Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Bego Bremer Goldschlaegerei Wilh, Herbst Gmbh & Co. Kg

Frauenhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research

Bego Bremer Goldschlägerei Wilh.-herbst Gmbh & Co Kg

Innalox B.v.

Konrad Wissenbach

Andres Gasser

Wilhelm Meiners

Eckhard Beyer

Volker Krause

Norbert Pirch

Hans-Georg Treusch

Gilbert Vitr

Edward Willem Albert Young

Dietrich Bertram

Holger Schwab

Johannes Krijne

Jeroen Henri Antoine Maria Van Buul

Anne Jans Faber

Stephan Dierkes

Jan Wilkes

Frank Kupper

Ralf Jung

Winfried Barkhausen

Edwin Buchter

Axel Zwick

Frank Reichel

Holger Schluter

Frank Kuepper

Edgar Willenborg

Christian Vedder

Jochen Hugo Stollenwerk

Mark P M Welters

Sebastian Heidrich

Annika Richmann

The present invention relates to a method of producing a (shaped) ceramic or glass-ceramic article, involving the steps of: (a) providing a powder or a powder mixture comprising ceramic or glass-ceramic material, (b) depositing a layer of said powder or powder mixture on a surface, (d) heating at least one region of said layer by means of an energy beam or a plurality of energy beams to a maximum temperature such that at least a part of said ceramic or glass-ceramic material in said at least one region is melted and (e) cooling said at least one region of said layer so that at least part of the material melted in step (d) is solidified, such that the layer is joined with said surface in said at least one region. The invention also relates to ceramic or glass-ceramic articles and their use.

Ceramic or glass-ceramic article and methods for producing such article

A method for deposition of at least one electrically conducting film on a substrate, wherein the method includes the steps of: selecting a layer of a film material, wherein the layer includes a mask on a front side, and wherein the layer and the mask are one piece; positioning the front side of the layer upon the substrate; applying at least one laser pulse onto a back side of the layer, so as to melt and to vaporize at least parts of the layer such that melt droplets are propelled toward and deposited upon the substrate; and forming the film, wherein at least one slot of the mask limits the distribution of the melt droplets.

Method for deposition of at least one electrically conducting film on a substrate

The present invention relates to a method for smoothing and polishing surfaces by treating them with energetic radiation, in particular laser radiation, in which the to-be-smoothed surface is remelted in a first treatment step using said energetic radiation and employing first treatment parameters at least once down to a first remelting depth of approx. 5 to 100 &#x3bc;m, which is greater than a structural depth of the to-be-smoothed structures of said to-be-smoothed surface, wherein continuous radiation or pulsed radiation with a pulse duration of &#x2267;100 &#x3bc;s is employed. The method makes it possible to automatically polish any three-dimensional surface fast and cost effective.

Method for smoothing and polishing surfaces by treating them with energetic radiation

The present invention relates to a generative method of fabrication and an accompanying device with which components can be fabricated from a combination of materials. The device comprises a bottom surface () with a lowerable building platform (), a leveling mechanism () for leveling a first material () in a processing plane () above the building platform (), a laser beam source for emitting a laser beam (), a processing unit () with a focusing optical system () for focusing the laser beam () onto the processing plane () and a positioning mechanism which can position the processing unit () in any desired positions in a plane parallel to the processing plane () above the component (). Furthermore, the device is provided with a suction device () for sectioning off the material from the processing plane () and an introduction mechanism () for a second material () with which the latter is brought into the focal range of the laser beam (). This device permits fabrication of components of any desired complexity and adapted to a certain function, in which individual regions can be made of a second, harder material to increase sturdiness or to improve wear-resistance.

Device and method for the preparation of building components from a combination of materials

The invention relates to a process chamber for the selective laser fusion of material powder for the production of moulded parts. The process chamber consists of a closed chamber ( ) having a bottom area, side walls and a cover area ( ), a reservoir volume ( ) and a production volume ( ) in said bottom area, and first inlet and outlet openings ( ) for a protective gas. In the cover area ( ), above the production volume ( ), a raised region is provided with side areas, in which a beam injection window ( ) is disposed that is transparent to laser radiation to be coupled in. Second inlet openings ( ) are provided for a further gas in the side areas of the raised region. With the inventive design of the process chamber it is possible to protect the beam injection window ( ) efficiently from being soiled by gaseous components rising from the zone of interaction, without impairment of the efficiency in guiding the protective gas.

Process chamber for selective laser fusion

The present invention relates to a device and a process using a laser beam to scan an area of an object, in particular, for selective laser melting of metal powder for fabrication of a mold. The device is provided with a plotter mechanic with two linear axes ( ) over which a carrier element can be positioned and moved, an optical means, which guides the laser beam to the carrier element or provides the laser beam at the carrier element, a scanning means ( ) at the carrier element, which guides the laser beam to the area of the object and moves the laser beam back and forth in a presetable angle, a focusing optic ( ) for focusing the laser beam ( ) onto the area of the object ( ). The plotter mechanic is disposed in such a manner that the plotter mechanic can position and move the carrier element at a distance over the area of the object ( ), which distance permits the use of a focusing optic ( ) of short focal length for focusing said laser beam to a diameter of <200 &mgr;m in the area of the object ( ). This device combines the advantages of rapid movement of a focusing laser beam by using a scanner with the advantages of the size of the processing field being independent of the focal length of the focusing optic by using a plotter to move the beam.

Method and device for scanning the surface of an object with a laser beam

A multiplicity of laser diodes aim laser light directly onto the surface of a workpiece and are disposed over and according to the to-be-shaped contour of a workpiece, so that a detector unit for determining the spatial shaping of the workpiece and an evaluation and control unit can determine process parameters for further illumination in dependence on a comparison of an actual state of shaping and a desired state of shaping of the workpiece.

Device and process for shaping workpieces with laser diode radiation

A method is disclosed for manufacturing a molded body, in accordance with three-dimensional CAD data of a model of a molded body, by depositing layers of a metallic material in powder form. Several layers of powder are successively deposited one on top of the other, whereby each layer of powder is heated to a specific temperature by means of a focused laser beam applied to a given area corresponding to a selected cross-sectional area of the model of the molded body, before deposition of the next layer. The laser beam is guided over each layer of powder in accordance with the CAD cross-sectional data of the selected cross-sectional area of the model in such a way that each layer of powder is fixed to the layer below it. The method is characterized in that the metallic material in powder form is applied in the form of a metallic powder free of binders and fluxing agents, that it is heated by the laser beam to melting temperature, that the energy of the laser beam is chosen in such a way that the layer of metallic powder is fully molten throughout at the point of impact of said laser beam, that the laser beam is guided across the specified area of powder in several runs in such a way that each run of the laser beam partly overlaps the preceding run, and that a protective gas atmosphere is maintained above the interaction zone of the laser beam and the metallic powder.

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Herzogenrath, Germany

Konrad Wissenbach