Additive manufacturing of components in food industry

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for additive manufacturing of a component, in particular a component for use with a food product, by means of an additive manufacturing device having a manufacturing section and a beam melting system, the method comprising: producing a processing layer made of a powder material in the manufacturing section of the additive manufacturing device, the powder material is preferably metal powder; the processing layer is irradiated by means of a beam melting system, whereby the powder material is locally melted in the processing layer, the beam melting system being moved away from and irradiating the processing layer in such a way that the powder material is melted in the processing layer. Such that at least one shadow region of the component to be additively manufactured is formed using the shadow process parameters and at least one contour region of the component to be additively manufactured is formed using the contour process parameters; wherein a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines are generated in the at least one contour region and / or the at least one contour region is at least partially illuminated a plurality of times.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a system and an assembly for manufacturing a component, in particular a component for use with food products, including an additive manufacturing process. Background Art

[0002] For filling fluids in the food industry, filling valves of various designs and manufacturing methods are known. If complex geometries, in particular complex channel structures ("bionic", "organic" design) are to be realized in the interior of the filling valve, additive manufacturing concepts, also known as "3D printing" or "generative manufacturing" can be considered.

[0003] An additively manufactured combined filling valve for filling still and carbonated products is known from DE 10 20 20129 102 A1.

[0004] Additive manufacturing has the advantage, due to the manufacturability of complex geometries, that the flow and idle behavior of the fluid can be optimized, dead zones can be eliminated and sealing points can be avoided, whereby the filling valve can be better cleaned, has a particularly hygienic design and allows product-friendly filling.

[0005] These components can be produced using various additive methods, for example with the aid of SLM (“Selective Laser Melting”), EBM (“Electron Beam Melting”), LENS (“Laser Engineering Net Shape”), MPA (“Metal Powder Application”), WAAM (“Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing”), FDM (“Fused Deposition Modeling”), BJ (“Binder Jetting”) or NPJ (“Nano Particle Jetting”).

[0006] One of the difficulties of additive manufacturing is to ensure a sufficiently high surface quality, which is absolutely necessary especially in the food industry. For product contact components, a surface roughness of Ra ≤ 0.8 μm is required for the hygienic filling of beverages. Here, Ra represents the central roughness value as a standardized measure for surface roughness. In addition, during additive manufacturing, defects (holes, cavities, cracks, etc.) may appear in the material, for example caused by gas inclusions, bonding errors or delamination. Therefore, it is usually necessary to post-process the additively manufactured components, especially the surfaces that come into contact with the product.

[0007] Hybrid methods are also known, in which layered additive structures are combined with a sequential downstream machining post-machining. However, such methods usually require post-machining, because tool change edges in the form of steps in the material may occur due to tool changes between additive structures and machining post-machining, especially in the case of complex geometries (e.g. swirl geometries, channels with widely varying radii of curvature, etc.).

[0008] Easily accessible component surfaces and component edges can be improved by conventional methods such as conventional electropolishing, sliding grinding, cutting post-processing (turning, drilling, milling, etc.). Parts with channels and other built-in contours that are partially undercut and difficult to access from the outside but have direct or indirect contact with the food cannot be post-processed using these methods. However, some technologies have been developed to solve this problem, such as flow grinding, Hirtsisieren, MMP ("Micromachining Process"), DLyte and HIP ("Hot Isostatic Pressing (Heiβisostatisches Pressen)").

[0009] In flow milling, a slurry ("liquid file") is pumped in an oscillating manner through the channel to be machined. Hirtisieren is based on the use of liquid processing media and kinetically controlled electrochemistry. MMP denotes a mechano-physico-chemical special method in which the component is immersed in a bath with liquid and micro-tools, which are excited in an energetic manner and thus remove roughness. DLyte is a dry surface machining for grinding and polishing metals by ion transport with free solids, in which an electric current is combined with the movement of the component through the electropolishing medium. For HIP, the component is compressed at high pressure and temperature, which brings about an increase in relative density and a reduction in porosity.

[0010] The surface quality that can be achieved using this post-processing method depends largely on the initial roughness, ie the current roughness directly after additive manufacturing, and on the quality of the structure in the near-surface area. Also referred to here as the "finished surface", this refers to the surface directly after additive manufacturing.

[0011] Regardless of how the additive structure occurs (e.g. with the aid of powders, wires, filaments, etc.), defects may form in the structure. For example, during the melting of the powder particles, due to the energy input of the energy source (e.g. laser beam or electron beam) and due to foreign matter in the interaction zone, inclusions, holes, cavities, bonding errors, etc. may appear. In particular, in the edge area, i.e. in the transition between the contour and the interior of the body or segment defined by the contour, the so-called "shadow", an increased pore volume can be determined. Shadow and contour are usually implemented with different process parameters to achieve a good compromise between economic efficiency and quality: fast shadow and slower contour scanning.

[0012] By means of material removal post-processing, the pores produced during melting can be exposed, which counterintuitively deteriorates the surface quality again during surface treatment after additive manufacturing. The above-mentioned post-processing methods have specific disadvantages. Therefore, during Hirtisieren and during MMP, it is difficult to achieve the desired surface quality of Ra≤0.8μm, at least in the case of certain geometries (e.g. channels with small diameters). During flow milling, the above-mentioned defects (pores) in the material, especially in the near-edge area, may be exposed due to material removal. In addition, for channels whose cross-section and curvature are not constant over the entire channel direction, uneven material removal may occur, resulting in uneven surface quality. The applicability of the DLyte method is also limited by the channel size and channel geometry. Summary of the invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to improve the additive manufacturing of components preferably for use with foods, in particular to improve the hygienic properties and the quality of built-in surfaces of the components which come into contact with (liquid) products.

[0014] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, a method having the features of claim 5, a system having the features of claim 10 and an assembly having the features of claim 14. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims, the following description of the invention and the description of preferred exemplary embodiments.

[0015] The method according to the invention is used for additively manufacturing components, in particular components for use with foods. In general, additively manufactured components, which are used in filling and / or packaging plants in direct or secondary contact with foods, can be manufactured using the method. These include, in particular, parts of filling components in beverage filling plants, preferably housing parts with product lines or channels with complex geometries. However, the manufacturing concept described here is not limited to this.

[0016] The method is carried out with the aid of an additive manufacturing device having a production section and a jet melting system.

[0017] First, a processing layer consisting of a powder material is produced in a production section of the additive manufacturing device. As materials for the powder material, various metals can be considered, in particular stainless steel, preferably stainless steel 316L, wherein other metals and alloys are possible, such as titanium or aluminum.

[0018] The processing layer is then irradiated with the aid of a jet melting system, whereby the powder material is locally melted in the processing layer, wherein, in this case, the jet melting system is moved away and irradiates the processing layer in such a way that at least one shadow region of the component to be additively manufactured is formed using the shadow process parameters and at least one contour region of the component to be additively manufactured is formed using the contour process parameters.

[0019] A contour region can be understood as a region of the component to be additively manufactured, which is formed in the region of the surface of the component. This surface is usually part of the contour region, but this part can also extend even further into the cavity of the component. In other words, a contour region can be understood as a near-surface region or edge region of the component. In this text, for the sake of simplicity, only one contour region or one contour is mentioned - thus always this near-surface region.

[0020] The shaded area can be understood as the area of ​​the component to be additively manufactured, in which smooth manufacturing is to be achieved with rapid batch ordering of material. This is usually the area in the cavity of the component. The shaded area can be surrounded by a contour area, which then constitutes the actual surface of the component.

[0021] Therefore, the beam melting method is configured by various process parameters, including, for example, the laser power or electron beam power of the beam melting system, the scanning speed, the track distance and / or the layer thickness of the processing layer to be produced by the production section. In this document, the process parameters for the shadow area are referred to as "shadow process parameters" and the process parameters for the contour area are referred to as "contour process parameters". The control device can provide the process parameters and control and / or adjust the additive manufacturing device accordingly.

[0022] The shadow area and the contour area are preferably implemented with different process parameters in order to achieve a good compromise between economic efficiency and quality, i.e. the shadow process parameters and the contour process parameters are preferably at least partially different. In particular, the shadow area can be scanned or irradiated at a higher scanning speed than the contour area. However, alternative or additional process parameters, such as the laser power or electron beam power and / or the track distance, can be modified in order to distinguish the contour area from the shadow area in terms of process technology.

[0023] According to the invention, a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines are generated in at least one contour region. Alternatively or additionally, the contour region is at least partially irradiated multiple times.

[0024] In this case, the generation of multiple contours and / or multiple irradiation involves the irradiation process of the current processing layer. Usually, the steps of manufacturing and irradiating the processing layer are performed multiple times in a sequential process, thereby constructing the component to be additively manufactured layer by layer.

[0025] By generating a plurality of contour lines in the contour region and / or irradiating the contour region multiple times, the discontinuous transition region between the shadow region and the contour region is moved into the interior of the component, whereby an improvement in the surface quality can be achieved. In this case, the improvement can include a direct reduction in the porosity (number and size of pores) in the component. The contour region can also be formed with a greater thickness by generating a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines. In other words, a thicker surface region is thus formed.

[0026] By means of a possible subsequent grinding post-processing, no pores are exposed due to the improved surface quality and / or the greater thickness of the contour area, so that a reduction in surface roughness can be achieved overall. The improved finished surface quality, if it does not yet meet the hygiene requirements, at least represents an improved initial roughness for post-processing. Thus, in the case of a possible post-processing of the component, the risk is reduced that the contour area is completely eliminated in sections and the shadow area is exposed with a quality that is usually lower than that of the product contact surface. In addition, bonding errors in the intermediate area caused by possible multiple irradiation are eliminated. Thus, the number and size of pores in the near-edge area, i.e. in the product contact surface of the component, can be reduced overall.

[0027] In this way, hygienic built-in surfaces with a roughness of Ra ≤ 0.8 μm or even high-gloss surfaces with Ra < 0.2 μm can be achieved, especially using the MMP method. The risk of microbial contamination of the components is thus reduced and the components can be cleaned more easily and reliably.

[0028] If a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines are produced in at least one contour region, a re-irradiation of the gaps between the contour lines preferably takes place, in particular using process parameters which are changed relative to the contour lines. In this way, the quality of the contour region can be further improved.

[0029] In a further development, the contour lines can be arranged in such a way that an overlap occurs between the contour lines. In a further development, an overlap between the contour lines and the shadow area can also be achieved.

[0030] The process parameters of the contour line are preferably optimized in such a way that the porosity in the contour region, ie in the surface region, is minimized.

[0031] Preferably, the at least one shadow region is irradiated using profile process parameters, thereby eliminating a possible increase in pore volume in the transition region between the shadow region and the profile region and thus making it possible to generate a substantially pore-free near-surface structure.

[0032] An additional measure for improving the surface quality of the product contact surface of the component is to use particularly thin processed layers in combination with fine powder material. Preferably, for this purpose, a powder material with a particle size of at most 20 μm, in particular less than 15 μm, is used in combination with a processed layer with a layer thickness of at most 20 μm, in particular less than 15 μm. Particularly preferably, the layer thickness of the processed layer is greater than the particle size of the powder material.

[0033] This measure can also be used alone. Therefore, the above-mentioned object is also achieved by a method for additively manufacturing a component, in particular a component for use with food, by means of an additive manufacturing device, the additive manufacturing device having a manufacturing section and a jet melting system, wherein the method comprises: manufacturing a processing layer consisting of a powder material in the manufacturing section of the additive manufacturing device; irradiating the processing layer by means of the jet melting system, whereby the powder material is locally melted in the processing layer; wherein as the powder material, a fine powder with a particle size of a maximum of 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, is used in combination with a processing layer with a layer thickness of a maximum of 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, wherein the layer thickness of the processing layer is preferably greater than the particle size of the powder material.

[0034] Preferably, after irradiating the processing layer, subtractive processing of the contour area is performed by means of a removal device, including, for example, a milling cutter. In this case, the additive manufacturing method is based on a hybrid method, in which a layered additive structure and a subtractive post-processing in a sequential downstream are combined. In other words, a tool change towards the removal device, preferably towards the milling cutter head, is performed according to an individually defined number of additively constructed layers in the additive manufacturing device. The process then mechanically post-processes the geometry produced previously. The process is repeated until the component is completely constructed. By using this hybrid method, the surface quality of the component can be further improved.

[0035] In this hybrid approach, edge or other surface defects may be generated on the component due to subtractive processing during additive manufacturing. These edge or other surface defects can be minimized by optimizing the cutting geometry of the removal device, for example by using cutting edges with rounded edges instead of sharp cutting edges. Alternatively or additionally, simulation-supported warpage compensation can be performed to counteract warpage caused, for example, by thermally induced internal stresses during the additive construction process and by relaxation of internal stresses during post-subtractive processing.

[0036] The above-mentioned purpose is also achieved by providing a method for manufacturing a component, in particular a component for use with food, wherein the method comprises: additive manufacturing the component by means of an additive manufacturing device, wherein the additive manufacturing is preferably carried out according to one of the aforementioned embodiment variants; and post-processing the surface of the component by means of one or more post-processing methods, the post-processing method preferably including flow grinding and / or Hirtisieren and / or MMP and / or DLyte and / or HIP.

[0037] The additive manufacturing of components can be carried out by means of the above-mentioned hybrid methods. By combining such hybrid methods with post-processing, powder residues, welding spatter and tool change edges can be eliminated or homogenized, wherein preferably a hybrid DED method or a hybrid SLM method is combined with a post-processing method such as fluidized grinding or helical milling.

[0038] Preferably, for post-processing of the component manufactured according to the additive manufacturing method described above, at least two post-processing methods are combined, which perform two downstream processing steps on the component. For example, post-processing can include roughing and finishing after roughing, in which rough material removal is carried out, and the finishing produces the final surface. Particularly preferably, as post-processing methods, flow grinding and MMP process or Hirtisieren or Dlyte method are combined. The order of application of the post-processing methods can be selected depending on the corresponding application and / or additive material and / or component geometry. For example, flow grinding can be used for roughing, and MMP process or Hirtisieren or Dlyte method can be used for finishing. Depending on requirements, the order can also be reversed. In this way, the surface quality of the component can be further improved.

[0039] The above-mentioned purpose is also achieved by a system for additively manufacturing components, especially components for use with food, wherein the system comprises: an additive manufacturing device, which includes: a manufacturing section for manufacturing a processing layer composed of powder material, which powder material is preferably metal powder, and a beam melting system for irradiating the processing layer, whereby the powder material can be locally melted in the processing layer; and a control device, which communicates with the additive manufacturing device and is configured to start the beam melting system, move away and irradiate the processing layer so that at least one shadow area of ​​the component to be additively manufactured is formed using shadow process parameters and at least one contour area of ​​the component to be additively manufactured is formed using contour process parameters; wherein the control device is configured to start the beam melting system, generate multiple juxtaposed contour lines in at least one contour area and / or at least partially irradiate at least one contour area multiple times.

[0040] The features, technical effects, advantages and embodiments described with respect to these methods similarly apply to the system.

[0041] The manufacturing method and its parameterization are therefore carried out by means of a control device which communicates with the additive manufacturing device and any subsequent processing system, in particular with its various devices, components, etc., and comprises suitable controllers and / or regulators. The control device is connected to the components to be controlled or regulated and / or read out in terms of signal technology.

[0042] The communication between the control device and the components to be controlled or regulated and / or read out can be carried out by wire or wireless, digital or analog. The control device can receive and / or send signals (control signals, data, etc.) accordingly, wherein the signal transmission in one direction and in both directions is included in the term "communication" in this article. The control device does not necessarily have to be implemented by a central computing device or an electronic regulator, but it includes decentralized and / or multi-level systems, regulation networks, cloud systems, etc. The control device can also be an integral part of a superordinate device controller or communicate with such a superordinate device controller. The control unit can also communicate with a subordinate device controller, that is, a controller assigned to the corresponding device.

[0043] Preferably, the control device is configured for the reasons stated above to activate the beam melting system, to generate a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines in at least one contour region and to re-irradiate the gaps between the contour lines, in particular using process parameters that are changed relative to the contour lines.

[0044] Preferably, the control device is configured to activate the jet melting system for the reasons mentioned above, irradiate at least one shadow region using the contour process parameters, in order to respectively achieve an expansion of the contour region and / or an improvement in the surface quality of the contour region.

[0045] Preferably, the control device is configured in cooperation with the layer generator to generate particularly thin processing layers in the production section of the additive manufacturing device in combination with finer powder material. Preferably, for this purpose, a powder material with a particle size of at most 20 μm, in particular less than 15 μm, is used in combination with a processing layer with a layer thickness of at most 20 μm, in particular less than 15 μm. Particularly preferably, the layer thickness of the processing layer is greater than the particle size of the powder material.

[0046] Preferably, the additive manufacturing device has a removal device, for example a milling cutter, for the reasons mentioned above, wherein the control device is configured to perform subtractive machining of the contour region by means of the removal device after irradiation of the machining layer.

[0047] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a component for manufacturing components, especially components for use with food, wherein the component comprises: a system for additive manufacturing components, preferably according to any of the preceding claims; and a post-processing system for post-processing the surface of the component by means of one or more post-processing methods, wherein the post-processing method preferably includes flow grinding and / or Hirtisieren and / or MMP and / or DLyte and / or HIP.

[0048] The features, technical effects, advantages, and embodiments described with respect to the methods and systems similarly apply to the component.

[0049] Preferably, the post-processing system is arranged to combine at least two post-processing methods for the reasons mentioned above, so that the post-processing includes roughing and finishing, in which rough material removal takes place and the finishing produces the final surface, wherein the post-processing system is preferably arranged to combine flow milling and MMP process or Hirtisieren or DLyte method in an order adapted to the result to be achieved.

[0050] Other advantages and features of the present invention can be seen from the following description of the preferred embodiment. The features described therein can be implemented alone or in combination with one or more of the above features, as long as these features do not contradict each other. Here, the preferred embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Other preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail by the following drawings. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of an exemplary filling member that can be manufactured at least in part by means of an additive manufacturing method;

[0053] Figure 2 A system for additively manufacturing a component suitable for use in the food sector is schematically shown;

[0054] Figure 3A A schematic cross section of a component is shown with shaded areas and simple outlines;

[0055] Figure 3B shows a schematic cross section of a component having a shaded area and an outlined area, the outlined area having a plurality of outlines;

[0056] Figure 3C shows a schematic cross section of a component having a shaded area and a multiply illuminated outline area having a plurality of contour lines; and

[0057] Figure 4 A three-dimensional illustration of an additively manufactured valve section of a filling member is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same reference numerals are attached to the same, similar or functionally identical elements in the accompanying drawings, and the repeated description of these elements is partially omitted to avoid redundancy.

[0059] Figure 1A vertical cross-section of a filling member 10 is shown. The filling member 10 is used to fill containers (not shown) with a filling product, preferably a beverage, in a beverage filling device. As filling products to be filled, for example water (still or carbonated), soft drinks, smoothies, dairy products, beer, wine, mixed drinks, etc. can be considered.

[0060] The filling member 10 has an elongated cylindrical housing 20, the main extension of which defines a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction generally coincides with the direction of gravity in the installed state.

[0061] The housing 20 can divide the filling member 10 into three sections, namely the upper valve section 30, the flange section 40 and the lower valve section 50, but this is only an example. This three-part division of the filling member 10 is basically used for economical manufacturing. Therefore, the upper valve section 30 can be manufactured, for example, using a selective laser melting method (SLM) or another 3D printing method, and can be directly and seamlessly additively or generated on the flange section 40. The flange section 40 can be manufactured using conventional methods, such as turning, milling, laser cutting, etc. and is therefore particularly economical to manufacture. The lower section 50 of the filling member 10 is preferably also applied or printed on the flange section 40 from the other side using an additive method, so that the flange section 40 can be used as a base or anchor for a double-sided structure, i.e., the upper valve section 30 and the lower valve section 50.

[0062] Various connections are exemplarily housed in the upper valve section 30, including a first product connection 31 and a second product connection 32. The two product connections 31, 32 are provided for connecting to respective product supply lines and directing the filling product into different channels in the filling member 10, as described in more detail below.

[0063] Furthermore, the upper valve section 30 exemplarily comprises a gas connection 33, to which a gas channel 36a is connected. The gas channel 36a is used, for example, to introduce bias gas into the container and / or to lead out return gas exhausted from the container during filling.

[0064] The filling member 10 comprises a first product line 34 which is fluidically connected to the first product connection 31 and which in the present embodiment is a product space surrounded by the housing 20. Furthermore, a second product line 35 is provided which is fluidically connected to the second product connection 32 and which in the present embodiment is divided into a plurality of jacket channels 35a (see also Figure 4 ), these jacket channels 35a extend in the area of ​​the outer circumference or cylindrical jacket of the housing 20.

[0065] The product lines 34, 35, in particular the second product line 35, can have branches. In addition, their design (curvature, course, diameter, cross section, etc.) can be optimized in view of the required filling mode, in particular free jet filling and wall filling. Usually, there is no fluid exchange between the first and second product lines 34, 35 in the filling member 10, but in principle it is not excluded.

[0066] The upper valve section 30 also has a valve stem 36 which is centrally located and extends in the longitudinal direction through the housing 20. The valve stem 36 is attached at the upper end to an actuator 37 which is arranged to raise and lower the valve stem 36 and thus the valve cone 51 at the lower end. The valve stem 36 comprises a gas passage 36a which is preferably centrally located therein as a hole and extends in the longitudinal direction.

[0067] The combined filling valve combines two filling processes in a single filling member 10, in particular free jet filling, which is particularly suitable for distilled filling products, and wall filling, which is particularly suitable for carbonated filling products, without deteriorating the quality of the respective other filling process. The product contact profile in the interior of the filling member 10, including the first product line 34 and the valve cone 51, allows the generation of a first filling jet, in particular a free jet, with which the filling product is introduced into the container. The product contact profile in the jacket area of ​​the filling member 10, including the second product line 35, allows the generation of a second filling jet, in particular a rotary filling jet for wall filling, with which the filling product is introduced into the container.

[0068] The filling member 10 can be manufactured at least in sections by means of an additive manufacturing method. The additive manufacturing method is useful due to the complexity of the channel geometry, because the overall manufacturing of the filling member 10 is not possible using conventional methods, or can only be achieved with great effort. These channels can be designed in a flow-optimized manner and there is maximum design freedom for realizing conventionally difficult geometries. In addition, additive manufacturing can achieve material savings, because, unlike subtractive manufacturing methods, essentially only the required material is used.

[0069] For additive manufacturing of the filling component 10 at least in sections, in particular the upper valve section 30 and / or the lower valve section 50 , a system 100 is used which has an additive manufacturing device 110 and a control device 150 . Figure 2Such a system 100 for additively manufacturing a component 116, in particular a filling component 10, at least in sections is schematically shown. The system 100 described herein is based on the principle of "Selective Laser Melting" (SLM). However, the system 100 can also implement other additive manufacturing technologies, such as "Electron Beam Melting", "Laser Engineering Net Shape", "Metal Powder Application", "Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing", "Fused Deposition Modeling", "Binder Jetting" or "Nano Particle Jetting".

[0070] The additive manufacturing apparatus 110 illustrated herein has a powder supply section 120 and a manufacturing section 130 .

[0071] The powder supply section 120 is configured to transfer the powder material 112 in layers to the manufacturing section. To this end, the powder supply section 120 includes a powder lifting unit 122 on which the powder material 112 is stored and which can be raised and lowered together with the powder material 112. The powder lifting unit 122 can be configured as a piston, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0072] The additive manufacturing device 110 further includes a layer generator 124, which is configured to transfer a certain amount of powder material 112 from the powder supply section 120 to the manufacturing section 130 and generate a processed layer 114 of the powder material 112 there. This can be done in such a way that the layer generator 124 takes the upper layer of powder material 112 in the powder supply section 120 and transfers it to the manufacturing section 130. As shown in the present embodiment, the layer generator 124 can be configured as a ball or alternatively as a scraper.

[0073] Thus, the powder material 112 is applied in layers to a base plate 132 of the production section 130. The base plate 132 can be raised and lowered together with the powder material 112 being processed at least partially at that time, like the powder lifting unit 122, so that the currently processed layer 114 always has a constant distance to the scanner 142 of the beam melting system 140.

[0074] The jet melting system 140 has, in addition to the scanner 142, a laser 144, which is arranged such that a laser beam 146 locally melts the powder material 112 in the processing layer 114 of the production section 130, thereby welding the material to the layer located below it. The base plate 132 is then reduced by a layer thickness and a new processing layer 114 is applied in the production section 130 by means of the layer generator 124. The jet melting system 140 then performs a re-irradiation process. In this way, the component 116 to be additively manufactured is constructed layer by layer.

[0075] As materials for the powder material 112, various metals can be considered, in particular stainless steel, preferably stainless steel 316L, wherein other metals and alloys are possible, such as titanium or aluminum. The material is applied to the substrate 132 in powder form in a thin processing layer 114 with a thickness of preferably 10 μm to 100 μm.

[0076] The above-described beam melting method is configured by various process parameters including, for example, the laser power, scanning speed and track distance of the beam melting system 140 and the layer thickness of the processed layer 114 generated by the layer generator 124 .

[0077] A scanning strategy is customary in which the jet melting system 140 is moved away from the processing layer 114 or the component 116 to be additively produced in such a way that a so-called “shadow”, which is referred to herein as shadow region 117 , and a contour region 118 are generated.

[0078] Figure 3A A schematic cross section of an exemplary component 116 is shown with a shaded area 117 and an outline area 118, the outline area 118 having a simple outline, i.e., individual contour lines. The shaded area 117 and the outline area 118 are usually implemented with different process parameters in order to achieve a good compromise between economic efficiency and quality, wherein the shaded area 117 is preferably scanned faster than the outline area 118, i.e., scanned or irradiated at a higher scanning speed. However, alternative or additional process parameters, such as laser power or track distance, can be modified in order to distinguish the outline area 118 from the shaded area 117 in terms of process technology. In this text, the process parameters for the shaded area 117 are referred to as "shaded process parameters" and the process parameters for the outline area 118 are referred to as "outline process parameters".

[0079] The system 100 further comprises a post-processing system 200, which is arranged to post-process the component 116 manufactured in the manufacturing device 110 in an additive manner so that the component 116 is better suited for use in the food field. In particular, it is required that the product contact surface, such as the inner wall of the product pipeline 34, 35 of the filling component 10, has a roughness of Ra≤0.8 μm. The post-processing system 200 can be based on conventional technologies (fluid milling, Hirtisieren, MMP, DLyte, HIP, etc.).

[0080] The jet melting method and its parameterization are performed by means of a control device 150, which communicates with the additive manufacturing device 110 and the post-processing system 200, in particular with its various devices, components, etc. The control device 150 is connected in terms of signal technology to the components to be controlled or regulated and / or read out, thus in particular to the powder supply section 120, the layer generator 124, the production section 130 and the jet melting system 140 and, if applicable, the post-processing system 200.

[0081] The communication between the control device 150 and the components to be controlled or adjusted and / or read out can be carried out by wire or wireless, digital or analog. The control device 150 can receive and / or send signals (control signals, data, etc.) accordingly, wherein signal transmission in one direction and in two directions all belong to the term "communication" in this article. The control device 150 does not necessarily have to be implemented by a central computing device or an electronic regulator, but it includes decentralized and / or multi-level systems, regulation networks, cloud systems, etc. The control device 150 can also be an integral part of a host device controller or communicate with such a host device controller. The control unit 150 can also communicate with a lower device controller, that is, a controller assigned to the corresponding device.

[0082] In order to obtain a surface of high quality and uniformity of the product contact section of the component 116, various measures may be implemented individually or in combination, which are described below:

[0083] according to Figure 3B In the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines 118a are used to scan all or selected contour areas 118. In other words, the controller 150 sets the contour process parameters for the contour area 118 so that a plurality of contour lines 118a are generated.

[0084] An alternative to additive manufacturing is to irradiate contour region 118 multiple times, thereby manufacturing contour region 118 with higher quality. Figure 3CAs another embodiment, a contour area 118b is shown, which is produced by a combination of manufacturing multiple contour lines 118a and multiple irradiation. By multiple irradiation of the contour line 118a, especially the middle area of ​​the contour line, the corresponding sections are re-irradiated with adapted parameterization. As a result, these areas are re-melted, thereby achieving higher quality connections in the structure.

[0085] In this way, the discontinuous transition area between the shadow area 117 and the contour area 118 is moved to the interior of the component, thereby eliminating the risk that the contour area 118 is completely eliminated in sections during the post-processing of the component 116 and the shadow area 117 is exposed with a quality that is usually lower than the product contact surface. In addition, bonding errors in the intermediate area caused by possible multiple irradiation are eliminated. Overall, a reduction in the number and size of holes in the near-edge area, i.e., in the product contact surface of the component 116, can be achieved.

[0086] The extension of the above concept is based on the fact that the distinction between the shadow area 117 and the contour area 118 is omitted. In this case, the component 116 is printed without the contour area 118, wherein the control unit 150 uses the contour process parameters to produce the shadow area 117. Here, the control device 150 can also be a machine controller. In this way, a possible increase in the pore volume in the transition area between the shadow area 117 and the contour area 118 is eliminated, whereby a substantially pore-free near-surface structure can be generated.

[0087] An alternative or additional measure for improving the surface quality of the product contact surface of the component 116 is to use a thinner layer thickness of the processing layer 114 in combination with a finer powder material 112. Although powder materials with a particle size distribution of about 25 μm to 45 μm are conventionally used in the case of a processing layer thickness of about 50 μm, the surface roughness can be further reduced by using a finer powder material 112 with a particle size of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, in combination with a layer thickness of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm. Particularly preferably, the layer thickness of the processing layer 114 corresponds essentially exactly to the particle size of the powder material 112, so that the processing layer 114 with a particle thickness is generated by the layer generator 124.

[0088] An alternative or additional measure for improving the surface quality of the product contact surface of the component 116 is to combine different post-processing methods. Therefore, post-processing preferably includes roughing, in which rough material removal occurs, and finishing, which produces the final surface. For this purpose, fluid grinding and MMP processes or Hirtisieren or Dlyte methods can be combined in an order adapted to the result to be achieved.

[0089] Alternatively, the additive manufacturing method can be based on a hybrid method, in which a layered additive structure is combined, for example by means of an additive manufacturing device 110 and a subtractive post-processing in a sequence downstream. Thus, the system 100 can include a removal device 160, for example in the form of a milling cutter, which is arranged to grind the geometry of the component 116 in the current processing stage after irradiation of one or more processing layers 114 by the beam melting system 140. In other words, a tool change is made toward the removal device 160, preferably toward the milling cutter head, according to the layers of the additive construction of a separately defined number in the additive manufacturing device 110. The process then mechanically post-processes the geometry produced previously. The process is repeated until the component 116 is completely constructed.

[0090] By combining such hybrid methods with post-processing, powder residues, welding spatter and tool change edges can be eliminated or homogenized, wherein preferably a hybrid DED method or a hybrid SLM method is combined with fluid grinding or helical milling.

[0091] In a hybrid approach, edges or other surface defects may be generated on the component 116 due to subtractive processing during additive manufacturing. These edges or other surface defects can be minimized by optimizing the cutting geometry of the removal device 160, for example by using a cutting blade with a rounded edge instead of a sharp cutting blade. Alternatively or additionally, simulation-supported warpage compensation can be performed to counteract warpage caused, for example, by thermally induced internal stresses during the additive construction process and by relaxation of internal stresses during post-subtractive processing.

[0092] In general, additively manufactured components 116 used in filling or packaging equipment that come into direct or secondary contact with foods can be processed by the method and system 100 in the above-described embodiment variants in such a way that they meet the hygiene requirements in the food industry. This includes in particular components of the filling component 10, preferably housing components with product lines 34, 35 or channels with complex geometries.

[0093] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional illustration of the lower valve section 50 of the filling member 10, see Figure 1 The lower valve section 50 comprises the above-mentioned product lines 34, 35, wherein the second product line 35 is formed in the form of a plurality of jacket channels 35a. The jacket channels 35a are integrated into the housing 20 or its wall and extend spirally downward to the outlet or mouth section of the valve section 50, whereby the jacket channels 35a form a swirl section so that the filling product is in rotation when leaving the valve section 50.

[0094] The lower valve section 50 is particularly suitable for the additive manufacturing concept described herein due to its relatively complex channel structure. However, the manufacturing concept is not limited thereto. Further additively manufactured components in the field of food processing can be: swirl bodies, valve stems, valve cones and other valve closures, metering valves, valve blocks, switch valves in filling technology, water treatment devices and blow molding machines, molded shells and bottom cups in stretch blow molding technology, stretch rods with built-in process air channels, components for bottle interior coatings (such as electrodes), filters and screens, agitators and mixing and dispersing devices, if necessary with integrated channels or guide blades, other fluid guiding components such as nozzles, channels, pipelines and pipes, which are used to convey, mix and distribute liquid foods or fluids in direct and / or secondary contact with the product.

[0095] The additive manufacturing described herein allows for a very high degree of design freedom for the realization of complex geometries, which is conventionally not achievable or can only be achieved with great effort. In particular, sealing points and dead zones caused by design limitations that are always unavoidable with conventional manufacturing techniques can be eliminated or reduced. For this reason, functional integration is also facilitated by avoiding sealing points, for example by reducing components. The design freedom of additive manufacturing can also be used to improve the hygienic properties of component 116, for example by flow-optimized design.

[0096] Additive manufacturing contributes to material savings, since any subtractive processes are only used for post-processing and are therefore almost insignificant, so that essentially only the material required for component 116 is used.

[0097] By targeted adaptation of process parameters such as laser power, laser speed, shadow distance, layer thickness and particle size distribution of the powder (finer powder), the component quality can be significantly improved. The improvement can include reducing the porosity (number and size of pores) in the component 116. By a possible subsequent grinding post-processing, no pores are exposed, whereby the surface roughness can be reduced overall. The improved finished surface quality that can be achieved in this way, if it does not yet meet the hygiene requirements, at least represents an improved initial roughness for post-processing.

[0098] Thus, hygienic built-in surfaces with a roughness Ra ≤ 0.8 μm, or even high-gloss surfaces with Ra < 0.2 μm, can be achieved, in particular using the MMP method. The risk of microbial contamination of the component 116 is thus reduced and cleanability is improved.

[0099] Where applicable, all individual features shown in the exemplary embodiments may be combined with one another and / or exchanged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0100] Description of reference numerals:

[0101] 10 Filling components

[0102] 20 Shell

[0103] 30 Upper valve section

[0104] 31 First Product Connector

[0105] 32 Second product connector

[0106] 33 Gas connections

[0107] 34 First product pipeline

[0108] 35 Second product pipeline

[0109] 35a Sheath channel

[0110] 36 Valve stem

[0111] 37 Actuator

[0112] 36a Gas channel

[0113] 40 flange section

[0114] 50 Lower valve section

[0115] 51 Valve cone

[0116] 100 Systems for additively manufactured components

[0117] 110 Additive Manufacturing Device

[0118] 112 Powder Materials

[0119] 114 Processing Layer

[0120] 116 Additively manufactured components

[0121] 117 Shadow Area

[0122] 118 Contour area

[0123] 118a Contour line

[0124] 118b Contour area with multiple contour lines and multiple illuminations

[0125] 120 Powder supply section

[0126] 122 Powder lifting unit

[0127] 124 Layer Generator

[0128] 130 Manufacturing Section

[0129] 132 substrate

[0130] 140 Beam Melting System

[0131] 142 Scanner

[0132] 144 Laser

[0133] 146 Laser Beam

[0134] 150 Control Device

[0135] 160 Removal device

[0136] 200 Post-processing system

Claims

1. A method for additively manufacturing a component (116), in particular a component (116) for use with food, by means of an additive manufacturing device (110), the additive manufacturing device (110) having a manufacturing section (130) and a jet melting system (140), wherein: The method has: In the manufacturing section (130) of the additive manufacturing device (110), a processed layer (114) consisting of a powder material (112) is manufactured, wherein the powder material (112) is preferably a metal powder; The processing layer (114) is irradiated with the aid of the jet melting system (140), whereby the powder material (112) is locally melted in the processing layer (112), wherein, in this case, the jet melting system (140) is moved away from and irradiates the processing layer (114) in such a way that at least one shadow region of the component (116) to be additively manufactured is formed using shadow process parameters and at least one contour region (118) of the component (116) to be additively manufactured is formed using contour process parameters, wherein the shadow process parameters and the contour process parameters are preferably at least partially different; wherein, A plurality of juxtaposed contour lines (118a) are generated in the at least one contour region (118) and / or the at least one contour region (118) is at least partially illuminated multiple times.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that A plurality of juxtaposed contour lines (118a) are generated in the at least one contour area (118), and the gaps between the contour lines (118a) are re-irradiated, preferably using process parameters that are changed relative to the contour lines (180a) and / or generating an overlap of the contour lines (118a).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The at least one shadow region is illuminated using the profile process parameters (117).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that As powder material (112), a fine powder with a particle size of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, is used in combination with the processing layer (114) with a layer thickness of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, wherein the layer thickness of the processing layer (114) is preferably greater than the particle size of the powder material (112).

5. A method for additively manufacturing a component (116), in particular a component (116) for use with food, by means of an additive manufacturing device (110), the additive manufacturing device (110) having a manufacturing section (130) and a jet melting system (140), wherein: The method has: Manufacturing a processed layer (114) composed of a powder material (112) in the manufacturing section (130) of the additive manufacturing device (110); The processing layer (114) is irradiated by means of the beam melting system (140), whereby the powder material (112) is locally melted in the processing layer (112); wherein: As powder material (112), a fine powder with a particle size of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, is used in combination with the processing layer (114) with a layer thickness of at most 20 μm, preferably less than 15 μm, wherein the layer thickness of the processing layer (114) is preferably greater than the particle size of the powder material (112).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The steps of manufacturing and irradiating the processing layer (114) are performed multiple times in a sequential process, thereby constructing the component (116) to be additively manufactured layer by layer.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that After irradiation of the processing layer (114), subtractive processing of the contour region (118) is performed by means of a removal device (160) which preferably comprises a milling cutter.

8. A method for producing a component (116), in particular a component (116) for use with food, wherein: The method has: additively manufacturing a component (116) by means of an additive manufacturing device (110) preferably according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and At least one surface of the component (116) is post-processed by means of one or more post-processing methods, wherein the post-processing method preferably comprises fluid grinding and / or Hirtisieren and / or MMP and / or DLyte and / or HIP.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that At least two post-machining methods are combined so that the post-machining includes roughing in which rough material removal takes place and finishing which produces the final surface, wherein, preferably, flow milling and the MMP process or the Hirtisieren or DLyte method are combined in an order adapted to the result to be achieved.

10. A system (100) for additive manufacturing of a component (116), in particular a component (116) for use with food, wherein: The system (100) comprises: An additive manufacturing device (110), the additive manufacturing device (110) comprising: a manufacturing section (130) for manufacturing a processing layer (114) composed of a powder material (112), the powder material (112) preferably being a metal powder, and a beam melting system (140) for irradiating the processing layer (112), whereby the powder material (112) can be locally melted in the processing layer (114); and A control device (150) which communicates with the additive manufacturing device (110) and is configured to start the beam melting system (140), to move away and to irradiate the processing layer (114) in such a way that at least one shadow area of ​​the component (116) to be additively manufactured is formed using shadow process parameters and at least one contour area (118) of the component (116) to be additively manufactured is formed using contour process parameters, wherein the shadow process parameters and the contour process parameters are preferably at least partially different; wherein The control device (150) is configured to activate the beam melting system (140), to generate a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines (118a) in the at least one contour area (118), and / or to at least partially irradiate the at least one contour area (118) multiple times.

11. The system (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that The control device (150) is configured to activate the beam melting system (140), generate a plurality of juxtaposed contour lines (118a) in the at least one contour area (118) and re-irradiate the gaps between the contour lines (118a), preferably using process parameters that are changed relative to the contour lines (180a) and / or using an overlap of the contour lines (118a).

12. The system (100) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The control device (150) is configured to activate the beam melting system (140) and irradiate the at least one shadow region (117) using the profile process parameters.

13. The system (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that The additive manufacturing device (110) has a removal device (160) which preferably comprises a milling cutter, wherein the control device (150) is configured to perform subtractive processing of the contour area (118) by means of the removal device (160) after irradiating the processing layer (114).

14. An assembly for producing a component (116), in particular a component (116) for use with food, wherein: The components have: Preferably, a system (100) for additive manufacturing of a component (116) according to any one of claims 10 to 13; and A post-processing system (200) for post-processing at least one surface of the component (116) by means of one or more post-processing methods, wherein the post-processing method preferably includes fluid grinding and / or Hirtisieren and / or MMP and / or DLyte and / or HIP.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that The post-processing system (200) is configured to combine at least two post-processing methods, so that the post-processing includes rough machining and fine machining, wherein rough material removal is performed and the fine machining produces a final surface, wherein the post-processing system (200) is preferably configured to combine flow milling and MMP processes or Hirtisieren or DLyte methods in an order adapted to the result to be achieved.

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