CN217095669U

CN217095669U - Workpiece container and unpacking station

Info

Publication number: CN217095669U
Application number: CN202122435152.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: B·穆勒; A·拉齐科
Original assignee: SLM Solutions Group AG
Current assignee: Nikon Slm Solutions Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-09
Filing date: 2021-10-09
Publication date: 2022-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2031-10-09
Also published as: DE202020105794U1

Abstract

The utility model relates to a workpiece container (15) and an unpacking station, wherein the workpiece container is provided with a workpiece space shell (23) which basically axially extends along a layer construction direction (S) and surrounds a workpiece space around the ring; a substrate arrangement (27) which extends substantially transversely to the layer formation direction (S) and encloses the workpiece space on the bottom side. The base plate arrangement (27) has a locking device (49) which can be actuated in order to lock the base plate arrangement in at least one axial position in the layer formation direction (S) relative to the workpiece space housing (23), and has at least one coupling element (51) for the mechanical and/or fluid-coupled work to actuate the locking device.

Description

Workpiece container and unpacking station

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a workpiece container of a facility for producing three-dimensional workpieces by means of a generative layer construction method (generative Schichtbauverfahren), in particular by means of Laser Powder Bed melting (LPBF). The present disclosure also relates to an unpacking station for unpacking workpieces from such a workpiece container.

Background

The production of 3D workpieces by means of a generative layer construction method is generally referred to as 3D printing. One particular form of the generative layer construction method is laser powder bed melting, in which the material to be processed is applied as a raw material in powder form in a thin layer on a substrate. The powdery starting material is melted or sintered selectively, i.e. site-specifically, by means of laser radiation and, after solidification, forms a layer of the workpiece. As soon as the workpiece layer is completed, the substrate is reduced by the amount of one layer thickness and the next layer is coated with the raw material powder, which is then selectively melted or sintered again by means of laser radiation. This process is repeated until all of the molten workpiece layers together form a three-dimensional workpiece. The base plate is lowered step by step into a workpiece space, which is surrounded on the circumferential side by a workpiece space housing. Thus, the work piece space increases with the growth of the three-dimensional work piece during the manufacturing process, wherein the volume of the work piece space not filled by the three-dimensional work piece is filled by the unmelted raw material powder. For example, ceramic, metal or plastic materials, or material mixtures thereof or mixtures of different types of ceramic, metal or plastic materials can be used as material powder.

After the three-dimensional workpiece is completed, the workpiece space housing can be closed with a cover on the upper side, so that the base plate, the workpiece space housing and the cover form a transportable workpiece container in which the three-dimensional workpiece can be transported together with the unmelted raw material powder to an unpacking station. Such an unpacking station is described for example in EP 3167980.

In the unpacking station known in this way, the workpiece space enclosure is pulled upwards from the base plate in a closed ambient environment, so that the unmelted raw material powder can drip laterally from the three-dimensional workpiece. The base plate is fixed on the underside on a fixed table of the unpacking station, which table is swiveled and/or pivotable and/or rotatable about at least one axis running transversely to the direction of the layer construction. By shaking and/or pivoting the base plate, the three-dimensional workpiece can be cleaned of unmelted raw material powder as completely as possible.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

What has not been achieved to date is the following technical object of the present disclosure: automatic locking and unlocking of the base plate relative to the workspace enclosure is provided. Furthermore, there is a special technical requirement that the risk of ignition of the raw material powder must be minimized, i.e. that contact of the raw material powder with voltage and/or oxygen is avoided as far as possible. Furthermore, the raw material powder should be prevented as far as possible from entering the movable mechanical device, so that wear can be minimized.

This object is achieved by a workpiece container and an unpacking station according to the invention. Preferred embodiments are given in the description of the present application and in the drawings.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a workpiece container of a plant for producing three-dimensional workpieces by means of a generative layer construction method is proposed, wherein the workpiece container has:

a workpiece space envelope which extends substantially axially in the layer formation direction and which surrounds the workpiece space on the circumferential side, and

a base plate arrangement which extends substantially transversely to the layer formation direction and encloses the workpiece space on the bottom side.

In this case, during the generative layer construction method, the substrate device can be moved axially relative to the workpiece space housing and/or the workpiece space housing relative to the substrate device in the layer construction direction. The base plate arrangement has a locking device which can be operated to lock the base plate arrangement in at least one axial position in the layer formation direction relative to the workpiece space enclosure, wherein the base plate arrangement has at least one coupling element for mechanically and/or fluidically coupled work to operate the locking device.

The operable locking device is constructed as part of the base plate device and the base plate device preferably has no own drive for operating the locking device. The mechanical and/or fluidic coupling of the work machine into the at least one coupling element for the operation of the locking device has several advantages. On the one hand, the locking device can thereby be better protected from contact and in particular from contamination by the raw material powder. On the other hand, the locking device can thus be constructed very compactly and simply.

Alternatively, the at least one coupling element can be arranged on the side of the base plate arrangement facing away from the workpiece space. For example, the substrate arrangement can have a substrate surface on the upper side, with which the three-dimensional workpiece is fused in the manufacturing process. The at least one coupling element is preferably arranged on the underside of the substrate arrangement. This is particularly advantageous if the base plate arrangement is placed on a fixed table of an unpacking station when the workpieces are unpacked and is protected as far as possible from direct contamination by raw material powder. It is furthermore advantageous if the holding table of the unpacking station already has an automatic fixing device for temporarily fixing the substrate arrangement on the holding table. The fixed station of the unpacking station is then preferably configured with corresponding coupling elements for the mechanical and/or fluidic coupling of work to operate the locking device of the substrate arrangement.

Alternatively, the locking device may have at least one locking element, wherein the at least one locking element is arranged in the retracted position completely within a transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement with respect to the layer construction direction and in the extended position at least partially outside the transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement. The at least one locking element can be, for example, a bolt or a bolt, which engages in a locking manner transversely outward into a corresponding receptacle in the workpiece space housing. Alternatively or additionally thereto, the at least one locking element can be moved laterally outward by a rotational movement in order to be able to engage in a locking manner into the workpiece space housing.

Alternatively, the at least one locking element may be movably supported between the retracted position and the extended position on the base device linearly and/or rotatably.

Optionally, the at least one locking element extends at least partially laterally from the base plate arrangement in the extended position and is fully supported in the base plate arrangement in the retracted position. Alternatively, the at least one locking element can project at least partially laterally from the base plate arrangement in the retracted position, wherein the respective longitudinal groove has to be arranged on the inside of the workpiece space enclosure in the layer construction direction. Since such sealing of the longitudinal groove is another technical challenge, the retracted position is preferred entirely in the substrate arrangement.

Alternatively, the base plate arrangement can have one or more sealing elements extending transversely around for sliding sealing contact with the workpiece space housing, wherein at least one sealing element has a smaller distance from the workpiece space in the layer formation direction than at least one locking element. In other words, at least one of the sealing elements is located above the locking element, so that the locking device can be protected from direct contamination of the raw material powder at least during the manufacturing process and in the locked position.

Alternatively, the at least one locking element can be coupled to an eccentrically rotatable transmission, wherein the transmission can be driven by the at least one coupling element. For example, the at least one coupling element may form a form fit with a corresponding coupling element on the stationary table by fixing the substrate arrangement on the stationary table of the unpacking station. For example, the male form-fit mechanism of the driven shaft may protrude from the stationary table on the upper side. The coupling elements arranged on the underside on the substrate arrangement are then formed by corresponding female form-fitting mechanisms, which transmit the mechanical work of the shafts from the fixed table onto drive shafts extending in the direction of the layer formation in the substrate arrangement. The drive shaft can then be coupled to an eccentrically rotatable drive mechanism, whereby the at least one locking element can be moved transversely to the layer formation direction, laterally outwards from the retracted position into the extended position or transversely inwards from the extended position into the retracted position.

Alternatively, the locking device can have at least one pair of locking elements, wherein the pair of locking elements is designed to lock the locking device on opposite lateral sides of the substrate arrangement, wherein the at least one coupling element is designed to distribute the work of the mechanical and/or fluidic coupling in a synchronous manner to the two pairs of locking elements. This is particularly advantageous for achieving a reliable locking of the base plate with as few coupling elements as possible.

Alternatively, the pair of locking elements can be coupled with the respective toothed rack, wherein the toothed rack engages with the toothed wheel on opposite sides of the toothed wheel, wherein the toothed wheel can be driven by at least one coupling element, whereby the pair of locking elements can be moved in opposite directions to one another. This embodiment can be produced particularly simply and inexpensively with as few parts as possible. For example, by fixing the substrate arrangement on a fixing table of the unpacking station, at least one coupling element can be brought into form fit with a corresponding coupling element on the fixing table. For example, the convex form-fit mechanism of the driven shaft can protrude from the fixed table on the upper side. The coupling elements provided on the underside on the base plate arrangement are then formed by corresponding female form-fitting mechanisms, which transmit the mechanical work of the shaft from the fixing table to the gear in the base plate arrangement.

Alternatively, other drivers for the locking element are possible, so that, for example, a shearing mechanism, a thrust wedge, or other suitable mechanism may be used. Furthermore, a plurality of locking elements can be provided, which are driven via a combination of different drive mechanisms. Alternatively or in addition to the transverse movement, the locking element can also perform a rotational and/or pivoting movement. The at least two locking elements are preferably arranged in at least two opposite positions. However, the locking elements may also be arranged arbitrarily along the circumference of the substrate arrangement. In the case of a substantially square base plate arrangement, the locking elements are preferably arranged on at least two opposite sides. In the case of a substantially circular base plate arrangement, the locking elements are preferably arranged at regular intervals along the circumference of the base plate arrangement.

Optionally, at least one coupling element can have a pneumatic interface for coupling air pressure and/or a drive shaft which preferably extends in the direction of the layer structure. Thus, by means of the air pressure, fluid work can be coupled into the base plate arrangement via the at least one coupling element in order to be able to operate the locking arrangement, preferably for opening and/or locking the at least one locking element. The transmission shaft extending in the direction of the layer formation simplifies the transfer of the work of the mechanical coupling into the at least one coupling element to the at least one locking element for opening and/or locking the locking device. If a raw material powder which reacts with air is to be used as the powdery raw material, an inert gas, for example argon, helium or nitrogen, or a hydraulic liquid is preferably used as the working medium in the case of an optional pneumatic connection.

Alternatively, the workpiece container may have at least two coupling elements, wherein the coupling elements are spaced apart from one another and from all lateral sides of the substrate arrangement in a plane extending transversely to the layer formation direction. This facilitates a secure locking of the substrate arrangement by means of two, three or preferably four locking elements. Furthermore, this has the following advantages: due to the distance from all lateral sides, the coupling element is contaminated as little as possible with raw material powder.

Optionally, in order to protect the coupling elements from contamination by raw material powder, a circumferential sealing means can be provided on the side of the base plate arrangement facing away from the workpiece space, wherein the sealing means surrounds at least one coupling element. The sealing mechanism can be in sealing contact with the fixed stage, for example, when the substrate device is fixed on the fixed stage.

Optionally, the workpiece container can also have a cover which extends substantially transversely to the layer formation direction and closes off the workpiece space on the upper side. The cover closes the work space locking device in sealing contact with the work space housing to enable transport of the work space container. The workpiece container is thus transportable after the manufacturing process of the workpiece itself. For the generative layer construction method, the unpacking station may be located remotely from the process chamber, such that the workpiece container needs to be transported from the process chamber to the unpacking station. Since the unpacking generally requires less time than the layer construction method, the facility can have a plurality of treatment chambers for the parallel production of three-dimensional workpieces by means of the generative layer construction method, wherein the facility however has only one unpacking station for workpiece containers from different treatment chambers.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, an unpacking station for unpacking workpieces is proposed, wherein the workpieces are produced by means of a generative layer construction method and are located in a workpiece space of the aforementioned workpiece container. The unpacking station has a fixing device for temporarily fixing the base plate device of the workpiece container. The unpacking station also has at least one coupling element corresponding to the at least one coupling element of the substrate arrangement for mechanically and/or fluidically decoupling work for operating the locking device of the substrate arrangement. Preferably, the fixing device is a component of a fixing table on which the substrate arrangement is arranged. The fixing device can be, for example, a zero point clamping system on the upper side of the fixing table of the unpacking station.

Alternatively, the unpacking station can be used to fix the workpiece container together with the locked base plate arrangement by means of a fixing device, to release the locking device by means of mechanical and/or fluidic decoupling of the work, with the base plate arrangement fixed, and to separate the workpiece space enclosure from the base plate arrangement in the layer formation direction when the locking is released. Thus ensuring that: the base plate device can only be unlocked if it is fixed in the unpacking station by means of the fixing device. By pulling the work space housing upwards, the unmelted raw material powder drops laterally via the base plate arrangement into the collecting trough of the unpacking station located below. The unpacking station is thus able to collect the raw material powder unmelted so that it can be used for later preparation and reuse for creating additional workpieces in the layer construction method. The unpacking station is preferably hermetically closed in a protective gas atmosphere which reduces the risk of oxidation and contamination.

Optionally, the unpacking station is provided for shaking the holding device holding the substrate arrangement, preferably with the workpiece space shells separated, and/or for rotating it about one or more axes of rotation extending transversely to the layer formation direction. Optionally, a gas flow can additionally be directed onto the workpiece for blowing off the raw material powder. Thus, the work piece can be cleaned of the unmelted raw material powder particularly quickly and thoroughly. For this purpose, the fixed table in the unpacking station is preferably tilted and/or rotated about at least one axis of rotation extending transversely to the direction of the layer construction. Therefore, in the industry, the unpacking station is commonly referred to as a "washer".

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for removing workpieces is provided, wherein the workpieces are manufactured by means of a generative layer construction method and are located in a workpiece space of the above-mentioned workpiece container. The method comprises the following steps:

-temporarily fixing the base plate arrangement of the workpiece container in the unpacking station by means of a fixing device, and

-coupling a work machine and/or a fluid into at least one coupling element of the base plate arrangement for operating a locking arrangement of the fixed base plate arrangement.

Alternatively, in a locked base device, the base device of the workpiece container is temporarily fixed in the unpacking station by means of a fixing device.

Optionally, the locking in the fixed substrate arrangement is released by means of mechanical and/or fluidic coupling of the work into at least one coupling element of the substrate arrangement.

Alternatively, the workpiece space enclosure can be pulled out of the base plate arrangement in the layer construction direction with the locking released.

Optionally, the method can also have the following steps:

preferably, the fixing device for fixing the substrate device is shaken when the workpiece space housing is separated, and/or

Preferably, the holding device holding the substrate device is rotated about at least one axis of rotation extending transversely to the layer formation direction, with the workpiece space enclosure separated.

Drawings

The disclosure is explained in detail below with the aid of the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. The figures show:

fig. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of a plant for producing three-dimensional workpieces by means of a generative layer construction method for workpiece containers according to the disclosure;

fig. 2a, 2b show longitudinal sectional views of an embodiment of a workpiece container according to the disclosure in two different cases shortly after the production of a three-dimensional workpiece by means of a generative layer construction method in the installation shown in fig. 1;

fig. 3a, 3b show two longitudinal sectional views of an embodiment of the workpiece container disclosed herein after the production of a three-dimensional workpiece in two further cases;

fig. 4a, 4b show two schematic longitudinal section views of an embodiment of the unpacking station disclosed here in two different cases shortly before the removal of the workpieces from the workpiece container disclosed here;

fig. 5a, 5b show two schematic longitudinal section views of an embodiment of the unpacking station disclosed here in different situations during the unpacking of workpieces from the workpiece container disclosed here; and

fig. 6a, 6b show schematic cross-sectional views of two different embodiments of the base plate arrangement of the workpiece container disclosed herein.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a plant 1 for producing a three-dimensional workpiece 3 by means of a generative layer construction method. The embodiment of the installation 1 shown here operates on the principle of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). For this purpose, the installation 1 has a treatment chamber 5, in which a controllable optical arrangement 7 is arranged on the upper side for coupling out one or more laser beams 9. The laser light is generated by a corresponding laser 11 and is diverted in a targeted manner by means of the controllable optical component 7 down into the treatment chamber. The laser 11 can be located directly on the process chamber 5 and only provide laser light thereto. Alternatively, the laser 11 may also be remote from the process chambers 5 and provide laser light to one or more process chambers 5 via a light guide and/or a beam splitter.

The processing chamber 5 has an opening 13 on the underside, at which a workpiece receptacle 15 adjoins the processing chamber 5 from below. The workpiece container 15 is also referred to as a replaceable cylinder, since it is replaced for producing another workpiece in the processing chamber 5 and is replaced by another workpiece container. In contrast to the treatment chambers 5, which are arranged in a stationary manner in the installation 1, the workpiece containers 15 can be transported by means of a transport system 17. The transport system 17 is only schematically illustrated in fig. 1 by a profile rail on which the workpiece container 15 is held by means of one or more projections 19 projecting radially outward.

By means of the transport system 17, the workpiece container 15 is positioned below the opening 13 of the treatment chamber 5, so that the workpiece container 15 is sealed hermetically on the upper side from the underside of the treatment chamber 5. For this purpose, a sealing mechanism 21 is provided on the upper side of the workpiece container 15, which is open at the top. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing means 21 can also be arranged on the underside of the process chamber 5.

The workpiece container 15 has a workpiece housing (werksttukeinfassung) 23 which delimits the maximum workpiece space 25 and surrounds it on the circumferential side. Furthermore, the workpiece container 15 has a base plate device 27, which base plate device 27 extends substantially horizontally and encloses the workpiece space 25 on the bottom side. The base plate arrangement 27 is vertically movable relative to the work space housing 23. At the beginning of the production process, the base plate arrangement 27 is located at the uppermost part of the workpiece container 15 and is subsequently moved downward in the workpiece housing 23 in steps in the magnitude of the layer height with each completion of one layer of the workpieces 3. Thereby creating a vertically extending layer building direction a. Fig. 1 shows the following case: wherein the work piece 3 is partially finished and the base plate arrangement 27 is located approximately at half the height of the work space housing 23.

The plant 1 also has a raw material powder storage 29. If there are a plurality of treatment chambers in the installation 1, preferably each treatment chamber 5 is provided with a raw material powder storage 29. Since the base plate arrangement 27 has already been lowered by the layer height in the workpiece space 25 after the completion of the preceding layer, a new layer of raw material powder can be applied by means of the coating machine 31 which is moved horizontally in the process chamber 5 in a controlled manner via the opening 13. The laser beam 9 is then selectively guided through the raw material powder layer by the optical assembly 7 in a computer-controlled manner, so that a new layer of the workpiece 3 is produced by melting or sintering the newly applied raw material powder layer. The installation 1 also has a gas feed 33, by means of which a protective gas, for example nitrogen, is introduced into the process chamber 5 in order to provide a protective atmosphere there.

The installation shown in fig. 1 also has closing

elements

35, 37, wherein the closing element 35 is a base plate for closing the opening 13 on the underside. By means of the base plate 35, the processing chamber 5 can be closed for a period of time during which no workpiece container 15 is connected to the processing chamber 5. The closing element 37 is a cover for closing the workpiece space 25 on the upper side for transporting the workpiece container 15 by means of the transport system 17.

The substrate device 27 is also often referred to as a "bag on board" because it includes a number of components and functions. The uppermost component is a substrate layer 39 with which the first layer of the workpiece 3 is fused during the manufacturing process. The workpiece 3 is thereby connected to the backing layer 39 in a material-locking manner after the production is completed. The substrate layer 39 is detachably fastened to the carrier plate 41, so that the workpiece 3 can be later detached from the substrate arrangement 27 together with the substrate layer 39. Thus, the substrate layer 39 of the base plate arrangement 27 is consumed each time the workpiece 3 is manufactured, so that the base plate arrangement has to be re-equipped with the substrate layer 39 for each manufacturing process. The carrier plate 41 preferably has heating elements (not shown) so that the temperature of the workpiece 3 can be controlled in a targeted manner in order to be able to avoid harmful temperature gradients which may cause undesirable material stresses in the workpiece 3. By means of the heating elements, for example, the heating and/or cooling process can be controlled in time, so that temperature-induced stresses in the workpiece 3 are reduced as far as possible. On the underside, the base plate arrangement 27 has seating points 43, at which one or more punches 45 can be seated on the base plate arrangement 27 from below. The at least one punch 45 can be moved and positioned vertically, for example, by means of spindle drive and/or hydraulically. At least one punch 45 has a fastening device 47 on the upper side, by means of which the carrier plate 41 can be connected to the punch 45, preferably in an automatically detachable manner. The fixing device 47 may have, for example, a zero clamping system, by means of which a precise horizontal orientation of the substrate arrangement 27 can be ensured. The carrier plate 41 also has at least one laterally circumferentially extending sealing element 48 for sliding sealing contact with the inside of the workpiece space housing 23.

The base plate arrangement 27 also has a locking device 49, which locking device 49 can be operated to lock the base plate arrangement 27 in the lower end position by means of the workpiece space housing 23 (see fig. 3 a). For this purpose, the base plate arrangement 27 has at least one coupling element 51 for mechanical and/or fluidic coupling of work to operate the locking device 49. The coupling element 51 is arranged on the lower side of the base plate arrangement 27 facing away from the workpiece space 25. For this purpose, the locking device 49 has two locking

elements

53a, 53b in the form of bolts or locking tongues which, in the retracted position, are arranged completely within the transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement 27 and, in the extended position, are arranged at least partially outside the transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement 27. In the vertical direction, the distance of the

locking elements

53a, 53b from the workpiece space 25 is greater than the distance from the sealing element 48. Therefore, the locking device 49 is not contaminated by the raw material powder during the manufacturing process.

Fig. 1 shows the

locking elements

53a, 53b in a retracted position in which the substrate arrangement 27 is unlocked (see also fig. 2a, 4b and 5a, 5 b). In the extended position, the

locking elements

53a, 53b engage in corresponding receptacles 55 in the workpiece space housing 23 (see fig. 2b, 3a, 3b and 4 a). The

locking elements

53a, 53b form here a pair of locking

elements

53a, 53b which lock the locking device 49 on opposite lateral sides of the base device 27. The coupling element 51 is coupled to the pair of locking

elements

53a, 53b in such a way that it distributes the mechanical and/or fluidic work to both locking

elements

53a, 53b and transmits it synchronously to them. On the upper side, the punch 45 has a coupling element 57 corresponding to the coupling element 51, which engages the coupling element 51 in a form-fitting manner when the fastening point 43 is fastened by means of the fastening device 47. Alternatively or additionally, the

coupling elements

51, 57 can also be fluid line interfaces corresponding to one another of the sealing interfaces for fluid communication. Work is mechanically and/or fluidically decoupled from coupling element 57, which work is correspondingly mechanically and/or fluidically coupled into coupling element 51 for operating locking device 49. For this purpose, the coupling element 51 may have a female receptacle for the male coupling member of the corresponding coupling element 57. Alternatively, the coupling element 51 can also have a male coupling member which engages in a form-fitting manner in a female receptacle of the corresponding coupling element 57. The

coupling elements

51, 57 can have, for example, a pneumatic interface for coupling air pressure for the fluid coupling to perform work. Alternatively or additionally, the

coupling elements

51, 57 may form a mechanical coupling which engages each other in a form-fitting manner, such that a rotation of the drive shaft about a vertical axis is transmitted to a vertically extending drive shaft in the base plate arrangement 27. The drive shaft driven in this way is then coupled with the

locking elements

53a, 53b, so that they move into the retracted or extended position depending on the direction of rotation of the drive shaft.

Although fig. 1 shows the workpiece container 15 in the course of the production process during the production of the workpiece 3, during which the base plate arrangement 27 is not locked, fig. 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b show the workpiece container 15 in different cases after the own production process of the workpiece 3.

Directly after the manufacture of the last layer of the workpiece 3 is completed, the base plate arrangement 27 is moved by means of the punch 45 from the axial position shown in fig. 2a into the axial end position shown in fig. 2 b. Here, the work 3 and the unmelted raw material powder 60 descend in the work space 25 so as not to protrude upward from the work enclosure 23. In the axial end position of the base plate arrangement 27, the

locking elements

53a, 53b are flush with the receptacle 55 in the workpiece housing 23. In this position, work is mechanically and/or fluidically coupled into the coupling element 51 by means of the coupling element 57 of the punch 45, in order to be able to move the

locking elements

53a, 53b outward into the receptacle 55 of the workpiece housing 23. The base plate arrangement 27 is thereby locked in the workpiece housing 23. In this way, the workpiece container 15 is preferably only transported or moved as a whole when the base plate arrangement 27 is locked in the workpiece housing 23.

The workpiece container 15 with the locked base plate arrangement 27 can then be separated from the process chamber 5 by lowering by means of the transport system 17 (see fig. 2 b). The punch 45 is likewise detached from the base plate arrangement 27 locked by means of the workpiece housing 23 (see fig. 3 a). For this purpose, the fastening device 47 of the punch 45 is detached from the mounting point 43 of the base device 27 and the punch 45 is moved downward, as a result of which the

coupling elements

51, 57 are also detached from one another.

Fig. 3a shows a closing element 35, which closing element 35 serves to sealingly close the opening 13 on the underside of the processing chamber 5, without the workpiece container 15 being connected to the processing chamber 5 from below. The closure element 37 forms a cover for the workpiece container 15, so that the workpiece container 15 can be closed in a sealed manner on the upper side of the workpiece housing 23 for further transport. As shown in fig. 3b, the workpiece container 15 is now transportable and can be transported, for example, to the unpacking station shown in fig. 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b by means of a transport system 17. Alternatively, the workpiece container 15 can be transported beforehand into a cooling station in order to be cooled there in a controlled manner.

In fig. 4a, 4b, an unpacking station 59 is shown, which unpacking station 59 serves to unpack the workpieces 3 from the workpiece container 15 and to remove the unmelted raw material powder 60. The unpacking station 59 has a closed unpacking space 61 into which the workpiece container 15 can be introduced, preferably from above, by means of the transport system 17. The unpacking station 59 also has a fixing station 63, which fixing station 63 preferably has a fixing device 65 on the upper side, like the punch 45, for fixing the substrate arrangement 27 on the placement point 43. The fastening device 65 of the fastening table 63 can be designed identically to the fastening device 47 of the punch 45, for example as a zero clamping system. As with the punch 45, the fastening table 63 has a coupling element 67 for mechanically and/or fluidically decoupling the work into the coupling element 51 of the substrate arrangement 27. Fig. 4a shows how the workpiece container 15 is placed on a stationary table 63 in the unpacking space 61 by means of the transport system 17. In fig. 4b, the substrate arrangement 27 has been fixed on the placement point 43 on the fixing table 63 by means of the fixing device 65 of the fixing table 63. By the mechanical and/or fluid-coupled work produced by the now positively coupled

coupling elements

51, 67, the

locking elements

53a, 53b are brought into the retracted position and are disengaged from the receptacle 55 of the workpiece housing 23. The locking device 49 is shown in fig. 4b in a correspondingly separated manner.

In fig. 5a it is shown how the workpiece housing 23 is now pulled upwards from the base plate arrangement 27 by means of the transport system 17. Therefore, most of the unmelted raw material powder 60 drops sideways via the fixed table 63 into the collecting tank 69 located in the lower middle portion of the unpacking space 61. The raw material powder 60 collected in the collection tank 69 can be processed and recycled for use in manufacturing other workpieces. It is to be noted that the

coupling elements

51, 67 are spaced apart from all lateral sides of the substrate arrangement 57 or the stationary table 63, so that they are not contaminated by the raw material powder 60. In order to protect the

coupling elements

51, 57, 67 from contamination by the starting material powder 60, a circumferential sealing means 70 is provided on the underside of the base plate arrangement 27 facing away from the workpiece space 25, wherein the sealing means 70 surrounds the coupling elements 51 and the mounting points 43 (see fig. 4a, b). When the substrate apparatus 27 is fixed on the fixing table 63, the sealing mechanism 70 is in sealing contact with the upper side of the fixing table 63.

Shown in fig. 5 b: the stationary table 63, together with the fixing means 65 in the unpacking space 61, is shaken, shaken and/or pivoted about a horizontal axis of rotation. Thereby it is achieved that: all of the unmelted raw material powder 60 falls as far as possible from workpiece 3 or substrate layer 39 into collection trough 69.

In fig. 6a, 6b, two different embodiments of the locking means 49 are shown in a horizontal cross section through the carrier plate 41 of the base plate arrangement 27. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6a, the locking device 49 has two pairs of locking

elements

53a, 53 b. The respective

locking element pair

53a, 53b has a toothed rack 71 on the inner end section, wherein the toothed rack 71 engages with the toothed wheel 73 on the opposite side of the toothed wheel 73. The base plate arrangement 27 has two coupling elements 51, into which work can be mechanically and/or fluidically coupled in order to rotate the associated gear wheel 73 to the left or to the right about a vertical axis. On rotation to the right, the

locking elements

53a, 53b move outward into the extended position (see the right-hand pair in fig. 6 a) in order to be able to lock the base plate arrangement 27. On turning to the left, the

locking elements

53a, 53b move inwards into the retracted position (see the left pair in fig. 6 a) in order to be able to release the locking device 49. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6a, the work is coupled only mechanically by a form-fitting mechanical engagement between the

coupling elements

51, 67. The

coupling element

57 or 67 is here a male coupling member which extends upwards from the upper side of the punch 45 or the stationary table 63 and has a cloverleaf-shaped cross-sectional profile. When the base plate arrangement 27 is fixed, these coupling members of the

coupling elements

57 or 67 engage with a form fit into corresponding concave receptacles of the coupling elements 51, which are coupled with the respective gear wheels 73 via vertical transmission shafts.

Fig. 6b shows an alternative embodiment in which the locking element 53 is coupled to an eccentrically rotatable gear mechanism 75. The transmission mechanism 75, like the gear wheel 73 in fig. 6a, can be driven via the coupling element 51 such that it rotates about a vertical axis. By coupling the locking element 53 with the eccentric of the transmission mechanism 75, the locking element 53 is displaced from the retracted position (see locking element 53 on the left in fig. 6 b) and into the locked extended position (see locking element 53 on the right in fig. 6 b) depending on the rotational position of the transmission mechanism 75.

List of reference numerals

1 facility

3 workpiece

5 treatment chamber

7 optical assembly

9 laser beam

11 laser

13 opening

15 workpiece container

17 transport system

19 projection

21 sealing mechanism

23 workpiece outer cover (wrapping)

25 space of work

27 substrate device

29 raw material powder storage

31 coating machine

33 gas delivery device

35 closure element

37 closure element/lid

39 backing layer

41 bearing plate

43 point of arrangement

45 punch

47 fixing device

48 sealing element

49 locking device

51 coupling element

53. 53a, 53b locking element

55 accommodating part

57 coupling element

59 unpacking station

60 raw material powder

61 unpacking space

63 fixed station

65 fixing device

67 coupling element

69 collecting tank

70 sealing mechanism

71 Rack

73 gear

75 driving mechanism

S-layer build direction/vertical direction.

Claims

1. A workpiece container (15) of a plant (1) for producing three-dimensional workpieces (3) by means of a generative layer construction method, wherein the workpiece container (15) has:

a workpiece space housing (23), which workpiece space housing (23) extends substantially axially in the layer formation direction (S) and surrounds the workpiece space (25) on the circumferential side,

-a base plate arrangement (27), which base plate arrangement (27) extends substantially transversely to the layer construction direction (S) and encloses the workpiece space (25) on a bottom side,

wherein the base plate device (27) is axially movable relative to the work space housing (23) and/or the work space housing (23) is axially movable relative to the base plate device (27) in a layer building direction (S) during a generative layer building method,

wherein the base plate arrangement (27) has a locking arrangement (49), wherein the locking arrangement (49) is operable for locking the base plate arrangement (27) in at least one axial position in a layer construction direction (S) relative to the workpiece space enclosure (23), wherein the base plate arrangement (27) has at least one coupling element (51) for mechanically and/or fluidically coupling work for operating the locking arrangement (49).

2. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 1, wherein at least one coupling element (51) is arranged on a side of the base plate arrangement (27) facing away from the workpiece space (25).

3. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 1, wherein the locking device (49) has at least one locking element, wherein the at least one locking element is in the retracted position completely arranged within a transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement (27) with respect to the layer building direction (S) and in the extended position at least partially arranged outside the transverse dimension of the base plate arrangement (27).

4. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the locking elements engages in a locking manner into a corresponding receptacle (55) in the workpiece space enclosure.

5. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the locking elements is linearly and/or rotatably movably supported in the base plate arrangement (27) between the retracted position and the extended position.

6. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said locking elements in the extended position at least partially protrudes laterally from the base plate arrangement (27) and in the retracted position is fully supported in the base plate arrangement (27).

7. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 3, wherein the base plate arrangement (27) has one or more laterally circumferentially extending sealing elements (48) for sliding sealing contact with the workpiece space housing (23), wherein the spacing of at least one of the sealing elements (48) in the layer build direction (S) from the workpiece space is smaller than the spacing of at least one of the locking elements.

8. Workpiece container (15) according to one of the claims 3 to 7, wherein at least one of the locking elements is coupled with an eccentrically rotatable transmission mechanism (75), wherein the transmission mechanism (75) is drivable by at least one of the coupling elements (51).

9. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 1, wherein the locking device (49) has at least one pair of locking elements, wherein the pair of locking elements is provided for locking the locking device (49) on opposite lateral sides of the base plate arrangement (27), wherein at least one of the coupling elements is provided for distributively and simultaneously transmitting a mechanical and/or fluid coupled work to both locking elements of the pair.

10. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 9, wherein the pair of locking elements are coupled with an associated gear rack (71), respectively, wherein the gear rack (71) is engaged with a gear wheel (73) on opposite sides of the gear wheel (73), wherein the gear wheel (73) is drivable by means of at least one coupling element, thereby enabling the pair of locking elements to be moved in opposite directions to each other.

11. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein at least one of the coupling elements has a pneumatic interface for coupling air pressure and/or a transmission shaft.

12. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 11, wherein the transmission shaft extends in the layer building direction (S).

13. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 1, the workpiece container (15) having at least two coupling elements, wherein the coupling elements are spaced apart from one another and from all lateral sides of the base plate arrangement (27) in a plane extending transversely to the layer formation direction (S).

14. Workpiece container (15) according to claim 1, wherein the base plate arrangement (27) has one or more encircling sealing means (70) on a side of the base plate arrangement (27) facing away from the workpiece space (25), wherein the sealing means (70) encircles at least one of the coupling elements.

15. Workpiece container (15) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the workpiece container (15) further has a cover (37) which extends substantially transversely to the layer construction direction (S) and encloses the workpiece space (25) on the upper side.

16. An unpacking station (59) for unpacking workpieces (3), wherein the workpieces (3) are produced by means of a generative layer construction method and are located in a workpiece space (25) of a workpiece container (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the unpacking station (59) has a fixing device (65) for temporarily fixing a base plate device (27) of the workpiece container (15), wherein the unpacking station (59) also has at least one coupling element corresponding to the at least one coupling element of the base plate device (27) for mechanically and/or fluidically decoupling work for operating a locking device (49) of the base plate device (27).

17. Unpacking station (59) according to claim 16, wherein the unpacking station (59) is intended for fixing the workpiece container (15) together with the locked base plate arrangement (27) by means of the fixing device (65), for releasing the locking device (49) by means of a mechanical and/or fluidic decoupling of work with the base plate arrangement (27) fixed, and for separating the workpiece space enclosure (23) from the base plate arrangement (27) in the layer construction direction (S) when the locking device (49) is released.

18. Unpacking station (59) according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the unpacking station (59) is adapted to shake a fixing device (65) fixing the base plate device (27) and/or to rotate the fixing device (65) about at least one axis of rotation extending transversely to the layer building direction (S).

19. The unpacking station (59) according to claim 18, wherein the unpacking station (59) shakes a fixing device (65) which fixes the base plate device (27) with the work space housing (23) separated.