Powder Distribution for Laser Sintering Systems
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsDavid H. Cullen, Rafael Enrique Hidalgo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided improved laser sintering systems that increase the powder density and reduce anomalies of the powder layers that are sintered, that measure the laser power within the build chamber for automatic calibration during a build process, that deposit powder into the build chamber through a chute to minimize dusting, and that scrubs the air and cools the radiant heaters with recirculated scrubbed air. The improvements enable the laser sintering systems to make parts that are of higher and more consistent quality, precision, and strength, while enabling the user of the laser sintering systems to reuse greater proportions of previously used but unsintered powder.
Claims19
A laser sintering system for fabricating three dimensional objects based upon design data and from a sinterable powder, the laser sintering system comprising:
- a hopper for supplying the sinterable powder to a build chamber of the laser sintering system;
- a powder distribution device for distributing the sinterable powder in a layer on a part bed;
- and
- a return powder device opposite the part bed from the hopper, wherein the return powder device is selectively moveable to enable a portion of powder to be transferred from one side of the powder distribution device to the other side.
A method for laser sintering a three dimensional objects based upon design data and from a sinterable powder, the method comprising:
- depositing sinterable powder between a powder distribution device and a part bed;
- distributing the sinterable powder on the part bed to form a first layer of sinterable powder;
- causing a return portion of the sinterable powder to be repositioned from opposite the part bed from the powder distribution device to between the part bed and the powder distribution device;
- and
- distributing the return portion of the sinterable powder on the part bed to further form the first layer of sinterable powder,
- wherein both distributing steps are performed before the layer of sinterable powder is substantially laser sintered and a second layer of sinterable powder is distributed.
A laser sintering system for fabricating three dimensional objects based upon design data and from a sinterable powder, the laser sintering system comprising:
- a build chamber comprising a part bed, a powder distribution device, and at least one heater;
- and
- a laser power measurement device capable of measuring a power of a laser beam in the build chamber during a build process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.