Powder distribution in additive manufacturing
First Claim
1. An additive manufacturing method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one rotatable powder container above a powder table, said powder container comprising at least one exit for providing powder to the powder table arranged beside said work table, at least one opening inside said container is spatially separated from and connected to said at least one exit;
rotating said powder container;
ejecting a fixed amount of powder from said powder container during at least one predetermined segment of rotational angles of said powder container, as long as more than a predetermined amount of powder is remaining in the container, from the exit of said powder container onto said powder table, wherein said fixed amount is determined based upon the shape and size of the at least one opening inside said container; and
distributing at least a part of said fixed amount of powder from said powder table to said work table with a distributor for forming at least a part of a layer of said powder bed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An additive manufacturing method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table. Providing at least one rotatable powder container above said work table, said powder container comprising at least one exit for providing powder to a powder table arranged beside said work table, at least one opening inside said container is spatially separated from and connected to said at least one exit. Ejecting a fixed amount of powder from said powder container during at least one predetermined segment of rotational angles of said powder container, from the exit of said powder container onto said powder table, wherein said fixed amount is determined by the shape and size of the at least one opening inside said container. Distributing said powder onto said work table with a powder distributor.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An additive manufacturing method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one rotatable powder container above a powder table, said powder container comprising at least one exit for providing powder to the powder table arranged beside said work table, at least one opening inside said container is spatially separated from and connected to said at least one exit; rotating said powder container; ejecting a fixed amount of powder from said powder container during at least one predetermined segment of rotational angles of said powder container, as long as more than a predetermined amount of powder is remaining in the container, from the exit of said powder container onto said powder table, wherein said fixed amount is determined based upon the shape and size of the at least one opening inside said container; and distributing at least a part of said fixed amount of powder from said powder table to said work table with a distributor for forming at least a part of a layer of said powder bed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one rotatable powder container above said work table, said powder container comprising at least one exit for providing powder to a powder table arranged beside said worktable, and at least one opening inside said container, said at least one opening being spatially separated from and connected to said at least one exit; and a distributor for distributing at least a part of said fixed amount of powder from said powder table to said work table for forming at least a part of a layer of said powder bed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification