Device and method for producing a three-dimensional workpiece

Inventors: Birk Hoppe (Lübeck, DE); Kevin Kondziella (Lübeck, DE); Toni Adam Krol (Lübeck, DE); Christopher Stengel (Lübeck, DE); Meike Husmann (Lübeck, DE); Naveed Iqbal (Lübeck, DE); Maximilian Schniedenham (Lübeck, DE); Dieter Schwarze (Lübeck, DE); Jan Wilkes (Lübeck, DE); Bärbel Kratz (Lübeck, DE)

Assignee: Nikon SLM Solutions AG

B22F12/41 B22F10/322 B22F12/10 B22F12/13 B22F12/22 B22F12/38 B22F12/50 B22F12/55 B22F12/57 B22F12/60 B22F12/70 B22F12/80 B22F12/84 B33Y10/00 B33Y30/00 B33Y40/00 B22F10/28 B22F10/77 B22F12/30 B22F12/49 B22F12/90

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12667892
App. No.: 17/432,740
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

We describe a process chamber, an apparatus, a modular system, a method, a safety device, a positioning system and a system for producing a three-dimensional workpiece and/or for use thereof when producing a three-dimensional workpiece. The process chamber for producing the three-dimensional workpiece via an additive layer construction method comprises: a material supply unit comprising a substantially ring-like shaped end portion at a first side of the process chamber, wherein the material supply unit is adapted to supply, via the end portion, material to a carrier on which the material is to be processed by the process chamber for producing the three-dimensional workpiece, and an opening at the first side of the process chamber for processing, by the process chamber, the material supplied on the carrier in order to produce the three-dimensional workpiece, wherein the substantially ring-like shaped end portion surrounds the opening.

Claims (120)

1 . An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece via an additive layer construction method, the apparatus comprising:

a carrier adapted to receive material for producing the three-dimensional workpiece;

a material supply unit adapted to supply material to the carrier and/or preceding material layers on top of the carrier,

a layer depositing mechanism for forming the supplied material into a material layer on top of the carrier and/or the preceding material layers on top of the carrier,

a solidification device adapted to solidify the material supplied to the carrier and/or the preceding material layers on top of the carrier for producing the three-dimensional workpiece, the solidification device comprising a laser and/or a particle source, and the solidification device comprising a beam steering optic comprising one or more deflectable mirrors,

a gas supply unit adapted to supply a shielding gas to an area of the material layer that is to be solidified by the solidification device,

a process chamber comprising the gas supply unit and the solidification device,

a moving unit adapted to move the process chamber relative to the carrier, and

a positioning system adapted to determine a position of the process chamber relative to the carrier,

wherein the process chamber further comprises one or more of:

a gas flow device adapted to form a flow of the shielding gas or a flow of a process gas, with the flow above a surface of the area of the material layer that is to be solidified by the solidification device,

a heating unit adapted to heat up the material supplied on the carrier, and

a safety device or part of a safety device adapted to prevent, during operation of the apparatus, release of process emissions to a surrounding of the process chamber,

wherein at least one of the gas flow device, the heating unit and the safety device or part of the safety device of the process chamber is adapted to operate independently of a moving direction of the process chamber,

the process chamber further comprising the material supply unit;

the material supply unit comprising a ring-like shaped, end portion at a first side of the process chamber, wherein the material supply unit is adapted to supply, via the end portion, the material to the carrier on which the material is to be processed by the process chamber for producing the three-dimensional workpiece, and

an opening at the first side of the process chamber for processing the material supplied on the carrier in order to produce the three-dimensional workpiece,

wherein the end portion surrounds the opening, wherein the material supply unit comprises a bell-like shaped structure through which the material is suppliable to the carrier, and wherein the end portion forms an end part of the bell-like shaped structure,

wherein the process chamber comprises a multi-wall structure, and wherein a first cavity formed between a first wall and a second wall of the multi-wall structure is comprised in or coupled to the material supply unit,

the process chamber comprising a gas extraction unit and/or gas introduction unit, wherein a second cavity is formed between a third wall and a fourth wall of the multi-wall structure, wherein the second cavity is arranged radially outwards from the first cavity in a direction away from a center portion of the process chamber, and wherein the second cavity is comprised in or coupled to the gas extraction unit and/or gas introduction unit which is configured to extract and/or introduce the shielding gas or the process gas from the center portion of the process chamber.

2 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the layer depositing mechanism is arranged adjacent to and radially inwards from the first cavity for controlling, via the layer depositing mechanism, supplying the material to the carrier via the first cavity.

3 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second seal arranged at the first side of the process chamber and radially outwards from the second cavity.

4 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first cavity comprises a segmentation for providing different material via different sections of the end portion of the material supply unit to the carrier.

5 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a section of the different sections of the end portion of the material supply unit from which the material is suppliable to the carrier is dependent from a direction of movement of the process chamber over the carrier, wherein a first material having particles of a first size is suppliable to the carrier via a first section of the different sections and a second material having particles of a second size, which is different from the first size, is suppliable to the carrier via a second section of the different sections, wherein the second section is different from the first section.

6 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when the process chamber comprises the gas flow device, the gas flow device is arranged at a first side of the process chamber and comprises a process gas introduction unit and a process gas extraction unit arranged oppositely of each other for introducing and extracting process gas into and out of the process chamber, respectively, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a moving mechanism adapted to change a position of the process gas introduction unit and the process gas extraction unit at the first side of the process chamber, and

a substantially circular structure comprising recesses, wherein the structure is arranged radially inwards from the process gas introduction unit and the process gas extraction unit towards the center portion of the process chamber, and wherein the structure comprising recesses is adapted to guide the process gas from the process gas introduction unit to the process gas extraction unit.

7 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heating unit is arranged (i) within an interior portion of the process chamber and/or (ii) contiguously to or adjacent to the end portion of the material supply unit radially inwards and/or radially outwards from the end portion of the material supply unit.

8 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the positioning system comprises:

one or more positioning units adapted to be arranged at defined positions of an edge region of and/or within a predefined distance from the carrier; and

one or more measuring sensors adapted to be arranged on the process chamber and/or at defined locations with respect to the process chamber;

wherein the position of the process chamber is determinable and/or correctable by the positioning system based on one or more signals of the measuring sensor or the measuring sensors.

9 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the one or more positioning units are raisable in a direction perpendicular to the carrier,

wherein the one or more positioning units comprises a light source adapted to generate one or more light beams for a reference line and/or a reference plane serving as a reference for a position and/or orientation of the process chamber; and

wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more light detectors comprising laser radiation detectors;

wherein the light detectors are adapted to detect the one or more light beams, and

wherein the position and/or orientation of the process chamber relative to the reference line and/or the reference plane is determinable and/or correctable by the positioning system based on the light detectors detecting the one or more light beams.

10 . An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece via an additive layer construction method, the apparatus comprising: