Method and device for producing three-dimensional components with the aid of an overfeed sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235518-B2
Application number	US-201615364613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2016
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a 3D printing method and, in particular, a device and a method for setting an overfeed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for producing three-dimensional components, comprising:
prior to producing the three-dimensional components, a build container having a build space;
a coating unit which includes a scraper apparatus, wherein the coating unit passes over the build container and applies a particulate material in layers;
a selective solidification apparatus; and
at least one sensor for directly measuring an overfeed of the particulate material over an edge of the build space;
wherein the sensor is provided at an end of a coating path of the coating unit; and the overfeed is measured at the end of the coating path after the layer of the particulate material has been deposited onto the build space.

2. A device for producing three-dimensional components, comprising:
prior to producing the three-dimensional components, a build container having a build space;
a coating unit which includes a scraper apparatus for providing a particulate material in layers;
a selective solidification apparatus; and
at least one sensor for measuring a weight or load of an overfeed of the particulate material;
wherein the overfeed is measured at the end of a coating path of the coating unit after the layer of the particulate material has been deposited onto the build space.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor is provided at an end of the coating path.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor includes multiple sensors arranged in a line parallel to the coating unit.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein a particulate material supply means is provided for supplying particulate material to a build space during a pass of the coating unit;
optionally, wherein the particulate material supply means is controllable by the one or more sensors.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors are binary, digital, analog, and/or chromatographic sensors.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device includes a controller for regulation of the coating unit based on the measured overfeed.

8. A device for producing three-dimensional components, comprising:
a coating unit which includes a scraper apparatus for providing a particulate material in layers;
a selective solidification apparatus; and
at least one sensor for measuring an overfeed of the particulate material;
wherein the at least one sensor is located in a side wall which the coating unit passes over and measures the particulate material above the at least one sensor;
wherein the overfeed is measured at the end of a coating path of the coating unit after the layer of the particulate material has been deposited onto the build space.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein each of the at least one sensors is a binary sensor.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensors includes multiple sensors arranged in a line parallel to the coating unit.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein a particulate material supply means is provided for supplying particulate material to a build space during a pass of the coating unit;
optionally, wherein the particulate material supply means is controllable by the at least one sensors.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one sensors includes multiple sensors arranged in a line parallel to the coating unit.

13. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device includes a controller for regulation of the coating unit based on the measured overfeed;
the at least one sensors includes multiple sensors arranged in a line parallel to the coating unit;
optionally wherein the sensors are located in a side wall which the coating unit passes over, and measures the particulate material above the sensors.

14. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device includes an angled waste shaft or a rotated powder waste shaft.

15. The device of claim 2 , wherein the overfeed is resolved for identifying a location of a defect in the overfeed, transversely to a coating direction.

16. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device is an active device which forcibly removes the overfeed of the particulate material.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a plurality of the sensors, each of the sensors measure a overfeed at a different location along a length of the coating unit in an x-axis and the coating unit moves in a linear direction in a y-axis.

18. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device includes a plurality of the sensors, each of the sensors measure a overfeed at a different location along a length of the coating unit in an x-axis and the coating unit moves in a linear direction in a y-axis.

19. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device includes a plurality of the sensors, each of the sensors measure a local overfeed at a different location along a length of the coating unit in an x-axis and the coating unit moves in a linear direction in a y-axis.

Assignees

• Voxeljet Ag

Inventors

• Ederer Ingo
• Günther Daniel
• Günther Johannes

Classifications

• B22F12/90

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

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title