Patents by Inventor Dieter Schwarze

Dieter Schwarze has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10787352
    Abstract: An unpacking system for use in an apparatus for producing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating layers of a raw material powder electromagnetic or particle radiation comprises a supporting structure which is configured to support a building chamber arrangement. The building chamber arrangement comprises a building chamber accommodating a carrier, the carrier being configured to receive a three-dimensional work piece produced from a raw material powder by an additive layering process. A lowering mechanism of the unpacking system is configured to apply a driving force to the building chamber so as to lower the building chamber relative to the carrier until a three-dimensional work piece received on the carrier can be removed from the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Karsten Huebinger, Toni Adam Krol, Dieter Schwarze, Eduard Gieser
  • Patent number: 10773304
    Abstract: A powder circuit (36) for use in an apparatus (10) for producing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating layers of a raw material powder with electromagnetic or particle radiation comprises a process chamber (12) accommodating a carrier (16) and a powder application device (14) for applying a raw material powder onto the carrier (16), the process chamber (12) being provided with a powder inlet (30) for supplying raw material powder to the powder application device (14) and a powder outlet (32) for discharging excess raw material powder from the process chamber (12). The powder circuit (36) further comprises a powder circulation line (34) connecting the powder outlet (32) of the process chamber (12) to the powder inlet (30) of the process chamber (12) and a conveying device (38) arranged in the powder circulation line (34) for conveying the raw material powder through the powder circulation line (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesner, Bodo Haack, Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20200189184
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for producing a three-dimensional workpiece, comprising: a carrier (12) adapted to receive material (14) for producing the workpiece; at least one mobile production unit (24), a moving unit (18) that is adapted to move the mobile production unit (24) relative to the carrier (12) so as to position the mobile production unit (24) oppositely to different sections of the carrier (12); a sensing unit that is adapted to generate sensor signals relating to a relative arrangement of the mobile production unit (24) and the carrier (12); and a control unit that is configured to, in addition to the positioning of the mobile production unit (24) via the moving unit (18), provide at least one fine positioning function to compensate for an offset from a desired relative arrangement of the mobile production unit (24) and the carrier (18) based on the sensor signals generated by the sensing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Henner Schoeneborn, Dieter Schwarze, Toni Adam Krol, Lukas Roesgen, Jan Wilkes
  • Patent number: 10682701
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece, the apparatus comprises a process chamber accommodating a carrier for receiving a raw material powder, an irradiation device for selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder on the carrier in order to produce a work piece made of said raw material powder by an additive layer construction method, a first gas inlet for supplying gas to the process chamber and a gas outlet for discharging gas from the process chamber, wherein the first gas inlet and the gas outlet are configured and arranged in such a manner that a first gas flow across the carrier is generated, a transmission element which allows the transmission of the electromagnetic or particle radiation emitted by the irradiation device into the process chamber, and a second gas inlet for supplying gas to the process chamber, wherein the second gas inlet is configured and arranged in such a manner that a second gas flow in a direction facing away from th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Jan Wilkes, Toni Adam Krol, Dieter Schwarze
  • Patent number: 10625374
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for producing three-dimensional work pieces comprises a carrier (16), a powder application device (14) for applying a raw material powder onto the carrier (16), an irradiation device (18) selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder applied onto the carrier (16), and a control unit (38) which is adapted to control the operation of the powder application device (14) and the irradiation device (18) in dependence of the crystallization behavior of the raw material powder, in order to tailor the microstructure of a work piece made of said raw material powder by a additive layer construction method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: SLM SOLUTIONS GROUP AG
    Inventor: Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20200094320
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) for producing a three-dimensional workpiece by carrying out an additive layering process, wherein the device (10) comprises: a build area (17) that is configured to receive a raw material powder layer; a powder application device (14) that is configured to deploy the raw material powder layer onto the build area (17); an irradiation system (20) that is configured to selectively irradiate the raw material powder layer on the build area (17); wherein the device (10) is configured to provide at least one gas flow (48) that is directed along an axis (A) extending from a first edge region (44) of the build area (17) towards a second edge region (46) of the build area (17); and wherein the device (10) comprises at least one gas flow guide element (36) that is configured to divert at least a part of the gas flow (48) away from the build area (17) before said gas flow (48) reaches the second edge region (46); wherein the gas flow guide element (36) comprises a gas supply
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Toni Adam Krol, Henner Schoeneborn, Dieter Schwarze, Karsten Huebinger
  • Publication number: 20200063230
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a component containing an iron alloy material, a pulverulent pre-alloy is provided. The pre-alloy comprises, in wt. %, 0.01 to 1% C, 0.0.01 to 30% Mn, ?6% Al, and 0.05 to 6.0% Si, the remainder being Fe and usual contaminants. The pulverulent pre-alloy is mixed with at least one of elementary Ag powder, elementary Au powder, elementary Pd powder and elementary Pt powder so as to produce a powder mixture containing 0.1 to 20% of at least one of Ag, Au, Pd and Pt. The powder mixture is applied onto a carrier (16) by means of a powder application device (14). Electromagnetic or particle radiation is selectively irradiated onto the powder mixture applied onto the carrier (16) by means of an irradiation device (18) so as to generate a component from the powder mixture by an additive layer construction method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Niendorf, Hans Juergen Maier, Florian Brenne, Mirko Schaper, Guido Grundmeier, Dieter Schwarze
  • Patent number: 10543529
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece comprises a carrier to receive a layer of raw material powder, a control unit, an irradiation system adapted to selectively irradiate electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the layer of raw material powder applied onto the carrier, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the irradiation system in such a manner that the raw material powder is heated to a first temperature which allows sintering and/or melting of the raw material powder in order to generate a layer of the three-dimensional work piece, and a heating system adapted to selectively irradiate electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the layer of raw material powder applied onto the carrier, wherein the control unit is adapted to control the operation of the heating system in such a manner that the raw material powder is heated to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Dieter Schwarze, Toni Adam Krol
  • Patent number: 10513748
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a component containing an iron alloy material, a pulverulent pre-alloy is provided. The pre-alloy comprises, in wt. %, 0.01 to 1% C, .0.01 to 30% Mn, ?6% Al, and 0.05 to 6.0% Si, the remainder being Fe and usual contaminants. The pulverulent pre-alloy is mixed with at least one of elementary Ag powder, elementary Au powder, elementary Pd powder and elementary Pt powder so as to produce a powder mixture containing 0.1 to 20% of at least one of Ag, Au, Pd and Pt. The powder mixture is applied onto a carrier (16) by means of a powder application device (14). Electromagnetic or particle radiation is selectively irradiated onto the powder mixture applied onto the carrier (16) by means of an Irradiation device (18) so as to generate a component from the powder mixture by an additive layer construction method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Thomas Niendorf, Hans Juergen Maier, Florian Brenne, Mirko Schaper, Guido Grundmeier, Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20190321916
    Abstract: A method for producing or repairing a three-dimensional work piece, the method comprising the following steps: providing at least one substrate (15); depositing a first layer of a raw material powder onto the substrate (15); and irradiating selected areas of the deposited raw material powder layer with an electromagnetic or particle radiation beam (22) in a site selective manner in accordance with an irradiation pattern which corresponds to a geometry of at least part of a layer of the three-dimensional work piece to be produced, wherein the irradiation is controlled so as to produce a metallurgical bond between the substrate (15) and the raw material powder layer deposited thereon. Moreover, a use and apparatus are likewise disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Dieter Schwarze, Jiachun Chen
  • Patent number: 10413997
    Abstract: A leveling slider exchange arrangement for use in an apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating powder layers with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, the leveling slider exchange arrangement comprises a powder application device adapted to apply a raw material powder onto a carrier and a leveling slider adapted to level the raw material powder applied onto the carrier by means of the powder application device. An attachment mechanism is adapted to releasably attach the leveling slider in a leveling slider attachment position in the powder application device. A storage chamber is adapted to store at least one exchange leveling slider, the storage chamber being connected to a connecting channel adapted to connect the storage chamber to the leveling slider attachment position in the powder application device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Dieter Schwarze, Toni Adam Krol
  • Publication number: 20190255613
    Abstract: The application relates to a method for producing or repairing a three-dimensional workpiece, the method including: depositing a sequence of layers of a raw material powder onto a substrate; after depositing a raw material powder layer, irradiating selected areas of the deposited raw material powder layer with an electromagnetic or particle radiation beam in a site selective manner in accordance with an irradiation pattern which corresponds to a geometry of at least part of a layer of the three-dimensional workpiece to be produced, the irradiation pattern including a scan pattern, wherein the substrate has a substantially single-crystalline microstructure; the irradiation is controlled so as to maintain the single-crystalline microstructure and to produce a metallurgical bond between sites of the raw material powder layer that are irradiated and the substrate and/or a previously deposited raw material powder layer, defining the scan pattern, so as to be one of a unidirectional or two directional scan pattern,
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Dieter Schwarze, Jiachun Chen
  • Publication number: 20190224913
    Abstract: The application relates to a device for producing three-dimensional workpieces, the device including: a structural surface designed to receive a molding compound; and an irradiation arrangement designed to selectively irradiate the molding compound on the structural surface with electromagnetic radiation, in order to produce a workpiece by means of generative layer construction, where the irradiation device comprises a plurality of irradiation units, the irradiation units being designed to irradiate an individual region of the structural surface respectively associated with the irradiation units, and where the beams emitted by the irradiation units respectively have a cross-sectional surface corresponding to between approx. 2% and approx. 170% of the surface of the respectively associated individual region. The application also relates to the use of such a device and to a method for producing three-dimensional workpieces by means of such a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Toni Adam Krol, Andreas Wiesner, Christiane Thiel, Lukas Roesgen, Felix Mutz, Naveed Iqbal, Jan Wilkes, Karsten Huebinger, Dieter Schwarze, Simon Mueller, Arne Neef
  • Patent number: 10335854
    Abstract: A method for producing three-dimensional work pieces comprises the steps of supplying gas to a process chamber accommodating a carrier and a powder application device, applying a layer of raw material powder onto the carrier by means of the powder application device, selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder applied onto the carrier by means of an irradiation device, discharging gas containing particulate impurities from the process chamber, and controlling the operation of the irradiation device by means of a control unit such that a radiation beam emitted by at least one radiation source of the irradiation device is guided over the layer of raw material powder applied onto the carrier according to a radiation pattern containing a plurality of scan vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SLM SOLUTIONS GROUP AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesner, Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20190168304
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional workpiece is provided, the apparatus including a carrier for receiving a raw material powder, at least a first irradiation device for selectively irradiating an electromagnetic or particle radiation beam onto raw material powder being deposited on at least one build area of the carrier in order to produce a workpiece made of the raw material powder by an additive layer construction method, and at least a first and a second powder application device configured to simultaneously deposit raw material powder onto the same build area to produce a sequence of raw material powder layers on top of one another, wherein the irradiation device is configured to irradiate a section of the build area between the powder application devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Toni Adam Krol, Dieter Schwarze, Henner Schoeneborn, Lukas Roesgen
  • Patent number: 10293546
    Abstract: A powder application apparatus is provided for use in a device for manufacturing work pieces by exposing powder layers to electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation. The powder application apparatus comprises a first powder storage provided in a first part of the powder application apparatus and configured to receive and store raw material powder. The powder application apparatus further comprises a first powder supply channel provided in a second part of the powder application apparatus and configured to discharge raw material powder from the first powder storage onto a carrier located below the apparatus. A first channel opening/closing element is configured to be moved between a first position to allow the discharge of raw material powder from the first powder storage onto the carrier, and a second position in which the discharge of raw material powder from the first powder storage onto the carrier is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SLM SOLUTIONS GROUP AG
    Inventors: André Hermann, Andreas Wiesner, Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20190143411
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional semi-finished product comprises the steps of applying a first raw material powder to a carrier, applying a second raw material powder to the carrier, selectively irradiating the first raw material powder applied to the carrier with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, in order to manufacture a workpiece produced from the first raw material powder on the carrier by a generative layer construction method, and selectively irradiating the second raw material powder applied to the carrier with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, in order to manufacture a support element produced from the second raw material powder on the carrier by a generative layer construction method, wherein the support element produced from the second raw material powder has a higher thermal conductivity than the workpiece produced from the first raw material powder and wherein the support element dissipates heat introduced during the irradiation of the first and the seco
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Dieter Schwarze
  • Patent number: 10252332
    Abstract: A powder processing arrangement (10) for use in an apparatus (100) for producing three-dimensional work pieces by selectively irradiating a raw material powder with electromagnetic or particle radiation comprises a carrier element (16) having a build section (46) adapted to carry a raw material powder layer while being selectively irradiated with electromagnetic or particle radiation and at least one transfer section (48a, 48b) adapted to carry the raw material powder prior to being applied to the build section (46) so as to form the raw material powder layer to be selectively irradiated with electromagnetic or particle radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventor: Dieter Schwarze
  • Publication number: 20190077086
    Abstract: A device (48) for calibrating an irradiation system (18) of an apparatus (10) for producing a three-dimensional work piece comprises a control unit (50) adapted to control the irradiation system (18) so as to irradiate a radiation beam (22; 22a, 22b) onto an irradiation plane (52) according to a calibration pattern. The device (48) further comprises a sensor arrangement (56) adapted to be arranged in the irradiation plane (52) and to output signals to the control unit (50) in response to being irradiated with the radiation beam (22; 22a, 22b) according to the calibration pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Stengel, Daniel Alberts, Dieter Schwarze, Toni Adam Krol
  • Patent number: 10150161
    Abstract: A contact arrangement (44) for use in an apparatus (10) for producing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating layers of a raw material powder with electromagnetic or particle radiation, the contact arrangement (44) comprises a replaceable building chamber (20) adapted to receive a work piece generated in the apparatus (10) by an additive layering process and a building chamber support element (38) adapted to support the replaceable building chamber (20). A first contact element (46) is fastened to the replaceable building chamber (20) and comprises at least one first electrical conductor element (48), the first electrical conductor element (48) being provided with a first planar conductor surface (50). A second contact element (52) is fastened to the building chamber support element (38) and comprises at least one second electrical conductor element (54), the second electrical conductor element (54) being provided with a second planar conductor surface (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
    Inventors: Bodo Haack, Dieter Schwarze