Trumpf Laser- Und Systemtechnik Gmbh

Markus Pieger

Frederik Schaal

Matthias Allenberg-Rabe

Valentin Blickle

Marc Gronle

Damien Buchbinder

Philip Anthony Carroll

Uwe Huber

Philipp Wagenblast

Björn Ullmann

Sebastian Kaufmann

Tim Geisler

Simon Dambach

Felix Linder

Bjoern Ullmann

The disclosure provides methods for calibrating processing machines for the production of 3D components by irradiation of powder layers, wherein the processing machine includes a scanner device for positioning a laser beam in a processing field in which a height-adjustable construction platform for the application of the powder layers by sweeping at least two, e.g., three markings, e.g., in the form of spherical retroreflectors, which are applied on the construction platform and/or on a preform, by the laser beam, detecting laser radiation reflected back from the markings into the scanner device, determining actual positions of the markings, determining deviations of the actual positions of the markings from setpoint positions of the markings, and calibrating the processing machine by correcting the positioning of the laser beam and/or the position of the construction platform using the determined deviations. The disclosure also relates to associated processing machines.

Methods for calibrating a processing machine, and processing machines

A method for operating a powder bed-based manufacturing device for additive manufacturing of a component from a powder material includes taking at least one optical recording of a working powder layer of the powder material on a construction location of the manufacturing device, locally evaluating the at least one optical recording, and examining the working powder layer for local coating errors using the evaluation of the at least one optical recording.

Method for operating a manufacturing device and manufacturing device for the additive manufacturing of a component from a powder material

The disclosure relates to processing machines and methods for producing three-dimensional components by irradiating powder with a processing beam, the machines including a container with a moveable support for the powder, as well as an irradiating device with a scanner device for aligning the processing beam on a processing field at an opening of the container. The irradiating device includes a heating device that includes a heating radiation source for generating a heating beam for heating the powder from above and including a beam shaping optical unit configured to convert a first beam profile of the heating beam into a second beam profile, e.g., a ring-shaped beam profile, of the heating beam.

Processing machines and methods for heating a powder to produce three-dimensional components

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a housing which provides a manufacturing space for additive manufacturing, a linear drive arranged in the manufacturing space and having a base body, which is movable along a movement axis of the linear drive in the manufacturing space, and a tool holder for taking up a tool unit. The tool holder is attached to the base body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis and is moved with the base body along the movement axis of the linear drive. The tool holder further comprises a clamping device having an unclamped operating state for taking up and taking out the tool unit and a clamped operating state for fixing the received tool unit. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing apparatus has a tool store, which is arranged in the manufacturing space and provides a plurality of tool places for tool units.

Tool change for additive manufacturing

Cover assemblies for machines are disclosed, 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.

Cover arrangements for machines for manufacturing three-dimensional components

The disclosure provides methods and systems for measuring a base element of a construction cylinder arrangement in machines for the additive manufacture of 3D objects using a high-energy beam, wherein a measurement pattern is produced from laser light that illuminates the base element, and sites of incidence of the laser light are monitored and evaluated with a camera to produce measuring data about the base element, e.g., position information, orientation information, and/or information about the shape of the surface of the base element. The measurement patterns are produced by deflecting measuring laser beams by an optical scanner system towards the base element, and the camera is arranged laterally offset from the deflected laser beams. The new methods and systems enable measuring base elements in a simple and flexible manner, and require only a small amount of space in the processing chamber.

Methods and systems for measuring base elements of a construction cylinder arrangement

The disclosure features lifting apparatuses for building cylinders in machines for producing 3D components. The apparatuses include a first bracket that receives the building cylinder, a first guide body that controls the first bracket movably and moves the building cylinder into a working plane in a process chamber, and a main drive that controls a piston that can be coupled to a substrate plate of the building cylinder with a stroke movement. At least one further guide body is associated with the first guide body, and both guide bodies are movable on at least one guide. The additional guide body has a bracket on which the main drive is provided, and the first and additional guide bodies have at least one driving apparatus to move them successively along the guide.

Lifting apparatuses for building cylinders in machines for producing 3D components, and methods for controlling the lifting apparatuses

Build cylinder arrangements for machines for the layered production of three-dimensional objects by sintering or melting with a high-energy beam, of powdered material, are disclosed and have a base member and a piston that can be moved on an inner side of the base member along a central axis of the base member. The piston has at its upper side a substrate for building a three-dimensional object, and on the piston is a seal in abutment with the inner side of the base member for sealing the powdered material. The seal is a circumferential fiber metal seal of metal fibers that are pressed together and the pressed metal fibers are arranged with resilient compression stress between the piston and the inner side of the base member.

Build cylinder arrangements for machines for layered production of three-dimensional objects having a fiber metal seal

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.

Building cylinders for machines for the layer-by-layer production of three-dimensional objects

A method for producing a control signal for positioning a holder of a solid freeform fabrication device that is height-adjustable relative to a working surface, comprising arranging a structural platform on the holder; capturing a plurality of images of the working surface in the region of the holder, an image-specific height of the holder being adjusted before the detection of one of the plurality of images, and depending on the change of direction in the height, a powder layer is applied or removed; determining a powder boundary line between a powder-free region and a powder-covered region of the structural platform for at least two of the plurality of images, captured for differently adjusted image-specific heights of the holder, and producing a control signal for positioning the holder on the basis of the at least two powder boundary lines. The holder can be aligned according to the control signal.

Positioning of a building platform in a powder bed device for additive manufacturing

This invention relates to a method for determining misalignment of a powder feed nozzle and a laser beam. The method includes forming a test structure on a workpiece in at least two different directions by deposition laser welding with powder at substantially constant deposition parameters without relative rotation between a powder feed nozzle and a laser beam, measuring heights and/or wall thicknesses of the test structure along the test structure, and determining a direction and/or an amount of misalignment of the powder feed nozzle relative to the laser beam based on the measured heights and/or wall thicknesses.

Determining powder feed nozzle misalignment

A workroom partition divides a workroom interior of a workroom and a workroom surroundings. The workroom is provided with a laser processing device. The workroom partition includes on its inner side facing the laser processing device, a laser beam reflector formed from pre-fabricated reflective sheet of material having a grained reflective surface structure that faces the laser processing device, by means of which the majority of laser radiation incident on the laser beam reflector and originating from the laser processing device is diffusely reflectable.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Markus Pieger