Method for the construction of a laminated compound

• US 7,927,539 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Original Assignee: Ingo Ederer
• Inventors: Ederer, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole; Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders; James
• Application Number:
  US12/796,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20100243123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 264/113, 264/308, 264/405
• US Class Current: 264/405
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/34 of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/68 Cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/222 for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/33 translatory in the deposition plane
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/44 characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/49 Scanners
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/50 Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/88 Handling of additively manufactured products, e.g. by robots
• 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: 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: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method or procedure for the construction of a laminated compound or mould made up of a number of layers of particle material on top of each other, which are hardened and joined to each other in predetermined onsite areas, which can differ from each other depending on position and expansion, so that from the predetermined hardened areas of the laminated compound at least one mould is formed. The layers are deposited individually one after another in predetermined layer thickness by the dispensing of particle material from a dispensing device during its movement above a working field and according to computer data in predetermined areas.

Claims

1. A method for the construction of a multi-layered laminated compound formed of particulate matter comprising the steps of:

a. placing a layering unit over a working field;

b. utilizing data to control movement and operation of the layering unit;

c. lifting the layering unit;

d. moving the layering unit;

e. depositing a layer consisting of solid particulate matter from an elongated dispensing opening in a dispensing device in the layering unit with a predetermined layer thickness and a predetermined pattern on the working field;

f. delivering a hardening means selectively to the particulate matter to join it to any previously deposited particulate matter; and

g. repeating steps (b-f) until the multi-layered laminated compound is complete;

whereby the multi-layered laminated compound on the working field is formed freestanding and without the use of an outer edge enclosure device for a respective top layer to be deposited, that the dispensing device is moved on a frame which can gradually be adjusted vertically upwards by its layer thickness before the depositing of each respective top layer, and whereby the deposited top layer is hardened along an edge area of at least the front edge in the direction of movement of the dispensing device by the application of a binding agent, so that a hardened boxing of the laminated compound is formed from the particulate matter, at least along its front end in the direction of movement of the dispensing device.

2. A method for the construction of a multi-layered laminated compound formed of particulate matter comprising the steps of:

h. placing a layering unit over a working field;

i. utilizing data to control movement and operation of the layering unit;

j. lifting the layering unit;

k. moving the layering unit;

l. depositing a layer consisting of solid particulate matter from an elongated dispensing opening in a dispensing device in the layering unit with a predetermined layer thickness and a predetermined pattern on the working field;

m. delivering a hardening means selectively to the solid particulate matter to join it to any previously deposited particulate matter; and

n. repeating steps (b-f) until the multi-layered laminated compound is complete;

whereby the multi-layered laminated compound on the working field is formed freestanding and without the use of an outer edge enclosure device for a respective top layer to be deposited, that the dispensing device is moved on a frame which can gradually be adjusted vertically upwards by its layer thickness before the depositing of each respective top layer.

3. The method according to claim 2, whereby the dispensing device is set into motion from a position where its dispensing opening is at a distance in front of a front edge of the previous layer in the direction of movement of the dispensing device, and is switched on when its dispensing opening reaches the area above the front edge of the previous layer.

4. The method according to claim 3, whereby the dispensing device is moved over a back edge of the previous layer in the direction of the movement, and switched off when its dispensing opening reaches the area above the back edge of the previous layer.

5. The method according to claim 2, whereby the top layer is smoothed and/or compressed behind the dispensing opening during the movement of the dispensing device in the direction of movement.

6. The method according to claim 5, whereby the compression is performed in a compression movement by movement components corresponding to the direction of movement of the dispensing device.

7. The method according to claim 2, whereby the dispensing device used, further comprises a funnel-shaped dispensing duct for the particulate matter to be deposited, which ends at its bottom end in the dispensing opening, which can be switched on by the fact that the particle material vibrates in the dispensing duct and thereby becomes fluid.

8. The method according claim 2, whereby the layers are deposited in the layer thickness of about 100 to 500 μ

m at a granular size of the particulate matter of about 20 to 300 μ

m.

9. The method according to claim 8, whereby the layers are deposited in the layer thickness of about 100 to 500 μ

m at the granular size of the particulate matter of about 50 to 200 μ

m.

10. The method according to claim 2, whereby the edge area of the top layer is hardened, at least along its front edge compared to the hardened edge area of the previous layer, offset to the vertical centre of the laminated compound, so that a boxing wall runs at an angle to the vertical.

11. The method according to claim 3, whereby the dispensing device is switched on when the dispensing opening is above the area close to the back of the front edge of the previous layer in the direction of movement of the dispensing device.

12. The method according to claim 4, whereby the dispensing device is switched off when the dispensing opening is above the area close to the front of the back edge of the previous layer in the direction of movement of the dispensing device.

13. The method according to claim 2, whereby the lifting operation for the lifting of the dispensing device and the moving operation of the dispensing device can be controlled independent of one another.

14. A method for the construction of a multi-layered laminated compound formed of particulate matter comprising the steps of:

a. placing a layering unit over a working field;

b. utilizing data to control movement and operation of the layering unit;

c. lifting the layering unit;

d. moving the layering unit;

e. depositing a layer consisting of solid particulate matter from an elongated dispensing opening in a dispensing device in the layering unit with a predetermined layer thickness and a predetermined pattern on the working field;

f. delivering a hardening means selectively to the particulate matter; and

g. repeating steps (b-f) until the multi-layered laminated compound is complete;

whereby the multi-layered laminated compound on the working field is formed freestanding and without the use of an outer edge enclosure device for a respective top layer to be deposited, that the dispensing device is moved on a frame supported by pillars of a base frame, the dispensing device can be gradually adjusted in a vertical direction and has an access opening over the working field for the measured dispensing of the particle material onto the working field, the access opening can be moved horizontally on the dispensing device, wherein the access opening has an elongated dispensing opening which is open at the bottom, which extends horizontally straight and vertical to the direction of movement of the dispensing device, and which can be systematically switched on and off for the systematic dispensing of the particulate matter.

15. The method according to claim 14, whereby the base frame is designed to be mobile and for this purpose can be moved on rollers or wheels.

16. The method according claim 14, whereby the layers are deposited in the layer thickness of about 100 to 500 μ

m at a granular size of the particulate matter of about 20 to 300 μ

m.

17. The method according to claim 14, whereby the lifting operation for the lifting of the dispensing device and the moving operation of the dispensing device can be controlled independent of one another.

18. The method according to claim 14, whereby the layers are deposited in the layer thickness of about 100 to 500 μ

m at a granular size of the particulate matter of about 50 to 200 μ

m.

19. The method according to claim 14, whereby the top layer is smoothed and/or compressed behind the dispensing opening during the movement of the dispensing device in the direction of movement.