Powder Bed Beam Layout Aligned With Gas Flow to Avoid Residue Scattering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing processes face quality issues due to the interaction of energy beams with residues such as soot and smoke within the process chamber, which negatively affect the irradiation process.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus arranges the beam guiding unit behind the potential points of impact of the energy beam with respect to the streaming direction of a gas stream, ensuring that the energy beam is incident on the build plane without interacting with residues generated during the process, by positioning the beam guiding unit upstream of the gas stream to convey residues out of the interaction area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the beam guiding unit is positioned to guide the energy beam across the build plane, then the additive manufacturing process can be performed, but the energy beam interacts with residues (soot, smoke) in the process chamber, negatively influencing irradiation quality
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful residues (soot, smoke) are extracted from the beam path by using a gas stream to transport them out of the process chamber. The beam guiding unit is positioned and oriented such that the energy beam travels through regions cleared of residues by the gas flow, effectively removing the harmful interaction from the system.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas stream is introduced as an intermediary medium between the residues and the energy beam. This gas stream actively transports residues away from the beam path, serving as a mediator that prevents direct interaction between the harmful residues and the energy beam, thereby protecting the irradiation quality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a gas stream is generated to transport residues out of the process chamber, then residues can be removed, but the beam guiding unit may be positioned in a region where residues are still present, causing scattering of the energy beam
Solution Approach 1:
The problem is solved by considering the spatial dimension of gas flow and positioning the beam guiding unit in a specific location relative to the gas stream direction. By arranging the beam guiding unit upstream or perpendicular to the gas flow direction, the energy beam travels through a dimension (region) that is cleared of residues, while residues are transported in another dimension (downstream region) away from the beam path.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas stream is activated before the energy beam irradiation to pre-clear the beam path of residues. This preliminary action ensures that when the energy beam is directed across the build plane, the path is already free of residues that could cause scattering, thereby maintaining energy beam quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This arrangement effectively reduces or eliminates the interaction of the energy beam with residues, thereby improving the quality of the additive manufacturing process by ensuring the energy beam is directed only to residue-free regions of the build plane.
Implementation Method 1
a stream generating unit which is adapted to generate a gaseous fluid stream at least partly streaming through the process chamber... the gaseous fluid stream is capable of being charged with non-consolidated particulate build material, particularly smoke or smoke residues generated during operation of the apparatus
Implementation Method 2
Due to the interaction of the energy beam with residues, for example scattering of at least one part of the energy beam at smoke particles or other types of residues
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Apparatus (1) for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects (2) by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a build material (3) which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam (6, 6') generated via an irradiation device (4), wherein the irradiation device (4) comprises at least one beam guiding unit (7, 7') that is adapted to guide the energy beam (6, 6') across a build plane (9) in which build material (3) is applied to be irradiated, wherein the at least one beam guiding unit (7, 7') is arranged behind a point of impact (20) of the energy beam (6, 6') in the build plane (9), in particular all possible points of impact (20), with respect to a streaming direction (16) of the gas stream (13) streaming over the build plane (9).