Additive Manufacturing Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019299289-A1
Application number	US-201716301478-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to obtain an additive manufacturing device capable of manufacturing while reducing the flow rate of Ar gas. This additive manufacturing device is characterized in that a reduced-pressure atmosphere is maintained in a manufacturing area, an inert gas is supplied to the manufacturing area, the proportion of gaseous impurities in the manufacturing area is detected, and in case where the proportion of gaseous impurities exceeds a threshold value, the supply of inert gas is reduced.

First claim

1 . An additive manufacturing device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by spreading powder, forming a solidified layer by scanning the powder with a beam to melt the powder, and adding the solidified layer, the additive manufacturing device comprising:
a reduced-pressure means which makes a manufacturing area into a reduced-pressure atmosphere; an inert gas supply means which supplies an inert gas to the manufacturing area; a detection means which detects a proportion of gaseous impurities in the manufacturing area; and a control means which controls the inert gas supply means to reduce a supply of the inert gas in a case where the proportion of the gaseous impurities detected by the detection means exceeds a threshold value.

2 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means reduces the supply of inert gas as the proportion of the gaseous impurities is increased.

3 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 2 , wherein the inert gas is Ar gas or He gas.

4 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 3 , wherein the gaseous impurities are at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, moisture, and carbon monoxide.

5 . The manufacturing device according to claim 4 , wherein the beam is a laser beam.

6 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 5 , wherein the inert gas supply means makes the inert gas flow immediately after the melting of the powder.

7 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 6 , wherein a protective glass through which the laser beam is able to pass is provided between a laser oscillator for oscillating the laser beam and the manufacturing area, and
the inert gas supply means sprays the inert gas toward a glass surface of the protective glass.

8 . The additive manufacturing device according to claim 7 , wherein when the proportion of the gaseous impurities exceeds an upper limit, the manufacturing of the object is stopped.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Aota Kinya

Classifications

• B22F10/28 Primary

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

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F10/322

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