Machine and method for powder based additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10406749-B2
Application number	US-201415101750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates in particular to a machine for additive manufacturing by sintering or melting powder using an energy beam acting on a powder layer in a working zone, said machine comprising a device for layering said powder. The device is configured to distribute the powder that are able to travel over the working zone in order to distribute the powder in a layer having a final thickness suitable for additive manufacturing; transfer the powder to a distribution structure by gravity, and control the quantity of powder transferred to the distribution structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A Machine for additive manufacturing by sintering or melting powder using an energy beam acting on a powder layer in two working zones, the machine comprising a device for layering said powder, said device comprising:
distributing means for distributing the powder that is able to travel over the two working zones in order to distribute the powder in a layer having a final thickness suitable for additive manufacturing,
feeding means that is able to transfer the powder to the distributing means by gravity, metering means that are able to control the quantity of powder transferred to the distributing means,
wherein the feeding means and the metering means are able to move with the distributing means,
the two working zones are separate,
the machine having two separate working trays that are able to move independently of one another,
each of the two working trays is associated with only one of the two working zones, the device further comprises a movable carriage for carrying the feeding means, the metering means and the distributing means, said movable carriage being common to both working zones,
the machine further comprises a central waiting zone situated between the two working zones, said central waiting zone being able to accommodate the movable carriage of the layering device,
the layering device is configured in a substantially symmetrical manner so as to be able to travel over each working zone in the direction of the central waiting zone during a layering operation; and
wherein the metering means comprise two rotary metering rolls positioned on either side of the distributing means, each of the two metering rolls being assigned to one of the two working zones.

2. The Machine according to claim 1 , further comprising powder storage means, the powder storage means being positioned higher up than the working zones.

3. The Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a source and means for controlling the energy beam, said source and means being inherent to each of the two working zones.

4. The Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the layering device is configured to carry out the layering in a single passage over a working zone.

5. The Machine according to claim 2 , wherein the storage means comprise at least one hopper, said at least one hopper also being carried by the movable carriage with the feeding means, the metering means and the distributing means.

6. The Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the metering means comprise at least one rotary metering roll provided with at least one cavity.

7. The Machine to claim 1 , wherein the distributing means comprise at least one distributing roll.

8. The Machine according to claim 7 , wherein the height of said at least one distributing roll is adjustable depending on the angular position of said roll.

9. The Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the distributing means use a single distributing roll that is common to both working zones.

10. The Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the distributing means comprise two distributing rolls positioned on either side of the metering means and feeding means, each of the two distributing rolls being assigned to one of the two working zones.

11. The Machine according to claim 10 , wherein the metering means use a single rotary metering roll that is common to both working zones.

12. The Machine according to claims 1 , wherein the distributing means comprise two scrapers positioned on either side of the feeding means, each of the two scrapers being assigned to one of the two working zones.

13. The Machine according to claim 1 , also comprising two compacting rolls, the movement of which over the working zone is as one with the movement of the distributing means, each of the two compacting rolls being assigned to one of the two working zones.

14. The Machine according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one cavity comprises a groove capable of defining a metered quantity of powder during metering.

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie
• Michelin Rech Tech

Inventors

• De Lajudie Christophe
• Angele Ludovic

Classifications

• B22F10/10

  Formation of a green body · CPC title

• B22F12/57

  Metering means · CPC title

• B22F12/52

  Hoppers · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title