Control unit, device and method for the production of a three-dimensional object

A method of moving and orienting a movable gas suction nozzle in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object through layer-wise solidifying of build-up material at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be produced in a respective layer, wherein the method comprises:

• providing a coating device that applies a layer of the build-up material on a working plane;
• providing an energy or radiation source suitable for solidifying the build-up material that selectively solidifies the build-up material in the applied layer by impingement of a beam of the energy or radiation source on an applied layer;
• providing a control unit that controls the energy or radiation source, the control unit further determining solidifying positions corresponding to cross-sections of the object, and the control unit selecting a plurality of reference positions on the working plane, to then control movement and orientation of the gas suction nozzle in relation to the impingement of the beam using the reference positions;
• operating the gas suction nozzle to extract gas from a build chamber of the apparatus by suction, the gas suction nozzle being movably mounted above the working plane, wherein the reference positions comprise at least one nozzle orientation reference position selected from solidifying positions of a cross-section of the object being produced in the working plane;
• operating the control unit to move and orient the nozzle using the at least one nozzle orientation reference position;
• and
• supplying a gas into the apparatus with a gas inlet,
• wherein the gas inlet and the gas suction nozzle are arranged in opposed fashion to each other and can be moved in tandem with each other with a substantially constant distance from one another;
• and
• wherein at least one of the gas inlet and the gas suction nozzle is configured so that a speed of a gas flow produced by the at least one of the gas inlet and the gas suction nozzle is at a lowest speed of a speed distribution of the gas flow at a level-height defined by a surface of the working plane.

A method of moving and orienting a movable gas suction nozzle in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object through layer-wise solidifying of build-up material at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be produced in a respective layer, wherein the method comprises:

• providing a coating device that applies a layer of the build-up material on a working plane;
• providing an energy or radiation source suitable for solidifying the build-up material that selectively solidifies the build-up material in the applied layer by impingement of a beam of the energy or radiation source on an applied layer;
• providing a control unit that controls the energy or radiation source, the control unit further determining solidifying positions corresponding to cross-sections of the object, and the control unit selecting a plurality of reference positions on the working plane, to then control movement and orientation of the gas suction nozzle in relation to the impingement of the beam using the reference positions;
• operating the gas suction nozzle to extract gas from a build chamber of the apparatus by suction, the gas suction nozzle being movably mounted above the working plane, wherein the reference positions comprise at least one nozzle orientation reference position selected from solidifying positions of a cross-section of the object being produced in the working plane;
• and
• operating the control unit to move and orient the nozzle using the at least one nozzle orientation reference position,
• wherein the apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object has a process chamber, the process chamber comprising a coupling-in window through which radiation for selectively solidifying the build-up material is coupled into the process chamber and wherein, after completion of a production process, the gas suction nozzle provides suction on the coupling-in window for cleaning contaminants from the coupling-in window.