Patent ID: 7464733

Claim:
A method for producing a bed of powder in a process chamber of a laser sintering machine in which a three-dimensional article is formed in layerwise fashion comprising the steps of: (a) pneumatically feeding a virgin powder from a virgin powder container into a powder processing unit; (b) pneumatically feeding powder from the powder processing unit into a feed hopper in the laser sintering machine; (c) depositing a first portion of powder from the feed hopper into the process chamber and across a target area; and wherein the step of pneumatically feeding a virgin powder from a virgin powder container into a powder processing unit comprises the steps of: i. fluidizing the virgin powder in the virgin powder container with a first flow rate of a first supply of compressed gas; ii. intermittently pressurizing the virgin powder container with a second higher flow rate of the first supply of compressed gas; and iii. removing a fluidized stream of the powder from a bottom outlet of the virgin powder container.