Granted Patent B2

US 12,734,583 · App. 18/274,601 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Benjamin Himmel (Munich, DE); Johannes Glasschröder (Neusäß, DE); Martin Otter (Memmingen, DE); Oliver Leusch (Augsburg, DE); Christian Miklec (Bad Wörishofen, DE)

Assignee: GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG

B22F10/385B22F10/22B22F10/85B22F12/50B22F12/90B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/02

Abstract

Claims (45)

1 . A method of manufacturing a component in layers by dropwise application of a liquid material using a printhead, the component including an overhang that extends in a layer of the component at a first angle (α) to a build-up direction, the method comprising:

defining a contour of the component to be manufactured in the layer;

defining an outer region of the layer that extends along the contour and a central core region of the layer that is surrounded by the outer region;

dropwise applying the liquid material with a first average droplet diameter (d core ) in the core region along multiple parallel core paths that have a first spacing (D LV,core ) from each other; and

dropwise applying the liquid material with a second average droplet diameter (d hull ) in the outer region along one or more outer paths parallel to the contour, wherein a second spacing (D BH ) between an outermost one of the outer path(s) and the contour in the layer is increased proximal to the overhang by a compensation spacing (Δ) that is based on the first angle (α).

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein;

in the step of dropwise applying the liquid material with a second average droplet diameter (d hull ) in the outer region, the liquid material is dropwise applied in the outer region along at least two outer paths, and

an innermost one of the outer paths is spaced apart from the core region by a third spacing (D HK ) that is less than the first spacing (D LV,core ) at least for a portion of the innermost one of the outer paths.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

each of the core paths has a beginning, at which the application of the liquid material is begun, and an end, at which the application of the liquid material is ended, and

the third spacing (DHK) between the core region and the innermost one of the outer paths is varied such that the third spacing (D HK ) at the beginning of said core path is greater or less than the third spacing (DHK) at the end of said core path.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the compensation spacing (Δ) is increased as a function of the first angle (α), and

further comprising reducing the third spacing (D HK ) by the compensation spacing (Δ).

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the step of dropwise applying the liquid material with a second average droplet diameter (d hull ) in the outer region, at least two outer paths are dropwise applied in the layer, and

the second spacing (D BH ) between the outermost one of the outer paths and the contour is less than the first spacing (D LV,core ).

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein:

an innermost one of the outer paths is spaced apart from the core region by a third spacing (D HK ) that is less than the first spacing (D LV,core ) at least for a portion of the innermost one of the outer paths, and

the second spacing (D BH ) and/or the third spacing (D HK ) is about 0.4 to 0.6 times the second average droplet diameter (d hull ).

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein a sixth spacing (D LV,hull ) between at least two adjacent ones of the outer paths is 0.8 to 1.2 times the second average droplet diameter (d hull ) and/or the first spacing (D LV,core ) is 0.8 to 1.2 times the first average droplet diameter (d core ).

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein a fourth spacing (D VS,hull ) between adjacent droplets on one of the outer paths is about 0.6 to 1.1 times the second average droplet diameter (d hull ), and/or wherein a fifth spacing (D VS,core ) between adjacent droplets on one of the core paths is about 0.5 to 1 times the first average droplet diameter (d core ).

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the fifth spacing (D VS,core ) is different from the fourth spacing (D VS,hull ).

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the fifth spacing (D VS,core ) is 0.7 to 0.95 times the fourth spacing (D VS,hull ).

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second average droplet diameter (d hull ) is smaller than or equal to the first average droplet diameter (d core ).

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the step of dropwise applying the liquid material with a second average droplet diameter (d hull ) in the outer region, at least two outer paths are dropwise applied in the layer, and

at least two adjacent ones of the outer paths are traversed in opposite directions, and/or wherein at least two adjacent ones of the core paths are traversed in opposite directions.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the step of dropwise applying the liquid material with a second average droplet diameter (d hull ) in the outer region, at least two outer paths are dropwise applied in the layer, and

the core paths and/or the outer paths are traversed in two successive layers in different directions.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compensation spacing (Δ) is increased as a function of the first angle (α).

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the compensation spacing (Δ) increases by 2-20 μm per degree of the first angle (α).

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the contour in the layer includes a curved region in which the contour has a local curvature that is greater than a predetermined value, the method further comprising:

stopping the application of the liquid material when traversing one of the outer paths upon reaching the curved region;

traversing a closed auxiliary path that adjoins one of the outer paths outside the contour without applying the liquid material; and

continuing the application of the liquid material after traversing the closed auxiliary path when the printhead reaches the curved region again.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

determining the closed auxiliary path as a function of at least one of a maximum relative velocity, a maximum relative acceleration, or a maximum temporal change in relative acceleration of the printhead with respect to the component; and/or

determining a position of a last drop on the outer path before the stopping of the application and, based thereon, determining a position of a first drop on the outer path after continuation of the application so that a direct spacing (f*D VS,hull ) between the last and first drops is a predetermined spacing.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined spacing is 0.8 to 1.2 times the spacing (D VS,hull ) between adjacent drops in sections of the outer path in which the contour does not have the curved region.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compensation spacing (Δ) is proportional to the first angle (α).

20 . An apparatus for additive manufacturing of a component, comprising:

a printhead configured to apply a liquid material;

a moving apparatus configured to move the printhead and/or the component to be manufactured relative to each other; and

a control device configured to control the printhead and the moving apparatus to perform the method according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (49)