METHOD FOR THE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF A COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for the additive manufacturing of a component, in which method the component is configured layer-by-layer from a base material which is solidified at least in regions in each layer, the method includes introducing at least one cooling gas flow for cooling at least the region to be solidified by way of at least one cooling medium nozzle into a carrier gas flow so as to form a cooling gas flow, wherein the cooling medium is present so as to be liquid and/or gaseous, wherein the cooling gas flow is guided through a de Laval nozzle, wherein the cooling medium flow is introduced such that the outflow of the cooling medium flow into the carrier gas flow takes place within or downstream of the de Laval nozzle, and the cooling gas flow is directed onto the component.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for the additive manufacturing of a component, in which method the component is configured layer-by-layer from a base material which is solidified at least in regions in each layer, comprising introducing at least one cooling gas flow for cooling at least the region to be solidified by way of at least one cooling medium nozzle into a carrier gas flow so as to form a cooling gas flow, wherein the cooling medium is present so as to be liquid and/or gaseous, wherein the cooling gas flow is guided through a de Laval nozzle, wherein the cooling medium flow is introduced such that the outflow of the cooling medium flow into the carrier gas flow takes place within or downstream of the de Laval nozzle, and the cooling gas flow is directed onto the component.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the de Laval nozzle has a longitudinal axis and the cooling medium nozzle in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the de Laval nozzle is displaceable relative to the de Laval nozzle.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cooling medium when flowing through the cooling medium nozzle is present in the liquid aggregate state.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cooling medium comprises at least one of the following substances: carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2); nitrogen (N.sub.2); or argon (Ar).

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the carrier gas comprises at least one of the following gases: air; argon; nitrogen; and carbon dioxide.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the carrier gas flow is guided through a porous body before the cooling medium flow is added.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cooling medium nozzle is configured so as to be centered relative to the de Laval nozzle.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the de Laval nozzle has a longitudinal axis and the cooling medium flow is introduced in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the de Laval nozzle.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the component is produced by at least one of the following methods: selective laser melting; selective laser sintering; binder jet printing; electron beam melting; molten layering; wire arc additive manufacturing method; overlay welding; contour crafting; stereolithography; light exposure methods; or 3D screen printing.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the base material by way of at least one application device is at least solidified and the application device is moved in a corresponding manner, wherein the at least one cooling gas flow is delivered so as to lead and/or trail the application device.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the base material by way of at least one application device is at least solidified, wherein the at least one cooling gas flow is directed onto the component in a plane other than the plane in which the application device is moved.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one cooling gas flow is directed onto the component such that a predefinable temperature profile is achieved in the component.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the temperature profile is chosen such that hot and cold cracks are avoided.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the temperature profile is chosen such that material properties in the component can be set in a localized manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] The invention and the associated technical field will be explained in more detail hereunder by means of the figures. It is to be pointed out that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments shown. In particular, unless explicitly explained otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and combine them with other components and/or knowledge from other figures and/or the present description. Schematically:

[0072] FIG. 1 shows a first example of a device for delivering a cooling gas flow;

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a second example of a device for delivering a cooling gas flow;

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an example of an additive manufacturing method;

[0075] FIG. 4 shows another example of an additive manufacturing method; and

[0076] FIG. 5 shows another example of an additive manufacturing method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0077] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first example of a device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow. The device 1 comprises a nozzle body 2 having a de Laval nozzle 3. The de Laval nozzle 3 comprises a first region 4 in which the cross section capable of being passed through by a flow decreases, a second region 5 in which the cross section capable of being passed through by a flow is consistent, and a third region 6 in which the cross section capable of being passed through by a flow increases. The de Laval nozzle 3 is configured so as to be rotationally symmetrical in relation to a longitudinal axis 7. The de Laval nozzle 3 has an entry side 8 and an exit side 9. The de Laval nozzle 3 in operation is passed through by a flow from the entry side 8 to the exit side 9.

[0078] A carrier gas connector 10 by way of which the device 1 in operation can be supplied with a carrier gas is fluidically connected to the entry side 8 of the de Laval nozzle 3. The device 1 furthermore comprises a cooling medium nozzle 11 having an outlet opening 12 for introducing cooling medium into the carrier gas flow. The cooling medium nozzle 12 is connected to a cooling medium infeed line 13. The cooling medium nozzle 11 in operation by way of the cooling medium infeed line 13 is supplied with cooling medium which is introduced into the carrier gas flow through the outlet opening 12. The cooling medium nozzle 11 herein is disposed so as to be displaceable along the longitudinal axis 7 of the de Laval nozzle 3 such that the cooling medium flow is introduced into the carrier gas flow within the de Laval nozzle 3, or is introduced into the carrier gas flow downstream of the de Laval nozzle 3. This means that the cooling medium nozzle 11 is configured so as to be longitudinally displaceable such that the outlet opening 12 either is positioned within the de Laval nozzle 3 or is positioned behind the exit side 9 of the de Laval nozzle 3. The latter case means that the exit side 9 of the de Laval nozzle 3 lies between the outlet opening 12 of the cooling medium nozzle 11 and the entry side 8 of the de Laval nozzle 3. The cooling medium flow and the carrier gas flow form the cooling gas flow.

[0079] FIG. I shows a case in which the cooling medium nozzle 11 represents a de Laval nozzle, wherein said cooling medium nozzle lies within the de Laval nozzle 3. In operation, a carrier gas is introduced into the de Laval nozzle 3 through the carrier gas connector 10, wherein the carrier gas flow created is accelerated in the de Laval nozzle 3. The cooling medium as the cooling medium flow is then added through the cooling medium nozzle 11 to the carrier gas flow created. A distribution of the cooling medium and an atomization of the cooling medium in the carrier gas flow takes place on account of the addition to the carrier gas flow, the flow properties of the latter being changed by the de Laval nozzle 3. Depending on the position of the outlet opening 12 of the cooling medium nozzle 11 in the de Laval nozzle 3 or downstream of the de Laval nozzle 3, other distributions of particle sizes of the cooling medium in the carrier gas flow and other spatial distributions of the cooling medium in the carrier gas flow are achieved.

[0080] The displacement range in which the outlet opening 12 of the cooling medium nozzle 11 can move is identified by the reference sign 14. A design embodiment in which the range by which the cooling medium nozzle 11 can exit from the de Laval nozzle 3 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 7 is smaller than one fifth, preferably even less than one tenth, of the length of the displacement range 14 is preferable.

[0081] The first exemplary embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention furthermore comprises a porous body 15. Said porous body 15 is configured as a sintered metal disc and centers the cooling medium nozzle 11, or the cooling medium infeed line 13, respectively, in the interior of the de Laval nozzle 3. The carrier gas in operation is forced through the porous body 15, this leading to a homogenization of the carrier gas flow. Pressure and velocity variations of the carrier gas can thus be attenuated prior to entering the de Laval nozzle 3 such that uniform conditions prevail in operation at all times.

[0082] FIG. 2 schematically shows a second example of a device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow. For reasons of clarity, only the points of differentiation in relation to the first example are to be described here. Reference otherwise is made to the description pertaining to the first example. A different cooling medium nozzle 11 is configured in the second example. The cooling medium nozzle 11 in this case is configured as a capillary which also represents the cooling medium infeed line 13. The cooling medium such as, for example, carbon dioxide from the cooling medium infeed line 13 exits only through the outlet opening 12 of the cooling medium nozzle 11 and is then atomized and distributed in the carrier gas flow.

[0083] FIG. 3 very schematically shows a device 16 for the additive manufacturing of a component 17. Said device 16 has an application device 18 which constructs the component 17 by solidifying region-by-region a base material. The application device herein can be configured according to an additive manufacturing method described here. The region of the component 17 that is to be solidified is particularly cooled by the device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19. The device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 is configured so as to be movable, as is indicated by the arrows. The movement can take place not only in the direction of the arrows but additionally in particular in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrows. A pivoting movement of the device 1 is also possible according to the invention. Furthermore, the movement of the device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 can be coupled to the movement of the application device 18. It is also possible for the entire face of the device 16 for the additive manufacturing of a component 17 to be impinged with the cooling gas flow 19.

[0084] FIG. 4 shows a further example in which a component 17 is configured layer-by-layer by way of an application device 18. The cooling gas flow 19 here by way of a device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 is directed onto the component 17 in a plane other than the plane in which the application device 18 is moved. In particular, the cooling gas flow 19 here is directed onto the part of the component 17 that has already been generated, thus from bottom to top below the application device 18 in the construction of a component 17. The device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 herein is capable of being inclined, preferably about two axes, as is symbolized by the inclinations 20 plotted as arrows. The device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 herein is movable (displaceable) in the moving direction 21.

[0085] FIG. 5 shows an example in which the application device 18 and the device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 are moved in the same plane; the cooling gas flow 19 herein can be moved so as to lead and/or trail the application device 18 in the moving direction 21. The device 1 for delivering a cooling gas flow 19 herein is capable of being inclined, as is symbolized by the inclination 20 plotted as an arrow.

[0086] On account of the movement in the same plane or different planes, of the inclinations 20, and the movement in the moving directions 21, the component 17 can be imparted a temperature profile which is adapted to the material and/or to the desired properties of the component 17. In particular, local hardness and/or toughness values in the component 17 can thus be achieved, and manufacturing without hot and/or cold cracks can be achieved.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0087] 1 Device for delivering a cooling gas flow [0088] 2 Nozzle body [0089] 3 De Laval nozzle [0090] 4 First region [0091] 5 Second region [0092] 6 Third region [0093] 7 Longitudinal axis [0094] 8 Entry side [0095] 9 Exit side [0096] 10 Carrier gas connector [0097] 11 Cooling medium nozzle [0098] 12 Outlet opening [0099] 13 Cooling medium infeed line [0100] 14 Displacement range [0101] 15 Porous body [0102] 16 Device for additive manufacturing [0103] 17 Component [0104] 18 Application device [0105] 19 Cooling gas flow [0106] 20 Inclination [0107] 21 Moving direction

[0108] It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above.