BOTTOM-UP POWDER CONVEYING MECHANISM FOR AN L-PBF SYSTEM, L-PBF SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RETROFITTING AND OPERATING AN L-PBF SYSTEM

摘要

The invention relates to a bottom-up powder conveying mechanism for a laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) system (1), comprising a reservoir (5b, 5c) with a floor that can be moved like a piston, said reservoir being operated as a powder reservoir, to convey powder in the direction of a top opening of the reservoir (5b, 5c) opposite the floor and/or through the top opening of the reservoir (5b, 5c) and thus towards a working plane of the L-PBF system (1). The bottom-up powder conveying mechanism comprises an external reservoir (9) that can be closed in a gas-tight manner and that is connected to a gas-tight conduit to conduct powder in a gas-tight manner via said conduit from the reservoir (9) into the reservoir that is operated as a powder reservoir. In order to devise an improved bottom-up powder conveying mechanism that can particularly be extended in modular fashion, the reservoir (5b, 5c) that is operated as a powder reservoir has, in a sidewall (6b, 6c), an opening (15a, 15b), which is lower with respect to the top opening, through which the reservoir (5b, 5c) can be filled with powder and that can be connected to the conduit in a gas-tight and detachable fashion to conduct powder from the external reservoir (9) arranged above the opening (15a, 15b) through the sloping conduit in a gravity-driven fashion and through the lower opening (15a, 15b) to the reservoir (5b, 5c) that is operated as a powder reservoir. The invention further relates to an L-PBF system (1) comprising a bottom-up powder conveying mechanism and to a method for retrofitting said L-PBF system (1).