Patent ID: 11969792
Assignee: ADDUP
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A powder bed fusion additive manufacturing machine comprising:
a manufacturing chamber and at least one source of heat or of energy used to selectively melt a layer of an additive manufacturing powder deposited inside the manufacturing chamber;
two mobile powder-receiving surfaces able to move in a vicinity of a manufacturing zone situated inside the manufacturing chamber;
a powder-spreading device for spreading the additive manufacturing powder on the at mobile powder-receiving surfaces toward the manufacturing zone; and
two powder-distribution devices, each device distributing additive manufacturing powder over one of the two mobile powder-receiving surfaces,
wherein each mobile powder-receiving surface is in a form of a solid block mounted with an ability to effect translational movement in a horizontal direction that is transverse in relation to the manufacturing zone,
wherein each powder-distribution device comprises a buffer reservoir connected to a powder supply and a powder-distribution point beneath which one of the two mobile powder-receiving surfaces moves,
wherein each powder-distribution device comprises a screw-type metering device connecting the buffer reservoir and the powder-distribution point and enabling generation of a continuous stream of additive manufacturing powder from the buffer reservoir toward each powder-distribution point,
wherein the screw-type metering device comprises a barrel and two powder-conveying screws juxtaposed inside the barrel and rotationally driven inside the barrel,
wherein the two screws of the metering device are synchronized in rotation and the two screws of the metering device rotate in the same, clockwise or anticlockwise, direction,
wherein a powder-distribution device comprises a powder-unpacking device to loosen the powder contained in the buffer reservoir,
wherein the unpacking device adopts the form of a blade driven in rotation around a horizontal axis inside the buffer reservoir by a motor,
wherein the two screws are driven in rotation by the one same motor via a gearing, and
wherein the motor driving the rotation of the two screws is also able to drive the rotation of the blade of the unpacking device via the gearing.