System comprising a device for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects from powder-like building material

Abstract

System comprising a device (1) for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects (2) from powdered building material (3) by introducing radiation energy, in particular a laser sintering and / or laser melting device, with at least one housing (4) with a process chamber (5) in which a build space or an exchangeable container (6) with a height-adjustable build platform is arranged, onto which the powdered building material (3) intended for solidification by means of radiation energy can be applied, wherein the device (1) has a memory chip (16) that can be removed from the process chamber (5) of the device (1) with the exchangeable container (6) and / or the built object (2) and can be read via an electronic reading device (15),on the manufacturing data and / or subsequent processing steps and / or processing stations belonging to the additive manufacturing process for the automatic control of processing devices (7 - 11) and / or transport paths (12) and / or storage positions (8), and / or data for controlling active elements of the swap body (6) itself are stored, wherein the memory chip (16) is detachably attached to it or is also located in a section of non-solidified building material within the build chamber or is connected to a build plate (27) arranged on the build platform, wherein a plurality of devices (1) for additive manufacturing are connected to a plurality of further processing stations (7 - 11) via a plurality of transport paths (12),wherein branches are provided in the transport routes (12) and the swap bodies (6) in the area of ​​the branches can be controlled to different sections of the transport routes (12) by the electronically readable memory chip (16).

Description

[0001] The invention / innovation relates to a system comprising a device for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects from powder-like building material by introducing radiation energy, with the further features of claim 1. Such devices are in particular referred to as laser sintering or laser melting systems and have a housing with a process chamber in which a build space or an interchangeable container with a height-adjustable build platform is arranged.

[0002] During the construction process, a thin layer of powdered building material is applied to the build platform and then solidified in sections according to a predetermined structure of the component to be manufactured. This process is continued by recoating the previous powder layer or solidified partial layer until the three-dimensional component is completed in a layer-by-layer construction process under radiation.

[0003] It is already known that such devices use so-called interchangeable containers, which can be inserted into a process chamber to carry out the build process and, after completion of the build process, removed from the process chamber along with the object inside. These interchangeable containers are then moved to a so-called unpacking station or further processing station, where the workpiece is processed accordingly.

[0004] Such a device is described, for example, in DE 10 2009 036 153 A1. Further devices for the production of three-dimensional objects are known from documents GB 2 472 846 A, DE 603 ​​20 588 T2, DE 10 2007 048 385 B3, DE 10 2009 015 130 A1, US 2014 / 0 178 588 A1, and US 2009 / 0 173 443 A1.

[0005] The invention is based on the objective of further developing such a device in such a way that, after the construction process, customer assignment, analysis and / or further transport and / or targeted further processing of the workpiece to further stations can be carried out automatically and object-specifically.

[0006] This problem is solved by a system according to claim 1.

[0007] The core of the invention is considered to be the provision of a memory chip to the object produced in the device. This chip is either detachably attached to the object or embedded in the non-solidified building material within the build chamber. Build data can be initially entered into this chip by a writing device. This data is suitable for reversing the build process that has taken place in the device, in the sense of "reverse engineering," to determine whether the object produced in the device might, for example, exhibit internal structural defects. Examples of build data include laser power, coating data, atmospheric data in the build chamber, temperature, and in particular, melt pool temperatures or melt pool sizes in the area of ​​the laser focal spot on the powder layer, or other data suitable for providing information about a build process that has already been carried out.

[0008] Furthermore, customer information can be stored on the same chip, such as a customer number, manufacturing data, delivery date, and delivery location. Again, there are no limits regarding customer or delivery data.

[0009] Furthermore, the chip can be used to control subsequent processing steps, for example, if the manufactured object undergoes special surface treatment or is to be conveyed to an engraving device. Processing equipment following the manufacturing device, such as milling stations, thermal treatment stations, polishing stations, handling stations, an optical measuring station, or even a disinfection station for disinfecting the component, can be automatically controlled by the chip.

[0010] The transport route to such processing equipment, which must be traversed between the actual manufacturing device and the processing equipment, can also be precisely tracked by the memory chip, thus eliminating the need for manual intervention when transporting the object to further processing stations. Ultimately, it is also possible to store a position within a storage area on the chip, which is then automatically accessed by a transport device. If the chip is an RFID chip, an RFID reader can immediately perform an inventory upon entering the storage area, determining which manufactured objects are located where in the storage area and which are due for collection and delivery at a specific time.

[0011] Finally, within the scope of the invention, it is also possible to use the memory chip to control active elements of the exchangeable container equipped with the memory chip. In particular, drive motors for moving the exchangeable container, actuators for adjusting the height of the build platform, heating elements, cooling elements, ventilation motors, extraction devices, and the like, which are integrated into the exchangeable container, can be controlled. Since the memory chip can be individually programmed for each build process, the control of the active elements of the exchangeable container can be precisely adapted to the build process and subsequent treatment steps.

[0012] All this data can be stored on one and the same chip. However, the invention also allows for the provision of multiple readable memory chips, which are supplied with the exchangeable container or the constructed project and can be removed from the process chamber of the device along with it. Programming can be carried out in the device itself, but it is also possible to supply pre-programmed chips that are already fully or partially pre-programmed and, for example, only need to be loaded with the manufacturing data.

[0013] The laser sintering or laser melting system can be equipped with an input device, for example a card reader or other input device, which is suitable for programming the memory chip more or less completely.

[0014] After the manufacturing process, the interchangeable container is removed from the device and can be transported on designated conveyor tracks to further processing stations, which are stored as intermediate or destination stations on the memory chip. An intermediate station would be, for example, a processing station, and a destination station would be a storage location.

[0015] In the laser sintering or laser melting device, as well as in other processing stations such as milling stations or thermal treatment stations, or also on sections of the travel path of the swap body or the object between the device and the other processing stations or storage areas, electronic reading devices that interact with the memory chip can be arranged, which are suitable for controlling switching devices so that the object or the swap body is moved to the correct station.

[0016] It is also possible, in principle, to couple a processor to the memory chip, which then interacts with at least one sensor element inside the removable container. This allows physical data such as pressure, temperature, time, acceleration values, and the like to be recorded on the memory chip to determine whether any external circumstances have affected the object after the manufacturing process, potentially leading to damage. For example, an accelerometer can detect a severe impact that could cause the object to break or partially break.

[0017] The invention / innovation is explained in more detail with reference to advantageous embodiments shown in the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a system according to the invention, comprising a device with a plurality of transport paths, processing stations and storage positions; Fig. 2 a schematic view of a removable container with two indicated positions of a readable memory chip; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a swap body containing a memory chip embedded in a powder bed; Fig. 4 A schematic cross-sectional view through a construction chamber with an object built inside, to which a memory chip is attached via a connecting bridge.

[0018] The in Fig. The device 1 shown in Figure 1 is used to produce three-dimensional objects 2 from powdered building material 3 by applying radiation energy. In particular, it is a laser sintering or laser melting device. A process chamber 5 is housed in a casing 4, in which a build chamber or an interchangeable container 6 with a height-adjustable build platform is arranged. The powdered building material intended for solidification by means of radiation energy can be applied to this platform.

[0019] In Fig. Figure 1 further shows that, in addition to the actual manufacturing device, further processing stations 7, storage stations 8, at least one unpacking station 9, a test station 10, and, for example, an engraving station 11 are provided, all of which are connected to each other via transport routes 12 in such a way that either the exchangeable container 6 or the object 2 freed from the powder bed can be conveyed to the different processing stations 7, storage locations 8, or other positions along the transport routes 12. For this purpose, automatically controlled conveyors, conveyor belts, or other suitable transport mechanisms known in the prior art can be used.

[0020] To control the approach to the different transport routes 12 or processing facilities or storage positions, either a memory chip 16, which can be removed from the process chamber of the device 1 with the interchangeable container 6 or with the built object 2 and which can be read via an electronic reading device 15, is provided, on which manufacturing data and / or subsequent processing steps or the processing stations for the automatic control of processing facilities, transport routes and / or storage positions belonging to the additive manufacturing process are stored.

[0021] The assignment between swappable container 6 and memory chip 16 can be made in different ways.

[0022] In Fig. Figure 1 shows that the memory chip 16 is attached to an outer wall of the removable container 6.

[0023] In Fig. Figure 2 indicates that the memory chip 16 can be inserted into pocket-like recesses 17 of the removable container 6 and locked in place, for example.

[0024] In Fig. Figure 3 shows that it is also sufficient to place the memory chip 16 into the powder bed 18 of the build material 3 and leave it there, so that the memory chip 16 can be removed from the process chamber with the exchangeable container 6. For temporary fixation of the memory chip 16, it can, for example, be placed in a housing with anchor projections extending into the powder bed.

[0025] Another possible arrangement of the memory chip 16 is in Fig. Figure 4 is shown schematically. There, the memory chip 16 is connected to the object 2 via a bridge 25, so that a fixed assignment between memory chip 16 and object 2 remains even after the object is unpacked from the building material 3. It is within the scope of the invention to provide, in addition to the memory chip 16 connected to the object, one or more memory chips 26 in conjunction with the interchangeable container 6. The memory chips 26 can, for example, be used to influence switching devices of the transport paths 12, while the memory chip 16 on the object 2 contains customer data, process data such as manufacturing temperatures, melt pool temperatures, and the like. Naturally, it is possible to store all data on both memory chips 16 and 26 and to read and utilize them accordingly.

[0026] In Fig. Figure 4 shows that the memory chip can also be housed in a build plate 27, onto which powdery building material 3 is layered and solidified during the construction process to build the first layers of the object 2.

[0027] In Fig. Figure 1 further shows that a programming device 30 may be provided in the process chamber 5, which is connected to an input unit 31 in order to load corresponding data onto the memory chip 16.

[0028] It is also within the scope of the invention to connect the memory chip 16 to at least one processor 40, which interacts with at least one sensor element inside the interchangeable container 6 in order to register or report, for example, harmful accelerations, temperatures or other influences on the object 2. REFERENCE MARK LIST 1 Device 2 objects 3 Building materials 4 cases 5th Trial Chamber 6 interchangeable containers 7 processing stations 8 storage positions 9 Unpacking station 10 test stations 11 Engraving station 12 Transport route 15 Reading device 16 memory chips 25 Bridge 26 memory chips 27 Building plate 30 Programming device 31 Input unit 40 processor

Claims

[1] System comprising a device (1) for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects (2) from powdered building material (3) by introducing radiation energy, in particular a laser sintering and / or laser melting device, with at least one housing (4) having a process chamber (5) in which a build space or an exchangeable container (6) with a height-adjustable build platform is arranged, onto which the powdered building material (3) intended for solidification by means of radiation energy can be applied, wherein the device (1) has a memory chip (16) that can be removed from the process chamber (5) of the device (1) with the exchangeable container (6) and / or the built object (2) and can be read via an electronic reading device (15),on the manufacturing data and / or subsequent processing steps and / or processing stations belonging to the additive manufacturing process for the automatic control of processing devices (7 - 11) and / or transport paths (12) and / or storage positions (8), and / or data for controlling active elements of the swap body (6) itself are stored, wherein the memory chip (16) is detachably attached to it or is also located in a section of non-solidified building material within the build chamber or is connected to a build plate (27) arranged on the build platform, wherein a plurality of devices (1) for additive manufacturing are connected to a plurality of further processing stations (7 - 11) via a plurality of transport paths (12),wherein branches are provided in the transport routes (12) and the swap bodies (6) in the area of ​​the branches can be controlled to different sections of the transport routes (12) by the electronically readable memory chip (16). [2] System according to claim 1, characterized by , that a programming device (30, 31) for the memory chip (16) is arranged in the area of ​​the process chamber (5). [3] System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the swap body (6) can be moved along designated transport routes (12) to such further processing stations (7) which are stored as intermediate or destination stations on the memory chip (16). [4] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the processing steps to be carried out on the object (2) in the further processing stations (7) are stored as information on the memory chip (16). [5] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that electronic reading devices (15) cooperating with the memory chip (16) are arranged in the device (1), in the further processing stations (7) and / or on sections of the transport routes (12) of the swap body (6) between the device (1) and the further processing stations (7). [6] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the memory chip (16) is coupled with at least one processor (40) which interacts with at least one sensor element inside the removable container (6). [7] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a plurality of further processing stations (7, 8, 9, 10) can be accessed by the swap body (6), wherein a plurality of switching devices electronically controllable by information from the memory chip (16) are provided along the transport route (12). [8] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the processing sequences that can be stored on the memory chip (16) include thermal treatment steps, mechanical surface treatment steps, optical measurement steps, surface irradiation steps, marking steps, cooling times and cooling atmospheres. [9] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the further processing stations (7 - 10) each include at least one thermal irradiation station, marking station, laser surface processing station, measuring station, cooling station and / or removal station. [10] System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one actuator or drive motor of the swap body (6) can be controlled by the memory chip (16). [11] System according to claim 10, characterized by, that the drive motor controls the height displacement of the build platform arranged in the swap container (6) as a result of information stored on the memory chip (16). [12] System according to claim 1, characterized by , that a heating device of the exchangeable container (6) can be controlled by information stored on the memory chip (16).

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