Process chamber for selective laser fusion

US6583379B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Wilhelm Meiners · Aachen, DE
• Konrad Wissenbach · Würselen, DE
• Andres Gasser · Aachen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 2, 2001
• Grant date: Jun 24, 2003
• Expiry date: Aug 2, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/25
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process chamber for the selective laser fusion of material powder for the production of moulded parts. The process chamber consists of a closed chamber (1) having a bottom area, side walls and a cover area (6), a reservoir volume (3) and a production volume (2) in said bottom area, and first inlet and outlet openings (7, 9) for a protective gas. In the cover area (6), above the production volume (2), a raised region is provided with side areas, in which a beam injection window (10) is disposed that is transparent to laser radiation to be coupled in. Second inlet openings (13) are provided for a further gas in the side areas of the raised region. With the inventive design of the process chamber it is possible to protect the beam injection window (10) efficiently from being soiled by gaseous components rising from the zone of interaction, without impairment of the efficiency in guiding the protective gas.