Production line and 3D-printing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11981083-B2
Application number	US-202017617753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2019
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

A 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece layer-by-layer includes a first side having a removal area in which a workpiece is built up by the printing device, wherein the removal area provides manual removability of the workpiece therefrom; a second side having a workpiece output from which the workpiece is removable; and a conveying device configured to remove the workpiece from the removal area in an automated way.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A production line comprising:
at least one 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece layer-by-layer;
at least first and second processing stations for further processing of the workpiece built up by the at least one 3D printing device; and
two production sections interconnected via a bifurcation, to which selectively a workpiece built up by the at least one 3D printing device is supplied in an automated way via a conveying device of the production line and of which a first of the production sections includes the first processing station and a second of the production sections includes the second processing station,
wherein the at least one 3D printing device includes a first side having a workpiece removal area where a workpiece that is built up by the at least one 3D printing device can be removed, and includes a second side having a workpiece output, wherein the workpiece is supplied to the bifurcation via the conveying device.

2. The production line according to claim 1 , wherein, via the bifurcation and an electronic control system of the production line, a workpiece built up by the at least one 3D printing device is supplied either to the first production section or to the second production section in an electronically controlled way for further processing.

3. The production line according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing station and/or the second processing station is adapted for sintering a workpiece built up by the at least one 3D printing device.

4. The production line according to claim 3 , wherein the production line further includes a changing device that is adapted to place a workpiece built up by the at least one 3D printing device on a sintering carriage configured to sinter the workpiece.

5. The production line according to claim 4 , wherein the changing device is further adapted to recirculate a printing platform of the at least one 3D printing device from an output side of the 3D printing device to an input side of the 3D printing device.

6. The production line according to claim 1 , wherein the first production section and the second production section open into a common removal area at which a finished workpiece can be removed.

7. The production line according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one 3D printing device is adaptable on a software side in order to print different workpieces.

8. The production line according to claim 1 , wherein, via the workpiece removal area of the first side, a manual removal of a workpiece and a setup of the 3D printing device is made possible.

9. The production line according to claim 1 further comprising a material supply configured to supply printing material to the at least one 3D printing device in an automated way.

10. A 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece layer-by-layer, the 3D printing device comprising:
a first side having a removal area in which a workpiece is built up by the printing device, wherein the removal area provides manual removability of the workpiece therefrom;
a second side having a workpiece output from which the workpiece is removable; and
a conveying device configured to remove the workpiece from the removal area in an automated way.

11. A production line comprising:
a 3D printing device configured to produce three-dimensional workpieces layer-by-layer;
a first processing station configured to perform a first type of secondary processing to a workpiece produced by the printing device;
a second processing station configured to perform a second type of secondary processing to a workpiece produced by the printing device;
a conveying system including a first section configured to receive the workpieces produced by the printing device, a second section associated with the first processing station, and a third section associated with the second processing station;
a bifurcation configured to selectively route each of the workpieces received from the first section to either the second section or the third section; and
a removal area configured to receive the workpieces from the first processing station and the second processing station,
wherein the 3D printing device includes a first side having a workpiece removal area where the workpieces are produced and a second side having a workpiece output, wherein the first section receives the workpieces from the second side.

12. The production line according to claim 11 , wherein the conveying system includes at least one conveyor belt.

13. The production line according to claim 11 , wherein the first section, the second section, and the third section, are joined at the bifurcation.

14. The production line according to claim 11 , wherein the 3D printing device is a plurality of printing devices.

15. The production line according to claim 11 , wherein the first processing station is a sintering device.

16. The production line according to claim 15 further comprising a changing device adapted to place one or more of the workpieces on a sintering carriage.

17. A production line comprising:
at least two 3D printing devices each configured for building up a three-dimensional workpiece layer-by-layer;
at least first and second processing stations for further processing of the workpiece built up by the at least two 3D printing devices; and
two production sections interconnected via a bifurcation, to which selectively a workpiece built up by the at least two 3D printing devices is supplied in an automated way via a conveying device of the production line and of which a first of the production sections includes the first processing station and a second of the production sections includes the second processing station,
wherein the conveying device is configured to carry workpieces built up by the at least two 3D printing devices to the bifurcation and selectively to the first or second production section, and
wherein the at least two 3D printing devices each include a workpiece removal area and a workpiece output and are adapted to manually set up manufacture of a workpiece via the workpiece removal area, while from the workpiece output of another of the at least two 3D printing devices a workpiece is supplied to the bifurcation and selectively to the first or second production section via the conveying device in an automated way.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile Se & Co Kg Wuerzburg
• Aim3D Gmbh

Inventors

• Beetz Stefan
• Lieberwirth Clemens
• Morrison Vincent

Classifications

• B29C64/379 Primary

  Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots · CPC title

• B22F12/80

  Plants, production lines or modules · CPC title

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B29C64/321

  Feeding · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title