Method for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10760958-B2
Application number	US-201816016311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus ( 1 ) for additively producing three-dimensional objects ( 2 ) by successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and, accompanying this, successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material ( 3 ) that can be solidified by means of an energy beam ( 4 ), including an exposure device ( 6 ) which is configured to produce an energy beam ( 4 ) for successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and, accompanying this, successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material ( 3 ) that can be solidified by means of the energy beam ( 4 ), a measuring device ( 13 ) that is assignable or assigned to the exposure device ( 6 ) and configured to measure the power of the energy beam ( 4 ) that is produced by the exposure device ( 6 ), wherein the measuring device ( 13 ) comprises a measuring element ( 15 ) that comprises an energy beam input face ( 16 ), and at least an energy beam widening device ( 17 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for additively producing three-dimensional objects by successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material that can be solidified by means of an energy beam, comprising:
an exposure device configured to produce an energy beam for successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material that can be solidified by means of the energy beam,
a measuring device that is assignable or assigned to the exposure device, said measuring device being configured to measure the power of the energy beam that is produced by the exposure device, and
a holding device, said holding device being arrangeable or arranged in a construction plane of the apparatus and comprising a plurality of defined holding positions in which the measuring device or an adapter device that bears the measuring device is holdable with defined spatial positioning relative to a reference point of the apparatus,
wherein the measuring device comprises a measuring element comprises an energy beam input face and an energy beam widening device that is disposed or embodied to be upstream of the energy beam input face, said energy beam widening device being configured to widen the energy beam that is to be measured in view of its power.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device is arranged with constant positioning relative to at least a reference point of the apparatus independently of the power of the energy beam that is to be measured in view of its power density, the reference point comprising the construction plane of the apparatus and/or a focal plane of the energy beam.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device comprises a housing structure, said housing structure forming a main body of the measuring device, wherein the energy beam input face is arranged or embodied at or in an outer face of the housing structure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the housing structure has a cuboid configuration.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the energy beam widening device comprises a housing structure, said housing structure being arranged or arrangeable above the outer face of the housing structure of the measuring device, at or in which the energy beam input face is arranged or embodied.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein respective holding positions are formed by recesses in a main body of the holding device, wherein the measuring device or the adapter device that bears the measuring device is fastenable in said holding positions.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the measuring device or the adapter device that bears the measuring device is movably mounted in at least a degree of freedom of motion between at least two holding positions.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the holding device is dimensioned in such a way that it covers at least a portion of the construction plane of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the holding device is dimensioned in such a way that it completely covers the construction plane of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the holding device comprises a plurality of holding device segments that are fastenable or fastened to one another.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of holding device segments that are fastenable or fastened to one another are movably mounted in relation to one another.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the measuring device or the adapter device that bears the measuring device is fastenable in the holding positions in an interlocking manner.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a beam deflection device that is assignable or assigned to the exposure device, said beam deflection device being configured to deflect the energy beam onto a measuring device that is held in a specific holding position.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the beam deflection device is configured to steer the energy beam to measuring devices that are held in different holding positions in a sequence that is predetermined or predeterminable.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the beam deflection device is controlled or controllable depending on control commands that are produced by a control device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device configured to measure the power density of the energy beam that is produced by the exposure device.

17. A measuring device for an apparatus for additively producing three-dimensional objects, wherein:
the measuring device is assignable or assigned to an exposure device configured to produce an energy beam for successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material that can be solidified by means of the energy beam;
the measuring device is configured to measure the power of the energy beam that is produced by the exposure device;
the measuring device or an adapter device that bears the measuring device is holdable with defined spatial positioning relative to a reference point of the apparatus by a holding device, wherein the holding device is arrangeable or arranged in a construction plane of the apparatus and comprises a plurality of defined holding positions; and
the measuring device comprises a measuring element that comprises an energy beam input face and an energy beam widening device that is disposed or embodied to be upstream of the energy beam input face, wherein the energy beam widening device is configured to widen the energy beam that is to be measured in view of its power.

18. The measuring device of claim 17 , wherein the measuring device is arranged with constant positioning relative to at least a reference point of the apparatus independently of the power of the energy beam that is to be measured in view of its power density, the reference point comprising the construction plane of the apparatus and/or a focal plane of the energy beam.

19. The measuring device of claim 17 , wherein the measuring device or the adapter device that bears the measuring device is fastenable in respective holding positions of the plurality of defined holding positions, wherein the respective holding positions are formed by recesses in a main body of the holding device.

20. A method for measuring the power of an energy beam of an exposure device of an apparatus for additively producing three-dimensional objects, the method comprising:
producing, with an exposure device, an energy beam for successive layer-by-layer selective exposure and successive layer-by-layer selective solidification of construction material layers made of a construction material that can be solidified by means of the energy beam;
arranging a holding device in a construction plane of the apparatus, the holding device comprising a plurality of defined holding positions,
holding, with the holding device, the measuring device or an adapter device that bears the measuring device with defined spatial positioning relative to a reference point of the apparatus;
widening, with an energy beam widening device that is disposed or embodied to be upstream of an energy beam input face, the energy beam; and
measu

Assignees

• Cl Schutzrechtsverwaltungs Gmbh
• Concept Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Hetzel Ralf
• Hoch Johanna
• Batyi Benjamin

Classifications

• B22F12/38

  Housings, e.g. machine housings · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F10/36

  of energy beam parameters · CPC title

• B22F10/28

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