DEVICE FOR PRODUCING THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELS

• US 20160001507A1
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Original Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Inventors: Hartmann, Andreas Dominik, Ederer, Ingo
• Granted Patent: US 9,993,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/25 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for manufacturing three-dimensional models by means of a 3D printing process, whereby a build platform for application of build material is provided and a support frame is arranged around the build platform, to which said support frame at least one device for dosing the particulate material and one device for bonding the particulate material is attached via the guiding elements and the support frame is moveable in a Z direction, which essentially means perpendicular to the base surface of the build platform, said movement provided by at least two vertical positioning units on the support frame. In this respect, it is provided that the positioning units are respectively separate components and are arrangeable on the support frame independently from one another and the location and orientation of such can be adjusted independently from one another.

Claims

1. A method for assembling an apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensional models by means of a 3D printing process comprising:

arranging at least i) a first pair of vertical positioning units and ii) a second pair of vertical positioning units on a common substrate, wherein each vertical positioning unit has a drive direction;

independently adjusting each of the vertical positioning units so that the drive direction of each vertical positioning unit is in a vertical direction;

attaching the first pair of vertical positioning units to a first side of a support frame; and

attaching the second pair of vertical positioning units to a second side of the support frame, wherein the first and second sides are opposing sides;

wherein the support frame is arranged around a build platform having a base surface for building the 3-D model;

the support frame is moveable in a vertical direction by the vertical positioning units; and

the base surface of the build platform is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the support frame supports a particulate material dosing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes moving the particulate material dosing device in an X-direction via guiding elements for layerwise depositing of particulate material.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the support frame supports a device for feeding a bonding material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes moving the device for feeding a bonding material in an X-direction for depositing the bonding material.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pair of vertical position units are placed along a first line and the second parallel vertical positioning units are placed along a second line, wherein the first line and the second line are parallel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein three vertical positioning units including the first pair of vertical positioning units are placed along the first line and three vertical positioning units including the second pair of vertical positioning units are placed along the second line.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein each vertical positioning unit has at least three vertically adjustable feet.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each vertical positioning unit has at least three vertically adjustable feet.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is flexibly deformable.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes moving the support frame in the vertical direction.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the vertical positioning units includes a drive motor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method the drive units are coupled with each other via an electronic gantry system.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method includes moving the support frame in the vertical direction after applying a layer of a build material to the build platform.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pair of vertical positioning units are positioned in spaced apart locations on a first linear track and the second pair of vertical positioning units are positioned in spaced apart locations on a second linear track.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first linear track is angled relative to a horizontal plane and/or the second linear track is angled relative to a horizontal plane.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the common substrate is not flat.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein every vertical positioning unit engages with the support frame at a suspension point and is independently moveable in the vertical direction.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes moving one of the vertical position units in the vertical direction independently from the other vertical positioning units.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the support frame engages with the vertical positioning units by means of bearing pins and ball-joint pivoting bearings.

2-11. -11. (canceled)