Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional object (2, 10) and a boundary region (8, 9, 18) by layer-wise applying and solidifying of at least one building material, wherein the three-dimensional object (2, 10) is produced with a first generative production method on the basis of a first building material and the boundary region (8, 9, 18) is produced with a second generative production method, which is different from the first generative production method, on the basis of a second building material. The first generative production method comprises the steps: applying a layer of the first building material on a building base (11, 12) or on an already previously applied layer, selectively solidifying the applied layer at positions corresponding to the cross-section of the object (2, 10) in the respective layer and repeating the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object (2, 10) is completed.

Abstract: The invention describes powders for use in the production of spatial structures, i.e. molded bodies, using layer build-up methods, as well as methods for their efficient production. The powders have the special feature that they have good flow behavior, for one thing, and at the same time, have such a composition that the molded body that can be produced with the powder, using rapid prototyping, has significantly improved mechanical and/or thermal properties. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the powder has a first component that is present in the form of essentially spherical powder particles, which is formed by a matrix material, and at least one further component in the form of stiffening and/or reinforcing fibers, which are preferably embedded in the matrix material.

Abstract: A method (V) for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by applying and selectively solidifying a powdery construction material (13) layer by layer includes the steps: a) applying (Z) a layer of the construction material (13) onto a construction field in a working plane (10) by means of a recoating device (14) moving in a moving direction (B) over the working plane, b) selectively solidifying (Y) the applied layer of the construction material (13) at positions, which correspond to a cross-section of the object (2) to be produced, and c) repeating (X) the steps a) and b) until the object is completed. The construction material is stored during step a) in a recoating unit (40a-e) arranged at the recoating device (14) within a space between two recoating elements (42a, 42b) mutually spaced apart from each other in the moving direction of the recoating device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object (3), comprising: a frame (1) defining a building field (6) at an upper portion (2) thereof; a plate (12) which connects the frame (1) with a housing (100) of the device; a support (5) which is arranged in the frame (1) and vertically movable by a lift mechanics (4) at least below the building field (6); a radiation device (7) which generates an energetic beam (8, 8?) which is focused by a deflection means (9) to arbitrary points in the building field (6), so as to selectively sinter or melt a powdery material (11) which is present in the building field (6); a coater (10) for applying a layer of powdery material (11) onto the support (5) or a previously applied layer of the powdery material (11). A thermal insulation (13) is arranged between the frame (1) and the plate.

Abstract: A method for controlling the direction of gas suctioning is carried out in a device (1) for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by selectively solidifying building material (13) layer by layer. The device (1) comprises an application device (12-14) for applying a layer of the building material (13) to a build area in a working plane (10), a solidifying device (20) for selectively solidifying the building material (13) in the applied layer, and at least two gas nozzles (40) which are arranged at the edge of the build area. The gas nozzles (40) are switchable into a function for suctioning gas from the device (1) and to a functionless state, and are switched depending on an operating state of the device (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a spin coater for a device for the additive manufacture of an object, having a support that can be connected to the device in a rotable manner about a rotational axis; and a coating element that is coupled to the support and that is suitable for applying or leveling a powder layer on a plane in the device while the support is rotating, the plane running perpendicularly to the rotational axis. The coating element substantially maintains its orientation during the rotational movement of the support within a specified rotational range. The coating element does not substantially move in a longitudinal direction of the coating element during the rotational movement of the support within a specified rotational range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object (3), comprising: a frame (1) defining a building field (6) at an upper portion (2) thereof; a plate (12) which connects the frame (1) with a housing (100) of the device; a support (5) which is arranged in the frame (1) and vertically movable by a lift mechanics (4) at least below the building field (6); a radiation device (7) which generates an energetic beam (8, 8?) which is focused by a deflection means (9) to arbitrary points in the building field (6), so as to selectively sinter or melt a powdery material (11) which is present in the building field (6); a coater (10) for applying a layer of powdery material (11) onto the support (5) or a previously applied layer of the powdery material (11). A thermal insulation (13) is arranged between the frame (1) and the plate.

Abstract: A device (1), for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by solidifying, layer-by-layer, building material (13) at locations in the respective layer corresponding to the cross-section of the object (2) to be produced, contains a flow device (31, 32, 34, 35) for generating a gas flow above an applied layer of the building material (13) by means of a nozzle element (40) for introducing the gas into the device. The nozzle element (40) comprises a body (41) with a gas inlet side and a gas outlet side (46), and a plurality of channels (42) which penetrate the body from the gas inlet side (44) to the gas outlet side (46), are provided with inlet openings on the gas inlet side (44) and with gas outlet openings (47) on the gas outlet side (46), and which are separated by walls (43). The length of the channels (42) is selected such that therein a laminar flow is formed at the gas outlet side (46).

Abstract: A device (1) for producing a three-dimensional object (2) through layer-wise solidifying of build-up material (13) at positions (43) corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be produced in a respective layer comprises a coating device (12-14) for applying a layer of the build-up material (13) on a working plane (10), a solidifying device (20) for the selective solidifying of the build-up material (13) in the applied layer and a gas suction nozzle (34) for extracting gas from the device (1) by suction. The gas suction device (34) is thereby movably arranged and the device (1) is designed to control or to regulate a movement and/or orientation of the gas suction nozzle (34) as a function of a number of reference positions (51, 53, 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d).

Abstract: A method for coating the surfaces of three-dimensional objects with a coating agent is provided, which method is characterized by a blasting of the three-dimensional object, wherein a grainy blasting material that has been mixed with the coating agent is used as blasting medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for constructing a three-dimensional object (3) in layers from a pulverulent construction material by solidifying layers of the pulverulent construction material in a successive manner at each layer point which corresponds to a cross-section of the object, wherein the solidification process is carried out by introducing thermal energy. The method has the following step: solidifying all the layer points which correspond to a cross-section of the object. The introduced thermal energy quantity is adjusted at least in a sub-region of the layer dependent on the duration of the previous solidification step for the previous powder layer or dependent on the current solidification step duration, which is calculated in advance.

Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a build-up material (13) comprises the steps: applying a layer of the build-up material (13) on a construction field by means of a coater (14) moving above the construction field, selectively solidifying the applied layer at points which correspond to a cross section of the object (2) to be produced, and repeating the steps of application and selective solidification until the object (2) is finished. In this case, firstly a support structure (30) is formed on a construction platform (9) and then the object (2) is formed on the support structure (30) by the above steps, wherein the support structure (30) has a weakened region (30b), which is arranged on average closer to the construction platform (9) than to the object (2) and which is more easily severable than the regions (30a) of the support structure adjacent in height.

Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by applying layers of a pulverulent construction material (11) and by selectively solidifying said material by the action of energy comprises the steps: a layer of the pulverulent construction material (11) is applied to a support (6) or to a layer of the construction material that has been previously applied and at least selectively solidified; an energy beam (14) from an energy source (13) sweeps over points on the applied layer corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be produced in order to selectively solidify the pulverulent construction material (11); and a gas flow (18) is guided in a main flow direction (RG) over the applied layer during the sweep of the energy beam (14). The main flow direction (RG) of the gas flow (G) and the sweep direction (RL) of the energy beam (14) are adapted to one another at least in one region of the cross-section to be solidified.

Abstract: A device (20) for unpacking a three-dimensional object (2), produced in an interchangeable container (5) and/or on a construction platform (7) by applying layers of a construction material (11) in powder form and by selective hardening thereof, from the surrounding unhardened powder (9) contains a rotating device (22) for holding the interchangeable container (5) and/or the construction platform (7), which rotating device is able to rotate the interchangeable container (5) and/or the construction platform (7) through an angle of at least 90° out of the upright position.

Abstract: A process for the layer-by-layer construction of a three-dimensional object (3) from a pulverulent construction material by means of successively solidifying layers of the pulverulent construction material in each case at those sites of a layer which correspond to a cross section of the object, wherein the solidification is accomplished by introducing heat energy, has the following steps for each layer: a step of providing a layer of a pulverulent construction material, a step of preheating the applied construction material to a preheating temperature, below the temperature at which the material is solidified, and a step of solidifying the applied layer by means of electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation (7), wherein, in the solidification step, during a predetermined period of time, the start of which coincides with the beginning of the solidification step, the quantity of heat introduced per unit area is reduced over time and can be described by a function which decreases monotonously depending on t

Abstract: The invention describes a laser printing system (100) for illuminating an object moving relative to a laser module of the laser printing system (100) in a working plane (180), the laser module comprising at least two laser arrays of semiconductor lasers and at least one optical element, wherein the optical element is adapted to image laser light emitted by the laser arrays, such that laser light of semiconductor lasers of one laser array is imaged to one pixel in the working plane of the laser printing system, and wherein the laser printing system is a 3D printing system for additive manufacturing and wherein two, three, four or a multitude of laser modules (201, 202) are provided, which are arranged in columns (c1, c2) perpendicular to a direction of movement (250) of the object in the working plane (180), and wherein the columns are staggered with respect to each other such that a first laser module (201) of a first column of laser modules (c1) is adapted to illuminate a first area (y1) of the object and a

Abstract: A modular system (1) for producing a three-dimensional object (2) by layerwise application and selective solidification of a pulverulent build material (13) contains a first module (30, 34-36; 40, 41) suitable for carrying out a first process used for the production of the three-dimensional object (2), and at least a second and a third module (30, 34-36; 40,41) suitable for carrying out a further process used for the production of the three-dimensional object (2). The first to third modules (30, 34-36; 40, 41) are configured so that the second or the third module, or both, can selectively and replaceably be connected to the first module in such a way that their housings are coupled to one another directly.

Abstract: A device for the making of a three-dimensional object (3) by means of layer by layer consolidation of a powderlike construction material (11) by electromagnetic radiation or particle beam has a height-adjustable carrier (2), on which the object (3) is built, and whose horizontal dimension defines a construction field (5). Furthermore, an irradiation device (6, 9) is present for directing the radiation onto regions of an applied layer of the construction material within the construction field (5) corresponding to an object cross section (30). A control unit (10) controls the irradiation device (6, 9) such that the powder particles of the construction material (11) are bonded together at the sites where the radiation impinges on the construction material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for layered production of a three-dimensional object, wherein a powdery or fluid building material, which can be solidified by the effects of electro-magnetic or particle radiation, is applied in layers having a layer thickness d, and the locations in each layer which correspond to a cross-section of the object allocated to said layer are solidified by means of electromagnetic or particle radiation. According to the invention, each cross-section consists of a contour region and an inner region and the method comprises the following sub-step: in a sequence of N successive cross-sections, wherein N is a whole number greater than 1, a partial region is defined in every cross-section as a critical region and the rest of the cross-section is defined as a non-critical region, a number of N layers are applied successively, without solidification of the non-critical regions.

Abstract: A calibration device (30) for an apparatus (1) for layerwise production of a three-dimensional object (2) by layerwise solidification of building material (10) at the locations corresponding to the cross section of the object to be produced in the respective layer by means of at least two energy beams (14a, 14b) includes a housing (31) and a sensor (32) which is arranged in the housing. The sensor serves to receive the at least two energy beams and to output an output signal as a function of the intensity of the energy beams. The housing has at least two through-openings (34a, 34b) for transmitting the at least two energy beams, which are arranged so that their central axes intersect on a surface of the sensor.