Method and device for a generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273600-B2
Application number	US-201716079154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material includes applying a layer of the building material within a build area by means of a recoater moving in a recoating direction across the build area, selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured by means of a solidification device, and repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed. A local action confined to a region between the recoating unit moving across the build area and the solidification device and/or compaction device moving behind the recoating unit across the build area is performed on the applied layer of the building material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material, comprising the steps of:
applying a layer of the building material within a build area using a recoater moving in a recoating direction across the build area;
selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured using solidification device;
repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed;
moving a compaction device behind a recoating unit of the recoater in the recoating direction across the build area, wherein a lower edge of the compaction device is closer to the build area than a lower edge of the recoater to effect compaction of an applied building material layer by the compaction device; and
performing a local action confined to a region between the recoating unit moving across the build area and the compaction device moving behind the recoating unit across the build area on the applied layer of the building material,
wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises introducing an absorbing agent and/or an inhibiting agent into the building material layer, and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises pre-irradiating using a laser or an electron beam and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises charging the layer with a fluid at least surface-actively interacting with at least one constituent of the building material and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises at least partially removing at least one constituent of the building material layer.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein applying the layer of the building material using the recoater comprises drawing out the applied building material to a layer according to predetermined criteria concerning an areal extent and/or thickness and/or surface property and/or density of the layer.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises a local heating, wherein the local heating is carried out by induction and/or radiation.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises introducing an absorbing agent and/or an inhibiting agent into the building material layer and the absorbing agent and/or inhibiting agent is liquid, paste-like, and/or solid and/or contains hollow particles filled with a liquid or paste.

5. A computer program loadable into a programmable control unit and having program code means to perform all steps of a method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material when the computer program is executed in the control unit, the program comprising the following steps:
applying a layer of the building material within a build area using a recoater moving in a recoating direction across the build area;
selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured using a solidification device;
repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed;
moving a compaction device behind a recoating unit of the recoater in the recoating direction across the build area, wherein a lower edge of the compaction device is closer to the build area than a lower edge of the recoater to effect compaction of an applied building material layer by the compaction device; and
performing a local action confined to a region between the recoating unit moving across the build area and the compaction device moving behind the recoating unit across the build area on the applied layer of the building material,
wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises introducing an absorbing agent and/or an inhibiting agent into the building material layer, and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises pre-irradiating using a laser or an electron beam and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises charging the layer with a fluid at least surface-actively interacting with at least one constituent of the building material and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises at least partially removing at least one constituent of the building material layer.

6. A control device for a manufacturing device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material, wherein the manufacturing device comprises:
a recoater movable in a recoating direction across a build area for applying a layer of the building material within the build area; and
a solidification device for selectively solidifying the applied layer at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the manufacturing device such that the manufacturing device:
repeats the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object is completed;
allows a compaction device further contained in the manufacturing device to move behind a recoating unit of the recoater in the recoating direction across the build area, wherein a lower edge of the compaction device is closer to the build area than a lower edge of the recoater to effect compaction of an applied building material layer by the compaction device; and
performs a local action confined to a region between the recoating unit moving across the build area and the compaction device moving behind the recoating unit across the build area on the applied layer of the building material,

wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises introducing an absorbing agent and/or an inhibiting agent into the building material layer, and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises pre-irradiating using a laser or an electron beam and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises charging the layer with a fluid at least surface-actively interacting with at least one constituent of the building material and/or wherein the locally confined action on the applied layer of the building material comprises at least partially removing at least one constituent of the building material layer.

7. A manufacturing device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material, comprising:
a recoater movable in a recoating direction across a build area for applying a layer of the building material within the build area; and
a solidification device for selectively solidifying the applied layer at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured,
wherein:
the manufacturing device is configured and/or controlled to repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object is completed;
a compaction device further contained in the manufacturing device and that is movably arranged behind a recoating unit of the recoater in the recoating direction across the build area, wherein a lower edge of the compaction devi

Assignees

• Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Inventors

• Paternoster Stefan
• Grünberger Stefan
• Keller Peter

Classifications

• B22F12/60

  Planarisation devices; Compression devices · CPC title

• B22F12/47

  parallel to the deposition plane · CPC title

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F12/10

  Auxiliary heating means · CPC title