Device and method for applying layers of a powder material onto a surface

• US 7,820,241 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
• Original Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
• Inventors: Goth, Michael, Halder, Thomas, Keller, Peter, Cantzler, Gerd, Philippi, Jochen, Perret, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh; Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilton; Albert
• Application Number:
  US11/667,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 264/401, 374/07
• US Class Current: 427/213
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/37 of powder bed aspects, e.g. density
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/73 of powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/13 to preheat the material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/50 Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/67 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/29 by profiling or strickling the material in open moulds or on moulding surfaces in rotary moulds B28B1/02; by means of profiled rollers B28B3/12, B28B3/123
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A device (51) for applying layers or a powder material (71) by means of an application device (52) is described, wherein the application device (52) can be moved back and forth between two end positions in order to apply a layer of material (71) and the application device (52) comprises a blade (56) for removing excess material during the application of a layer of material (71). The device (51) is characterized by a material transport device (53), by which the material can be transferred from one side of the blade (56) to the other side of the blade. The device has the particular advantage that layers of material (71) can be applied without any loss of material and is particularly applicable in a laser sintering device.

Claims

1. Device for applying layers of a powder material in a construction field, comprising an application device, which can be moved in parallel to said construction field back and forth between two end positions in order to apply a layer of material and which comprises a blade for removing excess material when generating a layer of material, characterized by a material transport device, which is adapted to transfer material from one side of the blade away from said construction field to the other side of the blade facing said construction field, wherein the material transport device comprises a conveyor roller, which is rotatable around an axis, for the transfer of material from the one side to the other side of the blade.

2. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a material feeding device that comprises a supply container for the material and is formed such that the supply of material to a feeding region is automatically interrupted, when there is a predetermined amount of material in the feeding region.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein a mechanics is provided, by which the movement of the application device is coupled to the rotation of the conveyor roller such that by a singular back and forth movement of the application device material is transported from one side of the blade to the other side of the blade by means of the conveyor roller.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor roller comprises two paddles that are mirror-symmetrical to the axis of rotation of the conveyor roller.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor roller is a roller having at least one chamber that is formed such that it is a recess, by which through a rotation of the roller material is transported from one side of the blade to the other side of the blade by means of the chamber.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein a trough is provided that is adapted to the shape of the conveyor roller and accommodates a part of the conveyor roller.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the trough comprises a heating for pre-heating the material in the trough.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein at each of the two sides of the construction field that correspond to the two end positions of the application device, a transport device is provided.

10. Device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by solidifying layers of a material at positions corresponding to the respective cross-section of the object by means of a device for applying layers of a powder material according to claim 1.

8. Device for applying layers of a powder material in a construction field, comprising an application device, which can be moved in parallel to said construction field back and forth between two end positions in order to apply a layer of material and which comprises a blade for removing excess material when generating a layer of material, characterized by a material transport device, which is adapted to transfer material from one side of the blade away from said construction field to the other side of the blade facing said construction field, wherein the transport device is a fluidization device, by which gas can be blown into the material such that the material fluidizes and flows from one side of the blade to the other side of the blade, when the application device is in a predetermined position.