Device and method for additive manufacturing of a component
A device for additive manufacturing of a component includes a material dispensing unit for depositing a building material and an actuator assembly which is designed to move the material dispensing unit over a work surface in order to deposit the building material layer by layer in predetermined print paths. The device has at least one first guide leg which is designed to shape a first surface of the one or more layers of building material deposited by the material dispensing unit. The first guide leg is displaceable and driven by an actuator, in at least one translational degree of freedom or rotational degree of freedom relative to the material dispensing unit. The device has a cleaning assembly for cleaning the first guide leg of building material residues during a relative movement of the first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit.
1 . A device for additive manufacturing of a component, comprising:
a material dispensing unit for depositing a building material and an actuator assembly which is designed to move the material dispensing unit over a work surface in order to deposit the building material layer by layer in predetermined print paths, and
at least one first guide leg which is designed to shape a first surface of the one or more layers of building material deposited by the material dispensing unit, wherein the at least one first guide leg is movable, driven by an actuator, in at least one translational degree of freedom (x, y, z) and/or rotational degree of freedom (dx, dy, dz) relative to the material dispensing unit,
wherein the device has a cleaning assembly with at least one cleaning portion associated with the at least one first guide leg, wherein in at least one relative position of the at least one first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit, the cleaning portion is arranged at least in portions in cleaning contact with the associated guide leg, in such a way that during a movement relative to the material dispensing unit, the at least one first guide leg is capable of stripping off building material residues on the cleaning portion, which is in cleaning contact at least in portions.
2 . A device for additive manufacturing of a component, comprising:
a material dispensing unit for depositing a building material and an actuator assembly which is designed to move the material dispensing unit over a work surface in order to deposit the building material layer by layer in predetermined print paths, and
at least one first guide leg which is designed to shape a first surface of the one or more layers of building material deposited by the material dispensing unit in a working position of the at least one first guide leg, wherein the at least one first guide leg is movable, driven by a first actuator, in at least one degree of freedom,
wherein the material dispensing unit comprises a housing, wherein the at least one first guide leg can be moved, driven by a first actuator, from a working position, in which the at least one first guide leg is able to shape the first surface, into a rest position in which the at least one first guide leg is accommodated at least in portions.
3 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movement, driven by the actuator, of the at least one first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit comprises a movement of the at least one first guide leg in the vertical direction.
4 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the device has at least one second guide leg for shaping a second surface of the one or more layers of building material deposited by the material dispensing unit, which, driven by an actuator, can be moved relative to the material dispensing unit in at least one degree of translational freedom (x, y, z) and/or degree of rotational freedom (dx, dy, dz), the cleaning assembly having at least one cleaning portion associated with the at least one second guide leg, wherein in at least one position of the at least one second guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit, the cleaning portion is arranged at least in portions in cleaning contact with the associated guide leg in such a way that the at least one second guide leg is able to strip off building material residues on the cleaning portion lying at least in portions in cleaning contact, during a movement relative to the material dispensing unit.
5 . The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and the at least one second guide leg can be moved independently of one another by the corresponding actuators associated with the guide legs.
6 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and the at least one second guide leg can be displaced together, driven by an actuator, at least in one translational degree of freedom (x, y, z) relative to the material dispensing unit, wherein at least one of the at least one first guide leg and the at least one second guide leg is connected to the actuator by means of a coupling assembly.
7 . The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg can be displaced, driven by a further actuator, at least in one further translational degree of freedom (x, y, z) relative to the material dispensing unit and/or can be pivoted in a further rotational degree of freedom (dx, dy, dz) relative to the material dispensing unit.
8 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the device has at least one control unit which is configured to control at least one actuator for moving the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg.
9 . The device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the device further comprises at least one control device which is configured to control the actuator assembly for moving the material dispensing unit over the work surface, wherein the at least one control device can comprise the at least one control unit for controlling the at least one actuator for moving the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg and/or can be in communicative connection with the at least one control unit.
10 . The device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the control device, which is configured to control the actuator assembly for moving the material dispensing unit over the work surface, has an inter-face in order to obtain, via the interface, 3D data of a component to be produced, and a computing unit in order to convert the obtained 3D data into printer data for additive manufacturing of the component, based on which both the actuator assembly for moving the material dispensing unit can be controlled by the control device and also at least one of the actuators for moving the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg can be controlled by the control device and/or the control unit communicatively connected thereto.
11 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the material dispensing unit has a housing, wherein the housing has at least one receiving opening.
12 . The device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg can, in a working position, project at least in portions through the at least one receiving opening from the interior of the housing, and/or
the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg can, in a rest position, be accommodated, at least in portions, in the housing.
13 . The device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the cleaning portion associated with the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg is arranged on the housing of the material dispensing unit, in particular in the region of the at least one receiving opening of the housing.
14 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning portion has a separate component or is integrally formed with the material dispensing unit, in particular with a housing of the material dispensing unit.
15 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning portion has a projection or an edge, wherein the cleaning portion in particular has a contact contour which forms a negative shape relative to the contour of the associated guide leg at least in the contact region of the guide leg on the associated cleaning portion.
16 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning assembly has at least one elastic element which is capable of pre-tensioning the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg against the associated cleaning portion.
17 . The device according to claim 16 ,
wherein in at least one relative position of the associated guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit, the elastic element of the cleaning assembly is arranged at least in portions in cleaning contact with the associated guide leg in such a way that during a movement relative to the material dispensing unit, the associated guide leg is capable of stripping off building material residues on the elastic element of the cleaning assembly, which is in cleaning contact at least in portions.
18 . The device according to claim 16 ,
wherein the elastic element is arranged on the material dispensing unit, in particular on a housing of the material dispensing unit, wherein the elastic element has, in particular, a separate component or is formed integrally with the material dispensing unit, in particular with a housing of the material dispensing unit.
19 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic element has a projection or an edge, wherein the elastic element in particular has a contact contour which forms a negative shape relative to the contour of the associated guide leg at least in the contact region of the guide leg on the associated elastic element.
20 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg has a shaping side and a side opposite the shaping side, wherein the cleaning portion is capable of interacting with an elastic element of the cleaning assembly in such a way that the associated guide leg is able to wipe its shaping side on the cleaning portion and to wipe its opposite side on the elastic element.
21 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein when viewed in cross section, the cleaning assembly has an opening with a circumferential contact contour which forms a negative shape to the contour of the associated guide leg.
22 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the device comprises a lubricating assembly which is designed to dispense a lubricating fluid to the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg in order to wet this leg or legs with the lubricating fluid at least in portions.
23 . The device according to claim 22 ,
wherein the cleaning assembly, in particular the elastic element of the cleaning assembly is configured to wet the associated guide leg with a lubricating fluid dispensed by the lubricating assembly.
24 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the actuators for moving the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg has at least one motorized drive, in particular a servomotor, a closed-loop motor, a stepper motor or the like, which is suitable for returning its current position to a control unit or control device.
25 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the actuators is connected to the at least one first guide leg and/or to the at least one second guide leg via at least one transmission and/or connection structure, in order to transmit a drive movement of the actuator to the connected at least one first guide leg and/or the connected at least one second guide leg.
26 . The device according to claim 25 ,
wherein the at least one transmission and/or connection structure comprises a rack, drive rod, control rod, and/or spindle, which is connected directly or indirectly to the at least one first guide leg and/or to the at least one second guide leg in such a way that a drive movement of the actuator can be transmitted directly or in converted and/or translated form to the connected at least one first guide leg and/or to at least one second guide leg.
27 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg has or have a longitudinal extension along a first or second central longitudinal axis, wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg has or have a contour curved at least in portions in a cross section running perpendicular to the first or second central longitudinal axis.
28 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg has or have a longitudinal extension along a first or second central longitudinal axis, wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg has or have, in a longitudinal section running along the first or second central longitudinal axis, a contour curved at least in portions with a substantially straight guide portion.
29 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first guide leg and/or the at least one second guide leg is or are designed substantially axially symmetrically with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the respective guide leg.
30 . A method for additive manufacturing of a component, wherein a material dispensing unit for depositing a building material is moved over a work surface by means of an actuator assembly in order to deposit the building material layer by layer in predetermined print paths, having at least the following method steps:
a) feeding the building material to the material dispensing unit;
b) moving the at least one first guide leg with the aid of an actuator relative to the material dispensing unit;
c) depositing the building material along the predetermined print path, and
d) shaping the at least one surface with the aid of the at least one first guide leg;
e) stripping off building material residues adhering to the at least one first guide leg on a cleaning portion by moving the at least one first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit with the aid of an actuator.
31 . The method according to claim 30 ,
wherein the step b is carried out according to predetermined time intervals, wherein the at least one actuator is controlled by a control unit in order to move the at least one first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit, wherein the predetermined time intervals can be defined in the control unit, depending on at least one of the selected building material, the building material thickness of the applied printed layers, or depending on whether building material is deposited according to step c.
32 . The method according to claim 30 ,
wherein the movement, driven by the actuator, of the at least one first guide leg relative to the material dispensing unit according to step b comprises a movement of the at least one first guide leg in the vertical direction.