Apparatus for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects

Abstract

Apparatus (1) for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam, comprising at least one process chamber (2), wherein the process chamber (2) comprises at least two chamber segments (3, 4), wherein at least one chamber segment (3, 4) is mounted on the at least one other chamber segment (3, 4) and is separately detachable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising: a process chamber comprising a first chamber segment and a second chamber segment each delimiting the process chamber, the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment being attached to one another in an attached state, and being movable relative to one another in a detached state and thereby providing access to the process chamber; a demounting unit, the demounting unit configured to support at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment in the detached state, at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment being mounted to the demounting unit and extractable relative to the other of the first and second chamber segments; and a base plate, the base plate configured to support the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment at least in the attached state; wherein the first chamber segment comprises a first sub-segment and a second sub-segment, the first sub-segment and the second sub-segment being movable relative to one another so as to provide access to the process chamber and wherein the first sub-segment is undetachably fixed to the base plate, and the second sub-segment is movable relative to the first sub-segment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the demounting unit comprises at least one rail mounted on at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment, at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment being movable along the at least one rail when moving from the attached state to the detached state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a sidewall, wherein the at least one rail is mounted to the sidewall.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one rail comprises a first rail and a second rail, the first rail and the second rail being mounted to the sidewall.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first chamber segment is undetachably fixed to the base plate and the second chamber segment is detachable from the base plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first chamber segment is mounted on the second chamber segment and is extractable relative to the second chamber segment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third chamber segment, the third chamber segment and the second chamber segment being attached to one another in the attached state and being movable relative to one another and thereby providing access to the process chamber in the detached state.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the third chamber segment comprises an undetachably fixed portion of the process chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment each comprise at least part of a wall segment, at least part of a base plate segment, and/or at least part of a cover segment, each delimiting a respective portion of the process chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment comprises a port, a seal, a lock, and/or a lead-in chamfer.

11. A method of servicing the apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising: moving the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment relative to one another from the attached state to the detached state, the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment being attached to one another in the attached state and providing access to the process chamber in the detached state; and supporting at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment at least in part with the demounting unit in the detached state, wherein at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment is extractably mounted to the demounting unit; supporting with the base plate, the first chamber segment and the second chamber segment at least in the attached state; and moving the first sub-segment and the second sub-segment of the first chamber segment relative to one another so as to provide access to the process chamber, wherein the first sub-segment is undetachably fixed to the base plate, and the second sub-segment is movable relative to the first sub-segment.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: executing a service task on one or more components within the process chamber.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: interchanging at least one of the first chamber segment or the second chamber segment for at least one other chamber segment.

Description

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the figs. The figs. are schematic views and show:

(2) FIG. 1 an inventive apparatus in top view;

(3) FIG. 2 the inventive apparatus of FIG. 1 in front view; and

(4) FIG. 3 the inventive apparatus of FIG. 1 in a detached state in front view.

(5) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam, comprising a process chamber 2. The process chamber 2 comprises two chamber segments 3, 4, wherein the chamber segment 3 is mounted on the chamber segment 4 and is separately detachable.

(6) As can be seen from FIG. 2 the apparatus 1 further comprises a base plate 5 on which the chamber segments 3, 4 rest. According to this embodiment the chamber segment 4 is undetachably fixed to the base plate 5. The chamber segment 4 is separable into two sub-segments 6, 7, wherein the sub-segment 6 is undetachably fixed to a base plate 5 and the sub-segment 7 is detachable from the sub-segment 6. The sub-segment 7 is build similar to a cover and therefore, can be lifted off the sub-segment 6 after detachment. Therefore, access is available to the corresponding area of the process chamber 2 delimited by the sub-segment 7. A detached state of the sub-segment 7 is depicted in FIG. 3 as a top view.

(7) The figures further show that the apparatus 1 comprises a demounting unit 8 comprising two rails 9 horizontally attached to a sidewall 10 of the process chamber 2. The chamber segment 3 is extractably mounted via the demounting unit 8 and therefore movable along the rail 9. After detaching the chamber segment 3 the chamber segment 3 can be moved along the rail 9 to provide access to the process chamber 2.

(8) Further, the apparatus 1 comprises two connections 10 connected to the chamber segment 3 and the chamber sub-segment 7, whereby the connections 10 are detachably connected. As the chamber segment 3 and the sub-segment 7 are detached the connections 10 can be detached from the respective chamber segment 3 or sub-segment 7. The unmounted segment 3 or sub-segment 7 can be interchanged to another apparatus (not shown).