The disclosure relates to cover assemblies for machines, as well as machines and methods for producing three-dimensional components by selectively solidifying a material by a beam acting on the material, including a build cylinder cover that sealingly closes an opening of the build cylinder for changing of the build cylinder, and including a process chamber cover associated with the build cylinder cover, which are detachably connected to one another via an interface, wherein the build cylinder cover and the process chamber cover are formed as a single handling unit for changing the build cylinder.

The present invention relates to an additive manufacturing device (100) for manufacturing a product (201), wherein the additive manufacturing device (100) comprises a build platform (200) comprising a build surface (260) configured to hold or support, during use, at least one product (201) being manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, wherein the build platform (200) is a modular building platform comprising at least one of a plurality of separable or separate modular build platform units (210), each comprising at least one build surface (260) configured to hold or support, during use, at least one product (201) being manufactured during the additive manufacturing process.

Examples of a gas inlet structure (1130) and a deformable structure (1120) to store build material (1126) are described. The gas inlet structure may be coupled to the deformable structure. The deformable structure may also have an outlet (1121) that is connectable to an element (1122) of an aspiration system of a three-dimensional printing system, to allow build material to be supplied from the deformable structure on application of a vacuum by the aspiration system. While the vacuum is applied to the outlet, a valve of the gas inlet structure may be selectively actuated to allow gas flow into the deformable structure.

Building cylinders, for use in machines for the layer-by-layer production of 3D objects by sintering or melting powdered material by a high-energy beam, and having a main body and a piston part movable on an inner side of the main body along a cylindrical axis, are disclosed. The piston part has a base element for the growth of a 3D object, and a powder seal bearing against the inner side of the main body for sealing the powdered material. The piston part has a seal carrier on which the powder seal is mounted, and an insulator, e.g., a circumferential insulation ring, mounted on the seal carrier. The base element is mounted on the insulator and is arranged at a distance from the seal carrier and from the powder seal.

Plant (1) for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising at least one process station (2) for an additive manufacturing process, wherein at least one functional component (4, 5), preferably a lifting device for a powder module (7), of the process station (2) is at least partially enclosed by a housing structure (3) of the process station (2), wherein the process station (2) is coupled or can be coupled with at least one powder module (7), wherein the housing structure (3) comprises at least one opening (6) for loading and/or unloading the at least one powder module (7) into or from the process station (2), wherein a platform (8) is provided that is arrangeable or arranged adjacent to the at least one opening (6), wherein the platform (8) comprises at least one positioning unit (10) with at least one positioning surface for positioning a module carrier (12) which is adapted to carry the at least one powder module (7)

Plant (1) for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object (2), comprising at least one process station (3a-3c) being configured to perform an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one preprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one postprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process; at least one conveying device (19) configured to convey an item (20) between at least two positions (P1, P2) of the plant (1), the conveying device (19) comprising at least one conveying element (22), the at least one conveying element (22) being at least partially bound to ground (23), and at least one conveying carriage (24) being connectable or connected with the conveying element (22) so as to be moveable between at least two positions (P1, P2) of the plant (1), the at least one conveying carriage (24) comprising at least one supporting interface (25) for supporting at least one item (20).

A modular system for performing additive manufacturing of an object includes at least two additive manufacturing devices, each having a housing with two slots on lateral sides to accommodate a manufacturing tray; a printer head and axis system; and a movement mechanism. A control module is operatively coupled to each of the at least two additive manufacturing devices. The control module is configured to control the at least two additive manufacturing devices to arrange the manufacturing tray in a first of the at least two additive manufacturing devices; print a part of the object on the manufacturing tray arranged in the first additive manufacturing device; move the manufacturing tray having the partially manufactured object to a second of the at least two additive manufacturing devices; and print a remaining part of the object on the manufacturing tray to complete the additive manufacturing of the object.

An additive manufacturing system for building a green block including a three dimensional green usable model includes a printing station, a powder delivery station, a compacting station and a stage. The printing station prints a pattern on a building tray by selectively depositing a solidifiable non-powder material that forms a partition by tracing a perimeter of a usable model to be printed per layer and tracing a plurality of discrete sections of a support area around the usable model. The powder delivery station applies a layer of powder material over the pattern. The compacting station compacts per layer of powder material and includes a die for receiving the layer. The stage repeatedly advances the building tray to each of the printing station, the powder delivery station and the compacting station to build a plurality of layers that together form the green block.

A powder bed fusion apparatus for building an object in a layer-by-layer manner includes a build platform movable within a build sleeve to define a build volume, a layer formation device for forming layers of powder across the build volume in a working plane and an irradiation device for irradiating powder in the working plane to selectively fuse the powder. The powder bed fusion apparatus further includes a mechanical manipulator arranged to engage with the object and/or a build substrate, to which the object is attached, to tilt the object in a raised position above the working plane such that powder is freed from the object and deposited at a location above the working plane and/or into the build volume.

A system comprising an additive manufacturing machine configured to fuse stock powder, a supply vessel connected to the additive manufacturing machine for supplying the stock powder to the additive manufacturing machine, and a weight sensor system connected to the supply vessel. A controller operatively is connected to the weight sensor system configured to receive signals indicative of a weight of the stock powder in the supply vessel. The controller is configured to determine weight of the stock powder based on the signals.