over large areas, the production and processing of workpieces based on optical interaction processes has become established.

[0003] Generic manufacturing systems known from the prior art and based on optical interaction, such as, for example, laser-induced manufacturing systems and / or manufacturing systems based on additive manufacturing steps such as selective laser melting, etc., etc., in this case usually comprise one or more high-intensity light sources, which are coupled to a plurality of finely tuned optical elements (lenses, mirrors, filters, etc.), which can be actuated in an automated manner by a computer system and are thus able to thermally act on a desired workpiece or a desired material by generating a concentrated light beam focused onto a specific production point. By way of example, a manufacturing system according to the selective laser melting method has at least one laser light source, which, by means of software-supported optics, can focus a beam of beamed laser light onto a powdered layer of the material to be processed and can thus produce an extremely efficient, three-dimensional manufacturing process by local fusion, which can be connected to one another in the layer.

[0004] Despite the continuous improvement of such manufacturing systems, however, the problem continues to arise in most of such systems, namely that the components required for the delivery of the optical processing beam may become contaminated or even damaged due to contamination or processing residues arising during the manufacturing process, as a result of which a reduction in the exposure accuracy and thus a reduction in the quality of the workpiece to be created occurs during the ongoing manufacturing process. Therefore, such manufacturing systems have, for example, at least one (e.g. light-transmissive) protective glass, which is positioned between the light-guiding optics or the light source and the processing point for manufacturing the workpiece in order to protect the optical elements and which may therefore inevitably come into contact with the mentioned process emissions. In this case, however, contamination or damage of the protective glass involves a number of problems: firstly, clouding of the protective glass may occur, which adversely affects the optical path, so that, for example, the intensity of the processing beam is reduced. In addition, however, it is also possible that individual light scattering occurring at the contaminated or damaged areas may lead to a displacement of the beam profile, as a result of which not only quality fluctuations within the production line may be identified, but also the energy of the light source deflected or absorbed in this way may produce further damage (e.g. fusion, fracture or cracks) in the protective glass. Therefore, for optical manufacturing systems, it is critical to develop an analysis that is as accurate as possible for identifying any abnormal conditions (such as, for example, contamination and damage conditions, etc.), which can both evaluate the degree of contamination or damage of the cover glass already implemented in the manufacturing system within the existing manufacturing process, and integrate this evaluation mechanism into the manufacturing system as non-invasively and efficiently as possible.

[0005] DE 10 2014 203 798 relates to a method for monitoring the state of contamination and / or damage on a cover glass of a laser processing head which is fastened to a robot, for which purpose the robot moves the laser processing head into the field of view of a camera device which is mounted in a fixed manner.

[0006] However, the known method and device have the following problems: Due to the merely passive measurement technique (the method measures the effects emanating from the "contamination" and not the contamination itself), it is not possible to directly state the degree of contamination of the protective glass used, but only to identify the optical properties of the protective glass which may be affected and thus also by other sources (bending, aging processes within the material). Furthermore, the known device is neither able to localize the contamination accumulation in a spatially resolved manner (since the measured scattered light may potentially arise from any area of ​​the exposure area) nor can it be meaningfully integrated into already existing manufacturing systems, since any scattered light measurement results in a system geometry that is specifically oriented for this purpose.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an optimized manufacturing system for additive manufacturing, by means of which an improved production quality can be achieved. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide an integrable analysis device, with which the state of the manufacturing system can be effectively monitored. Another object is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and in particular to provide an analysis device for detecting the state (in particular the state of contamination, damage and / or aging) on ​​one or more protective glasses of the manufacturing system based on optical interactions, which analysis device itself can detect local state changes (such as individual contamination and / or damaged structures, etc.) and thus make the assessment of the degree of contamination, damage or aging more precise and effective. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide an analysis device that can be integrated as simply as possible into the process sequence of an existing manufacturing system, which analysis device can use the additional information obtained by state positioning to determine predefined evaluation parameters and can use the additional information to monitor and predict the possible cleaning and / or replacement time of the protective glass. Summary of the invention

[0008] In order to achieve the above objects, the features of the independent claims are set out. The dependent claims relate to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0009] A manufacturing system for manufacturing a workpiece by exposing a powder material and / or a workpiece element, the manufacturing system may include at least one light source, the at least one light source being used to illuminate the powder material and / or the workpiece element arranged in a processing chamber. In addition, there may be a light path generated by the light source extending through a protective glass into the processing chamber of the manufacturing system. A protective glass may be provided for protection from damage and / or contamination. In addition, at least one exposure device (integrated into the manufacturing system) may be provided for (directly, laterally coupled) exposing an object plane associated with the protective glass of the manufacturing system. The exposure device may at least partially, preferably completely, laterally enclose the protective glass (in particular, the exposure device may be arranged on at least two sides of the protective glass, in particular on opposite sides) and may provide a plurality of (in particular uniformly spaced and / or similar) light-emitting elements (such as light-emitting diodes, LEDs, etc.) for continuous (and preferably activated only at predetermined time intervals) uniform exposure of the protective glass and in particular the object plane. (Preferably, the LEDs are uniformly arranged on the side surfaces of the protective glass for this purpose, so that they emit parallel extending light beams for uniform illumination of the protective glass). In the case of the protective glass, the coupled-in light is guided through (or along) the entire protective glass. If contamination or defects are encountered, scattered light occurs at the defect.

[0010] The exposed object surface can be evaluated, for example, by manual, direct optical detection (e.g., by a system operator) and / or at least one optical sensor can be provided for automatic (electronic) detection of the exposed object surface. A particularly advantageous homogeneous illumination can be achieved by this arrangement, so that in particular the state of contamination and damage of the protective glass can be determined effectively and precisely. A homogeneous illumination without shadow formation and with a uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0011] The LED (or LED array) can preferably be arranged laterally on the protective glass for direct exposure of the object surface. Advantageously, the LED is in contact with the side surface of the protective glass and / or the emission direction of the LED is oriented towards the protective glass. (For example, the protective glass is arranged horizontally and the emission direction of the LED is also oriented horizontally.) This embodiment can achieve a particularly effective determination of the state of contamination and damage of the protective glass. Lateral connection can be understood as a connection on the narrow side or side surface of the panel (or protective glass). Particularly preferably, the light-emitting elements of the exposure device are also arranged laterally on the protective glass, so that no connection prism is required. The protective glass is designed as a plate or panel.

[0012] The exposure device can include an LED strip with an integrated diffuser for optimal uniform illumination. The diffuser can also be arranged between the LEDs and the protective glass. In an advantageous refinement, the diffuser is not part of the LED strip, but is arranged between the LED strip and the protective glass (in particular at least one side surface of the protective glass), for example inserted or directly connected (for example adhesively bonded) to the protective glass. The diffuser can be designed as a diffusing pane in which the light beam is diffusely scattered. The exposure device can be part of an optical inspection system and have a reflective surface, for example a metal surface (for example a convex lens), in order to achieve uniform illumination of the protective glass and a beam path that is as parallel as possible.

[0013] The diffuser can preferably be designed differently. The preferred diffuser includes a transparent or translucent material that is able to scatter the light so that it not only exits directly from the LED, but is also distributed over a larger area. Different types of diffusers are suitable for advantageous exposure of the protective glass. One type is a plastic diffuser that can be opaque or translucent. An opaque diffuser prevents light from exiting directly from the LED and scatters it evenly on the surface of the diffuser. A translucent diffuser allows a certain passage of light, but also scatters it in order to achieve a uniform distribution. Another advantageous type of diffuser that can be used for LED strips is a silicone strip. Silicone diffusers are flexible and can be applied to LED strips. They scatter light and prevent glare effects. The proposed diffuser can also have different surface structures in order to further optimize the scattered light. The diffuser can have a smooth surface, and in an advantageous improvement, a diffuser with a microstructured surface that scatters light more evenly is used. A uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniform strong brightness is achieved.

[0014] The LEDs can be preselected so that the emission wavelength of some or particularly preferably all LEDs of the exposure device (for exposing the object surface) is in the range of 520-522 nm, with a preferred maximum half width of 32 nm (or + / - 16 nm). Alternatively or additionally, it is also particularly advantageous to provide LEDs with white light. In an advantageous refinement, only LEDs with white light are provided. In a particularly advantageous refinement, the LEDs are ultraviolet LEDs, UV LEDs, which are combined with a variety of different phosphors of red, green and blue to achieve particularly accurate color reproduction. Additionally or alternatively, red, green, blue light-emitting diodes, so-called RGB LEDs and / or particularly preferably RGBW LEDs can also be used. Alternatively or additionally, colored LEDs can be provided so that the light generated for exposing the object surface is green.

[0015] RGBW LEDs achieve color variation by having four different color channels: red (R), green (G), blue (B), and white (W). Compared to conventional RGB LEDs that only have three color channels, RGBW LEDs add an additional white channel to achieve greater color diversity and better white representation.

[0016] The color variation of RGBW LEDs is preferably achieved by controlling the intensity of the individual color channels. By adapting the brightness and mixing of the color channels, different hues can be produced. For example, a yellow hue can be produced by mixing red and green, while a combination of blue and red produces magenta.

[0017] The control of the color change of RGBW LEDs can be achieved by different methods. The preferred method involves adjusting the brightness of each individual channel by pulse width modulation (PWM). In this case, the LEDs are turned on and off at high speed, where the ratio of the on and off time produces the desired color. By switching the channels back and forth quickly, a flowing color transition can be produced.

[0018] In addition, RGBW LEDs can also be preferably controlled via a digital control system such as DMX or other protocols. In this case, digital commands for changing colors and effects are sent to the LEDs, which enables precise and versatile control. Uniform lighting without shadow formation and with uniform strong brightness is achieved.

[0019] Overall, RGBW LEDs allow an extended color palette and more precise color mixing due to the additional white channel, which results in a wider palette of lighting possibilities. A uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0020] Particularly preferably, the LED is preselected such that the spectral range of the LED is in the range around 525 nm ± 10 nm. This specific range enables an excellent detection of soiling and damage states of the cover glass. In particular, even in the case of manual detection by visual inspection, soiling and damage states can be detected very well. A uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0021] Preferably, the fluctuations of the color temperature of the LEDs may be selected such that they do not exceed a value of + / - 2% of a predetermined value.

[0022] Particularly preferably, the LEDs with (or without) lens portions are designed such that the emission angle of a single LED is in the range of 120° to 180°. Advantageously, the emission angle of the LED strip of the exposure device is approximately 120° or 180°.

[0023] In a refinement, the same number of LEDs is arranged on each side surface of the cover glass for uniform exposure of the object plane. Alternatively, due to a mismatch between the minimum LED strip length and the circumference of the cover glass, for example, at least one edge may be provided with fewer LEDs.

[0024] In an advantageous refinement, the lens body of the LED is a Fresnel lens for emitting a light beam having a parallel beam path. The light beam emitted by the LED in the lens body is refracted when emerging at the surface of the Fresnel lens so that the beam path of the light beam (in the protective glass) extends in parallel.

[0025] By having an LED with a cross section that increases in the emission direction, the parallelism of the beam path of the light beam emitted by the LED can be further improved.

[0026] Preferably, the manufacturing system comprises a camera sensor for detecting the object plane, wherein the camera sensor is designed so that it has the highest quantum efficiency in the wavelength range of 520 nm and the LED of the exposure device is configured to emit light with a wavelength of 520 nm.

[0027] Particularly preferably, the maximum quantum efficiency of the camera sensor corresponds to the emission wavelength of the LEDs, wherein this is preferably at 520 nm. A homogeneous illumination without shadow formation and with a uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0028] Advantageously, a bandpass filter may be attached in front of the camera lens, the bandpass filter being adapted to the emission wavelength of the LED in order to filter external light sources.

[0029] The exposure device can include LEDs uniformly arranged on a printed circuit board with a power consumption of approximately 11.7 W / m, the LEDs having an arrangement density of at least 512 LEDs per 1 m. Particularly preferably, the distance between two adjacent LEDs is only up to 20 mm. A uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0030] Advantageously, the LEDs are selected such that fluctuations in the light intensity of the LEDs do not exceed a value of + / - 15%, preferably + / - 10%, of a predetermined value.

[0031] Particularly advantageously, the lighting can be operated with a constant voltage of 24 V. A uniform lighting without shadow formation and with a uniformly high brightness is achieved in a particularly energy-saving manner.

[0032] To further improve the uniform illumination with uniform high brightness, the LED can be preselected so that the predetermined value of the luminous flux of the LED is approximately in the range of 1200 to 1400 lm / m, and particularly preferably at 1380.6 lm / m. Uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniform high brightness is achieved.

[0033] Particularly advantageously, the LED can be formed as a chip-on-board LED (COB LED) without a lens portion, thereby achieving uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniformly high brightness.

[0034] A method for determining the state of a protective glass of a manufacturing system based on optical interaction, in particular the state of soiling and / or damage, can include at least one of the following steps: exposing an object plane by means of an exposure device; detecting light intensity values ​​of the object plane of the protective glass by means of a camera sensor and analyzing the detected light intensity values ​​for detecting damage and / or contamination and / or visually inspecting the protective glass by a system operator, wherein the exposure device is activated for detecting damage and / or contamination of the protective glass. Thus, a uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniformly strong brightness is achieved.

[0035] In an improvement, the method includes the following steps: detecting an object plane associated with a protective glass of the manufacturing system by a camera sensor, while exposing the object plane by an exposure device.

[0036] The object surface to be inspected may be divided into a plurality of evaluation areas, and each evaluation area may be evaluated independently to determine the degree of damage or contamination of the cover glass.

[0037] The mentioned embodiments thus make it possible to provide an improved manufacturing system. In particular, since the brightness sensitivity of the human eye to green light is highest during day and night, impurities and defects can be perceived in a significantly more sensitive manner during automatic cleaning and in particular also during manual cleaning during process preparation. Furthermore, different cameras with CMOS chips can be adapted so that the peak value of the quantum efficiency (the probability of a pixel converting an incident photon into an electric charge) matches the exposure device. Thus, a camera-based monitoring solution can provide image recording with a higher sensitivity to protective glass contaminants and defects.

[0038] The use of an optimized exposure device is therefore proposed, which comprises a light chain which is laterally coupled into the protective glass. The radiation coupled into the protective glass is respectively reflected by the contaminants present. These are therefore perceived as lighter areas. Radiation in the green wavelength range, in particular 450 nm to 550 nm, is advantageously used for the light. The proposed solution can therefore in principle be used independently of the shape of the protective glass.

[0039] The analysis device or device according to the invention may in this case preferably comprise at least one optical sensor device for detecting an object plane associated with one or more protective glasses of a manufacturing system, i.e. an exposure device located directly on the protective glass, and an exposure device for exposing the object plane (preferably detected by the sensor device), the exposure device preferably being configured to reveal the existing protective glass state to the above-mentioned optical sensor device based on the exposure device, in particular by exposure of structures present on the protective glass, such as contamination, damage or aged structures (e.g. contamination: processing by-products (such as soot particles, melt, etc.) and residues of improper cleaning (such as streaks, fibers and / or (dust) particles, etc.); damage: scratches, flaking, burnt or damaged coatings and aging phenomena, such as, for example, bleaching lamps in the protective glass), and to locate the mentioned structures accordingly with the aid of the optical sensor device. The present analysis device thus preferably forms an at least two-part device system which is able to detect abnormal conditions, such as contamination and damage, located on one or more protective glasses directly and spatially resolved by means of a first device (optical sensor device), while a second device (exposure device) ensures that the above-mentioned structures become visible as accurately and uniformly as possible in a manner designed for the optical sensor device. Thus, by means of the invention it is possible to provide an analysis device which can determine the condition of one or more protective glasses not by means of given optical (and therefore influencing) secondary effects but specifically by means of direct detection of individual bodies and / or defects to be found on the protective glasses, with the result that a more accurate and error-prone detection mechanism is achieved.

[0040] Possible alternative embodiments of the invention may also furthermore specifically include a continued simplification of the above-mentioned analysis device. Thus, for example, it is also possible that, in addition to or instead of the above-mentioned exposure device, an external exposure source (e.g. a construction space lamp integrated in the corresponding manufacturing system) can also be used to discover any anomalies of the mentioned protective glass, as a result of which, in particular, an even more compact analysis device can be provided, which is therefore easier to integrate into the manufacturing system. Thus, in a further particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the analysis device can also, for example, be designed at least such that it only comprises the above-mentioned sensor device and not the exposure device, and can analyze the state of the protective glass to be evaluated, for example, only taking into account the external or otherwise generated exposure by this sensor device.

[0041] In this case, the optical sensor device itself can preferably include at least one optical sensor, such as, for example, a photodiode, a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor or a sensor system connected to an optical sensor, which can be coupled to corresponding controllable optics, such as, for example, focusing or scattering lenses, mirrors or optical filters, in order to detect the above-mentioned object plane belonging to the protective glass / protective glass and thus be able to focus on at least one arbitrary three-dimensional point within the given system to be measured according to the optical properties of the above-mentioned elements. In a preferred case, the detection of the above-mentioned object plane can therefore also be understood at least as a signal detection, wherein the signal emitted from the focusing plane of the optical sensor device can be guided to the corresponding sensor (image plane) and thus can be recognized and evaluated in a further processing step. Particularly preferably, the maximum value of the quantum efficiency of the optical sensor device corresponds to the emission wavelength of the LED of the exposure device, wherein this is preferably approximately in the wavelength range of 450 nm to 550 nm and particularly preferably at 520 nm.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the spectral range of the LED is within the range of ±10 nm around 525 nm. Preferably, the color temperature of the LED may not fluctuate by more than + / - 2% of a predetermined value.

[0043] Based on these characteristics, the optical sensor device can be configured accordingly in particular to generate at least one-dimensional images of the correspondingly detected object planes from the above-mentioned signals. In a particularly preferred case, the optical sensor of the optical sensor device can also be configured in particular as an imaging sensor in this case, for example by realizing the sensor based on single or multiple pixels and / or a connected scannable lens system, so that each point of the object plane detected by the optical sensor device can be identified as a spatially resolved, at least one-dimensional element, but in a particularly preferred case, the most important is the complete two-dimensional image. It is then possible to focus, with the aid of the optical sensor device, a preferably arbitrary plane (object plane) connected to one or more protective glasses and reproduce it in a spatially resolved manner as a one or two-dimensional, signal-dependent image, depending on the selected orientation of the implemented optics.

[0044] In order to ensure as accurate as possible recognition of existing structures to be found on the cover glass, such as the above-mentioned contamination, damage and / or aging structures, the above-mentioned object plane of the sensor device can furthermore preferably be positioned parallel to the level of the contaminated optical surface, in particular the outer surface of the cover glass facing the treatment area, for an accurate assessment of the state of the cover glass, as a result of which maximum image clarity with regard to particle recognition can be achieved. Alternatively, however, it is also possible to define a plurality of object planes, for example at different heights or at different cross-sectional axes of the cover glass, which can be approached by preferably automatically actuating optical elements located in the sensor device, preferably one after the other, and can thus be used to generate further measurement data.

[0045] Thus, for example, in addition to the above-mentioned two-dimensional images of the contaminated, damaged and / or aged structures located on the protective glass, a three-dimensional representation based on multiple image planes of the elements located in the detected object plane can preferably also be generated, which enables additional information, such as the shape or the height of the structures accumulated on the protective glass. Likewise, the optical sensor device can preferably also be specifically configured to allow the maximum resolution within the individual images generated by the sensor device to detect only individual local areas within a specific plane, as a result of which, for example in a sensor device based on a pixel sensor, the pixel-to-image rate can be increased as desired. For this purpose, the sensor device can also preferably also be equipped with further image improvement mechanisms, such as autofocus, dichroic filters or filters defined at specific wavelengths or software-based image processing processes, etc., which preferably automatically adjust the sharpness and information content of the recorded images during and after the recording process and thus achieve an optimal detection of the contamination state.

[0046] As described above, in this case, the signal detected by the optical sensor device can preferably be generated by exposure of at least the object plane detected by the exposure device or equivalently an external exposure source implemented in the analysis device. In a particularly preferred embodiment, for this purpose, the exposure device can transmit monochromatic or polychromatic light at a predetermined angle of incidence onto the protective glass to be analyzed or onto the object plane associated with the protective glass, wherein the signal field depending on the last-mentioned structures can be generated by the interaction of the light irradiated by the exposure device with contaminants, damage and / or aged structures adhering to the protective glass.

[0047] Thus, in a first preferred exemplary embodiment, the exposure device can further preferably be arranged as an incident light source specifically oriented relative to the previously described sensor device. Thus, the exposure device is in this case configured to generate light, which is generated for illuminating at least one protective glass from the side of the protective glass facing the optical sensor device and for it to impinge on the protective glass, so that in the case of a completely clean or fault-free surface of the protective glass, the exposure starting from the exposure device can pass completely (i.e. substantially without reflection) through the protective glass and thus cannot impinge on the optical sensor device. Thus, based on this configuration, for example, scattered light generated by the corresponding contaminated, damaged and / or aged structures can be used as a sensor signal of this exemplary embodiment in order to effectively and locally identify the structure and thus the contamination or damage or aged state of the protective glass, since any light (naturally) emitted from the exposure device can effectively be kept away from the optical sensor device. Thus, the detection process of the analysis device in an embodiment of the exposure device provides that the exposure device generates an illumination of the object plane or at least one protective glass belonging to the object plane detected by the optical sensor device, which is initially as uniform as possible, and provides for detecting the scattered pattern thus generated at the contaminated, damaged and / or aged structures of the protective glass for locating the respective structure at the sensor device.

[0048] In order to improve the mentioned process, in this case, in addition to the exposure light source required for exposure (such as, for example, an LED, a light emitting diode system or a laser, etc.), the exposure device can also include further elements, such as, for example, additional polarization, intensity or color filters, focusing and scattering lenses or a concentrator suitable for, for example, beam homogenization (such as, for example, a honeycomb concentrator), etc., which can preferably be coupled to the exposure light source and can be present in a manually controllable manner and in an automatic manner. Therefore, in a preferred case, the optical elements of the optical sensor device and the exposure device of the invention can also act in a matching manner to each other and, depending on the selected settings within one device, cause an automatic adaptation of the elements of the other device. By way of example, the exposure device can be configured to, for example, change the light intensity generated by the exposure light source according to external parameters or to adapt its spectral bandwidth by introducing further filters, as a result of which filters or optical elements equivalently located in the optical sensor device are automatically added or removed for improved analysis.

[0049] In order to further improve the exposure quality, the exposure device can additionally be configured to also perform the illumination of the object surface detected by the optical sensor device continuously or also in a pulsed manner, or at least to efficiently adapt the angle of incidence of the light used for the illumination by mechanical redirection of the exposure device. Likewise, a plurality of exposure light sources or optical elements coupled thereto can also be provided, or equivalently, for the optical sensor device, only predetermined partial areas of the detected object surface can be illuminated by the exposure device, as a result of which, in particular, a high exposure intensity can be achieved.

[0050] Other embodiments of the exposure device may also preferably include the use of other types of exposure. By way of example, in a second preferred embodiment, the exposure device may also be configured to implement transmitted light illumination for detecting contamination, damage and / or aged structures, which is opposite to the incident light process of the first embodiment described above. For this purpose, for example, in a particularly preferred case, the exposure device may be mounted at least on that side of at least one protective glass to be inspected which faces away from the optical sensor device (and is spaced apart from the protective glass), so that the protective glass illumination generated by the exposure device reaches the protective glass in its defect-free or contamination-free state and illuminates the protective glass in a reflection-free manner and also impinges on individual pixels of the sensor device located behind the protective glass.

[0051] In this embodiment it is thus possible to detect individual contaminations, damages and / or aged structures on one or more cover glasses by means of the fact that in this case it is not the scattered light emanating from these structures but, vice versa, the intensity loss of the light reaching the sensor device caused by the scattering of the transmitted light at these structures which can be located. Thus, in addition to the positioning of the exposure device, the above-described embodiments of the exposure device itself can differ due to contamination, the damaged and / or aged structures to be detected in the first embodiment appearing in the image generated by the optical sensor device as geometric shapes with a much higher intensity compared to the detected background radiation, while the detected image background of the second embodiment generally has a strong signal due to the additionally detected transmitted light illumination, but exhibits a significant signal impairment at the assumed structure locations. Thus, the above-described two embodiments make it possible to implement an efficient and simultaneously precise method for the spatially resolved identification of any cover glass state, which method can then take into account both the preferred device position and the exposure type to be used.

[0052] Other embodiments of the above-described exposure device may also additionally preferably have a combination of the above-described exposure types, for example by introducing a light source into the space located in front of and behind the protective glass relative to the position of the optical sensor device, attaching the exposure device directly to the optical sensor device or even omitting the exposure device and exposing the protective glass only by an external exposure source (such as a tree room light present in the associated manufacturing system, etc.), as a result of which in particular an extremely compact shape of the analysis device can be produced. In a further embodiment to be identified as a third embodiment, the exposure device may also additionally preferably be attached laterally to the protective glass surface to be detected (in particular laterally as LEDs arranged on the narrow side of the corresponding protective glass or arranged in a ring shape), so that in contrast to the above-described case, a radial exposure, i.e. an exposure from the outer side of the protective glass to its center, can be achieved. In this case, the latter makes it possible to produce lateral radiation of in particular the protective glass structure to be analyzed, as a result of which further advantageous effects are produced for the detection process to be performed by the optical sensor device.

[0053] It is thus clear that an effective and at the same time more precise analysis of the conditions present on at least one protective glass can be achieved by means of the detection mechanism generated by means of the present analysis device. Furthermore, it should be noted that the above-described simple design form of the present analysis device, which consists of only one or two device elements (optical sensor device and (optionally) exposure device), allows a more flexible adaptation to the respective conditions occurring within different manufacturing systems.

[0054] Thus, for example, due to the direct analysis of at least one protective glass by the sensor device (and therefore independently of any elements introduced into the manufacturing system), the analysis device according to the invention can preferably also be designed as an analysis unit which can be integrated into an already existing manufacturing system, as a result of which, in particular, the technical added value of the invention is again increased.

[0055] It is therefore also preferably possible in the present invention to introduce the previously described device elements of the analytical device into a structure which does not interfere specifically with a corresponding production system based on optical interaction.

[0056] For this purpose, the analysis device can preferably be configured to be integrated or positioned at least along the optical path of the manufacturing system generated by the manufacturing light source, so that not only the shortest possible detection distance can be constructed between the above-mentioned optical sensor device and the at least one protective glass to be analyzed, but also the corresponding free space present in the manufacturing system can be used for the integration of the corresponding device element. Thus, for example, due to the optical properties and the resulting working distance of the optical manufacturing element defining the optical path, a recess exists in the manufacturing system based on optical interaction, which recess only serves for the beam manipulation (focusing, scattering, widening, etc.) of the light beam used for manufacturing and can therefore potentially be used for the integration of other devices. Therefore, in a particularly preferred case, the analysis device of the present invention can be specifically arranged to use only such free spaces within the manufacturing system and introduce its existing device elements (but at least the optical sensor device) into these free spaces for effective integration, which is harmless to the manufacturing process. Therefore, the above-mentioned positioning produces the advantage that the optical sensor device can not only be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner, but also in particular independently of the usual manufacturing process, as a result of which the former can at least additionally be effectively protected from possible contamination and / or damage. Therefore, in a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the optical sensor device of the present analysis device can be configured to be arranged at least between the light source and the protective glass of the manufacturing system, so as to effectively integrate the analysis device into the manufacturing system so that the free space along the optical path of the manufacturing system can be effectively utilized.

[0057] In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the optical sensor device can preferably be configured for this purpose to be integrated at least between a light source of a manufacturing system which is provided for modifying the manufacturing light beam and the optical manufacturing element, as a result of which in particular the free space present between the optical manufacturing elements can be effectively used. Likewise, in this case, it can also be preferred to integrate the optical sensor device into the beam path of the optical manufacturing element, for example by implementing an additional mirror axis, so that the part of the manufacturing system which is also already present can be effectively used to detect the cover glass or the object plane associated with the cover glass, which is made possible by the sensor device.

[0058] In a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the optical sensor device can also be further configured to be arranged specifically between the above-mentioned optical manufacturing element and at least one protective glass of the manufacturing system. Accordingly, in this case, the optical sensor device can preferably be arranged to be positioned in the free space of the manufacturing system for the final focusing of the manufacturing light beam onto the material to be manufactured, which preferably enables the sensor device to detect the protective glass to be analyzed directly (i.e. without the aid of other optical devices present in the manufacturing system). In this respect, the sensor device in this exemplary embodiment has the advantage that an equally precise and also independent detection of potential protective glass states is achieved by directly measuring one or more protective glasses.

[0059] Furthermore, as already mentioned above, the exposure device of the present analysis device can likewise be configured to be arranged in one of the previously described positions or free spaces of the manufacturing system. In this case, it can preferably be provided that the exposure device is specifically positioned in the free space to be jointly occupied with the sensor device, so that the analysis device can be integrated into the manufacturing system as a whole (i.e. as an object to be physically identified).

[0060] However, in order to ensure functionality in different manufacturing systems, the precise positioning of the corresponding device elements of the present analytical device can be adapted according to the construction of the manufacturing system to be equipped and can be achieved for this purpose by displacement and reorientation of the device elements by means of additional, preferably mechanical structures attached to the device elements (such as adjustable springs, rails or angle mechanisms, etc.). In order to also ensure the highest possible safety and detection quality, the aforementioned device elements can also preferably be additionally attached to a fixedly mounted and preferably non-displacement structure (such as a frame structure, etc.), for example, so that any influence acting on the analytical device and reducing its process quality can be reduced to a minimum.

[0061] In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the analysis device can further comprise for this purpose at least one separate protective housing, in which the optical sensor device and / or the exposure device can be introduced and likewise protected from any process emissions occurring in the production system, such as dust, fumes or material residues etc. Thus, the above-mentioned protective housing can preferably be configured to enclose the aforementioned device elements at least laterally, but in a particularly preferred embodiment also completely, i.e. from all sides, so that the protective housing can create a preferably inert space.

[0062] Preferably, however, determination of the respective state of the protective glass or protective glasses to be checked by the analysis device can be made possible by evaluating information generated by the optical sensor device, such as signal values ​​or intensity values ​​of the above-mentioned images of the respective detected object plane associated with the protective glass.

[0063] In this respect, the analysis device can preferably be configured to first transfer the previously described information at least as a digital information file to a provided memory device connected to the sensor device, wherein the information file can be stored permanently or for a predetermined period of time and can thus be provided for further evaluation processes. In this case, the connection between the sensor device and the memory device can be realized via a physical connection (such as a cable or direct integration of the memory device, for example as an integrated memory chip or hard disk), or also by wireless communication (such as Bluetooth, W-LAN or infrared signals, etc.), so that depending on the selected embodiment, extremely efficient data transmission can be achieved at any time.

[0064] For further evaluation of the information file stored in this way, in a first embodiment, the analysis device can then be configured to transmit a predetermined component of the current information or the information detected or processed in the past to a preferably optical output unit, such as a screen present on the manufacturing system or the like, and thus allow at least a manual estimation of the current protective glass state by an available expert. Accordingly, for example, in the case of an imaging sensor device, an image of the detected object surface (and thus the (contamination, damage and / or aging) state seen thereon) generated by the optical sensor device can be generated as a visual, at least two-dimensional image on the output unit, which image can then be used for the estimation of the current protective glass state by an evaluation by the expert personnel or in an automatic manner by a corresponding computer program. Likewise, the output unit can also preferably be configured to obtain information data from different recording steps and / or recording times and to present the corresponding time profiles or changes in the recorded selected signals to the expert personnel.

[0065] In a further embodiment, in addition to or instead of outputting the detected information for manual analysis of the existing protective glass state, the present analysis device may also further preferably comprise at least one evaluation unit for automatically evaluating the above information. In this case, the evaluation unit itself may preferably be arranged as an independent computing unit, for example a processor arranged to be connected to a further device element of the analysis device, and may in particular be configured to use the information generated by the sensor device to evaluate the protective glass state by means of calculation rules implemented or programmed in the evaluation unit.

[0066] For this purpose, in a preferred case, the evaluation unit can also be connected to at least the above-mentioned memory device of the analysis device, as a result of which the analysis device can access the information data stored in the memory device and potentially both the current new information and the information generated by the previous analysis process in the evaluation process. In a particularly preferred case, the evaluation unit can also be configured to insert further parameters (such as predefined limit values, physical constants or information generated by generating information files, such as metadata, etc.) into the process, as a result of which, in particular, complex evaluation mechanisms based on multiple conditions are made possible.

[0067] In this case, the evaluation process itself, which is performed by the evaluation unit, can initially preferably at least include determining and outputting a state degree (hereinafter also referred to as damage, contamination or aging degree) defining the state (particularly the soiling, damage and / or aging state) of at least one protective glass, the state degree being specifically configured to represent the current state of one or more protective glasses and the associated measures in a simple manner. Thus, the degree of state can be represented in a preferred form, for example, as a simple number, for example in a scale format from 1 to 100, where a low (degree of state) number can represent a poor state, while a high can represent a good, i.e. a preferred, error-free and / or high-quality state of the current protective glass, as a result of which, when identifying the output, the current state degree of the respective protective glass, a designated expert can be effectively guided in particular when evaluating the current protective glass state and the measures to be performed thereon (such as cleaning or replacing at least one protective glass, etc.). In addition to or instead of the above-described proportional format, the status degree calculated by the evaluation unit can also contain more discrete information, such as the type of status of the protective glass (e.g. physical damage to the protective glass, identified foreign matter layers, streaks, etc.) or an estimate given by the analysis device for the further progress of the process (e.g. "continuation of processing", "cleaning required" or "replacement of protective glass required"), so that even unskilled experts can identify existing problem sources and can effectively trigger further maintenance processes.

[0068] Thus, the calculation and output of the above-mentioned state degree by the analysis device can be used in particular to generate an automated and at the same time easily understandable estimate of the current state of the at least one protective glass detected by the optical sensor device, so that, on the one hand, the time point required for the restoration / cleaning of the protective glass can be estimated as accurately as possible, but, on the other hand, the quality of the subsequent restoration process can also be effectively checked, in particular for the subsequent problem-free reuse of the corresponding manufacturing system. Thus, for example, the analysis device can also be configured to (in particular after a corresponding cleaning and / or replacement process of the protective glass) check the state degree of the processed protective glass again and thus indicate to the current operator of the manufacturing system by outputting discrete statements based on this check (e.g. messages such as "cleaning successful / completed", "protective glass still defective", "streaks / damage detected") possible inefficient cleaning steps or errors achieved during the integration of a new protective glass, as a result of which any processing sequence carried out within the manufacturing system can be further improved.

[0069] However, in order to determine the previously described current protective glass state or the degree of state to be used for this purpose, the evaluation unit can preferably be configured to extract predefined information from these signal values ​​generated by the optical sensor device and for evaluating said information and also for comparing the information with a plurality of reference information stored in the memory device (such as signal values ​​from a previous analysis process or the already mentioned additional parameters, etc.), so that the degree of state to be calculated can preferably be identified at least as a comparison value between the currently detected state of the at least one protective glass and a previous point in time, for example a point in time when the protective glass was present in a state-free state (i.e., for example a state without damage and / or without contamination). In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, for this purpose, for example, already predefined information files can be stored in the memory device, which information files specifically indicate the protective glass state directly after installation in the manufacturing machine or the cleaning process and thus allow the evaluation unit to calculate the degree of state by adding this information, specifically as a comparison between the current state and the optimal state.

[0070] As information preferably used for determining the extent of the state and obtained from the optical sensor device, the evaluation unit can additionally be configured to calculate the extent of the state at least based on intensity values ​​present in the image of the sensor device.

[0071] Thus, the evaluation unit can be configured, for example, in a first exemplary embodiment, to analyze at least the intensity values ​​within a given image of the sensor device and subsequently calculate the desired degree of condition at least by forming a relative difference between the above-mentioned intensity values ​​of the current image (e.g. by calculating an image-related average value) and the intensity values ​​of an earlier protective glass state (e.g. the previously described optimal state). This has the advantage in particular that a simple and efficient measurement of damage or contamination or aging of a given protective glass can be produced from a given correlation between the light intensity recorded by the sensor device and the intensity of the contamination or damage or aging phenomenon detected on at least one protective glass (the greater the contamination / damage / aging bleaching, the greater the intensity difference resulting from scattering effects), and can therefore be used as a basis for the degree of condition to be calculated. Thus, the determination of the degree of condition in this first exemplary embodiment can at least provide for calculating the above-mentioned difference intensity value and subsequently converting it into the desired degree of condition by means of further process steps (such as a comparison with predefined limit values ​​or the implementation of further parameters, etc.).

[0072] In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the evaluation unit can additionally also be configured to specifically also include any two-dimensional information that is made possible by the imaging sensor device in the image generated in the calculation. Thus, in addition to or instead of the above-mentioned intensity values, the evaluation unit can, for example, also be able to use the number and / or size of stains, damage and / or aging structures represented in the image to determine the degree of condition, as a result of which in particular an analysis process that is independent of any optical values ​​and is therefore more precise than in the prior art can be produced.

[0073] For this purpose, the calculation of the degree of condition based on this second exemplary embodiment can accordingly firstly comprise at least the detection of any structural contours or geometries to be found in the corresponding image, which detection can preferably also be carried out based on intensity values ​​to be found in the image. By way of example, the detection process can comprise a segmentation step for this purpose, wherein the evaluation unit takes the intensity values ​​of the individual pixels of the image to be analyzed and identifies as one of the above-mentioned structural geometries a continuous entity (such as a group of pixels located adjacent to each other, etc.) having, for example, a predefined intensity value or exceeding a specific limit value. Thus, a precise indication of the size, geometry or any agglomeration area of ​​the contaminated, damaged and / or aged structures detected on the image can be generated from the additional information obtained therefrom (such as the pixel position or specific intensity values ​​of the pixels belonging to a specific pixel group / structure, etc.), which can also be included in the calculation of the degree of condition and can subsequently make possible an extremely accurate condition assessment based on the direct (i.e. actually existing) properties of the cover glass.

[0074] Based on these circumstances, the evaluation unit can therefore preferably be configured for integrating at least one of the above-mentioned properties of the detected damage, dirt and / or aged structures into the subsequent determination of the degree of condition, in addition to or instead of the previously mentioned intensity values ​​of the image. For example, the degree of condition can be defined at least in part as a function of the area required by the detected structures (preferably relative to the total area of ​​the generated image), so that the degree of condition becomes qualitatively lower with increasing wettability of the at least one protective glass. Alternatively, for this purpose, the number of detected structures, their size, shape or also the structure density or position of the individual structures identified within the image can also be included in the calculation and combined with one another via different calculation methods (such as predefined weights, etc.), so that the final degree of condition can also be understood as an evaluation of different situations occurring on the at least one protective glass.

[0075] In this respect, the above-described two-dimensional recognition process and the calculation of the status degree based thereon therefore specifically lead to the following advantage: an automatable assessment of the status of the protective glass can be produced, which assessment can not only use any influences caused by contamination, damage and / or aging of the protective glass, but can also specifically include the specific characteristics of structures located on one or more protective glasses (process emissions, damage sites, local bleaching, etc.).

[0076] Further potential advantages may also result from further process and / or analysis steps. Thus, by way of example, after locating any structures located on the cover glass, the evaluation device may preferably also (e.g. by comparing the previously mentioned structure geometries) make it possible to identify cover glasses with predetermined structure types (e.g. "dust residues", "stain deposits", "scratches", "cracks", "bleaching", etc.) and to adapt the degree of protection depending on the respectively analyzed structure type. For example, in the case of structures predominantly identified as dust, the evaluation device may generate an output for cleaning the cover glass, while in the case of identification of a large number of cracks, it may be recommended to replace the respective cover glass. It is thus clear that a more specific state analysis (and corresponding processing steps) may also be implemented by means of two-dimensional information of at least one cover glass additionally obtained by means of the imaging sensor device.

[0077] In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the evaluation device can also be additionally configured to divide the image of the detection object surface generated by the optical sensor device into a plurality of different evaluation areas, as a result of which any local influences acting individually on the protective glass can be taken into account specifically and included for a more accurate assessment of the state or the degree of the overall manufacturing process. Thus, by way of example, in particular in heatable manufacturing systems, any structural agglomerates resulting from temporary temperature differences may form on the protective glass, which leads to a local increase in the structural density within the generated image, but due to the only spatially restricted structural distribution may have only a small effect on the overall manufacturing quality of the manufacturing device. In this sense, the further processing steps of the evaluation unit can preferably include at least the identification of local differences in the above-mentioned structural distribution by dividing the image to be analyzed into a plurality of evaluation areas, and in order to include the previously described situation when determining the degree of state, at least the individual evaluation areas are evaluated independently of each other.

[0078] In a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the evaluation unit can additionally also be configured to compare the image to be analyzed, analogously to the intensity value analysis already mentioned above, after which the individual cover glass structures are initially localized similarly to the previous cover glass state. Preferably, for this purpose, the last-mentioned image can be compared by way of example with a predefined image, which under the same optical conditions can indicate an optimal cover glass state, so that possible signal values ​​not associated with the structure to be identified, such as, for example, intensity gradients or background signals resulting from the setting of the analysis device, etc., can be effectively excluded from further analysis steps. Accordingly, it can be preferred that the evaluation unit initially converts the image to be analyzed, for example, into a difference image before the corresponding structure localization step based on subtracting the pixel intensity values ​​of the optimal image from the image to be analyzed, and thus the evaluation accuracy of the previously described state calculation degree can be further increased.

[0079] As already described previously, the state degree calculation itself can furthermore preferably be carried out in each case after the measurement of the corresponding object plane by the optical sensor device, and the information thus obtained (whether the calculated state degree or any cover glass properties to be extracted from the image) can be stored in the memory device after analysis by the evaluation unit. Subsequently, a state history of one or more current cover glasses present in the memory device can also be created by means of the above-described process sequence, which state history, apart from the advantage of updating any data added (e.g. for the above-described difference image calculation), can also be used to predict future cover glass properties.

[0080] Thus, in a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the analysis device can be configured to determine the soiling, damage and / or aging state of at least one protective glass, in particular also continuously or at predetermined time intervals, as a result of which a precisely defined measurement series of determination data on the soiling, damage and / or aging state can be generated and stored in the memory device for the analysis of further protective glass parameters. In this case, the measurement series can preferably include a plurality of time characteristic curves (such as, for example, the change in the state of the protective glass or the degree of state detected per unit time, etc.) as well as any characteristics of the system present around the protective glass (such as, for example, production steps carried out over time, detected temperatures or mechanical / optical effects on the protective glass), so that depending on the conditions present in the corresponding production plant, a specific database customized for the production plant can be implemented.

[0081] In this respect, the analysis device can preferably be configured to use in particular the above-mentioned measurement series of past analysis processes in this database in order to generate an estimate of the preferred procedure for the current state of the cover glass. By way of example, in a preferred case, the analysis device can be configured to compare already existing measurement series, in particular measurement series recorded under the same or similar production conditions, with the currently calculated state or state degree of the cover glass and, for example, by extrapolating the degree of the state curve to be detected in the measurement series, thereby calculating the remaining service life of the at least one cover glass to be obtained based on these past measurement series. Alternatively, preferably in addition to the service life, further parameters can also be determined, such as, for example, a preferred time period until the required cleaning, repair or replacement of the cover glass, etc.

[0082] As will be seen below, with the aid of the analysis device mentioned above and claimed, a wide range of preferred advantages can be achieved compared to conventional protective glass analysis devices of the prior art, which can be introduced extremely effectively into preferably any type of production equipment based on optical interactions, since the device elements of the analysis device can be integrated into existing production equipment in a simple and effective manner at the same time.

[0083] Subsequently, a production system based on exposure of workpiece materials and / or workpiece elements is likewise claimed below, which production system likewise has the above-mentioned advantages and can therefore be distinguished from conventional production systems.

[0084] In this case, the claimed production system may likewise comprise at least one or more production devices based on optical interaction according to the previously described definition and one or more embodiments of the analysis device already defined above and implemented in the production device. In this respect, the production device of the claimed production system may firstly be considered equally as at least one device, at least one device comprising at least one light source for processing the mentioned workpiece material and / or workpiece element, one or more light paths generated by the light source and for exposing the workpiece, and one or more protective glasses arranged for protecting the light source from possible damage and / or contamination, and may therefore preferably be identified with any conventional optical production device.

[0085] In a preferred embodiment, however, the respective production device of the production system may also be specifically configured at least for additive manufacturing of workpieces, such as for example by means of selective laser melting (SLM) or the like.

[0086] In particular, for this purpose, the production device based on optical interaction can preferably include at least one processing chamber, into which the workpiece material required for the production of the workpiece and / or the workpiece material can be introduced and processed by exposure with the aid of a light source. In this case, the processing chamber itself can preferably (in particular in order to be able to meet the atmospheric conditions required by the SLM method) be configured to be completely closable and in particular be equipped with a plurality of chemical and / or mechanical adjustment elements, which enables the processing chamber of the production system to dynamically adapt the pressure or chemical composition of the atmosphere present in the processing chamber during a possible production process, as a result of which an extremely stable and error-free production method can be achieved. In particular, for this purpose, the processing chamber can, for example, also include various inlet valves and outlet valves for introducing the required process chemicals (for example argon) and can be configured at least to hermetically close the production space defined in the processing chamber so that the above conditions are always met.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, one or more protective glasses of the production device can additionally likewise be part of the processing chamber. Thus, for example, at least one protective glass can preferably be integrated into the housing of the processing chamber or be configured to be at least in contact in the latter's housing, so that at least one light source can guide the production light path or the light path emitted therefrom through the protective glasses and / or these protective glasses into the processing chamber. Thus, the construction of the production device can also be configured at least so that the light source can guide the light beam emitted therefrom directly or via a possible preferably actuatable optical element through the at least one protective glass and thus cause it to impinge on the workpiece material and / or the element to be processed.

[0088] In this case, as already mentioned, at least one light source itself can preferably be configured at least as a radiation source configured for plastic deformation of a workpiece element (such as, for example, a laser, etc.), and can preferably be capable of moving and / or focusing the light path generated by the light source, preferably in any three-dimensional direction, via an actuable optical element (lens, filter, mirror, condenser, etc.) integrated in the radiation source or positioned outside the radiation source. Further alignment of the beam system thus generated can also be achieved mechanically (for example by moving one or more exposure housings containing optical elements of the production device and / or the light source), so that focusing of the material can be implemented on a mechanical and optical basis.

[0089] However, as described, the at least one analysis device of the production system can be configured for integration into a production facility of the production system, preferably into one of the free spaces present in the production facility. Thus, the at least one analysis device can preferably be positioned, for example, in the present production system, at least between the light source or the exposure housing enclosing the light source and / or the optical element of the light source and the above-mentioned process chamber, so that the analysis device can specifically be configured as a unit to be inserted between these two elements. In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the at least one analysis device can also be additionally positioned between a plurality of light sources or exposure housings and the process chamber.

[0090] Furthermore, similar to the above exemplary embodiments, different device elements of one or more analysis devices (but at least the optical sensor device) can also preferably be positioned between the process chamber of the production system and the at least one light source and, for example, surrounded by a protective housing of the analysis device.

[0091] The specific position of the exposure device of the respective analysis device can additionally preferably vary depending on the preferred type of exposure: thus, in the case of the preferred incident light exposure, as outlined, the exposure device can preferably be attached along the side of the protective glass to be analyzed that faces the optical sensor device, so that both the optical sensor device and the exposure device can be positioned in a common space, for example in a protective housing of the respective analysis device. In contrast, in the case of transmitted light illumination, the exposure device can preferably be positioned on the other side of the mentioned protective glass or the introduced protective glass, for example in a separate space within the process chamber, as a result of which it is also possible in particular to directly expose that side of the at least one protective glass to be inspected that is affected by any contamination or damage. As a third preferred embodiment, it is also possible additionally, in particular in order to also achieve as homogeneous an illumination as possible from the side faces of the respective protective glass, to introduce the exposure device into the structure of the process chamber, for example into the housing or its outer wall, so that not only an extremely space-saving but also a stable integration of the exposure device is achieved.

[0092] Further advantages of the production system can also additionally result from a possible interaction between the production equipment and the integrated at least one analysis device. Specifically, the analysis device can be configured for exchanging processing and / or processing signals with the production equipment, for example, preferably based on optical interaction, so that the corresponding analysis process of one or more analysis devices can be effectively matched to the existing production steps of the production equipment. Thus, by way of example, at least one analysis device can be configured to at least obtain information about the existing working process of the production equipment and / or send it back, so that the determination of the contamination, damage and / or aging state of at least one protective glass performed by the analysis device can be achieved after a predetermined production process (for example, before the start or end of the workpiece production) or for example during a predetermined waiting time (particularly in an automatic manner). However, on the contrary, the production equipment can also be configured to adapt its production process to an embodiment of the analysis device based on the information obtained by the analysis device, as a result of which an extremely effective and particularly dynamically acting interaction of the corresponding analysis device with the existing production sequence of the production equipment can be achieved.

[0093] Thus, by way of example, a production device can periodically (e.g. at predetermined time intervals) obtain information about the current state of the cover glass implemented in the production device by means of at least one analysis device and dynamically align current and / or future production processes to be performed according to the above information. Thus, the production device can preferably be configured, for example, after obtaining a negative cover glass evaluation (e.g. after detecting local aging or cracks) to avoid any light paths that potentially interact with the detected problem (e.g. by changing the used light path geometry) or to automatically reallocate the current treatment process to other light sources or light paths that are not affected by the above problem, so that a permanently constant treatment quality can be ensured even in a running production process. Analogously to the above or general device elements, individual production steps and / or process parameters (e.g. the intensity or diameter of the light beam to be produced) can also be additionally preferably adapted based on individual information generated by at least one analysis device, as a result of which a maximum adaptability of the production device with respect to the occurring cover glass state can be achieved.

[0094] The further interaction steps between the corresponding analysis device and the production equipment can also be further preferably designed so that, in particular, the accuracy and comparability of the information generated by the analysis device can be optimized in the best possible way, for example in order to allow an evaluation that is as error-free as possible in the above-mentioned comparison of the image of the current protective glass state with the image of the optimal protective glass state. For this purpose, in particular, the production system can be correspondingly configured for carrying out the analysis performed by the at least one analysis device at least under constantly identical conditions prevailing in the production system (such as existing background lighting, workpiece position or manufacturing process time, etc.), which reduces any interfering signals within the recorded images to a minimum, in particular after the generation of the previously described difference image.

[0095] In this case, in order to bypass the background illumination of the cover glass produced (in particular) by the light source or in the processing chamber of the manufacturing system, the production system can additionally preferably be configured to perform a detection of the corresponding cover glass object plane by the optical sensor device only when the light source is switched off or covered. In this respect, the process steps of the production system before the analysis of the at least one analysis device can at least include switching off and / or covering the light source or any other luminous object in order to specifically allow constant optical conditions impinging on the optical sensor device.

[0096] In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the production system can also additionally comprise a plurality of device elements (such as shutters or sliding elements attached in the production device, etc.) for the above-mentioned purpose, for shielding one or more analysis devices (but at least their optical sensor devices) from exposure from the production device. Specifically, this shutter or sliding element can be configured, for example, as an object that can be moved or pivoted in at least one direction and is non-reflective or strongly absorbing as far as possible, such as, for example, a black anodized plate or a filter element, which object can be moved in front of the corresponding analysis device, at least one protective glass or optical device, and thus specifically allows the interfering light path normally detected by the optical sensor device to be delimited from the analysis device. Therefore, the shutter or sliding element can preferably be designed to be moved at least from a first position for shielding the at least one analysis device to a second position for re-exposing the analysis device at least from the side of the process chamber and / or the light source and backwards, as a result of which the above-mentioned constant conditions during the detection of the analysis device and the re-release of any light path closed by the shutter or sliding element can be achieved for the overall production process. The preferred position of the shutter or the sliding element can additionally preferably be selected as a function of the respective exposure type of the exposure device, but at least includes the positioning of the shutter or the sliding element in the process chamber or the analysis device.

[0097] The corresponding process sequence carried out for determining the contamination and / or damage state of at least one protective glass in a manufacturing plant of a production system can also preferably be identical to those of the previously described functions of the analysis device. Thus, the method steps claimed herewith and produced by at least one analysis device of the present invention can include at least one of the following steps:

[0098] - detecting the object plane of the protective glass of the manufacturing system by means of an optical sensor device;

[0099] - exposing the object surface by means of an exposure device;

[0100] - evaluating the information obtained by detecting the object surface of the cover glass by means of an evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation of the information comprises at least an analysis of the detected light intensity values;

[0101] - detecting the state of at least one protective glass, in particular the state of contamination, damage and / or aging, between predetermined production processes of the manufacturing system by means of an analysis device;

[0102] - determining the degree of contamination, damage and / or aging of the protective glass by comparing the information obtained from the detection of the object surface by the optical sensor device with predefined reference information (such as limit values, etc.);

[0103] - determining the service life of at least one used cover glass based on a plurality of items of information about the state of contamination and / or damage of the cover glass determined by the at least one analysis device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0104] Figure 1 A two-dimensional view of a manufacturing system (specifically, a SLM system) based on optical interaction is shown;

[0105] Figure 2 A two-dimensional view of the manufacturing system of the present invention is shown;

[0106] Figure 3A A detailed view of a first embodiment of an analysis device is shown in vertical cross-section, wherein an exposure device is positioned within a protective housing of the analysis device;

[0107] Figure 3B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Figure 3A Embodiments of

[0108] Figure 4A A detailed view of a second embodiment of the analysis device is shown in vertical cross-section, wherein the exposure device is positioned in the process chamber;

[0109] Figure 4B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Figure 4A Embodiments of

[0110] Figure 5A A detailed view of a third embodiment of the analysis device is shown in vertical cross section, wherein the exposure device is integrated into the structure of the process chamber;

[0111] Figure 5B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Figure 5A Embodiments of

[0112] Figure 5C An advantageous arrangement of the exposure device on the protective glass 10 is shown;

[0113] Fig. 6A Shows Figure 3A Detailed view of an analysis device of , wherein a movable baffle or a sliding element is additionally arranged in the process chamber;

[0114] Figure 6B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Fig. 6A Embodiments of

[0115] Fig. 7A A further embodiment of an analysis device is shown, in which the cover glass is analyzed by a plurality of independent sensor devices;

[0116] Figure 7B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Fig. 7A Embodiments of

[0117] Fig. 8A A further embodiment of an analysis device is shown, in which the sensor device is arranged coaxially with the protective glass;

[0118] Figure 8B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Fig. 8A Embodiments of

[0119] Figure 8C An advantageous improvement of the embodiment is shown;

[0120] Fig.9A A further embodiment of an analysis device is shown, in which an additional mirror element is arranged in the analysis device for the coaxial analysis of the cover glass;

[0121] Fig. 9B A detailed view in horizontal cross section shows Fig.9A Embodiments of

[0122] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C A further embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0123] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below based on exemplary drawings. The features of the exemplary embodiments may be combined in whole or in part, and the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments.

[0124] Figure 1 A schematic embodiment of a manufacturing system 1 based on optical interaction, in particular a manufacturing system for selective laser melting, is shown, in which the material 18 to be processed is applied layer by layer to a movable substrate 16 and locally remelted by means of focused laser irradiation, so that a three-dimensional workpiece 26 can be produced by continuously applying, exposing and melting further material layers 24 (additive manufacturing).

[0125] For this purpose, the manufacturing system 1 provides at least one (laser) light source 4, which generates a light beam modified to interact with the material layer 24 by means of a control system 6 connected to the manufacturing system 1, and this light beam is focused onto the material layer to be processed via an optical path 14 by means of various optical elements (such as focusing or scattering lenses, mirrors, filters, etc.) integrated in the scanning head 2. In this case, the scanning head 2 itself exists as an independent, rigidly configured housing, wherein the optical elements behind are likewise oriented so as to be controllable manually and / or in an automatic manner and thus generate a three-dimensionally positionable light path 14 depending on their current orientation and the optical properties due to them (for example, focal length or filter frequency).

[0126] In order to additionally ensure that the above-mentioned optical elements are properly protected from any process emissions, the scan head 2 in the present embodiment is first configured as a closed or closable system, wherein the optical path 14 can be directed out of the scan head 2 only through an exit aperture provided with a scan head glass 3. However, in further embodiments, the optical elements can also be configured as a stand-alone device system or the latter can be at least partially integrated in other units of the manufacturing system 1, such as, for example, the light source 4. In this case, the representation of the light source 4 is also only for visual purposes, so that the light source 4 can be similarly configured to be integrated in the scan head 2 or other elements of the manufacturing system 1.

[0127] Due to the above-mentioned working distance of the optical elements implemented in the scanning head 2, the optical path 14 for manufacturing the workpiece 26 further leads through the scanning head glass 3 into the processing chamber 12, which is separated from the scanning head 2 by the free space 5, in which the different material layers 24 to be processed are applied to the movable substrate 16 and are focused by the finishing beam for producing the workpiece 26. In this case, as described above, the precise manufacturing process provides an iterative coating and exposure process: in order to produce any desired three-dimensional workpiece 26, the material to be processed is first applied to the substrate 16 in the form of a powder in a thin layer 24 and is positioned to a processing height corresponding to the optical path 14 by means of a controllable lifting device 20 (for example, a pneumatic, electric or mechanical cylinder or a scissor lift) by a vertical movement of at least the substrate 16. In this case, in order to ensure that the material layer 24 is as uniform as possible and, in particular, as dense as possible, the corresponding powdered material 18 is additionally pre-compressed in this exemplary embodiment, wherein at least one roller 22 is moved parallel to the material layer 24 to be processed (alternatively, using further devices such as, for example, an integrated silicone lip or the like), is brought to a predefined layer height and excess material 18 is removed from the substrate 16, so that, in particular, constant material conditions can be ensured during each iteration.

[0128] The processed powdered material layer 24 is then locally remelted by means of the above-mentioned light beam focused by the optical path 14 and forms a solid material layer after solidification. Subsequently, the substrate 16 is reduced by a predetermined layer thickness of the material layer 24 and a renewed material layer 24 is applied to the substrate 16, so that a molten three-dimensional material form (workpiece) 26 can be formed by repeated processing and adding new material layers 24.

[0129] In order to enable the atmospheric conditions to be suitable for the above-mentioned SLM production process, the process chamber 12 of the production device 1 is further designed as a completely closable process housing, which is equipped with possible regulating elements, such as, for example, pressure regulators or valves configured for the introduction or output of the required process chemicals (e.g., argon, neon, etc.), and in particular, completely surrounds the above-mentioned substrate 16 by being integrated into the process chamber structure 11 (i.e., at least the process chamber outer wall), and can thus provide a production area shielded from external influences. In order to also bring the optical path 14 into contact with the different material layers 24, a protective glass 10 is further introduced into the process chamber housing 11, which, due to its optical properties, is configured at least to allow the light beam emitted from the light source 4 or controlled by the scanning head 2 to enter the process chamber 12 and to shield process emissions 28 (powder residues, fumes, sparks, etc.) occurring in the scanning head 2 or other attached elements of the production device 1 from any process emissions occurring during the production process.

[0130] Thus, as already mentioned above, the following problem arises in conventional production devices 1 according to the prior art based on optical interaction: Due to the simultaneous protection and transmission function of the protective glass 10 introduced into the process chamber 12, the production quality of the production device 1 can be significantly deteriorated due to the accumulation of emission particles 28 on the protective glass 10 (and thus interaction with the optical path 14 to be produced). On the other hand, however, in most cases any cleaning and / or replacement process associated with the protective glass 10 is also associated with very high costs and service life of the production device 1, making it extremely important for current production devices 1 to implement methods for identifying any (contamination and / or damage) states and thus generate indications of the corresponding required maintenance measures that are as accurate as possible. For this purpose, an analysis device D according to the invention is proposed.

[0131] in this regard, Figure 2 A first schematic diagram of the manufacturing system of the present invention is shown, wherein the analysis device D is represented as being integrated in Figure 1 1. As can be seen, in this case, the analysis device D is configured to be implemented specifically in the free space 5 caused by the optical properties of the production device 1, as a result of which the latter is positioned specifically directly along the optical path 14 and is preferably detachably connected both to the scanning head 2 and to the processing chamber 12 of the production device. In this respect, this embodiment of the production system accordingly has the following advantages: by utilizing the free space already present in the production device 1, no further (e.g. optical) adaptation of the production device 1 is required during the implementation of the analysis device D, as a result of which the analysis device D can therefore be extremely simply and effectively integrated into existing production processes.

[0132] Figure 3A and Figure 3B In each case, the horizontal and vertical cross sections are additionally shown. Figure 2, and integrated into the production plant 1. As mentioned above, in this case the analysis device D is implemented in the free space 5 between the scanning head 2 and the process chamber 12 and therefore only requires protection of unused areas of the production plant 1 for analyzing the state of the cover glass. In this case, the analysis device D itself comprises at least an optical sensor device S, which is configured as an imaging sensor with optics (focusing lens, mirrors, filters, condensers, etc.), in any case also as any camera device, and a plurality of exposure devices L1-L4 for exposing the cover glass 10 to be analyzed by the optical sensor device S. In order to additionally shield the above-mentioned device elements of the analysis device D from external influences, such as dust or harmful exposure, etc., the optical sensor device S and the exposure devices L1-L4 are additionally arranged in a protective housing 7 of the analysis device D, which is configured, for example, in the form of a tube, the outer wall of which is connected to the scanning head 2 and the external process chamber structure 11 and thus forms a closed system possible by connection. Furthermore, due to the positioning of the protective housing 7 , the outwardly directed sides of the scanning head glass 3 and the protective glass 10 of the process chamber 12 are likewise integrated into the area surrounded by the analysis device D, as a result of which these elements can also be additionally protected by the implementation of the analysis device D.

[0133] The exact positioning of the exposure devices L1-L4 of the optical sensor device S and / or the analysis device D can also vary depending on the configuration of the production plant 1 to be analyzed, but in Figure 3A and Figure 3B In the case shown, at least it is configured such that the optical sensor device S is arranged above the exposure device L1-L4, for example on the inner side of the protective housing 7, and thus, due to the possible positioning outside the light path 14 generated by the light source 2, a possible problem-free continuation of the production process is possible. In addition, the exposure device L1-L4 for exposing the protective glass 10 is particularly designed to be able to produce uniform exposure areas, which are arranged at uniform intervals (for example symmetrically (see Figure 3B )) is positioned in the protective housing 7 and is likewise oriented in such a way that the exposed protective glass surface is in no way damaged during a possible production process of the production device 1. In this respect, with regard to the realization of the above-mentioned device elements defined by the analysis device D, in particular, a device system can be created which makes it possible to effectively and extremely accurately detect the protective glass state to be analyzed and, due to the interaction-free positioning of the latter elements, also allows a simple protective glass evaluation to be realized in each production process.

[0134] exist Figure 3A and Figure 3BIn the exemplary embodiment shown, an evaluation process of the protective glass 10 performed by the analysis device D additionally takes place with the aid of the evaluation of the incident light record generated by the optical sensor device S: the optical elements of the optical sensor device S and the optical elements of the exposure devices L1-L4 for focusing and adjustment and / or the overall alignment of the latter device elements are firstly oriented so that a specific plane, the object plane 30 of the protective glass 10 (see Figure 3B ) is focused by the optical sensor device S and exposed by means of the exposure devices L1-L4, whereby any contamination, damage and / or aging structures 28 (material residues, debris, scratches, bleaching, etc.) collected on the side of the cover glass 10 facing the process chamber 12 are illuminated uniformly from outside the process chamber 12, whereby the scattered light generated by these structures can be fed back as position-dependent signals to the imaging sensor of the optical sensor device S. Thus, at least one dimensional signal is generated in the optical sensor device S, but in the preferred case in particular a two-dimensional image of the previously focused object plane 30, wherein the respective contamination, damage and / or aging structures 28 located in the object plane and illuminated by the exposure devices L1-L4 are represented as bodies provided with relatively high signal or intensity values ​​and can therefore be analyzed for the further status assessment.

[0135] Then, as already mentioned above, the determination of the state of the cover glass is achieved by evaluating the information obtained in the generated image, in particular by calculating a state degree which depends on a plurality of imaging parameters and describes the quality state of the cover glass 12, which state degree can be generated in the present invention manually, for example, with the aid of a trained technician, or in an automated manner based on the output and evaluation of the image by an evaluation unit (not shown) implemented in the analysis device D. In this case, suitable examples of the above-mentioned imaging parameters can specifically represent characteristics specifically related to the recording structure 28, such as the number, size, shape or density of contaminants, etc., damaged and / or aged structures 28 located along the object plane 30 (and therefore along the cover glass 10), but also characteristic variables based on optical influences, such as intensity values ​​associated with the structure 28 within the generated or to be analyzed image, which can thus allow the cover glass state to be evaluated in particular based on factors directly related to contamination or damage.

[0136] In order to determine the above-mentioned characteristics, the evaluation unit of the analysis device D is additionally equipped with a series of image analysis and processing programs, which allow the evaluation unit to identify individual structures within the generated images by way of example through different pixel segmentation and evaluation processes, and to extract the desired parameters therefrom. In addition, in order to improve the recognition of any structure, the evaluation unit can pre-adapt the image to be analyzed with a plurality of preparation mechanisms (for example, background correction, edge filtering and / or blur correction), or convert the former into a different image format, for example by forming a difference image as described previously, as a result of which the analysis of the protective glass 10 can be made more precise.

[0137] In a final step, the evaluation unit is further configured to convert the above-mentioned imaging parameters into easily understandable status degrees, for example, a percentage reduction depending on the nature of the protective glass 10, a normative quality statement (for example, "protection glass clean", "protection glass damaged", "protection glass contaminated") or a proposed processing step ("cleaning required", "replacement required", etc.), so that the selected expert personnel can be quickly and effectively informed of the protection glass processing steps to be performed by the output of the status degree by the analysis device D. In the case of the above-mentioned statements or proposed processing steps, this can be done by comparing the identified imaging parameters with any limit values ​​adapted to these parameters, so that the evaluation unit outputs a request for cleaning or replacement of the corresponding protection glass 10, for example after a certain number, density or size of identified damages, dirt and / or aged structures have been exceeded. In the case of a plurality of imaging parameters being integrated for the calculation of the status degree, the former can also be initially combined additionally via a previous combination step, for example by a weighted and / or previously relatively averaged process, so that in the present invention, different parameters to be identified can also be included in the generated image for determining the protection glass status.

[0138] Therefore, with the help of Figure 3A and Figure 3B The embodiment of the analysis device D represented in the figure provides an integrable protective glass inspection unit, which can be simply and extremely effectively introduced into an existing production device 1 and can determine the current state of the protective glass 10 to be analyzed accordingly by including main parameters (i.e., multiple main parameters), i.e., parameters that are clearly present on the protective glass 10.

[0139] also, Figure 4A FIG. 4C shows a further embodiment of the previously described analytical device D, wherein instead of Figure 3A and Figure 3BThe incident light illumination used in the embodiment forms the transmitted light illumination implemented for identifying any contamination, damage and / or aged structures 28. Compared to the previously described embodiments, the analysis device D of these figures therefore differs specifically in the position of the exposure devices L6-L9 for illuminating the protective glass 10, which in this example are already attached inside the process chamber 12 and are therefore attached on the other side of the protective glass 10 compared to the optical sensor device S.

[0140] In this respect, the exposure devices L6-L9 of this exemplary embodiment are configured to illuminate the protective glass 10 specifically from the wetted / contaminated side in order to detect particles 28 located on the protective glass 10 by the optical sensor device S, with the result that a large part of the light emitted by the exposure devices L6-L9 also passes through the protective glass 10 into the beam path of the optical sensor device S and is reflected or scattered only at points encountered by particles 28. Thus, an image opposite to the previous embodiment is produced in this case within the image generated by the optical sensor device S, wherein the detected unaffected parts of the protective glass 10 are represented as a background with a high signal or intensity, but locations associated with the corresponding contamination, damage and / or aging structures 28 are represented as low signal volumes. Thus, the state of the protective glass 10 to be analyzed can also be effectively determined in this exemplary embodiment by the calculation of the state degree already mentioned before, since in this case the analysis device D also enables a spatially resolved representation of any contamination, damage and / or aging structures 28.

[0141] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C An embodiment of the present analysis device D is shown, in which the exposure device L5 is equipped with LEDs and in which the analysis device is integrated, for example, into the process chamber housing 11 and thus allows the protective glass 10 to be uniformly exposed by means of an exposure beam 32 (or a plurality of exposure beams) directed parallel to the protective glass 10, in particular radially inwards from the outside of the protective glass. The exposure device L5 is formed as an integrated lighting ring or LED lighting ring around the protective glass 10 (also shown as a circle) (which laterally preferably completely surrounds the protective glass). However, in other embodiments, the exposure device L5 can also be present in other geometric shapes that are particularly suitable for the structure of the protective glass 10.

[0142] Particularly advantageously, Figure 5C As shown, the protective glass 10 is configured as a rectangle or square with rounded corners, because the lateral illumination by the exposure device L5 thus achieves particularly good illumination, especially in the corner area. The exposure device is arranged here as an LED chain around the protective glass 10. Figure 5CIn the side view of FIG. 1 , the emission direction and the preferred emission angle of the LED of the exposure device are additionally shown. For example, the emission angle is below 80°, wherein the LED is oriented toward the center of the protective glass. Particularly preferably, the emission wavelength of the LED is selected in this case in the range of 520-522 nm (with a half-width of 32 nm). Deviations on the protective glass can be detected particularly well by means of specific embodiments.

[0143] In this respect, this embodiment of the exposure device L5 integrated into the production device 1 results in the following advantages: the latter device element can be introduced into the production system particularly extremely efficiently and in a space-saving manner, whereas an exposure of the type mentioned above also allows the protective glass to be evaluated according to the above-mentioned image analysis and state degree calculation process. In addition, due to the lateral exposure of the protective glass 10 (light is scattered laterally into the protective glass (in particular the LEDs arranged in a ring manner)), both the side of the protective glass 10 facing the processing chamber 12 and the analysis device D are illuminated from the inside, as a result of which any error-generating processes on the outside of the protective glass, such as back reflections, etc., can be effectively prevented.

[0144] Optionally, the sensitivity of the camera sensor (specifically, the optical sensor device S) to the relevant wavelength can be adjusted by connecting a suitable filter (specifically, a bandpass filter with a central wavelength of 525nm; half width ±80nm). The camera sensor can advantageously have the following characteristics: progressive scan CMOS; global shutter; peak quantum efficiency around 500nm.

[0145] The exposure device L5 is therefore advantageously designed so that a plurality of LEDs are arranged on the circumference of the protective glass (in particular symmetrically). The analysis device D (or devices) can also optionally be designed without a sensor S, so that the inspection of the protective glass 10 is carried out manually. Thus, the exposed object surface can be evaluated by manual, direct optical detection (for example, by a system operator). Alternatively or additionally, the exposure device L5 advantageously includes a green laser for exposing the object surface of the protective glass 10 in order to make damage and / or dirt highly visible to the human eye.

[0146] In the method for producing components by additive manufacturing with the aid of the described device, a "checking the protective glass for damage" step can be included in the preparation and downstream inspection of the construction work. For this purpose, the protective glass 10 is exposed on multiple sides by means of an exposure device L5, with an emission wavelength in the range of 520-522 nm. This makes it possible to accurately detect the exposed object surface. Particularly advantageous uniform illumination can be achieved by this method, so that in particular the contamination and damage state of the protective glass can be effectively and accurately determined. Uniform illumination without shadow formation and with uniform strong brightness is achieved. In particular, for additive manufacturing with the aid of laser powder bed fusion (selective laser melting), the cleanliness of the surface of the protective glass 10 can be ensured by suitable cleaning. This can be carried out not only during preparation, but also after each construction work as a quality assurance measure.

[0147] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In addition, it is shown again Figure 3A and Figure 3B , in which, in addition to the exposure devices L1-L4 and the optical sensor device S, a shutter or sliding element 36 (here represented as a black anodized and therefore non-reflective plate) movable along the longitudinal axis of the protective glass 10 has been inserted into the process chamber 12. In this case, the shutter or sliding element 36 notably comprises a controllable movement mechanism 34 (e.g. a pneumatic, electric or mechanical motor element) coupled to the manufacturing process of the manufacturing system 1, which allows the shutter or sliding element 36 to be moved at least from a first position for shielding the protective glass 10 from any exposure source located in the process chamber 12, parallel to the alignment of the protective glass 10, to a second position for re-releasing the optical path 14 between the scanning head 2 and the process chamber 12 and back. Thus, by means of the shutter or sliding element 36 thus additionally implemented in the first position in the production system 1, any exposure originating in the process chamber 12 and also penetrating into the analysis device D can be suppressed, which in particular for the imaging detection of the previously mentioned object plane 30 by the optical sensor device S effectively blocks possible interfering background signals and thus implements more consistent framework conditions for the above-mentioned recording. In this respect, in Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the embodiment shown, the protection glass evaluation process performed by the analysis device D also provides at least additionally that the shutter or sliding element 36 is moved into the first position each time the protection glass 10 is to be checked by the analysis device D and that the shutter or sliding element is returned into the second position if the optical path 14 defined by the protection glass 10 (e.g. for the production of a workpiece 26 by the production system 1) is to remain free. Thus, in this case, an improvement of the protection glass analysis process is also made possible without having to modify and / or adjust the previously mentioned existing production mechanisms of the production system 1.

[0148] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Furthermore, a further detailed representation of an embodiment of the claimed manufacturing system is shown, wherein, in contrast to the previous exemplary embodiment, the present manufacturing system 1 is equipped with a plurality of scanning heads 2A, 2B and protective glasses 10A, 10B and is therefore capable of processing one or more workpieces 26 to be manufactured by means of optical paths 14 which are preferably controllable independently of one another. In order to accordingly also enable the most accurate possible detection and evaluation of the protective glasses 10A, 10B introduced in such a multi-scanner system, in the present embodiment a plurality of (in this case two) analysis devices D1, D2 adapted to the number of protective glasses 10A, 10B are equally introduced into the manufacturing system 1, so that each of the implemented protective glasses 10A, 10B can preferably be analyzed and checked individually for the purpose of improving any manufacturing process. For this purpose, similarly to the previous exemplary embodiment, in Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In the example, the analysis device D1, D2 is positioned between one of the respective scanning heads 2A, 2B and one of the protective glasses 10A, 10B shown and provided, as has also been described. Figure 3A and Figure 3B In the embodiment shown in , in each case a plurality of exposure devices L10-L17 and at least one sensor device S1, S2, in order to precisely expose any contamination, damage and / or aging structures 28 present on the protective glass 10A, 10B assigned to them and to be able to detect and analyze them by the detection mechanisms already mentioned above. In addition, in this case, the analysis devices D1, D2 are each equally equipped with a protective housing 7A, 7B formed at least laterally by the above-mentioned device elements and separating the interior space of the analysis devices D1, D2, which protects the analysis devices D1, D2 respectively from any process emissions occurring (dust particles, smoke, etc.) and can also keep the existing protective glass analysis conditions constant, for example by blocking certain background radiation also generated by the other analysis devices D1, D2 respectively.

[0149] It is therefore clear from the exemplary embodiment shown that the invention can also be optimally used in manufacturing systems that are imprinted by a plurality of scanning heads 2A, 2B, protective glasses 10A, 10B or other devices required for the production of workpieces, in particular, for this purpose a plurality of individually acting and independently positionable analysis devices D1, D2 can be integrated at least to the same extent. In this respect, the above-described embodiment specifically produces the following advantages: Each protective glass 10A, 10B implemented in the manufacturing system 1 can also be analyzed by the analysis device D1, D2 directed only on the protective glass 10A, 10B and can be further evaluated, whereby extremely precise state detection can be achieved.

[0150] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B A further embodiment of the claimed analysis device D is also shown, wherein the production equipment 1 is similarly equipped with a plurality of scanning heads 2A-2C and scanning head glasses 3A-3C connected thereto, and is required to forward the light beam 14 emitted from the scanning heads 2A-2C, and the analysis device 1 has a Figure 5A , 5B In this case, the scanning head glasses 3A-3C themselves are introduced into a separate substrate 34 which is (at least thermally) decoupled from the analysis device D and / or the scanning heads 2A-2C, which in particular makes it possible to prevent any displacement / shifting of device elements of the scanning heads 2A-2C or of the analysis device D due to expansions within the manufacturing system 1, which occur during manufacturing and are at least based on thermal fluctuations, thereby enabling a continuously accurate and therefore error-prone handling or analysis process to be ensured.

[0151] Figure 8B Furthermore, a schematic plan view of the inner side of the previously described substrate 34 is shown, represented along the plane of view A. In this case, the scanning head glasses 3A-3C are represented as circular, but in other cases, installations that are recognizable by other geometric shapes and have possible optical properties (e.g. absorption / reflection of specific wavelengths) are also possible, which are positioned concentrically at predetermined intervals, preferably, for example, around a predetermined point, and thus enable the machining of the workpiece 26 to be manufactured to be differentiated by a plurality of beams or light paths. In the center of the represented concentrically arranged scanning head glasses 3A-3C, in this case, a sensor device S is additionally attached, which, due to its mentioned central positioning, preferably oriented identically with respect to the protective glass 10, produces a maximum detection area, and due to the presence of a plurality of light beams or light paths in the center. Fig. 8A The attachment between the protective glass 10 and the scanning heads 2A-2C, which is shown again in FIG. 1 , allows for an extremely space-saving integration. In addition, this arrangement makes it possible to orient the sensor device S coaxially, in particular also with the correspondingly present protective glass 10 (e.g., the longitudinal axis of the sensor device S is parallel to at least one longitudinal axis of the protective glass 10), so that the image plane to be detected is already aligned with the protective glass surface with the damaged, contaminated and / or aged structures 28 (in particular, the inner side of the protective glass 10 present in the processing chamber 12) by suitable mechanical orientation of the sensor device S. Thus, the above-described arrangement of the sensor device S and the exposure device L5 essentially results in an embodiment of the analysis device D, which not only implements a positioning of the corresponding device elements that is as space-saving as possible, but also realizes an optically preferred orientation of the optical sensor device S.

[0152] exist Figure 8C, a further advantageous embodiment is shown. In this case, the simple sensor device S is replaced by two sensor devices S1, S2 which are spaced apart from each other and preferably oriented (and arranged opposite to each other). In this case, the first sensor device S1 is oriented towards a first section of the protective glass 10 and the second sensor device S2 is oriented towards the second section. These sections can also overlap. The detection range can be optimized by this arrangement and the accuracy of the detection can be further improved, in particular in combination with the mentioned exposure device, which, as represented, emits directly into the protective glass. In this case, the protective glass 10 can preferably be circular or rectangular with rounded edges. In this case, the LED exposure device L5 surrounds the protective glass 10.

[0153] Optionally, the aforementioned coaxial orientation of the sensor device S can also be achieved additionally by additional optical elements such as, for example, fully or semi-transparent mirrors, etc. For this purpose, Fig.9A and Fig. 9B Based on the example Fig. 8A and Figure 8B The embodiment of shows a further variant of the analysis device D, in which the sensor device S (in contrast to the central positioning described above) is introduced laterally into a structure, for example, of the protective housing 7, and the scattered and reflected radiation emitted from the structure 28 of the protective glass 10 to be detected can be received coaxially via an additional mirror device 36 additionally attached in the analysis device D. In this case, the advantages of the embodiment shown here can be seen in particular in the extremely space-saving introduction of the required device elements, since the sensor device S (although still optically coaxially connected to the protective glass 10) can be potentially integrated at any desired position within the analysis device D by the additional implementation of the mirror device 36, so that the analysis device D can also be installed in a particularly small installation space. Furthermore, it can also be preferably designed in particular that the mirror device 36 is controllable, so that its orientation can be dynamically adapted at any time to the current position or arrangement of the selected sensor device S, so that by means of the first-mentioned device, not only the position of the corresponding sensor device S can be selectively freely varied within the analysis device D, but also a plurality of sensor devices S can be used by means of the mirror device 36.

[0154] exist FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C A further possible embodiment is shown in Fig. 10A In the embodiment, the scanner (scanning head 2) is arranged next to or directly on the protective glass. However, the device can also be designed so that more than one scanning head is arranged on the protective glass 10, for example Fig. 10B As shown. Fig. 10CIn FIG. 1 , an element having a plurality of (here four) circular protective glasses is shown, each of which is assigned to at least one scanning head. These protective glasses can be exposed accordingly by the exposure device L5 .

Claims

1. A production system (1) for producing a workpiece (26) by exposing powdered material and / or workpiece elements, wherein: The manufacturing system (1) comprises: at least one light source (4) for irradiating a powder material (18) and / or a workpiece element disposed in the processing chamber (12); a light path (14) generated by the light source (4), the light path (14) extending through a protective glass (10) into the processing chamber (12) of the manufacturing system (1), wherein the protective glass (10) is provided to prevent damage and / or contamination; and at least one exposure device (L1-L9), the at least one exposure device (L1-L9) being used to expose an object plane (30) associated with the protective glass (10) of the manufacturing system (1), Therein, the exposure device (L1-L9) at least partially, preferably completely surrounds the protective glass (10) and comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes LED.

2. The manufacturing system (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The LED is arranged laterally on the protective glass (10) for directly exposing the object plane (30).

3. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The exposure device (L1-L9) comprises an LED stripe with an integrated diffuser and / or wherein the diffuser is arranged between the LED stripe (L1-L9) and a side surface of the protective glass.

4. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The emission wavelength of at least some of the LEDs is in the range of 520-522 nm with a preferred maximum half width of 32 nm; and / or wherein the colored LEDs are arranged so that the light used to expose the object plane (30) is green, and / or wherein LEDs with white light are provided.

5. The manufacturing system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The emission angle of the LED is 120° or 180° or in the range of 120° to 180°.

6. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The same number of LEDs are arranged on each side surface of the protective glass (10) for uniform exposure of the object plane (30).

7. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The manufacturing system has a camera sensor for detecting the object plane (30), and the camera sensor has a highest quantum efficiency in the wavelength range of 520-522nm, and the LED of the exposure device (L1-L9) is configured to emit light with a wavelength of 520nm; and / or wherein the camera sensor has a highest quantum efficiency in the green light range.

8. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The maximum value of the quantum efficiency of the camera sensor corresponds to the emission wavelength of the LED, and is preferably at 520 nm.

9. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: A bandpass filter is attached in front of the camera lens, the bandpass filter being adapted to the emission wavelength of the LED to filter external light sources.

10. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The exposure device (L1-L9) comprises LEDs uniformly arranged on a printed circuit board (32) with a power consumption of 11.7 W / m, wherein the distance between adjacent LEDs is up to 20 mm.

11. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The light intensity of the LEDs may fluctuate by no more than a value of + / -15%, particularly preferably by no more than a value of + / -10%, of a predetermined value.

12. The manufacturing system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The lighting is operated at a constant voltage of 24V.

13. The manufacturing system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein: The predetermined value of the luminous flux of the LED is within a range of 1000 lm / m to 1400 lm / m, and / or wherein the LED is formed as a chip-on-board LED (COB LED) without a lens component.

14. A method for determining the state, in particular the soiling and / or damage state, of a cover glass (10) of a production system according to at least one of the preceding claims, the production system being based on optical interaction, wherein: The method comprises: Exposing the object plane (30) by means of the exposure device (L1-L9); Detecting light intensity values ​​of the object surface (30) of the protective glass (10) by means of a camera sensor and analyzing the detected light intensity values ​​for detecting damage and / or contamination, and / or The protective glass (10) is visually inspected by a system operator, wherein the exposure devices (L1-L9) are activated for detecting damage and / or contamination of the protective glass (10).

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising the steps of: Detecting an object plane (30) associated with the protective glass (10) of the manufacturing system by the camera sensor, while exposing the object plane (30) by the exposure device; and / or The object surface (30) to be inspected is divided into a plurality of evaluation areas and each evaluation area is evaluated independently to determine the degree of damage or contamination of the protective glass (10).

Images