INSTALLATION FOR FABRICATING A PART BY SELECTIVELY MELTING POWDER
An installation for fabricating a part by selectively melting powder, the installation including a mechanism producing a beam, for example a laser beam or an electron beam, and a mechanism moving a point of impact of the beam over a layer of powder. The installation further includes a collector element for collecting projections of molten powder produced during local melting of the powder by the beam, the collector element including an opening for passing the beam, and a mechanism configured to move the collector element jointly with the beam over the layer of powder.
1 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . An installation for fabricating a part by selectively melting powder, the installation comprising:
means for producing a beam, or producing a laser beam or an electron beam;
means for moving a point of impact of the beam over a layer of powder;
a collector element for collecting projections of molten powder produced during local melting of the powder by the beam, which collector element is configured to collect the projections of molten powder that impact thereagainst or drop thereon, such that the projections attach thereto on solidifying, the collector element including an opening for passing the beam; and
means for moving the collector element jointly with the beam over the layer of powder.
12 . An installation according to claim 11 , wherein the collector element is mounted on a frame, the means for moving the collector element comprising means for moving the frame in two perpendicular directions.
13 . An installation according to claim 12 , wherein the collector element is placed inside the frame and the frame includes a peripheral edge connected to the collector element via connection arms.
14 . An installation according to claim 11 , wherein the collector element is a plate, or is in a form of a disk, presenting an opening for passing the beam and the particles, the opening having a section greater than a section of the beam.
15 . An installation according to claim 14 , wherein the opening flares upwards, or is frustoconical.
16 . An installation according to claim 14 , wherein the plate includes inner and outer peripheral edges projecting upwards.
17 . An installation according to claim 11 , wherein the collector element is tubular, the projections being for collection on an inside wall of the collector element.
18 . An installation according to claim 17 , wherein a height of the collector element is greater than 5 mm.
19 . An installation according to claim 17 , wherein the collector element includes a hollow zone of tapering section.
20 . A method of fabricating a part by selectively melting powder with an installation according to claim 11 , the method comprising:
building up a part layer by layer by jointly moving the beam and the collector element such that at least some of the projections formed while the powder is being melted by the beam are collected by the collector element by solidification of the projections of molten powder that has impacted against or dropped onto the collector element.