US 12,240,037 B2
Installation for additive manufacturing by SLM or SLS
Jack Martinich, Notting Hill (AU)
Assigned to AMPRO INNOVATIONS PTY LTD, Notting Hill (AU)
Appl. No. 17/776,434
Filed by AMPRO INNOVATIONS PTY LTD, Notting Hill (AU)
PCT Filed Nov. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/AU2020/051219
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/092646, PCT Pub. Date May 20, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019904257 (AU), filed on Nov. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0402034 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/32 (2021.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/33 (2021.01); B22F 12/57 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/28 (2021.01) [B22F 10/32 (2021.01); B22F 12/222 (2021.01); B22F 12/33 (2021.01); B22F 12/38 (2021.01); B22F 12/57 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A unitary build device that is releasably mountable within an enclosure of an installation for use in additive manufacturing of a component by SLM or SLS in accordance with three-dimensional CAD data of a model of the component, the unitary build device being releasably engageable with a support structure within the enclosure so as to extend below a build area of a horizontal plane defined by an upper surface of the support structure with the unitary build device accessible through the support structure at the upper surface, the unitary build device comprising:
(a) a build body that has a cylindrical housing, the cylindrical housing closed at a lower end of the build body and having an inner surface that defines an elongate build chamber, the elongate build chamber accessible from an opening at an upper end of the cylindrical housing;
(b) a build lift table contained and axially adjustable in the cylindrical housing within an upper part of the elongate build chamber;
(c) a build piston head contained and axially adjustable in the cylindrical housing within a lower part of the elongate build chamber;
(d) a build sleeve co-axially contained and axially adjustable in the cylindrical housing the build sleeve extending within the elongate build chamber between the upper part and the lower part of the elongate build chamber and spacing the build lift table from the build piston head, the build sleeve forming an integral unit with the build lift table and the build piston head with an upper end of the build sleeve secured to the build lift table and a lower end of the build sleeve secured to the build piston head, the integral unit is axially adjustable with at least a lower part of the build sleeve having a sliding fit with the inner surface of the build body in the lower part of the elongate build chamber and with clearance from the inner surface of the build body in the upper part of the elongate build chamber, the build lift table or a peripheral flange around the upper end of the build sleeve having a sliding fit with the inner surface of the build body in the upper part of the elongate build chamber; and
(e) an electric drive build motor contained in the cylindrical housing and mounted coaxially within a lower extent of the cylindrical housing, the the electric drive build motor having an axially extendable and retractable output shaft with the build piston head mounted in threaded engagement on the output shaft for axial movement of the integral unit in the elongate build chamber as the output shaft extends and retracts;
the the electric drive build motor operable to reversibly adjust the integral unit in the elongate build chamber to:
(a) stepwise lower the build lift table away from an upper position in the upper part of the elongate build chamber to a lower position in the upper part of the elongate build chamber, the upper position adjacent to the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical housing, to enable the component progressively being built layer by layer by an SLM or SLS production cycle to be lowered stepwise in the upper part of the elongate build chamber, and simultaneously adjust the build piston head stepwise away from an upper position in the lower part of the elongate build chamber to a lower position in the lower part of the elongate build chamber, with stepwise lowering of the build sleeve in the lower part of the elongate build chamber, the upper position for the build piston head lower in the elongate build chamber than the lower position for the build lift table, and
(b) adjust the build lift table and the build piston head away from the respective lower position to the respective upper position to enable the component built by the SLM or SLS production cycle to be raised in the upper part of the elongate build chamber for recovery through the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical housing, with an upper portion of the build sleeve advancing into the upper part of the elongate build chamber.