Analysis and Method to Increase the Productivity of Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metals (Light Engineering für die Praxis)

Additive manufacturing offers promising solutions to challenges in modern industries.Powder bed fusion with a laser beam for metals (PBF-LB/M) has reached high maturity, enabling decentralized, on-demand production of high-performance components that helps mitigate supply chain disruptions. A key advantage of PBF-LB/M is its exceptional design freedom, enabling the tool-less fabrication of complex geometries-such as topology-optimized lightweight designs or patient-specific medical implants-that cannot be realized with conventional methods.This reduces manufacturing steps and material waste, making it widely used in aerospace and medical technology. Despite these advantages, PBF-LB/M faces significant challenges in quality, time efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.Long process times lead to high production costs, limiting competitiveness at high volumes.Increasing productivity without compromising quality is essential for broader industrialization. This work optimizes the theoretical bu