Additive manufacturing system and method

A method of operating an additive manufacturing system, comprising:

• depositing a bed of a powder material on a build platform within a chamber;
• supplying an upper gas flow into the chamber horizontally above the build platform;
• supplying a lower gas flow into the chamber toward the build platform via a lower gas inlet disposed in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet comprises one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from a first side-wall toward the build platform that guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform, and wherein an upper dividing wall has a bending point where the upper dividing wall bends at a bending angle toward the build platform, and a lower dividing wall has a bending point where the lower dividing wall bends at a bending angle toward the build platform;
• and
• applying a focused energy beam to at least a portion of the bed of the powder material deposited on the build platform to form a solidified layer.

An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber;
• a build platform disposed in the chamber;
• a powder application device arranged in the chamber and configured to dispose a bed of powder material onto the build platform;
• an energy generating system arranged in the chamber and configured to generate and direct a focused energy beam onto at least a portion of the bed of powder material;
• a positioning system coupled to the build platform, the energy generating system, the powder application device, or a combination thereof, and configured to move the build platform, the energy generating system, the powder application device, or a combination thereof, relative to one another;
• an upper gas inlet disposed in a first side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform;
• a lower gas inlet in a lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet comprises one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the first side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform, wherein an upper dividing wall has a bending point where the upper dividing wall bends at a bending angle toward the build platform, and a lower dividing wall has a bending point where the lower dividing wall bends at a bending angle toward the build platform;
• one or more gas delivery mechanisms coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows;
• and
• a gas outlet, disposed in a second side-wall of the chamber, opposing the first side-wall, wherein the gas outlet is configured to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.