Patents Assigned to EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
  • Patent number: 8031384
    Abstract: A device (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-wise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layers corresponding to the object is provided. The device has an energy source (6) that emits a beam (9) for solidifying the building material, a scanner (8) that selectively directs the beam (9) to different positions in a building plane (11), and a deflection mirror (7) that deflects the beam (9) coming from the energy source (6) to the scanner (8). The beam (9) from the energy source (6) to the scanner (8) runs in a space (13, 14) secluded from the outside and an adjustment mechanism (16) for the alignment of the deflection mirror (7) is provided, which is adjustable from the outside of the secluded space (13, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Hans Perret, Jochen Philippi, Siegfried Schimitzek
  • Publication number: 20110237731
    Abstract: A powder mixture is described, which is suitable for a layer-wise manufacturing of a three-dimensional object by solidifying a building material in powder form. The powder mixture consists of a mixture of a first polyamide 12 powder and a second polyamide 12 powder, wherein the first polyamide 12 powder is characterized by an increase of its viscosity number determined in accordance with ISO 307 that is less than 10%, when the powder is exposed for 20 hours to a temperature that lies 10° C. below its melting temperature under nitrogen atmosphere, and the second polyamide 12 powder is characterized by an increase of its viscosity number, determined in accordance with ISO 307, by 15% or more, when the powder is exposed for 20 hours to a temperature that lies 10° C. below its melting temperature under nitrogen atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Stefan Paternoster
  • Publication number: 20110221099
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object, wherein the object is generated by successively solidifying single layers of fluid or powdery solidifiable building material by the action of electromagnetic radiation. The method comprises steps for emitting a first pulsed electromagnetic radiation onto a first area of a layer of the building material, and for emitting a second continuous electromagnetic radiation onto a second area of the layer of the building material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Johann Oberhofer, Joachim Göbner, Hans-Ulrich Büse
  • Publication number: 20110168091
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GMBH ELECTRO OPTICAL SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Andreas Baumann, Jochen Philippi, Thomas Mattes
  • Patent number: 7976302
    Abstract: A device (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer wise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layers that correspond to the object is provided. The device comprises a machine frame (2, 3, 4, 5); a door (73) that is mounted at the machine frame and is swiveling between an open position and a closed position; a container (25) that can be removed from the device; and a support device (26) that is vertically movable in the container and has an upper side, which forms a building platform (78) on which the three-dimensional object is generated layer wise. A mounting (74) for the container (25) is provided at the door (73) and an attachment (75) is provided at the container (25), which attachment can be brought into an engagement with the mounting (74), so that the container (25) can be moved into the device (1) by closing the door (73) and/or can be moved out of the device by opening the door (73).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Thomas Halder, Hans Perret
  • Publication number: 20110165340
    Abstract: A device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object (3) is disclosed, comprising: a frame (1), the upper portion (2) thereof surrounds a building field (6); a support (5) which is arranged in the frame (1) and vertically movable at least below the building field (6) by a lift mechanics (4); a radiation device (7) which generates an energetic beam (8, 8?) which is focused to arbitrary points in the building field (6) by a deflection means (9), 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 a powdery material (11) onto the support (5) or a previously applied layer of the powdery material (11); a housing (100), in which at least the frame (1) and the support (5) are arranged and which surrounds a building space; and a heating device (13; 14; 15; 16) which continuously supplies heat at least to the building field environment or the building space there above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Andreas Baumann
  • Publication number: 20110133367
    Abstract: A method is provided, by which a three-dimensional object is manufactured by a subsequent solidification of layers of a building material in powder form at the positions in the respective layer that corresponds to the cross-section of the object by means of the action of a laser or another energy source, wherein as building material in powder form a material is used which contains the old powder that has remained as unsolidified powder in the manufacturing of one or more previously formed objects and a proportion of new powder that has not been used before in any manufacturing process, characterized in that the building material in powder form is mechanically consolidated when a layer is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GMBH ELECTRO OPTICAL SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Jochen Weidinger, Frank Müller, Florian Pfefferkorn
  • Publication number: 20110121492
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object according to which the object is built layer-wise by solidification of a building material, wherein a test specimen is built which is excited to oscillate after being built and wherein natural frequencies of the oscillations are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: EOS GMBH ELECTRO OPTICAL SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Jochen PHILIPPI, Alexander SCHILLING
  • Patent number: 7946840
    Abstract: A device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-wise solidification of a building material in powder form at positions in the respective layers corresponding to the object is disclosed. The device comprises: a container (25) arranged in the device; a support device (26), which can be vertically moved in the container, wherein the upper side of the support device (26) forms a building platform (78), on which the three-dimensional object is generated layer-wise; an application device (27) for applying building material in powder form onto the building platform and a previously solidified layer, respectively; and an energy source (6) that provides a beam (9) for solidifying the building material in powder form. In a region below the container (25) in the device (1) outlets (90) are provided, wherein from each of the outlets (90) a directed flow of a fluid medium escapes in a directed manner to peripheral regions of the container (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Hans Perret, Thomas Halder, Jochen Philippi, Peter Keller, Gerd Cantzler, Michael Goth, Siegfried Schmitzek
  • Patent number: 7931462
    Abstract: A device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layerwise solidification of a building material in powder form at the positions in the respective layer that correspond to the object to be manufactured is provided. A work plane (4) is provided, in which successively layers of the building material in powder form, which are to be solidified, are applied and are partially solidified. An application device (5) for applying a layer of the building material in the work plane or onto a previously solidified layer of the building material has an application surface (53) facing the work plane (4). An adjustment device (59, 60, 54) is provided that is constructed such that an angle (?) between the application surface (53) and the work plane (4) is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Thomas Mattes
  • Patent number: 7901604
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing a three-dimensional object having the steps forming the object (3) in a container (1, 200) arranged within a process chamber (100) on a carrier (4) which can be displaced in the container by sequential selective solidification of layers of a pulverulent material (11) which can be solidified by the action of electromagnetic or particle radiation at positions corresponding to the cross-section of the object in the particular layer, characterized by the step of controlled removal of non-solidified pulverulent material (11) after completing the object (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Johann Oberhofer, Jochen Weidinger, Thomas Mattes
  • Patent number: 7891095
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of producing in one and the same operation precious hallmarked precious metal products. The method is particularly suited for production of such precious metal products, i.e. jewelry and objets d'art, which have complex geometries. The basic principle of the invention is the use of the free form fabrication FFF, method known per se which involve a stepwise build-up in layers of the product from a precious-metal-containing metal powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Christer Jonsson, Towe Norlén, Lena Thorsson, Björn Eklund
  • Patent number: 7847057
    Abstract: By a temper treatment a polyaryletherketone powder is processed such that it is particularly suited for the use in a method for a layer-wise manufacturing of a three-dimensional object. To this effect the powder is tempered at a temperature that is at least 20° C. above the glass transition temperature for at least 30 minutes before it is used as building material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Frank Müller, Andreas Pfister, Martin Leuterer
  • Patent number: 7837458
    Abstract: A device (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-wise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layers that correspond to the object is provided. The device has a machine frame (2, 3, 4, 5) and support legs (51) that are mounted at the machine frame and by which the device (1) is supported on a substrate. The support legs (51) are arranged such that a three-point support of the device (1) at the substrate is given and at least two support legs (51) are mounted at the machine frame such that they are adjustable in height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Hans Perret, Thomas Halder, Siegfried Schimitzek
  • Publication number: 20100270713
    Abstract: A method is provided, in which three-dimensional objects are manufactured by layer-wise solidifying powdery synthetic material by impact of electromagnetic or particle radiation, wherein the powdery synthetic material has an anti-microbial property so that the manufactured objects comprise surfaces having an anti-microbial effect. The anti-microbial property is achieved by additives which are present in each powder grain. Such additives can be noble metals, for example argent. The manufactured objects are mainly used in particular in the food industry and in medical engineering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicants: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, Arkema France, SA
    Inventors: Stoyan Frangov, Peter Walz, Gregory Filou
  • Patent number: 7820241
    Abstract: A device (51) for applying layers or a powder material (71) by means of an application device (52) is described, wherein the application device (52) can be moved back and forth between two end positions in order to apply a layer of material (71) and the application device (52) comprises a blade (56) for removing excess material during the application of a layer of material (71). The device (51) is characterized by a material transport device (53), by which the material can be transferred from one side of the blade (56) to the other side of the blade. The device has the particular advantage that layers of material (71) can be applied without any loss of material and is particularly applicable in a laser sintering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Hans Perret, Thomas Halder, Jochen Philippi, Peter Keller, Gerd Cantzler, Michael Göth
  • Publication number: 20100264302
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for calibrating an irradiation device of an apparatus for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The calibration includes steps of arranging an image converter plate (12) in or in parallel to a working plane of the apparatus, wherein the image converter plate (12) outputs detectable light (13), when the irradiation device irradiates predetermined positions of the image converter plate (12) with energetic radiation; of scanning the image converter plate (12) by the irradiation device; of detecting the detectable light (13) by a light detector (15); of determining coordinates of the irradiation device, when the detected light (13) is detected; of comparing the determined coordinates with predetermined reference coordinates; and of calibrating the irradiation device on the basis of a deviation between the determined coordinates and the reference coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Jochen Philippi
  • Publication number: 20100192806
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for recycling of remaining powder from an equipment for generatively manufacturing three-dimensional objects (3), wherein, in addition to sieving of remaining powder (3a) or mixing the remaining powder (3a) with fresh powder, a further preparing step for modifying a characteristic of the resulting powder is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Martin Heugel, Michael Shellabear, Sven Pawliczek, Horst Maier
  • Publication number: 20100161102
    Abstract: In a method of providing a material amount for a generative manufacturing method, a three-dimensional object (2) is formed by selectively solidifying layers of a material at locations corresponding to the cross-section of the object (2) in the respective layers. It is the object of the present invention to provide a method, by which the quality of the manufactured objects is reproducibly recorded and, thus, further improved. Therefore, the method is characterized by the steps of: providing at least one first material amount, which is characterized by at least one feature; detecting data, which relate to the at least one feature of the first material amount; and storing data, which relate to the at least one feature of the first material amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Thomas Mattes, Ludger Hümmeler, Markus Frohnmaier
  • Patent number: 7740683
    Abstract: The present invention relates to metal powders mixtures which are intended for manufacturing precious metal products which have special designs and complex geometries, also including those which consist of several uninterrupted parts which are indivisibly but flexibly coupled to each other. From the powder mixture jewelry and other objets d'art are manufactured by making use of free form fabrication (FFF) technique. The invention also comprises jewelry and other ornamental products which are manufactured from the powder material in question using the FFF technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventors: Lena Thorsson, Allan Hede, Björn Eklund