Patent ID: 11878350
Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A three-dimensional (3D) print engine for fabricating a 3D article comprising:
a plurality of walls laterally defining a build chamber;
a build box including a build plate coupled to a vertical positioning system, the build plate defining a lateral area;
a powder dispenser;
a beam system configured to generate a plurality of energy beams that scan over a build plane within the lateral area of the build plate and that is at a fixed height for powder fusion;
a peripheral plate disposed between the build plate and the plurality of walls, the peripheral plate having an upper surface;
a gas inlet that ejects a gas flow stream at an inlet end of the build chamber and passes over the build plane and at least part of the upper surface of the peripheral plate;
a gas outlet at an outlet end of the build chamber and receives the gas flow stream from the gas inlet;
a plurality of projecting structures mounted to and extending above the upper surface of the peripheral plate, the plurality of projecting structures shaping a flow field of the gas flow stream to provide a more uniform velocity of gas flow velocities above the build plane;
the upper surface of the peripheral plate includes an outlet surface which is laterally disposed between the build plate and the gas outlet, the plurality of projecting structures including a dam wall projecting above the outlet surface and having a major axis along an axis Y that is perpendicular to a general flow direction X of the gas stream, the dam wall includes two dam walls that individually span a portion of a width of the build chamber and have a gap between them along the axis Y;
a gas handling system coupled to the gas inlet and gas outlet; and
a controller configured to:
1) operate the vertical positioning system to position the build plate for receiving a new layer of powder;
2) operate the powder dispenser to dispense the new layer of powder over the build plate or a previously dispensed layer of powder, the new layer of powder having an upper surface proximate to the build plane;
3) operate the gas handling system to provide the gas flow stream;
4) operate the beam system to selectively fuse the new layer of powder; and
5) repeat steps 1-4 to complete fabrication of the 3D article.