US 12,343,796 B2
Additive manufacturing system for powdery starting material and method for manufacturing a component
Karsten Schäfer, Hünfeld (DE); Arno Niebling, Linsengericht (DE); and Fuad Osmanlic, Seligenstadt (DE)
Assigned to ALD VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES GMBH, Hanau (DE)
Appl. No. 17/921,229
Filed by ALD VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES GMBH, Hanau (DE)
PCT Filed Feb. 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/054933
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/219274, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 111 460.5 (DE), filed on Apr. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0166331 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/63 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/25 (2021.01) [B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B22F 12/38 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/63 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B22F 2201/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing system for powdery starting material, including
a vacuum chamber comprising
at least one construction area with a construction platform;
at least one powder reservoir arranged to a side of the construction area;
at least one powder application element, which is arranged horizontally movably between the at least one powder reservoir and the at least one construction platform for distributing powdery starting material from the at least one powder reservoir on the at least one construction platform, wherein the powder application element traverses the construction area at least once for each powder distribution process; and
at least one electron beam gun for each of the at least one construction areas;
characterized in that
the at least one construction area is surrounded by a shielding against ionizing radiation, which comprises four walls, two of which can be formed by walls of the vacuum chamber; and
the walls of the shielding at least on two sides in the direction of movement of the at least one powder application element consist of an upper part and a lower part,
wherein
the upper part is rigidly connected to the vacuum chamber, is formed from 2-11 horizontally spaced metal sheets and has a clear height above the construction platform that allows the powder application element to move horizontally through the construction area, and
the lower part is connected to a vertically movable frame and is formed from 2-11 horizontally spaced refractory metal sheets which are arranged in a meshing manner with the metal sheets of the upper part and are attached to the movable frame in a radiopaque manner; and
the lower part is movable relative to the upper part in the vertical between a closed position and an open position, wherein the refractory metal sheets of the lower part
in the closed position are arranged such that their lower edges mesh with a groove structure on a surface of the construction area while forming a first labyrinth structure and are arranged such that their upper edges mesh with the metal sheets of the upper part while forming a second labyrinth structure; and
come to rest between the metal sheets of the upper part in the open position at least to such an extent that they allow the horizontal movement of the powder application element through the construction area.