US 12,280,545 B2
Apparatus and method
Christiane Thiel, Luebeck (DE); Daniel Brueck, Luebeck (DE); and Ralf Labes, Ploen (DE)
Assigned to Nikon SLM Solutions AG, Luebeck (DE)
Appl. No. 17/613,763
Filed by Nikon SLM Solutions AG, Luebeck (DE)
PCT Filed May 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/064694
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/244993, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 004 020.1 (DE), filed on Jun. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0194010 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/255 (2017.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B29C 64/135 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); A61C 13/00 (2006.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01)
CPC B29C 64/255 (2017.08) [B22F 12/38 (2021.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B29C 64/135 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); A61C 13/0019 (2013.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
a process chamber for receiving a material from which the three-dimensional workpiece is producible using an additive layer manufacturing technique, wherein the process chamber comprises a translucent window;
an irradiation device for irradiating, through the translucent window, the material for producing the three-dimensional workpiece; and
an enclosure arranged between the translucent window of the process chamber and the irradiation device, wherein at least a part of the enclosure is translucent and wherein the enclosure allows for an irradiation beam stemming from the irradiation device to travel from the irradiation device through the enclosure to the material for producing the three-dimensional workpiece,
wherein the enclosure comprises an inlet and an outlet,
wherein the apparatus is configured to control a flow of a fluid through the enclosure via the inlet and the outlet, and
the apparatus further comprising an optical control unit for controlling an irradiation beam path of a said irradiation beam based on an optical property of a said fluid and/or of an interface between a said fluid and the translucent part of the enclosure, and wherein said controlling of said flow of said fluid through the enclosure comprises controlling said flow based on said optical property for controlled steering of said irradiation beam.