Method, Device, and Recoating Module for Producing a Three-Dimensional Object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017326792-A1
Application number	US-201515522058-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Nov 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method (V) for producing a three-dimensional object ( 2 ) by applying and selectively solidifying a powdery construction material ( 13 ) layer by layer includes the steps:
a) applying (Z) a layer of the construction material ( 13 ) onto a construction field in a working plane ( 10 ) by means of a recoating device ( 14 ) moving in a moving direction (B) over the working plane, b) selectively solidifying (Y) the applied layer of the construction material ( 13 ) at positions, which correspond to a cross-section of the object ( 2 ) to be produced, and c) repeating (X) the steps a) and b) until the object is completed.

The construction material is stored during step a) in a recoating unit ( 40 a - e ) arranged at the recoating device ( 14 ) within a space between two recoating elements ( 42 a, 42 b ) mutually spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the recoating device. At least one recoating element ( 42 b ) arranged rearward with respect to the moving direction (B) of the recoating device ( 14 ) includes a roller ( 43 a, 43 b ), by means of which the construction material is applied to the working plane.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a three-dimensional object by applying and selectively solidifying a powdery construction material layer by layer, including the steps:
a) applying a layer of the construction material onto a construction field in a working plane by means of a recoating device moving in a moving direction over the working plane, b) selectively solidifying the applied layer of the construction material at positions, which correspond to a cross-section of the object to be produced, and c) repeating the steps a) and b) until the object is completed, wherein the construction material is stored during step a) in a recoating unit arranged at the recoating device within a space between two recoating elements mutually spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the recoating device, and at least one recoating element arranged rearward with respect to the moving direction of the recoating device includes a roller, by means of which the construction material is applied to the working plane.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the roller is rotated during step a), preferably in such a manner, that its moving direction at the surface of the powder layer is equal to the moving direction of the recoating device.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the recoating element, which comprises the roller by means of which the construction material is applied to the working plane, further contains a stripping element, which strips powder adhering to the roller from the roller.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the recoating element, which comprises the roller by means of which the construction material is applied to the working plane, further contains a blade device arranged rearward of the roller of the recoating device in the moving direction, which densities the powder.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein the blade device includes a surface at its bottom side substantially facing the working plane, which is at least in a region thereof oblique with respect to the working plane, and which preferably slopes upwards in a direction towards the associated roller.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the recoating element, which is arranged frontward in the moving direction of the recoating device, is formed to be substantially mirror-symmetric with respect to the rearward recoating element.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the recoating element, which is arranged frontward in the moving direction of the recoating device, includes a roller, the diameter and/or the rotational velocity and/or the surface characteristics of which is different from the roller of the rearward recoating element.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the recoating element which is arranged frontward in the moving direction of the recoating device includes a blade device and no roller.

9 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein the blade device includes at its bottom side, which substantially faces the working plane, a surface, which is at least in a region thereof oblique with respect to the working plane, and which slopes upwards in a direction towards the rearward recoating element.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the frontward and/or the rearward recoating element is height-adjustable completely or in parts.

11 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the roller of the frontward and/or rearward recoating element is arranged to be heated.

12 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the space arranged between the recoating elements is sized in order to receive an amount of the powdery construction material, which amount is at least sufficient to apply one powder layer, preferably sufficient to apply multiple powder layers.

13 . A recoating module for equipping and/or retrofitting a device for producing a three-dimensional object by applying and selectively solidifying a powdery construction material layer by layer, wherein the device comprises:
a recoating device suitable for receiving the recoating module and being movable over the working plane for a) applying a layer of the construction material onto a construction field within a working plane, and a solidification device for b) selectively solidifying the applied layer of the construction material at positions, which correspond to a cross-section of the object to be produced, wherein the device is arranged and/or controlled to repeat the steps a) and b) until the object is completed, wherein in the recoating module the construction material is stored within a space between two recoating elements mutually spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the recoating device, and at least one recoating element, which is arranged rearward in the moving direction of the recoating device, comprises a roller, by means of which the construction material can be applied onto the working plane.

14 . A device for producing a three-dimensional object by applying and selectively solidifying a powdery construction material layer by layer, comprising:
a recoating device movable over a working plane for a) applying a layer of the construction material onto a construction field within the working plane, and a solidification device for b) selectively solidifying the applied layer of the construction material at positions, which correspond to a cross-section of the object to be produced, wherein the device is arranged and/or controlled to repeat the steps a) and b) until the object is completed, and the recoating device includes a recoating unit in which the construction material is stored within a space between two recoating elements mutually spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the recoating device, and at least one recoating element, which is arranged rearward in the moving direction of the recoating device includes a roller, by means of which the construction material can be applied to the working plane.

15 . A device according to claim 14 , wherein the recoating unit is a replaceable recoating module.

Assignees

• Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Inventors

• Paternoster Stefan
• Grunberger Stefan

Classifications

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F10/14

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

• B29C64/214 Primary

  Doctor blades · CPC title

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title