Chamber systems for additive manufacturing

US10967566B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Seurat Technologies, Inc. · US

Inventors

• James A. DeMuth · Woburn, US
• Erik Toomre · Los Altos, US
• Francis L. Leard · Sudbury, US
• Kourosh Kamshad · Hudson, US
• Heiner Fees · Bietigheim-Bissingen, DE
• Eugene Berdichevsky · Oakland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 27, 2016
• Grant date: Apr 6, 2021
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P80/40
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects.