US 11,913,724 B2
Sintering furnace
Gregory Thomas Mark, Brookline, MA (US)
Assigned to MARKFORGED, INC., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed by MARKFORGED, INC., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/277,100.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/647,262, filed on Mar. 23, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/631,911, filed on Feb. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0255612 A1, Aug. 22, 2019
Int. Cl. F27B 17/00 (2006.01); B22F 3/10 (2006.01); B29C 64/295 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); C04B 35/64 (2006.01); B22F 10/12 (2021.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 10/18 (2021.01); B22F 10/43 (2021.01); B22F 10/73 (2021.01); B22F 10/80 (2021.01); B22F 12/55 (2021.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.01)
CPC F27B 17/0016 (2013.01) [B22F 3/10 (2013.01); B22F 3/1021 (2013.01); B29C 64/295 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); C04B 35/64 (2013.01); B22F 10/12 (2021.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 10/18 (2021.01); B22F 10/43 (2021.01); B22F 10/73 (2021.01); B22F 10/80 (2021.01); B22F 12/55 (2021.01); B22F 2203/11 (2013.01); B22F 2998/10 (2013.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.08)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A furnace for debinding and sintering additively manufactured parts, comprising:
a tubular retort having at least one open side;
a heater, outside of the tubular retort, for heating a sintering volume within the tubular retort to a debinding temperature and to a sintering temperature;
an end cap sealing the at least one open side;
a forming gas line penetrating the end cap for supplying forming gas at a flowrate; and
a heat exchanger within the tubular retort, outside the sintering volume, and adjacent a wall of the tubular retort that is constructed and arranged to be heated by the heater, the heat exchanger having an inlet connected to the forming gas line and an outlet to the sintering volume, wherein the heat exchanger includes a tube length sufficient to heat the forming gas to within 20 degrees Celsius of the sintering temperature before the forming gas exits the outlet,
wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is disposed between the heater and a sidewall of the retort.