Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object layer by layer

An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by applying and solidifying a powdery constituent material layer by layer at positions corresponding to the cross sectional area of the object in the respective layer by exposure to a laser or another energy source, the apparatus comprising:

• a support supporting layers of the powdery constituent material applied onto it for forming the object,
• a container having a wall which laterally delimits the build-up material,
• a heating or cooling element supplying heat to or removing heat away from the constituent material applied layer by layer, and
• an intermediate layer having a highly anisotropic heat conductivity, which is provided on the support and/or the wall of the container,
• wherein the intermediate layer having a highly anisotropic heat conductivity is a graphite plate with a multi-layer foil structure, and
• the heat conductivity of the intermediate layer at room temperature in a first direction, which is a direction parallel to the layer, is at least 5 times as high as that in a second direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the layer.