Method for operating at least one apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12290982-B2
Application number	US-202017072291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

Method for operating at least one apparatus ( 1 ) for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects ( 2 ) by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a powdered build material ( 3 ) which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam ( 4 ), whereby waste thermal energy (WTE) is generated during operation of the at least one apparatus ( 1 ), characterized in that the waste thermal energy (WTE) is at least partly used for generating electrical or mechanical energy (EE, ME) by means of at least one energy converting device ( 15 ) and/or the waste thermal energy (WTE) is at least partly used for operating at least one thermal energy consuming device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising:
an irradiation device configured to selectively irradiate successive layers of a build material via an energy beam within a build chamber, wherein waste thermal energy is produced during selective irradiation of the build material from at least one of irradiation reflected from the build material or a wall portion of the apparatus having been heated during operation of the apparatus, wherein the wall portion of the apparatus comprises a heated streaming channel wall defining an inner streaming volume configured to receive a stream of process gas from the build chamber during operation of the apparatus; and
an energy converting device configured to convert at least a portion of the waste thermal energy into energy for storage and/or subsequent consumption by one or more energy consuming devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy converting device converts at least the portion of the waste thermal energy into electrical energy.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy converting device converts at least the portion of the waste thermal energy into mechanical energy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a streaming device that generates the stream of the process gas within the build chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices comprises a build material application device that applies one or more of the successive layers of the build material in a build plane within the build chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices comprises a drive device for generating a driving force for at least one driveable functional component of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices comprises a heating device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the heating device is external the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical energy consuming devices is internal the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical energy consuming devices is external the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical energy consuming devices comprises a conveyor or transportation device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical energy consuming devices comprises an electrical heating device configured to heat at least a portion of a building.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical energy consuming devices comprises an electrical lighting device configured to light at least a portion of a building.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices comprises the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy converting device comprises an electrical generator, a transportation device, or a heat engine.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy converting device transfers at least some of the waste thermal energy to the energy converting device using a thermal energy carrier medium.

Assignees

• Concept Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Döhler Tim

Classifications

• B23K26/702

  Auxiliary equipment · CPC title

• B23K26/342

  Build-up welding · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

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

• B33Y30/00

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title