# US 12,600,092 B2 · Raw material positioning unit for an additive manufacturing device and method for raw material supply

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- Number: US 12,600,092 B2
- Document ID: US12600092B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/565,476
- Filed: 2022-07-11
- Published: 2024-08-01
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-12
- Assignees: Greenbatt Technology Holding AG
- Applicants: Greenbatt Technology Holding AG
- Inventors: Christian von Burg; Dominik Solenicki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600092B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/124: using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
- B29C 64/321: Feeding
- B22F 10/10: Formation of a green body
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 12/22: {Driving means}
- B22F 12/50: Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads
- B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
- B29C 64/214: Doctor blades
- B29C 64/218: Rollers
- B29C 64/227: Driving means
- B29C 64/236: for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An additive manufacturing device for manufacturing a solid article comprises raw material positioning unit, wherein the raw material positioning unit comprises a raw material distribution unit, a guide unit and a drive unit. The drive unit is configured to move the raw material distribution unit with respect to the guide unit. The raw material positioning unit comprises a switch for directing the raw material distribution unit alternatively onto a first path or a second path. The invention also includes a method for supplying a flowable raw material to a raw material processing unit of the additive manufacturing device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for supplying a flowable raw material to a raw material processing unit of an additive manufacturing device, wherein the raw material processing unit comprises a build unit, which comprises a recess in a raw material processing unit surface, and a raw material supply unit, wherein a raw material portion of the flowable raw material is supplied to the build unit by the raw material supply unit, wherein the raw material supply unit includes a raw material container unit and a raw material positioning unit, wherein the raw material positioning unit is configured to move the raw material portion from the raw material container unit to the build unit to form a raw material layer for the respective additive manufacturing step, wherein the raw material portion comprises a main raw material portion and a residual raw material portion, wherein the main raw material portion forms the raw material layer in the build unit and wherein the raw material positioning unit deposits the residual raw material portion on the raw material processing unit surface after supplying the main raw material portion to the build unit, wherein the raw material positioning unit comprises a raw material distribution unit, a guide unit and a drive unit, wherein the drive unit moves the raw material distribution unit along the guide unit to supply the main raw material portion to the build unit, wherein the raw material positioning unit comprises a switch for directing the raw material distribution unit onto a first path, whereby a distance between the surface and the raw material distribution unit is increased when it travels along the first path to deposit the residual raw material on the raw material processing unit surface to form a deposited residual raw material, wherein the direction of a movement of the raw material distribution unit is reversed after the deposit of the residual raw material is completed and the switch is actuated to direct the raw material distribution unit onto a second path to move the raw material distribution unit essentially parallel to the raw material processing unit surface, wherein the raw material distribution unit travels back along the second path thereby picking up the deposited residual raw material and distributing the residual raw material to the build unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flowable raw material in the raw material container unit is moved upwardly in a stepwise manner to provide the raw material portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the build unit comprises a recipient including a movable recipient bottom, wherein the movable recipient bottom is lowered to provide a filling space for the main raw material portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the main raw material portion is filled in the filling space by the raw material distribution unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the raw material container unit comprises a first raw material container unit and a second raw material container unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the raw material positioning unit is moved along the first path to deposit the residual raw material on the raw material processing unit surface and wherein the raw material positioning unit is moved along the second path to move the residual raw material portion and a further raw material portion on top of a previously deposited raw material layer in the build unit after an additive manufacturing step has been completed to form a portion of a solid article in a corresponding topmost raw material layer in the build unit.

### Claim 7

An additive manufacturing device for manufacturing a solid article, wherein the additive manufacturing device comprises a flowable raw material and a raw material processing unit, wherein the raw material processing unit comprises a raw material container unit, a build unit and a raw material positioning unit, wherein the build unit comprises a recess in a raw material processing unit surface, wherein the raw material positioning unit comprises a raw material distribution unit, a guide unit and a drive unit, wherein the drive unit is configured to move the raw material distribution unit with respect to the guide unit to supply a main raw material portion to the build unit, wherein the raw material positioning unit comprises a switch for directing the raw material distribution unit in a first direction onto a first path, wherein the first path is configured such that a distance between the raw material processing unit surface and the raw material distribution unit is increased when the raw material distribution unit travels along the first path to deposit a residual raw material on the raw material processing unit surface, wherein the raw material positioning unit is configured to reverse a movement of the raw material distribution unit after completion of the deposit of the residual raw material on the raw material processing unit surface, wherein the switch is configured to be actuated to direct the raw material distribution unit onto a second path in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the second path is arranged to move the raw material distribution unit parallel to the raw material processing unit surface, wherein the raw material positioning unit is configured to move the raw material distribution unit along the second path for picking up the deposited residual raw material and distributing the residual raw material to the build unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the guide unit comprises at least one of a guide rail or a cable.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 8, wherein the cable comprises a first cable and a second cable, wherein the second cable is wound around the first cable.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the switch comprises one of a hydraulically or pneumatically actuatable pressure cylinder or a support or the switch is electrically actuatable.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the guide unit is movable together with the raw material distribution unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 11, wherein the raw material distribution unit is attached to the guide unit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the distance between the raw material distribution unit and the raw material processing unit surface is constant along the second path.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the guide unit is adjustable in its length.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 14, wherein the guide unit is elastically deformable or contains an elastically deformable compensation element.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the guide unit comprises a cable loop.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 16, wherein the cable loop comprises a plurality of cable segments.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 17, wherein one of the cable segments is attachable to the drive unit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the drive unit is configured as a cable drum.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing device of claim 7, wherein the switch is configured as a support element including a first guide element and a second guide element, wherein the second guide element is movable relative to the first guide element.