APPARATAUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT

• US 20100310404A1
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arcam Ab (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arcam Ab (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Ackelid, Ulf
• Application Number:
  US12/745,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20100310404A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 419/6
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/32 of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/38 to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/003 Apparatus, e.g. furnaces in general F27B
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention concerns an apparatus (1) for producing a three-dimensional object (6) layer by layer using a powdery material which can be solidified by irradiating it with an energy beam (4), said apparatus (1) comprising an electron gun (3) for generating said energy beam (4) and a working area (5) onto which the powdery material is distributed and over which the energy beam (4) sweeps during irradiation. The invention is characterized in that the apparatus (1) is provided with a system (12, 14, 16, 18) for feeding controlled amounts of a reactive gas into the apparatus (1) such as to contact the reactive gas with material positioned on the working area (5), said reactive gas being capable of, at least when having been exposed to the energy beam (4), reacting chemically and/or physically with the material positioned on the working area (5). The invention also concerns a method for operating an apparatus of the above type.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object layer by layer using a powdery material which can be solidified by irradiating it with an energy beam, said apparatus comprising:

an electron gun for generating said energy beam in the form of an electron beam; and

a working area onto which the powdery material is distributed and over which the electron beam sweeps during irradiation, wherein;

the working area is arranged in an evacuated chamber; and

the apparatus is provided with a system for feeding controlled amounts of a reactive gas into the evacuated chamber such as to contact the reactive gas with material positioned on the working area, said reactive gas being capable of, at least when having been exposed to the electron beam, reacting at least one of chemically or physically with the material positioned on the working area.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the gas feeding system comprises a valve that is arranged to control the amounts of reactive gas fed to the apparatus.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the gas feeding system comprises a gas sensor for determining the amounts of reactive gas present in the apparatus.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus comprises a control unit for controlling the valve, said control unit being electronically connected to the gas sensor and the valve for allowing transfer of information from the sensor and for allowing control of the valve.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the reactive gas comprises at least one gas, or a mixture of gases, selected from a group consisting of:

hydrogen, deuterium, hydrocarbons, gaseous organic compounds, ammonia, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and nitrous oxide.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the material positioned on the working area is made of metal.

17. A method for producing a three-dimensional object layer by layer using a powdery material which can be solidified by irradiating it with an energy beam, using an apparatus comprising an electron gun for generating said energy beam in the form of an electron beam and a working area onto which the powdery material is distributed and over which the electron beam sweeps during irradiation, wherein the working area is arranged in an evacuated chamber and the method comprises the following step:

feeding controlled amounts of a reactive gas into the evacuated chamber such as to contact the reactive gas with material positioned on the working area, said reactive gas being capable of, at least when having been exposed to the electron beam, reacting at least one of chemically or physically with the material positioned on the working area.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of opening a valve that is arranged to control the amounts of reactive gas fed to the apparatus.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of reading a signal from a gas sensor arranged to determine the amounts of reactive gas present in the apparatus.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the reactive gas comprises at least one gas, or a mixture of gases, selected from a group consisting of:

hydrogen, deuterium, hydrocarbons, gaseous organic compounds, ammonia, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and nitrous oxide.