Apparatus for laser materials processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9839977-B2
Application number	US-201414474957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Sep 4, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for laser materials processing including a laser ( 4 ) for generating a laser beam and a laser head ( 5 ) which is movable along at least one spatial direction and is connected to the laser via a light guide, and which emits a laser beam ( 7 ) capable of processing a material. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for selective laser melting or selective laser sintering having an apparatus for laser materials processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for laser materials processing comprising:
a stationary laser for generating a laser beam;
a movable laser head, the laser head translationally movable along at least two independent spatial directions and within or along a plane and connected to the stationary laser via cable, the cable containing a light guide, the laser head emitting a laser beam capable of processing a material; the laser head including a suction device creating a suction flow parallel to a direction of the laser beam; and
a temperature conditioning device including an induction coil.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the laser is a fiber laser.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the suction device creates a suction flow offset from the laser beam.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the suction flow is concentric with the laser beam.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the induction coil is disposed around the laser beam.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the induction coil is disposed concentrically around the laser beam.

7. An apparatus for selective laser melting or selective laser sintering comprising the apparatus as recited in claim 1 .

8. A method of producing a three dimensional product with the apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
providing a platform on which a semi-finished product is positioned;
placing powder onto the semifinished product;
moving the movable laser head translationally along at least two independent spatial directions and within or along a plane to bond the powder to the semifinished product using the laser beam according to a desired contour of the three-dimensional product to be produced; and
repeating the placing and moving steps to build up, layer by layer, the three-dimensional product to be produced.

9. A method of producing a three dimensional product with the apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
moving the movable laser head translationally along at least two independent spatial directions and within or along a plane, such that the laser beam creates a melted region in a processing plane to build up, layer by layer, the three-dimensional product to be produced.

Assignees

• MTU Aero Engines AG

Inventors

• Liebl Christian
• Schlothauer Steffen

Classifications

• C21D1/42

  Induction heating · CPC title

• B23K26/144

  the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder · CPC title

• B23K26/10

  using a fixed support {, i.e. involving moving the laser beam} · CPC title

• B23K26/16

  Removal of by-products, e.g. particles or vapours produced during treatment of a workpiece (by a fluid stream B23K26/142) · CPC title

• B23K26/342

  Build-up welding · CPC title