Method and device for producing a three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016279706-A1
Application number	US-201414777926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for producing a three-dimensional object ( 2 ) by applying layers of a pulverulent construction material ( 11 ) and by selectively solidifying said material by the action of energy comprises the steps: a layer of the pulverulent construction material ( 11 ) is applied to a support ( 6 ) or to a layer of the construction material that has been previously applied and at least selectively solidified; an energy beam ( 14 ) from an energy source ( 13 ) sweeps over points on the applied layer corresponding to a cross-section of the object ( 2 ) to be produced in order to selectively solidify the pulverulent construction material ( 11 ); and a gas flow ( 18 ) is guided in a main flow direction (RG) over the applied layer during the sweep of the energy beam ( 14 ). The main flow direction (RG) of the gas flow (G) and the sweep direction (RL) of the energy beam ( 14 ) are adapted to one another at least in one region of the cross-section to be solidified.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a three-dimensional object by applying, layer by layer, and selectively solidifying a pulverulent build material through the action of energy, comprising the steps:
applying a layer of the pulverulent build material onto a carrier or onto a previously applied and at least selectively solidified layer of the build material, scanning the locations of the applied layer that correspond to a cross section of the object to be produced using an energy beam from an energy source for selectively solidifying the pulverulent build material, and conducting a gas flow in a main flow direction over the applied layer during the scanning with the energy beam, characterized in that the scanning direction of the energy beam and the main flow direction of the gas flow are matched to one another at least in a region of the cross section to be solidified.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the scanning direction of the energy beam and the main flow direction of the gas flow are matched to one another such that the angle located between them lies in a range between 22.5° and 337.5°, preferably between 45° and 315°, more preferably between 60° and 300°, and even more preferably between 90° and 270°.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the main flow direction of the gas flow is fixed and the scanning direction of the energy beam is matched to this fixed main flow direction.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the main flow direction of the gas flow is altered in dependence on the scanning direction of the energy beam.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the region corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced is divided into a plurality of partial regions which are exposed successively, each partial region is exposed in mutually parallel vectors which are exposed successively in a feed direction, the scanning directions of two neighboring vectors in the partial region are mutually opposed, and the feed direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that the angle located between them lies in a range between 112.5° and 247.5°, preferably between 135° and 225°, more preferably between 150° and 210°.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the region corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced is divided into a plurality of partial regions which are exposed successively, each partial region is exposed in mutually parallel vectors, the scanning directions of all vectors in the partial region are substantially the same, the feed direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that the angle located between them lies in a range between 22.5° and 337.5°, preferably between 45° and 315°, more preferably between 60° and 300°, and the scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that the angle between them is greater than or equal to 90°.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the exposure pattern of at least one region in a layer is rotated by a specified angle relative to the exposure pattern of at least one region of the previous layer, and the scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another by way of the fact that an exposure pattern which is not matched to the main flow direction is skipped and instead the next intended exposure pattern is carried out, or that the scanning direction is changed, preferably counter to the intended scanning direction.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the exposure pattern of at least one region in a layer is rotated by a specified angle relative to the exposure pattern of at least one region of the previous layer, the region corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced is divided into a plurality of partial regions which are exposed successively, each partial region is exposed in mutually parallel vectors which are exposed successively in a feed direction, and the scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that, if the angle between the feed direction and the main flow direction in a layer lies between 112.5° and 247.5°, preferably between 135° and 225°, and more preferably between 150° and 210°, the scanning directions of two neighboring vectors in a partial region in this layer are mutually opposed.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the exposure pattern of at least one region in a layer is rotated by a specified angle relative to the exposure pattern of at least one region of the previous layer, the region corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced is divided into a plurality of partial regions ES-which are exposed successively, each partial region is exposed in mutually parallel vectors which are exposed successively in a feed direction, and the scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that, if the angle between the feed direction and the main flow direction in a layer lies between 22.5° and 337.5°, preferably between 45° and 315° and more preferably between 60° and 300°, the scanning directions of all vectors in a partial region in this layer are the same and this common scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that the angle between them lies between 90° and 270°.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
the exposure pattern of at least one region in a layer is rotated by a specified angle relative to the exposure pattern of at least one region of the previous layer, the region corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced is divided into a plurality of partial regions which are exposed successively, each partial region is exposed in mutually parallel vectors which are exposed successively in a feed direction, and the scanning direction and the main flow direction are matched to one another such that, if the angle between the feed direction and the main flow direction in a layer lies between 0° and 60° or between 300° and 360°, preferably between 0° and 45° or between 315° and 360°, and more preferably between 0° and 22.5° or between 337.5° and 360°, the exposure pattern is skipped and instead the next intended exposure pattern is carried out or that the feed direction is changed, preferably counter to the intended feed direction.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , in which
the partial regions are mutually parallel elongate stripes, and the mutually parallel vectors, in which the exposure of each stripe takes place, are arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the stripe.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which
a plurality of adjacent or spaced-apart partial regions of the cross section to be solidified are exposed successively and the order of the exposure of the partial regions runs counter to the main flow direction, such that first the partial regions which are arranged farthest in the direction of the main flow direction, and finally the partial regions which are arranged closest in the direction of the main flow direction are exposed.

13 . A device for producing a three-dimensional object by applying, layer by layer, and selectively solidifying a pulverulent build material through the action of energy, comprising
a carrier, on which the object is built, a recoater for applying a layer of the build material onto the carrier or a previously at least selectively solidified layer of the build material, an energy source for introducing an energy beam into the applied layer of the build material, a scanning device f

Assignees

• Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Inventors

• Domrose Robert Achim
• Frey Michael
• Schilling Alexander
• Danzig Andre
• Hamann Jorg
• Hess Thomas
• Dimter Marc

Classifications

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title

• B22F12/84

  Parallel processing within single device · CPC title

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title

• B22F10/85

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B22F10/366

  Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy · CPC title