Additive manufacturing method for manufacturing component

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a component by additive manufacturing process using an improved clamping mechanism for after-treatment.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a component wit an additive manufacturing process, including: a. providing CAD data defining a geometry of a component 1; b. providing CAD data defining a geometry of a first clamp element 10, in this case, the geometry of the first clamp element is determined taking a geometry of a second cramp element into account such that the first clamping element can be clamped in the second clamping element after the additive manufacturing process to hold the component in a desired position for after-treatment; c. generating machine work data based on the CAD data defining the geometry of the component and the CAD data defining the geometry of the first clamp element; and d. forming the component and the first clamp element with an additive manufacturing process based on the machine work data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing parts by an additive manufacturing process.

Background Art

[0002] An additive manufacturing process is a non-traditional machining process for forming parts from powder without using any machine tools. One type of additive manufacturing process is powder bed fusion, such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Direct Metal Printing (DMP), and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). This process enables the production of complex parts at low cost. This is because the cost is mainly determined by the volume of the part, rather than the complexity of the geometry of the part to be constructed. Another advantage of this process is the short manufacturing time. Compared with traditional machining processes, such an additive manufacturing process does not require additional machine tools. Such additional machine tools are expensive and may also extend the time until production starts. For these reasons, the additive manufacturing process is an attractive process from the perspectives of cost and manufacturing time.

[0003] However, there are several drawbacks to using such processes. Parts manufactured by additive manufacturing processes need further processing for several reasons. One reason is that certain materials require heat treatment. Another reason is that many parts are typically formed on a build plate that is mounted on an additive manufacturing machine and then separated from this build plate after the additive manufacturing process. Furthermore, post-processing of individual parts is very often required to complete the final shape of the parts. For example, additive manufacturing processes cannot form threads with tight tolerances that are present in many parts. In addition, the surface quality of the parts may need to be improved, and good surface quality is essential to ensure this connection, especially when the surface of the manufactured part needs to be connected to other elements. In industrial applications, post-processing is usually achieved by machine tools. Therefore, separated parts need to be mounted individually on machine tools. Since post-processing cannot be performed on the build plate, the reference point of the part is lost after separation. Therefore, the challenge for post-processing is to accurately and quickly clamp the separated parts on the machine tool.

[0004] Generally, parts can have very complex geometric shapes. Therefore, standard clamping devices typically equipped on machine tools cannot easily clamp parts. Parts also need to be stably clamped on the machine tool to withstand the large forces acting on them during post-processing, such as milling. For this reason, special fixing devices for clamping parts are often required, resulting in additional costs. Furthermore, inaccuracies in the positioning of parts on the machine tool can directly affect the final part, which also has a significant impact on the defect rate. Therefore, for the final quality of parts manufactured through additive manufacturing processes, an accurate and rapid clamping mechanism for clamping parts on post-processing machine tools after additive manufacturing plays a crucial role.

[0005] To overcome the drawbacks of the required post-processing steps for additively manufactured parts, additional support elements are manufactured together with the part. Such additional support elements can be directly clamped by standard clamping devices. One example is the so-called bolt-in solution described in the article “design and validation of integrated clamping interfaces for post-processing and robotic handling in additive manufacturing” published in the international journal of advanced manufacturing technology 118, 3761-3787 (2022). This design presents a part in which bolt elements are integrated as the clamping interface of the part. However, such a design is applicable to three-jaw clamping systems. It is not suitable for other clamping systems, such as parallel-jaw clamping systems. In addition to this drawback, at least three additional support elements, i.e., bolt elements, are required. Since the support elements are not part of the final part, the material required to form the support elements is wasted material. The more support elements required, the more material is wasted.

[0006] U.S. Patent No. 10656626 discloses a system for manufacturing separate objects from an additively manufactured material body, which includes the material body before it becomes a separate object and at least one reference feature. The reference feature is applied to enable positioning of the additively manufactured material body in the manufacturing apparatus. However, since this reference feature is used only as a positioning feature, an additional mechanism is required to hold the additively manufactured material body in this position. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing parts by an additive manufacturing process that has improved manufacturing efficiency and improved quality. In particular, the object is to provide a method for manufacturing parts by an additive manufacturing process using an improved clamping mechanism for post-processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In the present invention, a method for manufacturing a part by an additive manufacturing process includes providing computer-aided design (CAD) data defining the geometry of the part and providing CAD data defining the geometry of a first clamping element. The geometry of the first clamping element is determined in consideration of the geometry of a second clamping element. Furthermore, the first and second clamping elements are configured so that the first clamping element can be clamped into the second clamping element after the additive manufacturing process to hold the part in a desired position for post-processing. The method further includes generating machining data based on the CAD data defining the geometry of the part and the CAD data defining the geometry of the first clamping element, and forming the part and the first clamping element by an additive manufacturing process based on the machining data. The first clamping element has at least two parallel sides, and the second clamping element has two vise jaws arranged parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the second clamping element. In the clamped state, two parallel sides of the first clamping element interact with the vise jaws of the second clamping element. At least one of the parallel sides of the first clamping element is provided with a plurality of female clamping contours that engage with a plurality of male clamping contours provided on the vise jaws in the clamped state. Advantageously, the first clamping element is a rectangular parallelepiped that is optimally clamped between the two vise jaws of the second clamping element.

[0009] The additive manufacturing process includes preprocessing to prepare machining data. CAD data defining the geometry of the part and the first clamp element is provided or generated. Machining data is generated that can be used to form the part and the first clamp element layer by layer by dividing the CAD data describing the 3D models of the part and the first clamp element into slices. Therefore, the CAD data required for the additive manufacturing process describes not only the final shape of the part but also the geometry of the clamp element.

[0010] Additive manufacturing is a high-speed process for producing parts with complex shapes. However, post-processing is generally essential to achieve the final shape and optimize quality characteristics. Furthermore, after separating individual parts from the build plate, post-processing is performed on these individual parts in a machine tool. This means that the separated parts need to be repositioned in the machine tool. To ensure efficient post-processing, two problems need to be solved. The first problem is the positioning of the parts in the machine tool, because the positioning information of the parts in the additive manufacturing machine is lost after separation. The second problem is how to stably hold irregularly shaped parts in the machine tool. Typically, workpieces with simple shapes, such as squares or cylinders, are attached to the machine tool as raw materials for machining. In this invention, these problems have been considered during the part design stage. A clamping system for post-processing can be selected before generating machining data for manufacturing the parts. In this invention, a central parallel vise jaw clamping system is applied because this type of clamping system is widely used and provides high-speed and reliable clamping. Therefore, the second clamping element is a central parallel type vise jaw clamping element having two vise jaws for clamping an object between them. To avoid directly clamping the part between the vise jaws, the first clamping element is integrated with the part, so that the first clamping element can be clamped between the vise jaws to hold the part formed on the first clamping element in a desired position. The geometry of the first clamping element is determined considering the second clamping element so that the first clamping element can be designed and manufactured to enable precise interaction with the second clamping element. To achieve this, clamping contours are provided on the interaction surfaces of the first and second clamping elements. These clamping contours function as reference elements on the one hand and can improve the stability of the clamp on the other hand.Multiple female clamp contours are formed on the side surface of the first clamping element, and multiple male clamp contours of complementary shapes are formed on the contact surfaces of the vise jaws. When clamped, two sides of the first clamping element contact the contact surfaces of the two vise jaws, and each female clamp contour interacts with one male clamp contour. In this way, any part having any shape can be formed on the top of the first clamping element by an additive manufacturing process and can be easily attached to a machine tool for post-processing. The female clamp contours are formed on the side surface, and the normals of the female clamp contours are perpendicular to the build-on direction. This has the advantage that the clamping force can be applied only to the first clamping element and not to the part.

[0011] In some embodiments, the female and male clamp contours have complementary shapes to achieve form-fitting in the clamped state. Thus, each female clamp contour fits precisely to one male clamp contour to ensure accurate criterion assignment and a reliable clamping mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the female clamp contour has a pyramidal recess that tapers from the base toward the apex or edge.

[0013] The female clamp profile is a conical recess, a cubic recess, a cylindrical recess, a spherical recess, a hemispherical recess, or a wedge-shaped recess. Furthermore, the female clamp profile defines references in a first and a second direction. For example, if the build-on direction is oriented in the Z direction, the female clamp profile provides references in the X and Z directions. In this way, automatic criterion assignment can be achieved together with the clamp.

[0014] In a favorable modification, the pyramidal recess has four side walls and one vertex oriented inward. The pyramidal recess can be designed by applying various types of pyramids, such as regular pyramids with a regular polygonal base. Furthermore, triangular pyramids are also applicable.

[0015] The male clamp contour is characterized by having a complementary shape to the female clamp contour; therefore, the male clamp contour is a protruding element that tapers from the base toward the vertex or edge.

[0016] The male clamp profile may have the shape of a pyramid, cone, cube, cylinder, sphere, hemisphere, or wedge. In particular, the vertices of a pyramidal male clamp profile are oriented outward to ensure contact with the female clamp profile when clamped.

[0017] However, the female clamp contour and the male clamp contour can also be designed in reverse. In this variation, the female clamp contour is a protruding element and the male clamp contour is a recess.

[0018] In this invention, a central parallel clamping system is selected because parallel vise jaws can provide high clamping force for variable spacing. Furthermore, such a clamping system is versatile and can be used to clamp a wide variety of parts using various mechanical systems. Such a clamping system can be used in almost any manufacturing environment. The central parallel clamping system is also compatible with palletizing and automation systems. For example, a second clamping system can be attached to a pallet, and this pallet can be automatically loaded into a machine tool or removed from the machine tool by an automatic tool changer.

[0019] Vise jaws are provided on the second clamping element to clamp the first clamping element between them and to hold the part during post-processing. Each clamping jaw has a base body and a contact surface located on the upper part of the base body. Multiple male clamping contours are formed on the contact surface to create contact with the female clamping contour.

[0020] The female and male clamp profiles are designed to meet two functions: precise positioning and reliable clamping.

[0021] When the female clamp profile has a pyramidal recess and the male clamp profile is a pyramidal projection, the reference points in two directions, for example, the X and Z directions, are defined by this shape. As a result, the clamp allows for precise control of the position of the part in the X and Z directions. Furthermore, to ensure clamping, the male clamp profile can be securely housed within the female clamp profile. Moreover, to optimally ensure clamping even when large cutting forces are applied in all directions during post-processing, the male clamp profile can be securely housed within the female clamp profile.

[0022] The size of the first clamp element can be changed according to the dimensions of the part. Furthermore, the number of female clamp contours provided on the first clamp element can also be easily changed during the design phase. In a preferred modification, multiple female clamp contours are provided at equal intervals from one another along the horizontal direction, for example, in the X direction. However, in some cases, the female clamp contours can be arranged at uneven intervals on an irregular substrate. Furthermore, it is important to provide two or more first clamp elements for a single part. The first clamp elements are connected together through the part at a distance from each other. Preferably, at least one female clamp contour is formed on each first clamp element. When clamped, all first clamp elements engage with one second clamp element.

[0023] The pyramidal shape offers advantages from the perspective of manufacturing errors with a large clamping force and stable clamping to avoid deformation of the part due to additional machining forces. Thus, there is no possibility of a change in position due to additional forces generated during post-processing. Furthermore, the pyramid provides a large clamping area, thereby realizing a large clamping force. The female clamping contour is provided at the lower part of the first clamping element but is spaced apart from the bottom surface by a predetermined distance. This eliminates the possibility of the female clamping contour being cut by a cutting tool during separation, thus facilitating separation. Furthermore, since the bottom surface of the first clamping element does not contact the second clamping element, the surface quality of the bottom surface is not important and can thus be of low quality.

[0024] The length of the vice jaw can be changed, for example, within the range of 50 mm to 220 mm, and the first clamping element can engage with the second clamping element at any position along the entire length. Usually, the length of the first clamping element is shorter than the length of the second clamping element, i.e., the length of the vice jaw. Therefore, markings are provided to provide a reference in the third direction, i.e., the Y direction. To achieve this, a first marking is provided on the first clamping element and a second marking is provided on the second clamping element to impart a reference in the third direction. In particular, the markings define a zero point in the Y direction. In particular, the first marking and / or the second marking are visual markings such as colors or patterns.

[0025] Advantageously, the first clamping element is a solid element to obtain stable clamping.

[0026] After completion of the post-processing, it is necessary to remove the first clamping element from the part. Thus, a separation part is formed between the first clamping element and the part by the additive manufacturing process.

[0027] In addition to manufacturing the component and the first clamping element by an additive manufacturing process, the second clamping element can also be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process.

[0028] In some embodiments, first the first clamping element is formed, and the component is formed along the build-on direction on top of the first clamping element. By using a parallel-type vice jaw clamping system, the first clamping element can be designed to have a simple shape such as a cuboid or cube. When the first clamping element is directly built on the build plate, the cutting surface does not provide any function after separation, so the requirements for separation can be lowered. The cutting surface cannot have any adverse effect on the final quality of the component, nor can it reduce the stability of the clamp. The component can be easily built on top of the first clamping element and has a high degree of freedom.

[0029] Various different powder bed fusion processes can be applied. For example, DMLS, SLS, DMP, and LPBF.SLM.

[0030] The method is suitable for manufacturing components having a substantially square or solid shape that can be stably formed on top of the first clamping element, although not limited thereto. Such components are, in particular, medical technology implants, medical technology instruments, stamps, and inserts for tooling and mold making, such as spinal cages. Furthermore, the component can be a small to medium-sized structural component for the automotive or aircraft industry. The size of the component can also be changed. For example, the cross-sectional area of the component can be in the range of 10 mm 2 ~500 mm 2 within the range.

[0031] A more detailed explanation of the principle briefly described above is presented below by reference to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings. These drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure. The principle of the disclosure is described and explained in detail through the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] This is an oblique projection view of a part having a first clamping element. [Figure 2] This is an oblique projection view of a part having a first clamping element. [Figure 3] This is an oblique projection view of a part having a first clamping element. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the clamped state of the first and second clamp elements, with Figure 4a being an enlarged view of the male clamp contour and Figure 4b being an enlarged view of the female clamp contour. [Figure 5] This figure shows the clamped state of the first clamp element and the second clamp element according to another embodiment of the first clamp element. [Figure 6] This figure shows the clamped state of the first clamp element and the second clamp element according to another embodiment of the first clamp element. [Figure 7a] This figure shows the conical male clamp contour. [Figure 7b] This figure shows the conical male clamp contour. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a part. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a part. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a part. [Figure 11] This figure shows multiple parts having a first clamping element formed on a build plate. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the separation of components from the build plate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] Figures 1, 2, and 3 show three different parts, each of which is manufactured together with a first clamping element according to the method of the present invention. As shown in Figure 11, the part and the first clamping element are an integrated single device manufactured in a single run by an additive manufacturing process. Typically, multiple parts are formed simultaneously on a single build plate 8. The method of the present invention includes first forming the first clamping element directly on the build plate and then forming the part on the top of the first clamping element in the build-on direction, i.e., the Z direction. After the additive manufacturing process, as shown in Figure 12, each part that is coupled with the first clamping element is separated from the build plate, thereby allowing for further processing of the individual parts to achieve the final shape and optimize surface quality. In most applications, post-processing is performed on machine tools outside the machine for the additive manufacturing process, so it is necessary to stably hold the individual parts in the desired position on the machine tools for post-processing. By directly integrating the clamping element with the part, clamping of the part in a machine tool becomes easier, offering the advantages of precise positioning and automatic criterion setting.

[0034] Figures 1, 2, and 3 show examples of parts having different shapes and first clamp elements having different designs. The first clamp elements 10, 10a, and 10b are solid elements and have a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with four sides. Multiple female clamp contours 20, 20a, and 20b are embedded in at least one side of the first clamp element. Figure 1 shows one example of the first clamp element 10, which is characterized by having female clamp contours on all sides. In this example, the first clamp element 10 has a cubic shape. These female clamp contours 20 are arranged parallel to each other on the first side 11 of the first clamp element and spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the first clamp element. This has the advantage that the female clamp contours do not come into contact with the cutting means during separation. In this example, the configuration of the female clamp contours on the second side 12 is the same as the configuration on the first side 11. However, the design is not limited to this. The shape, position, dimensions, and number of the female clamp contours on each different side may differ, but preferably they can be identical on two parallel sides that will come into contact with the second clamp element.

[0035] Figure 2 shows another example of the first clamp element 10a, which is characterized by having female clamp contours 20 on two parallel sides. On the first side 11a, these female clamp contours are also spaced apart from the bottom surface of the first clamp element. The side parallel to the first side 11a is on the back side of the first clamp element and is therefore not fully shown in Figure 2. The second side 12a, perpendicular to the first side 11a, does not have a female clamp contour. To allow for easy separation, a separation region 15 is formed at the top of the female clamp contour and below the part 1a.

[0036] Figure 3 shows an additional example of the first clamp element 10b having a female clamp contour 20b on one side 11b. From Figures 1, 2, and 3, it can be seen that the shape of the first clamp element can be modified in terms of length, width, and height.

[0037] Figure 4 shows the first and second clamping elements in a clamped state, in which the first clamping element is clamped between the two vise jaws 31 and 32 of the second clamping element 30. Each vise jaw interacts with one side of the first clamping element. At the top of the vise jaws, a plurality of male clamping contours 40 are provided on the first contact surface 33 and the second contact surface 34 of the vise jaws. The shape of the male clamping contours is complementary to the shape of the female clamping contour of the first clamping element, and therefore, each male clamping contour can be accurately and stably housed within a single female clamping contour in order to achieve a stable clamp and to obtain a self-reference in the X and Z directions.

[0038] Figures 4a and 4b show enlarged views of the male clamp contour 40 and the female clamp contour 20. The female clamp contour 20 is formed as a pyramidal recess by four side walls. The apex of the pyramid, defined by the common point of the four side walls, protrudes inward. Two side walls 21 and 22 are configured to be shared by two adjacent female clamp contours. These side walls are defined as adjacent side walls. For example, the adjacent side wall having reference numeral 21 is shared between the female clamp contour having reference numeral 20 and the female clamp contour having reference numeral 20a. The adjacent side wall having reference numeral 22 is shared between the female clamp contour having reference numeral 20 and the female clamp contour having reference numeral 20b. The male clamp contour 40 is characterized by a complementary shape to the female clamp contours having the same pyramidal shape. The male clamp profile has a base positioned on the side of the vise jaws, four sides 41, 42, 43, 44, and an outwardly projecting vertex 45. Between two male clamp profiles, channels 47, 48 are formed on the contact surface of the vise jaws. Each channel is shared by the two male clamp profiles, allowing the adjacent side walls of the female clamp profile to be accommodated within these channels to achieve a stable clamp. When clamped, the four outer surfaces of the male clamp profile abut against the inner surfaces of the four side walls of the female clamp profile. These channels are provided to ensure that the two elements are in contact despite manufacturing tolerances. Furthermore, the side walls 21, 22 of the female clamp profile are accommodated within the channels 48 of the male clamp profile. The channels function as exemptions, allowing the outer surfaces of the male clamp profile to be pressed against the inner surfaces of the side walls of the female clamp profile to achieve a stable clamp. Designing a male clamp profile with rounded edges is advantageous because it avoids edge contact, and surface clamping can provide a higher clamping force than edge contact.

[0039] Furthermore, the second clamping element is provided with a first slot 35 and a second slot 36. The first slot 35 and the second slot 36 are located below the male clamp contour on the first contact surface 33 and the second contact surface 34 of the vise jaws, respectively. These two slots also function as exemptions to ensure surface clamping, allowing the outer surface of the male clamping element to directly interact with the female clamp contour. In this way, it is possible to optimally clamp the part to the machine tool.

[0040] To determine the position of the part in the Y direction, a marking 37 for indicating the zero point is provided on the top surface of the vise jaws.

[0041] The first clamping element is not limited to a single element and may include multiple clamping sections 16 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. At least one clamping section of the first clamping element includes multiple female clamping contours 20b. These clamping sections are arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction such as the Y direction. All the clamping sections are formed first, and then parts 1c are formed on top of all these clamping sections by an additive manufacturing process, so that the clamping sections are indirectly connected to each other through these parts formed on top of each other.

[0042] Figures 7a and 7b show another example of a male clamp profile having a conical projection 38. Thus, female clamp profiles not shown in Figures 7a and 7b have a conical recess that engages with the male clamp profile.

[0043] Figures 8, 9, and 10 show three examples of parts 1a, 1b, and 1c manufactured by the method of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] Parts 1, 1a, 1b, 1c 8 Build Plates 10, 10a, 10b First clamping element 11,11a,11b First side of the clamp element 12,12a,12b Second side of the clamp element 15 Separation area 16 Clamping Categories 20, 20a, 20b Female clamp contour 21,22 Side walls of female clamp contour 30 Second clamping element 31. The First Vise Joe 32. The Second Manriki Joe 33 First contact surface 34 Second contact surface 35 First slot 36 Second slot 37 Second marking 38 Conical male clamp contour 40 Male clamp contour 41, 42, 43, 44 Outer surface of the male clamp contour 45 Vertices of the pyramidal male clamp contour 47. First Channel 48 Second Channel

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a part (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) by an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising: a. providing CAD data defining the geometry of the part; b. providing CAD data defining the geometry of a first clamping element (10), wherein the geometry of said first clamping element is determined taking into account the geometry of said second clamping element (30) such that said first clamping element can be clamped within said second clamping element after said additive manufacturing process to hold said part in a desired position for subsequent processing; c) generating machining data based on the CAD data defining the geometry of the part and the CAD data defining the geometry of the first clamping element; d. forming the part and the first clamping element by an additive manufacturing process based on the machining data. A method comprising: the first clamping element has at least two parallel sides, the second clamping element has two vise jaws (31, 32) arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the second clamping element, the two parallel sides of the first clamping element interact with the vise jaws of the second clamping element in a clamped state, and at least one of the parallel sides of the first clamping element is provided with a plurality of female clamping contours (20, 20a, 20b) that engage with a plurality of male clamping contours (40) provided on the vise jaws in the clamped state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the female clamp profile and the male clamp profile have complementary shapes to achieve a form fit in the clamped state.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the female clamping profile is a recess tapering from a base to an apex or edge.

4. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the female clamping profile has a pyramidal recess (20, 20a, 20b), a conical recess, a hemispherical recess or a wedge-shaped recess, and in particular the female clamping profile defines a reference in a first direction and a second direction, in particular the female clamping profile defines a reference in an X-direction and a Z-direction.

5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the female clamping profile is a cubic recess, a cylindrical recess, or a spherical recess.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first clamping element is a solid element, in particular the first clamping element is a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube.

7. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping element is provided with a first marking and the second clamping element is provided with a second marking to provide a reference in a third direction, in particular the Y direction, and in particular the first marking and the second marking are colors or patterns.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first clamping element is first formed, and the part is formed on top of the first clamping element by a powder bed fusion process such as DMLS, SLS, DMP, and LPBF.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the male clamping profile is a protruding element that tapers from a base to an apex or edge.

10. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the male clamping profile has the shape of a pyramid, a cone, a hemisphere or a wedge, and the apex of the pyramidal male clamping profile is oriented outward to provide abutment against the female clamping profile in the clamped state.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the male clamp profile has the shape of a cube, a cylinder, or a sphere.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second clamping element is manufactured by a powder bed fusion process such as DMLS, SLS, DMP, and LPBF.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the parts are medico-technical implants, medico-technical instruments, stamps and inserts for tool and mould making, such as spinal cages.

14. 1. A clamping system for holding a part manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, the clamping system including a first clamping element and a second clamping element, The first clamping element has at least two parallel side surfaces, and the second clamping element has two vise jaws (31, 32) arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the second clamping element, wherein in a clamped state, the two parallel side surfaces of the first clamping element interact with the vise jaws of the second clamping element, and at least one of the parallel side surfaces of the first clamping element is provided with a plurality of female clamping contours (20, 20a, 20b) that engage with a plurality of male clamping contours (40) provided on the vise jaws in the clamped state, and the clamping system includes a portion integrally formed by an additive manufacturing process on top of the first clamping element.

Images