Powder distribution in additive manufacturing of three-dimensional articles
First Claim
1. A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one powder layer provided on a work table in a build chamber, which parts correspond to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least a first powder tank and at least a second powder tank;
providing a first type of powder in said first powder tank having a first particle size distribution;
providing a second type of powder in said second powder tank having a second particle size distribution which is different to said first particle size distribution, wherein the smallest particle size in said second particle size distribution is smaller than the smallest particle size in said first particle size distribution;
distributing a first sub-layer of said first type of powder on said work table;
distributing a second sub-layer of said second type of powder on top of said first sub-layer of said first type of powder, where said first and second sub-layers are forming one of said at least one powder layers; and
fusing said first and second sub-layers with a high energy beam from a high energy beam source so as to form a first cross section of said three-dimensional article.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a 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. Said method comprising the steps of: providing at least a first and second powder tank, providing a first type of powder in said first powder tank having a first particle size distribution, providing a second type of powder in said second powder tank having a second particle size distribution, providing a first sub-layer of said first type of powder on said work table, providing a second sub-layer of said second type of powder on top of said first layer of said first type of powder, fusing said first and second sub-layers simultaneously with a high energy beam from a high energy beam source for forming a first cross section of said three-dimensional article.
159 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one powder layer provided on a work table in a build chamber, which parts correspond to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least a first powder tank and at least a second powder tank; providing a first type of powder in said first powder tank having a first particle size distribution; providing a second type of powder in said second powder tank having a second particle size distribution which is different to said first particle size distribution, wherein the smallest particle size in said second particle size distribution is smaller than the smallest particle size in said first particle size distribution; distributing a first sub-layer of said first type of powder on said work table; distributing a second sub-layer of said second type of powder on top of said first sub-layer of said first type of powder, where said first and second sub-layers are forming one of said at least one powder layers; and fusing said first and second sub-layers with a high energy beam from a high energy beam source so as to form a first cross section of said three-dimensional article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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22. A 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 in a build chamber, 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 a first powder tank; positioning said work table in a first position at a first distance to the top of the build chamber; distributing a first layer of powder on said work table having a first thickness; positioning said work table in a second position at a second distance from the top of the build chamber, where said second distance is smaller than said first distance and where a portion of said first thickness of the powder layer is above the top of said build chamber; removing a portion of said first thickness of the layer of powder on said work table resulting in said first layer of powder having a second thickness, which second thickness is smaller than said first thickness; and fusing said first layer having said second thickness with a high energy beam from a high energy beam source so as to form a first cross section of said three-dimensional article. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification