Abstract: The invention refers to a method of generating a ceiling gas stream (44) in the course of the generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional object (2) in a process chamber (3) by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material (13) within a build area (10) arranged in the process chamber. In the course of this, the process chamber has a chamber wall (4) having a process chamber ceiling (4a) lying above the build area (10). According to the invention, at least temporarily before and/or during and/or after the manufacturing of the object (2), a ceiling gas stream (44) of a process gas is passed through the process chamber (3) which is streaming from the process chamber ceiling (4a) towards the build area (10) in a controlled manner.

Abstract: A swap platform support for an additive layer-wise building device, which is configured to produce at least one three-dimensional object on a swap platform (121) by solidifying layer by layer a building material in powder form at positions that correspond to the at least one object in the respective layers comprises a clamping device (115, 116) for detachably fixing a position of the swap platform (121) with respect to the position of the swap platform support, a temperature control system (111) configured to supply heat energy to at least a portion of its environment and/or to remove heat energy from at least a portion of its environment and a pressing device (112) which is suited to press at least a part of the temperature control system (111) against a swap platform (121) when the swap platform is clamped in the clamping device (115, 116).

Abstract: The invention refers to a method of generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object (2) in a process chamber (3) of a generative manufacturing apparatus (1) by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material (13) within a build area (10) arranged in the process chamber. In the course of this, while the object is being manufactured, a process gas is supplied to the process chamber by means of a gas supply device and is discharged from the process chamber via an outlet (42a, 42b). According to the invention, the gas supply device is designed and/or arranged relatively to the build area and/or controlled such that a gas stream (40) of the process gas streaming through the process chamber is shaped in such a manner that a substantially elongate oval impingement area (A3) of the gas stream (40) is generated within the build area (10).

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for densifying or compacting powder material in the supply bin of an additive manufacture machine to improve the quality of the object being made. For example, a removable or portable apparatus can be applied to the surface of the supply bin once the bin has been filled. The apparatus can include a vibrational component that agitates the underlying powder to compact the material. The apparatus can then be removed during the remainder of the additive manufacturing process, which then follows in its normal course. A vacuum can also be used the remove of air or other gases that are emitted during the compaction process, for example, as voids are filled during densification.

Abstract: A method for the production of a three-dimensional object (3) by layer-wise solidifying a building material (11) in powder form by means of electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation comprises a step of applying a layer of the building material (11) on a building support (2) or an already applied and selectively solidified layer and a step of selectively solidifying the applied layer by means of electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, wherein all positions in the layer that correspond to a cross-section of the object (3) are scanned by electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation such that at these positions the powder is melted at least at its surface. At least one cross-section comprises an inner region (63) and a surface region (60).

Abstract: A three-dimensional object is manufactured by selective sintering by means of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the powder comprises a polymer or copolymer having at least one of the following structural characteristics: (i) at least one branching group in the backbone chain of the polymer or copolymer, provided that in case of the use of polyaryletherketones (PAEK) the branching group is an aromatic structural unit in the backbone chain of the polymer or copolymer; (ii) modification of at least one end group of the backbone chain of the polymer or copolymer; (iii) at least one bulky group within the backbone chain of the polymer of copolymer, provided that in case of the use of polyaryletherketones (PAEK) the bulky group is not selected from the group consisting of phenylene, biphenylene, naphthalene and CH2— or isopropylidene-linked aromatics; (iv) at least one aromatic group non-linearly linking the backbone chain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of a three-dimensional object (2) by way of layered solidification of a powder construction material (11) by way of electromagnetic radiation, in particular laser radiation, having the steps: scanning points, which correspond to a cross section of the object (2) to be produced, of an applied layer of the powder construction material (11) with an electromagnetic beam (22) from a radiation source (21) for purposes of selectively solidifying the powder construction material (11), conducting a gas flow (33) across the applied layer during the scanning with the electromagnetic beam (22) and performing an irregularity determination with regard to the presence of a process irregularity with regard to at least one process parameter during the production, wherein during the scanning by way of the electromagnetic beam (22), the scanning process at at least one present point of the cross section to be solidified is interrupted on the basis of a result of the i

Abstract: A method for producing an orthosis includes at least the steps of receiving patient data of at least one body part of a patient, wherein the body part is borne substantially without a holding apparatus during the reception, ascertaining and/or receiving reference coordinates of virtual and/or physical target objects on the body part, wherein the body part is borne substantially without a holding apparatus during the ascertainment and/or reception and wherein the target objects represent at least one location on the surface of the body part that is representative for attaching the orthosis on the body part, individually fitting a digital orthosis model on the basis of the patient data and the reference coordinates, and manufacturing the orthosis on the basis of the digital orthosis model that is fitted in this way.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for use in eye surgery, comprising a container (9) with fluid (5) which is connected via an irrigation line (12) to a surgical handpiece for delivering the fluid (5) for rinsing an eye (3) on which surgery has been performed, wherein a pillar (8), which in particular is electrically adjustable in its height, is provided for supporting the container (9) and for adjusting the height (H) between the container (9) and the surgical handpiece, and wherein a control for adjusting the height of the pillar (8) is provided in order to deliver the fluid (5) from the surgical handpiece into the eye (3) at an irrigation pressure predetermined by the surgeon, wherein pressurizing means (10) are provided which are designed for charging the fluid (5) to be delivered from the container (9) to the irrigation line (12) with an atmospheric overpressure (PATÜ) and wherein the control for adjusting the desired irrigation pressure is designed both for adjusting the height (H) of the pillar (8)

Abstract: A recoating unit (40) serves for equipping or retrofitting a device (1) for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object (2) by selectively solidifying a building material (15), preferably a powder, layer by layer. The device (1) comprises a recoater (16) movable across a build area (8) for applying a layer (31b, 32b) of the building material (15) within the build area (8) and a solidification device (20) for selectively solidifying the applied layer (31b, 32b) at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be manufactured. The device (1) is formed and/or controlled to repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object (2) is completed.

Abstract: A recoating unit (40) serves for equipping or retrofitting a device (1) for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object (2) by selectively solidifying a building material (15), preferably a powder, layer by layer. The device (1) comprises a recoater (16) movable across a build area (8) for applying a layer (31b, 32b) of the building material (15) within the build area (8) and a solidification device (20) for selectively solidifying the applied layer (31b, 32b) at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be manufactured. The device (1) is formed and/or controlled to repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object (2) is completed. The recoating unit (40) comprises at least two recoating rollers (41, 42) spaced apart from each other in a first direction (B1) and extending into a second direction transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the first direction.

Abstract: An exposure control device (31) serves for equipping and/or retrofitting a generative layer-wise building device (1). The latter comprises an exposure device (20) which emits electromagnetic radiation (22) or particle radiation and is configured to irradiate positions to be solidified in a layer in such a way that after cooling they exist as an object cross-section or part of the same. The exposure control device (31) has a first data output interface (36), at which control commands can be output to the exposure device (20). The control commands which are output specify one of a plurality of exposure types wherein an exposure type is defined by a predetermined combination of a radiation energy density to be emitted by the exposure device (20) and a scanning pattern with which the radiation (22) is being directed to a region of a layer of the building material (15).

Abstract: A device for an adjustment of a heater control in an additive manufacturing device, in which a heater control regulates the heating of an applied building material layer by means of a heating device (17) up to a work temperature (TA) comprises: a nominal parameter provision unit (201) designed such that it provides at least one nominal parameter value, meaning the setpoint of a controlled variable and/or its change with time and/or the setpoint of a heater parameter and/or its change with time, an actual parameter detection unit (202) designed such that it is able to detect for at least one of the nominal parameter values the corresponding actual parameter value in the heater control or in the additive manufacturing device, wherein an actual parameter value is the actual value of a controlled variable and/or the actual value of its change with time and/or the actual value of a heater parameter and/or the actual value of its change with time, and a control change unit (203) that automatically changes at lea

Abstract: A computer-based method of providing control commands of a control command set for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by means of an additive manufacturing device comprises at least the following steps: a step (S1) of allocating input data that represent at least a partial surface of the object to be manufactured, wherein the partial surface has an initial surface texture, which is defined by a set of initial texture parameter values (201, 501, 601) that characterize the geometry of the initial surface texture, a step (S2, S31, S31a, S31b) of determining a set of target texture parameter values (203, 503, 603) that differ from the set of initial texture parameter values, and a step (S4, S40, S41) of generating control commands of a control command set, by which control commands said partial surface can be manufactured by means of said additive manufacturing device with a surface texture that is defined by the set of target texture parameter values (203, 503, 603).

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.