Method and device for manufacturing three-dimensional bodies

• US 6,531,086 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Speed Part Rp AB
• Original Assignee: Speed Part Rp AB
• Inventors: Larsson, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B.
• Application Number:
  US09/403,932
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 264/109, 264/113, 264/123, 264/125, 264/126, 264/492, 264/497, 425/174.4, 425/218
• US Class Current: 264/497
• 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 70/68 by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers , e.g. foam blocks mould constructions therefor B29C33/12; joining preformed parts by moulding B29C65/70
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A method for producing three-dimensional bodies of a large number of mutually connected layers of a particle-shaped material such as a powder, and where the information of the appearance of each layer is achieved from a computer'"'"'s CAD-unit or similar. An essentially even particle layer (7) of building material is applied on a support base (6) and on a masking device (9) is arranged a masking pattern in accordance with the information from the CAD-unit, which masking device is led over said particle layer and close to it. A radiation producer (8) is arranged or is led over the masking device (9), whereby the particles which are not covered by the masking pattern are exposed for radiation and thereby are attached to each other. The masking pattern is removed from the masking device and new sequences in accordance with the above are carried through until the three-dimensional body (19) is produced.

Claims

1. A device for producing three dimensional bodies of a large number of mutually connected layers of a particle shaped building material, and where the information of the appearance of each layer is achieved from a computer CAD-unit, comprising:

applying essentially even particle layer of building material on a support base, arranging on a masking device a masking pattern in accordance with the information from the CAD-unit, which masking device is led over said particle layer,

arranging a radiation producer over the masking device, whereby the particles which are not covered by the masking pattern are exposed for radiation and thereby are attached to each other, and

removing the masking pattern from the masking device, and performing processing until the three dimensional body is produced.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the particle layer is applied with the aid of a spreading device which transfers the particles from a reservoir and spread them over the support base.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein during movement of the masking device from a parking position beside the support base to an active position over the support base the masking device passes one to the CAD-unit connected computer controlled developer, which produces an electrostatical pattern of the layer in question in the form of a layer of masking powder on the support base.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the CAD-unit connected computer controlled developer is moved over the support base, whereby an electrostatical pattern of the layer in question in the form of a layer of masking powder is produced.

5. A device for producing three dimensional bodies of a large number of mutually connectable layers of a particle shaped building material, and where the information about each layer'"'"'s appearance is achieved from an original, from a computer CAD-unit, comprising:

a spreading device arranged to distribute an essentially even particle layer on a support base,

a developer is arranged to generate or apply a masking pattern in accordance with the original, from the CAD-unit, on a masking device,

a radiation producer configured over the masking device, whereby the particles which are not covered by the masking pattern are exposed for radiation and thereby are connected to each other, and

an eliminator arranged to remove the existing masking pattern on the masking device.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the spreading device includes a wiper roll or a wiper tray, which is arranged to transport the particles from a powder reservoir and spread the particles in an even layer all over the support base.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the powder reservoir is a transport package, which at least during the feeding out of the powder is arranged over the support base, that in the bottom of the package is arranged an outlet opening and in connection to that a dosing device for the powder, and that the spreading device and/or the support base are moveable in relation to each other.

8. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the spreading device is one over the support base and the powder layer respectively moveable powder reservoir, which is arranged to meter and spread out via at least one outlet opening a new powder layer in at least one direction of motion.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the inside of the wiper tray and the transport package has inwards inclined side walls and guiding plates at the outlet opening of the wiper tray are arranged in the direction of motion of the tray, which guiding plates are arranged to make an acute angle against the support base for compression of the powder layer in connection with or after the spreading.

10. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the powder layer and a compression plate are arranged moveable in relation to each other and arranged to be pressed in contact with one another.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the compression plate is arranged as a cooling member for cooling the powder layer.

12. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the spreading device is one over the powder layer moveable, rotateable powder roll, whose rotation of speed and direction of motion are adjustable.

13. A device in accordance with claim 6, the powder reservoir is provided with an up and down moveable base, which when producing each layer is arranged to lift up the powder mass in the powder reservoir corresponding to the thickness or the volume of a layer, and that the support base is an up and down moveable bottom of a building reservoir, which when producing each layer is arranged to lower the bottom in the building reservoir corresponding to the thickness or the volume of a layer.

14. A device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the walls of the building reservoir made/sintered powder, layer by layer, in the same way as the three dimensional body, the walls are fastened to the moveable base plate, and the walls of the building reservoir are generated by a fix or by the masking device controlled, for the IR-radiation transparent pattern.

15. A device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the upper circumference of the building reservoir defines a surface which is larger than the underlying opening, which is tightening border for the reservoir built in layers.

16. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the radiation producer comprises a collimator, which is made of lamellas in at least two different crossing planes above each other, alternatively in combination with a spreading device.

17. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the building material is powder that is preheated to a temperature which is lower than the sintering/melting temperature.

18. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the powder is preheated with the aid of infrared radiation member with lower intensity than during sintering and/or by means of that the masking layer is partly transparent.

19. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the masking device comprises a writer unit, a developer, and a flowing crystal display for production of the desired masking pattern.

20. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the masking device is a disconnectable and connectable mirror, which is arranged to take at the same time two different states, one in which the mirror is reflecting and another in which it is transparent, and that said states in controllable with information from a CAD-unit in correspondence to a desired masking pattern.

21. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein that the developer is arranged to cooperate with a transparent plate, on which a layer of masking powder is applied electrostatically.

22. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the developer comprises one in or on a transparent plate arranged electrode matrix with a large number of annular-shaped control electrodes, which electrode matrix on one side is provided with a background electrode and which opposite side is turned towards a dosing device for masking material, and that the potentials applied on the control electrodes are variable in accordance with information from the computer'"'"'s CAD-unit.

23. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the eliminator is a cleaning device, which is arranged to clean the transparent layer from the masking material forming the masking layer, whereby possible excess material is returned to the masking device.

24. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein the eliminator is arranged to change the state of voltage in the display so that the masking pattern is erased.