Patent ID: 9561542
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: B22F,B28B,B29B,B29C,B29K,B33Y,Y02P

Claim:
1. A method for removing moisture from powder to be used in an additive manufacturing process for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of at least one layer of a powder bed provided on a work table located within a build tank, which parts corresponds to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional article, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least a first powder tank and at least a second powder tank, providing a predetermined amount of powder on a movable table inside said first powder tank, heating the top surface of the powder in said first powder tank to a predetermined temperature for removing moisture from said powder, raising said movable table a predetermined distance, moving a predetermined thickness of the powder material from said first powder tank to said second powder tank, wherein said first powder tank is said build tank for building said three dimensional article, continuing said heating and moving of dried powder from the build tank to the second powder tank until the predetermined amount of powder is moved from the build tank to the second powder tank.