Plant for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020147685-A1
Application number	US-201916293552-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 10, 2018
Publication date	May 14, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Plant ( 1 ) for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object ( 2 ), comprising at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ) being configured to perform an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one preprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one postprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process; at least one conveying device ( 19 ) configured to convey an item ( 20 ) between at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the conveying device ( 19 ) comprising at least one conveying element ( 22 ), the at least one conveying element ( 22 ) being at least partially bound to ground ( 23 ), and at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) being connectable or connected with the conveying element ( 22 ) so as to be moveable between at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) comprising at least one supporting interface ( 25 ) for supporting at least one item ( 20 ).

First claim

1 . Plant ( 1 ) for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object ( 2 ), comprising:
at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ) being configured to perform an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one preprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one postprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process; at least one conveying device ( 19 ) configured to convey an item ( 20 ) between at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the conveying device ( 19 ) comprising: at least one conveying element ( 22 ), the at least one conveying element ( 22 ) being at least partially bound to ground ( 23 ); at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) being connectable or connected with the conveying element ( 22 ) so as to be moveable between the at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) comprising at least one supporting interface ( 25 ) for supporting at least one item ( 20 ).

2 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 19 ) is a separate device to the at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ) which is not physically connectable or connected with the at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ).

3 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying element comprises at least one conveying element portion which extends straight and/or comprises at least one conveying element portion which extends curved.

4 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying element ( 22 ) is configured to generate a conveying force so as to move the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) along the at least one conveying element ( 22 ).

5 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) is provided with a drive unit, particularly a drive motor, configured to generate a drive force so as to move the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) along the at least one conveying element ( 22 ).

6 . Plant according to claim 1 , comprising at least one traction carriage ( 34 ) being connectable or connected with the at least one conveying element ( 22 ) so as to be moveable between the at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the traction carriage ( 34 ) being provided with a drive unit, particularly a drive motor, configured to generate a drive force so as to move the traction carriage ( 34 ) along the at least between the two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ),
the at least one traction carriage ( 34 ) comprising at least one connecting interface ( 35 ) configured to establish a connection of the traction carriage ( 34 ) with at least one further traction carriage ( 34 ) and/or with the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ).

7 . Plant according to claim 1 , comprising at least two conveying carriages ( 24 ), each comprising a connecting interface ( 36 ) configured to establish a connection with at least one further conveying carriage ( 24 ), particularly so as to form a conveying carriage assembly, and/or with at least one traction carriage ( 34 ).

8 . Plant according to claim 1 , comprising a transfer device ( 39 ) assigned to the at least one supporting interface ( 25 ), the transfer device ( 39 ) being configured to transfer a supported item ( 20 ) between a first position and/or orientation and a second position and/or orientation relative to a base body ( 38 ) of the conveying carriage ( 24 ).

9 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) comprises a determination device assigned to the at least one supporting interface ( 25 ), the determination device ( 44 ) being configured to determine at least one chemical and/or physical parameter of an item ( 20 ) supported by the at least one supporting interface ( 25 ) and/or determine at least one chemical and/or physical parameter of a substance or an object contained within the item ( 20 ) supported by the at least one supporting interface ( 25 ), and to generate an information indicating the determined at least one chemical and/or physical parameter.

10 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) comprises at least one determination device ( 46 ) configured to determine at least one actual and/or future operating parameter, particularly a conveying parameter referring to a conveying motion of the conveying carriage ( 24 ), and to generate an operating information indicating the determined at least one operating parameter and/or
to determine at least one actual and/or future position parameter of the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) and to generate a position information indicating the determined position parameter.

11 . Plant according to claim 1 , comprising a control unit ( 45 ) being configured to control at least one conveying parameter of the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ), particularly on basis of a determined operating information and/or position information.

12 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) comprises a data storage device ( 47 ) configured to store at least one information of the conveying carriage ( 24 ) and/or at least one information of at least one item ( 20 ) conveyed by the conveying carriage ( 24 ) and/or at least one information of a conveying path ( 21 ) the conveying carriage ( 24 ) is intended to be conveyed along.

13 . Plant according to claim 1 , comprising a communication device ( 48 ), particularly assigned to the data storage device ( 47 ), the communication device ( 48 ) being configured to transmit information from the or a data storage device ( 47 ) to at least one communication partner and/or to receive information to be stored in the or a data storage device ( 47 ) from at least one communication partner.

14 . Plant according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one item ( 20 ) is or comprises
a powder module ( 5 ) comprising an inner receiving volume, particularly a build module ( 5 a ), an overflow module ( 5 c ), or a dose module ( 5 b ); or a build plate, particularly a build plate which is insertable in a receiving volume of a build module ( 5 a ), configured to support build material and/or an additively manufactured three-dimensional object ( 2 ); or
an additively manufactured three-dimensional object ( 2 ); or
a determination device configured to determine at least one chemical and/or physical parameter of at least one additive manufacturing process and/or at least one preprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one postprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process; or a service and/or repair device configured to perform at least one service and/or repair functionality for at least one functional component of the at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ); or a cleaning device configured to clean the at least one conveying element ( 24 ) and/or at least one functional component of the at least one process station ( 3 a - 3 c ).

15 . Conveying device ( 19 ) for a plant ( 1 ) for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects ( 2 ), the conveying device ( 19 ) being configured to convey an item ( 20 ) between at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the conveying device ( 19 ) comprising:
at least one conveying element ( 22 ), the at least one conveying element ( 22 ) being at least partially bound to ground ( 23 ); and at least one conveying carriage ( 24 ) being moveably supported by the conveying element ( 22 ) so as to be moved between the at least two positions (P 1 , P 2 ) of the plant ( 1 ), the at le

Assignees

• Concept Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Kremer Viktor
• Schmidbauer Christoph
• Hetzel Ralf
• Krause Pascal
• Krausser Benjamin

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · 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

• B23Q15/24

  of linear position · CPC title

• B29C64/30

  Auxiliary operations or equipment · CPC title