Apparatus and method for producing three-dimensional objects
AssigneeEOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
InventorsAndreas Lohner, Christian Wilkening
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In order to achieve a homogeneous density distribution in a layer to be solidified of a three-dimensional object produced by laser sintering a laser beam is passed across the surface of the layer to be solidified, whereby the travelling speed of the beam varies as a function of the length of lines of a line pattern.
Claims12
A method for producing a three-dimensional object by successively providing layers of a material and scanning said layers with a beam of electromagnetic radiation at places corresponding to the cross-section of said object to solidify said layers thereat, said method comprising the following steps for each layer for producing said object:
- providing a layer of said material;
- scanning said layer with said beam along a plurality of parallel adjacent lines with a travelling speed of said beam, said lines having different lengths;
- and
- adjusting said travelling speed of said beam along each of said adjacent lines as a function of said length of said line.
An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object by scanning successive layers of a material with a beam of electromagnetic radiation along a plurality of parallel adjacent lines having different lengths to solidify the material at places corresponding to the cross-section of the object, a travelling speed of the beam along each of said adjacent lines being adjusted as a function of the length of the line, said apparatus comprising:
- support means for supporting said object to be formed,
- coating means for applying layers of said material onto said support means or onto a previously solidified layer,
- beam generating means for generating a beam of electromagnetic radiation,
- beam directing means for directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a surface of said layer for scanning said layer with a travelling speed of said beam along a plurality of adjacent lines, and
- control means for controlling said travelling speed of said beam as a function of the length of the line being scanned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.