FR3137864A1 - Removable module to reduce the energy consumption of a 3D printing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a module (50) intended to optimize the energy consumption of an additive manufacturing machine (100) by delimiting a work zone (34) in an enclosure (102) of said additive manufacturing machine (100) and placing said work zone (34) under a controlled atmosphere by heating and circulating a gaseous fluid (40) inside said work zone (34), thus allowing better control of homogeneity and temperature of the atmosphere of said working zone, said module (50) being removable from the enclosure (102) of the additive manufacturing machine (100) and the circulation and heating of the gaseous fluid (40) are carried out by a device blower (59) and a heating device (52) embedded in the module (50). Abstract figure: Fig. 2

Description

Removable module to reduce the energy consumption of a 3D printing machine

The present invention relates to the general field of additive manufacturing machines which make it possible to manufacture parts of very diverse shapes by depositing a fluid printing material in successive layers, by means of a nozzle.

More particularly, the present invention relates to the manufacturing enclosure of an additive manufacturing machine and relates to a removable module intended to be installed in this manufacturing enclosure.

We know in particular, from the document US6722872B2, a printing machine comprising a chamber which forms an oven delimited by a wall, and inside which there is a plate intended to support the part being printed, as well as the nozzle making it possible to supply the material constituting said part. To be able to generate the shape of the part, a drive system is provided including an elevator to move the plate vertically, and crossed translation tables to horizontally control the nozzle responsible for delivering the material constituting the part. Said translation tables are equipped with bellows which ensure the sealing of the chamber.

One of the disadvantages of the machine described by patent US6722872B2 is the large volume of the chamber which requires a large quantity of energy to be supplied even when manufacturing small parts. Another disadvantage is the positioning of the heating system outside the manufacturing enclosure, which forces the installation of a powerful and complex blower system, without ensuring perfect homogeneity of the gaseous fluid inside the manufacturing enclosure.

Application WO2017/184002 proposes an additive manufacturing machine with a heating plate and a system consisting of a fan associated with an electric heating element making it possible to heat the additive manufacturing enclosure. This compact heating system is used in an additive manufacturing machine where the volume of the manufacturing chamber remains constant. This type of additive manufacturing machine is usually used to manufacture parts of variable dimensions, which requires the use of a large enclosure, even when the part to be manufactured has small dimensions. Thus, the energy consumption to maintain the temperature of the manufacturing chamber is significant even when the room is small.

The object of the invention is to remedy the drawbacks identified above, and to propose a new arrangement of additive manufacturing machine allowing energy saving and better control of the homogeneity and temperature of the gaseous atmosphere of the working area and therefore better control of the temperature of the part being printed, which can be particularly interesting for a part made from a material having a small difference between its melting temperature and its degradation temperature which is higher than the melting temperature and from which the material no longer has the properties required to print the part. By small difference, we must understand a difference between the melting temperature and the degradation temperature of less than 30°C.

To this end, according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a module intended to be installed in an enclosure of an additive manufacturing machine, said module comprising along a central axis:
- a lower plate,
- a barrel comprising a base positioned on the lower plate and surmounted by an elevation,
- a manufacturing plate, parallel to the lower plate and placed on an upper edge of the barrel elevation,
- a jacket which surrounds the manufacturing plate and which forms a closed wall extending, in the direction of the central axis, projecting from the manufacturing plate,
- a cover placed on the liner so as to form a cavity, called the working zone, delimited by the liner, by the cover and by the manufacturing plate,
- inlet orifices and outlet orifices made in the manufacturing plate, said inlet orifices allowing a gaseous fluid to enter inside the work zone and said outlet orifices allowing said fluid to exit gaseous, the module comprising fixing means intended to cooperate removably with complementary fixing means integrated into the additive manufacturing machine and the module comprising a blowing device making it possible to blow the gaseous fluid and a heating device making it possible to heat said gaseous fluid.

The addition of such a module in the enclosure of the additive manufacturing machine advantageously makes it possible to reduce the volume of the work zone when the part to be manufactured is small, thus reducing the energy used to maintain the temperature of the module working area compared to complete additive manufacturing machine enclosures.

Advantageously, the reversible fixing means according to the invention allow simple and rapid assembly/disassembly of the module in the main manufacturing enclosure of the additive manufacturing machine. Thus, we can easily put the module in place then remove it, and in particular replace a first module with a second module having a work area whose dimensions are different from those of the first module, or even replace the module with a simple tray allowing you to use the entire volume of the main speaker. The invention thus makes it possible, from a single machine having a given nominal volume of main enclosure, and thanks to a modular system comprising at least one module according to the invention, to adapt and adjust on a case by case basis. , depending on needs and in particular depending on the size of the parts to be manufactured, the volume of the work area and the conditions prevailing in said work area.

Advantageously, the module according to the invention comprises a device for blowing a gaseous fluid which is on board said module and which, associated with the reduced size of the working zone of said module, makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous atmosphere in said zone. of work delimited by said module.

Advantageously, the module according to the invention also comprises a device for heating the gaseous fluid which is also on board said module and which, associated with the blowing device, will allow the atmosphere of the work zone of reduced size to 'achieve more easily and more precisely a high temperature, necessary for the implementation of materials which cannot be used in usual additive manufacturing machines whose large working areas cannot have an atmospheric temperature quite precise and homogeneous.

Preferably, the device for blowing the gaseous fluid cooperates with a device for distributing the gaseous fluid, said distribution device being designed to ensure on the one hand the collection of the gaseous fluid leaving the work zone through the outlet orifices and on the other hand the return of said gaseous fluid towards said work zone passing through the inlet orifices.

According to a preferred embodiment of the gaseous fluid distribution device, said gaseous fluid distribution device comprises an intermediate plate, parallel to the manufacturing plate and positioned below said manufacturing plate and outside the work zone , said intermediate plate comprising a circular opening in its center and notches at its periphery, said intermediate plate forming, with said manufacturing plate and the elevation of the barrel, a cavity called suction zone, said suction zone receiving the gaseous fluid coming from the work area through the outlet ports.

Advantageously, the device for distributing the gaseous fluid comprises inlet openings formed by the cooperation of the notches and the elevation, said inlet openings coinciding by a superposition, in the direction of the central axis, with the orifices of entry made into the manufacturing platform.

Preferably, the device for distributing the gaseous fluid comprises partitions normal to the intermediate plate, extending from the intermediate plate to the manufacturing plate, said partitions cooperating with the elevation to form sealed conduits which connect the inlet openings from the intermediate plate to the inlet holes made in the manufacturing plate.

According to a preferred form of the gaseous fluid distribution device, said gaseous fluid distribution device comprises a support plate, parallel to the intermediate plate and located below said intermediate plate, said support plate forming with said intermediate plate and the elevation of the barrel a cavity called discharge zone, said discharge zone allowing on the one hand to receive the gaseous fluid coming from the suction zone through the circular opening and on the other hand to inject said gaseous fluid into the work zone passing through inlet openings, sealed conduits and inlet ports.

Advantageously, the device for heating the gaseous fluid comprises at least one heating tube, containing an electrical heating resistance, said heating tube being placed in the discharge zone.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device for blowing the gaseous fluid, said device for blowing the gaseous fluid comprises a fan, comprising blades located in the discharge zone and making it possible to set in motion the gaseous fluid present in the discharge zone, to bring said gaseous fluid into contact with the heating tube, before causing said gaseous fluid to penetrate into the work zone passing through the inlet openings of the manufacturing plate, the sealed conduits, connecting the manufacturing plate to the intermediate plate, and the inlet holes of the intermediate plate.

Advantageously, the device for blowing the gaseous fluid and the device for heating the gaseous fluid are electrically powered by an electrical connector which is on board said module and which is arranged to cooperate removably with a complementary electrical connector which is integrated into the machine additive manufacturing.

Even advantageously, the jacket is mounted sliding relative to the manufacturing plate along the central axis, in order to vary the volume of the work zone and thus form a telescopic structure.

Preferably, the jacket collaborates with at least one spring which allows it to be pressed axially in a sealed manner against the cover.

Thus, when the part to be manufactured has a small size, not only is the volume of the work area reduced by the small size of the module, but also the telescopic structure makes it possible to continuously adapt the volume of the enclosure to the size. of the part being manufactured, further promoting energy savings, homogeneity and precision of the temperature of the atmosphere of said work zone.

After circulating in the working zone, the gaseous fluid will exit the working zone through the outlet orifices of the manufacturing plate, enter the suction zone then pass through the circular opening of the intermediate plate and return to the discharge zone near the fan which will again propel said gaseous fluid towards the inlet orifices of the work zone. Thus, the gaseous fluid is set in motion in a closed circuit and does not come into contact with the atmosphere which is located outside the work zone, the suction zone and the discharge zone.

Such a path of the gaseous fluid makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous atmosphere in the work zone without requiring multiple and oversized blowing or heating devices.

A second aspect of the invention relates to an additive manufacturing machine comprising a main plate and an injection nozzle arranged to deposit a printing material in successive layers, said machine being characterized in that it comprises the module previously described, said module being reversibly fixed on the main plate of the additive manufacturing machine and the injection nozzle of said additive manufacturing machine passing through the cover of said module through an insertion orifice provided for this purpose in said cover to deposit the printing material in the working area of the module in order to generate a part in said working area.

According to a preferred form of the invention, the additive manufacturing machine comprises complementary fixing means which cooperate with the fixing means of the module to ensure the reversible fixing of said module on the main plate.

The complementary fixing means can be, by way of example and in a non-exhaustive manner, mechanical, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic.

Advantageously, the additive manufacturing machine can be equipped with a complementary electrical connector intended to be connected to the electrical connector of the module.

Preferably, the electrical connection is made automatically when placing the module on the plate of the additive manufacturing machine.

Thus, thanks to these simple fixing devices and electrical connections, the installation and removal of the module is done quickly and easily.

Furthermore, the module being easily removable, the dimensional capacity of the additive manufacturing machine is not reduced, large parts can still be produced by removing the module and using a bare plate.

Preferably, the installation and removal of the module is carried out, for example, by an automatic system of the Cartesian or poly-articulated robot type.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a process for additive manufacturing of a part by implementing the module and the additive manufacturing machine as presented above.

The method of the invention comprises the following steps taken chronologically:
- insertion of the module into the enclosure of the additive manufacturing machine and fixing of said module on the main plate using the fixing means of said module which are made to cooperate with the complementary fixing means of said additive manufacturing machine ,
- connection of the electrical connector of the module to the complementary electrical connector of the additive manufacturing machine,
- positioning the module such that the injection nozzle is located in the insertion hole of the cover,
- putting into operation the device for blowing the gaseous fluid and the device for heating the gaseous fluid,
- manufacturing of the part in the working area of the module.

After the part is produced, the process includes the following steps taken chronologically:
-stopping the gas fluid blowing device and the gas fluid heating device,
-disconnection of the electrical connector from the complementary electrical connector,
-positioning the module such that the injection nozzle is no longer located in the insertion hole of the cover,
-release of the module by actuation of the fixing means then removal of said module from the enclosure of the additive manufacturing machine.

Advantageously, the part can be easily removed from the module when said module is taken out of the enclosure of the additive manufacturing machine.

Advantageously, the insertion and removal of the module is done automatically with the Cartesian or poly-articulated type robot.

In the following, the invention is described in detail using the following figures, provided for illustrative and non-limiting purposes:
- : Sectional view of an additive manufacturing machine containing the module.
- : Perspective and sectional view of the module along two perpendicular radial planes.
- : Detail view, in perspective and in section of part of the module.
- : Detail view, in perspective and in section of part of the module.
- : Detailed sectional view of a blowing and heating system of the module.
- : Sectional view of a telescopic system of the module.
- : Sectional detail of the module.
- : Sectional view from below of the module without the cover.
- : Sectional view from below of the module without the cover in a particular embodiment.
- : Sectional view from below of the module without the cover in another particular embodiment.

In the following, for purposes of clarity, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction correspond to the natural orientation of Figures 1 to 9. Likewise, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “lower”, “upper” and their variants should be understood with reference to the vertical direction of the figures.

The invention relates to a module 50 intended to be placed in or removed from an enclosure 102 of an additive manufacturing machine 100. In addition to the enclosure 102, the additive manufacturing machine 100 can also include a main plate 103 as well as an injection nozzle 104 which makes it possible to deposit a printing material 54 in successive layers in order to produce a part 51.

Module 50 includes, as visible on the and the , along a central axis Z100, a lower plate 11, preferably circular and whose center is located on said central axis Z100.

In what follows, we will designate by “axial” a direction which is parallel to that of the central axis Z100, and by “radial” a direction which is perpendicular to said central axis Z100.

Preferentially, as visible on the , this first lower plate 11 comprises at least one fixing means 55, as well as an electrical connector 57.

The fixing means 55 will be, for example, a circular drilling, a flat surface, a shoulder or any other geometric element allowing the positioning and fixing of the module 50.

Advantageously and to facilitate its access, the electrical connector 57 can be placed on the periphery of the module 50, either in a radial direction or in an axial direction.

Still along the central axis Z100, the module 50 then comprises a barrel 4, constituted, as can be seen in Figures 1, 2 and 7:
-a base 5, preferably having the shape of a hollow disc whose center is located on the axis Z100, the lower surface of said base 5 being positioned on the upper surface of the lower plate 11, said base 5 having an interior base surface 5a and an exterior base surface 5b whose diameter is preferably equivalent to the diameter of the lower plate 11,
-an elevation 6, preferably forming a circular tube whose center is located on the central axis Z100, starting from the upper surface of the base 5 and rising vertically above said base 5.

As visible on the and the , the elevation 6 comprises an interior surface 6a whose diameter is preferably identical to the diameter of the interior base surface 5a, an exterior surface 6c and an upper edge 6b.

Preferably and as visible on the , the elevation 6 further comprises a shoulder 10 formed inside the elevation 6 and whose diameter is less than the diameter of the interior surface 6a of said elevation 6.

Still preferably, the elevation 6 can also include recesses 9 located axially between the base 5 and the shoulder 10 as illustrated in the . Advantageously, these recesses 9 will serve to lighten the weight of the barrel 4 and will allow air circulation inside said barrel 4.

These recesses 9 can have different shapes such as, for example, substantially rectangular, oblong or circular shapes. The arrangement of these recesses 9 can be an angularly uniform arrangement, that is to say that each recess 9 is identical and two drilling directions of two adjacent recesses 9 form a constant angle and moreover, the axial positioning is the same for all the recesses 9. Preferably, the elevation 6 will comprise between one and ten recesses 9, more preferably between three and seven recesses 9, for example five recesses 9.

The module 50 is further made up of a manufacturing plate 14, preferably circular, the center of which is located on the central axis Z100 and having a receiving surface 14a, a lower surface 14b and an external edge 14c such that is visible on the .

Preferably, the diameter of the external edge 14c will have the same value as the diameter of the external surface 6c.

As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the manufacturing plate 14 is also pierced over its entire height, in the direction Z100, by inlet orifices 15 and outlet orifices 16 distributed alternately with each other. others around the central axis Z100, in a peripheral zone 101, delimited by 2 circles represented in dotted lines on the . Thus when we travel through the peripheral zone 101 by rotating in azimuth around the central axis Z100, we successively encounter an inlet orifice 15, then an outlet 16, then again an inlet orifice 15, then an outlet 16 and so on.

Preferentially and as visible on the , the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 are tangent to the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6, so as not to significantly encroach on the useful area of the receiving surface 14a.

By useful area, it is necessary to understand an area of the receiving surface 14a on which the manufacture of the part 51 by additive manufacturing will be possible.

The manufacturing plate 14 will preferably include as many inlet orifices 15 as outlet orifices 16. Preferably, the manufacturing plate 14 will include between three and ten inlet orifices 15, more preferably between four and seven, for example six inlet orifices 15 as illustrated in the , and as many outlet orifices 16.

According to a preferred embodiment and as can be seen in Figures 3, 4 and 8, the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 can be, for example, oblong grooves which form slots in arcs of a circle, the center of these circular arcs being on the central axis Z100.

Preferably, the manufacturing plate 14 is positioned vis-à-vis the barrel 4 such that the lower surface 14b is placed on the upper edge 6b of the elevation 6, such positioning ensuring that the manufacturing plate 14 is parallel to the lower plate 11.

As visible in Figures 1, 2 or 6, the module 50 also comprises a jacket 26, preferably forming a circular tube, the center of which is positioned on the central axis Z100, and which surrounds the manufacturing plate 14 , said liner 26 having an outer liner surface 26b, an upper liner edge 26c, a lower liner edge 26d and an inner liner surface 26a whose diameter corresponds substantially to the diameter of the outer edge 14c of the manufacturing plate 14, said jacket 26 extending axially projecting from the manufacturing plate 14.

To ensure the tightness of the connection between the liner 26 and the manufacturing plate 14, one could, for example, either provide that the radial clearance between these elements is particularly low, or add seals, for example O-rings or seals. lip seals, which will be housed in an annular groove dug in the external edge 14c.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the module 50 also comprises a cover 1, which is preferably a circular plate whose center is located on the central axis Z100 and which closes the jacket 26 axially opposite to the receiving surface 14a of the manufacturing plate 14, so as to form a cavity, called the working zone 34, which is delimited by the jacket 26, by the cover 1 and by the manufacturing plate 14.

The seal between the upper liner edge 26c of the liner 26 and the underside of the cover 1 placed flat on said liner 26 could be ensured, for example, either by the simple smooth solid contact between the cover 1 and the liner 26, the possible leaks then being negligible, either by the addition of an O-ring or a lip seal housed in an annular groove dug in the upper liner edge 26c of the liner 26.

In a preferred embodiment, the jacket 26 is fitted around the external edge 14c and slidably mounted relative to the manufacturing plate 14 along the central axis Z100, so as to be able to slide axially relative to the manufacturing plate 14 and thus form a telescopic structure 27.

Advantageously, such a telescopic structure 27 makes it possible to continuously vary the volume of the working zone 34, and more particularly to adapt the height of said working zone 34, that is to say the distance which axially separates the plate manufacturing 14 of the cover 1, while maintaining the seal provided by the jacket 26.

In such an embodiment, as visible in Figures 1 and 2, the jacket 26 is preferably surrounded concentrically by a circular ring 2, said circular ring 2 having a support shoulder 25 radially interior and whose diameter is substantially larger than the diameter of the inner liner surface 26a of the liner 26, said support shoulder 25 being in contact with the lower liner edge 26d of the liner 26.

In such an embodiment, at least one rod 24, of circular section, is fixed on the base 5 of the barrel 4 and the central axis of said rod 24 is parallel to the central axis Z100.

Advantageously, the rod 24 slides in a circular orifice passing through the circular ring 2 from its lower surface and opening into its upper surface, the diameter of said circular orifice being close to that of said rod 24 in order to allow axial sliding with little play radial between said rod 24 and said circular ring 2.

Advantageously, at least one spring 3, for example compression, is placed around the rod 24 and bears on one side on the upper surface of the base 5 and on the other side on the lower surface of the ring circular 2, such an arrangement making it possible to exert a thrust force on said circular ring 2 in a direction parallel to the axis Z100.

Advantageously, the jacket 26 being supported on the shoulder 10 of the circular ring 2, said jacket 26 is pressed in a sealed manner against the cover 1.

Advantageously, the number of rods 24 is equal to the number of springs 3, and preferably, the number of rods 24 is between one and twelve, more preferably between four and ten and for example is eight.

In a preferred embodiment, part or all of the cover 1 and the jacket 26 can be made of a transparent material, which makes it possible to visualize the manufacturing plate 14 and the part 51 being manufactured, in particular if the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 has a transparent window or if a camera is present in said enclosure 102.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the module 50 also includes a distribution device 28 for the gaseous fluid 40.

Preferably, the distribution device 28 comprises an intermediate plate 8, preferably circular and whose center is located on the central axis Z100, said intermediate plate 8 being parallel to the manufacturing plate 14 and having a circular opening 19 in its central part. Said intermediate plate 8 is located below and at a distance from the manufacturing plate 14 and above and at a distance from the shoulder 10 of the elevation 6. The intermediate plate 8 has an intermediate upper surface 8a and a intermediate lower surface 8b parallel to the upper surface 8a, as well as an exterior edge 8c whose diameter is substantially identical to that of the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6.

To ensure the tightness of the connection between the intermediate plate 8 and the elevation 6, we could for example either provide that the radial clearance between these elements is particularly low, or add seals, for example O-rings or gaskets. lips, which will be housed in an annular groove dug in the outer edge 8c of the intermediate plate 8.

As can be seen in Figures 1 or 2, said intermediate plate 8 will form with the manufacturing plate 14 and the elevation 6 a cavity called suction zone 32.

As illustrated on the , the intermediate plate 8 also comprises notches 30 located on the periphery of said intermediate plate 8, said notches 30 being material removals over the entire thickness of the intermediate plate 8, said notches 30 cooperating with the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6 to form inlet openings 35 whose shape corresponds to that of the inlet orifices 15 of the manufacturing plate 14. In a direction parallel to the axis Z100, the inlet openings 35 coincide by superposition with the orifices of inlet 15. Preferably, the number of inlet openings 35 is identical to the number of inlet orifices 15.

The device 28 for distributing the gaseous fluid 40 further comprises partitions 17 normal to the upper intermediate surface 8a and extending from said upper intermediate surface 8a to the lower surface 14b of the manufacturing plate 14, as is visible on there . Said partitions 17 have an interior wall 17a whose shape, following a section parallel to the lower surface 14b, is identical to the shape of the notches 30. Thus, the partitions 17 will cooperate with the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6 of so as to create sealed conduits 61 between the inlet orifices 15 and the inlet openings 35.

According to another alternative embodiment not shown, the inlet orifices 15 can be spaced from the interior surface 6a. According to such an arrangement and looking in a direction parallel to the axis Z100, the shape of the notches 30 is similar to that of the inlet orifices 15 and the partitions 17 form the waterproof conduits 61 by themselves.

According to another embodiment, and as shown in the , the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 may be circular holes. According to such an arrangement and preferably, the partitions 17 will maintain an arcuate shape and will be large enough to encompass several inlet orifices 15 in the form of circular holes. As is clearly visible on the , according to a preferred embodiment, a partition 17 can include three inlet orifices 15.

According to another possibility of realization, and as this is illustrated in the , the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 are oblong grooves which form circular arc slots centered on the central axis Z100 and the radii of said circular arc are different for the inlet orifices 15 and for the outlet orifices 16. Preferably, the radii of the oblong grooves of the inlet orifices 15 are greater than the radii of the oblong grooves of the outlet orifices 16. Thus, by traveling, for example, the interior radius of the oblong grooves of the orifices inlet 15 by rotating in azimuth around the central axis Z100, we only encounter inlet orifices 15.

In the same way, by traversing, for example, the interior radius of the outlet orifices 16 by rotating in azimuth around the central axis Z100, we only encounter outlet orifices 16.

Preferably, said inlet orifices 15 can all be identical and uniformly distributed over the interior radius of the inlet orifices 15.

Preferably, said outlet orifices 16 can all be identical and uniformly distributed over the interior radius of the outlet orifices 16.

Preferably, the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 are juxtaposed 2 by 2 such that, looking at the manufacturing plate 14 in a vertical direction, the axes of symmetry of the circular arc grooves of the orifices inlet 15 are oriented in the same radial direction as the axes of symmetry of the arcuate grooves of the outlet orifices 16.

In such an embodiment, and as visible on the , the partitions 17 form only one and the same circular wall, extending from the intermediate upper surface 8a to the lower surface 14b and whose interior radius is greater than the exterior radius of the arcuate slots of the orifices of outlet 16 and whose exterior radius is less than the interior radius of the arcuate slots of the inlet orifices 15.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the module 50 comprises a support plate 31, preferably circular in shape and whose center is located on the central axis Z100, said support plate 31 having a central bore 23, an external support edge 31a and a support shoulder 36 whose diameter is substantially identical to that of the shoulder 10 of the elevation 6. To ensure sealing between the support plate 31 and the elevation 6, we can, for example, either provide that the radial clearance between these elements is particularly low, or add seals, for example O-rings or lip seals, which will be housed in an annular groove dug in the external support edge 31a. The axial positioning of the support plate 31 is achieved by bringing the lower face of the support shoulder 36 into contact with the upper face of the shoulder 10.

As is perfectly visible in , the support plate 31 will form with the intermediate plate 8 and the elevation 6 a cavity called the discharge zone 33.

The atmosphere present in the work zone 34, in the suction zone 32 and in the discharge zone 33 is constituted by a gaseous fluid 40 which may preferably be an inert gas.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 or 5, the module 50 has a blowing device 59 which will make it possible to set in motion the gaseous fluid 40 present in the discharge zone 33, in the work zone 34 and in the zone d suction 32. According to a preferred embodiment, the blowing device 59 is a fan 12 formed by blades 20, by a motor 21 and by an axis 22 connecting said blades 20 to said motor 21.

Advantageously, the blades 20 are located in the discharge zone 33 while the motor 21 is located below the support plate 31, that is to say outside the discharge zone 33. As illustrated in the , the axis 22 passes vertically through the support plate 31 through the central drilling 23. A slight radial clearance will be provided between the external face of the axis 22 and the internal face of the central drilling 23 in order to allow the rotation of the axis 22 without friction on the central drilling 23. To ensure a certain seal and prevent the gaseous fluid 40 from passing along the axis 22, we could for example either simply provide that the radial clearance between the axis 22 and the central drilling 23 is particularly narrow, or add one or more seals, for example O-rings or lip seals, which will be interposed between the radially external face of the axis 22 and the radially internal face of the central bore 23.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, the fan 12 used is of the centrifugal fan type, but other types of fans can be used, such as for example, helical fans or tangential fans.

Advantageously, the module 50 also embeds a heating device 52 which can be formed by a heating tube 7 containing at least one electrical heating resistance, said heating tube 7 being able to be a continuous tube and wound in the discharge zone 33, such as that is clearly visible in Figures 1 or 2. The winding radius of the heating tube 7 is less than the radius of the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6 and greater than the radius of the virtual circle formed by the rotation of the ends of the blades 20 of the fan 12.

Preferably, and depending on the desired heating power, the winding of the heating tube 7 can consist of one or more turns, wound in the form of a spiral, the winding radius of said spiral being less than the radius of the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6 and greater than the radius of the virtual circle formed by the rotation of the ends of the blades 20 of the fan 12.

In another alternative embodiment, the heating device 52 can be formed by several heating tubes 7 arranged in the discharge zone 33 and each containing at least one electrical resistance. The heating tubes 7 can be of different shapes, such as for example straight tubes or curved tubes or composed of materials of different natures, such as for example steel, stainless steel or aluminum.

Preferably, said heating tubes 7 can be arranged uniformly along a radius whose value is less than the radius of the interior surface 6a of the elevation 6 and greater than the radius of the virtual circle formed by the rotation of the ends of the blades 20 of fan 12.

Advantageously, the fan 12 makes it possible to circulate the gaseous fluid 40 in a simple and efficient manner, firstly in a centrifugal radial flow from the center of the discharge zone 33 where the fan 12 is located, to the interior surface 6a. In this centrifugal radial flow, part of the gaseous fluid 40 will come into contact with the electrical heating resistance 7, which will cause a rise in temperature of said gaseous fluid 40.

The gaseous fluid 40 then continues its movement according to an axial flow corresponding to its passage through the inlet openings 35, the sealed conduits 61 before entering the work zone 34 through the inlet orifices 15.

The gaseous fluid 40 is then evacuated from the working zone 34 through the outlet orifices 16 and enters with a new axial flow into the suction zone 32.

Under the suction effect of the fan 12, the gaseous fluid 40 follows an axial flow from the outlet orifices 16 to the circular opening 19, then said gaseous fluid 40 passes through said circular orifice 19 to return again into the discharge zone 33.

The circulation of the gaseous fluid 40 then continues according to the movements described above in a closed and uninterrupted flow as long as the fan 12 is in operation. By closed flow, it should be understood that the working zone 34, the suction zone 32 and the discharge zone 33 communicate with each other, but are sealed against the atmosphere of the enclosure 102 of the machine additive manufacturing 100.

The multiplicity and distribution of the inlet orifices 15 and the outlet orifices 16 advantageously makes it possible to guarantee efficient and homogeneous circulation of the fluid 40 in the work zone 34.

According to another embodiment, at least one filtration system can be added to the flow of the gaseous fluid 40 to retain the impurities present in the gaseous fluid 40 and generated by the manufacture of the part 51.

A second aspect of the invention relates to an additive manufacturing machine 100 as such which, as is visible on the , comprises a module 50 as described previously.

Advantageously, the module 50 is placed in place and easily removed from the enclosure 102, the additive manufacturing machine 100 having for this purpose at least one complementary fixing means 56, said complementary fixing means 56 being intended to cooperate in a manner removable with the fixing means 55 of the module 50.

The complementary fixing means 56 may for example be a flange, a jack, a hook, a mandrel or any other equivalent device. The additional fixing means 56 can be actuated manually or automatically with, for example, mechanical, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators.

Advantageously, the module 50 is placed on the main plate 103 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 and fixed by the complementary fixing means 56 which cooperates with the fixing means 55.

For the parts 51 whose size is too large for the production to be done inside the module 50, only a bare plate having the same fixing means 55 will be placed on the main plate 103 and fixed by means of additional fixation 56.

Advantageously, as visible on the , the additive manufacturing machine 100 has a complementary electrical connector 58 arranged in the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 and intended to cooperate removably with the electrical connector 57 of the module 50 as is clearly visible on there .

Advantageously, the electrical supply of the blowing device 59 and the heating device 52 is produced by connecting the complementary electrical connector 58 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 with the electrical connector 57 of the module 50.

Preferably, the electrical connection can be made automatically when the module 50 is placed on the plate 103 of the additive manufacturing machine 100, the electrical connector 57 being judiciously positioned so as to engage the complementary electrical connector 58 during movement. of implementation.

Preferably, the additive manufacturing machine 100 comprises the injection nozzle 104 which will be positioned through an insertion orifice 53 of the cover 1 of the module 50.

Preferably, a clamping mechanism 106 secures the cover 1 to the injection nozzle 104, said injection nozzle 104 being preferably fixed, said cover 1 will also be fixed.

The additive manufacturing machine 100 also includes a drive system 105 which makes it possible to move the main plate 103 vertically and horizontally and therefore the module 50 fixed on said main plate 103.

Advantageously, the working zone 34 will be mobile relative to the injection nozzle 104, which will allow the production of the part 51 by depositing successive layers on the manufacturing plate 14.

As can be seen on the , during the movements of the work zone 34, the edge of the jacket 26, in tight support against the cover 1, will slide along a horizontal plane P32 in order to accommodate the horizontal movements of the main plate 103.

The management of the installation and/or removal of the module 50 from the enclosure 102 can be done either by a human operator, or by an industrial programmable controller 18 which, depending on the dimensions and the material of the part 51 to manufacture, will decide whether the module 50 must be installed or removed from the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100.

In another embodiment not shown, the installation and removal of the module 50 is done by an automated system. Preferably, the automated system can be a Cartesian or poly-articulated robot, controlled by the programmable industrial controller 18 and equipped with a gripping system making it possible to grasp and move the module 50. Advantageously, recesses or Protuberances can be made on module 50, thus facilitating the work of the robot's gripping system.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a method of additive manufacturing of a part 51 by the implementation of the module 50 and the additive manufacturing machine 100 as presented previously.

Thus, the method of the invention comprises the following steps taken chronologically:
- insertion of the module 50 into the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 and fixing of said module 50 on the main plate 103 using the fixing means 55 of said module 50 which is made to cooperate with the fixing means complementary 56 of said additive manufacturing machine 100,
- connection of the electrical connector 57 of the module 50 to the complementary electrical connector 58 of the additive manufacturing machine 100,
- positioning of the module 50 such that the injection nozzle 104 is located in the insertion orifice 53 of the cover 1,
- putting into operation the blowing device 59 of the gaseous fluid 40 and the heating device 52 of the gaseous fluid 40,
- manufacturing of part 51 in work area 34 of module 50.

After the production of part 51, the process includes the following steps taken chronologically:
- stopping the blowing device 59 of the gaseous fluid 40 and the heating device 52 of the gaseous fluid 40,
- disconnection of the electrical connector 57 from the complementary electrical connector 58,
- positioning of the module 50 such that the injection nozzle 104 is no longer located in the insertion orifice 53 of the cover 1,
- release of the module 50 by actuation of the fixing means 55 then removal of said module 50 from the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100.

Advantageously, even if the manufactured part 51 is still hot, it can be removed from the enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100 without waiting and either a new module 50 or a bare plate can be put back in place in the enclosure 102, thus making it possible to achieve significant productivity gains.

Still advantageously, part 51 can be easily removed from module 50 when said module 50 has taken out of enclosure 102 of the additive manufacturing machine 100.

Advantageously, the insertion and removal of the module 50 or a bare plate can be done with the Cartesian or poly-articulated type robot.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the only alternative embodiments set out in the above, the person skilled in the art being in particular able to isolate or freely combine with each other one or the other of the aforementioned characteristics. , or to substitute equivalents for them.

Claims (16)

Module (50), intended to be installed in an enclosure (102) of an additive manufacturing machine (100), said module (50) comprising along a central axis (Z100):
- a lower plate (11)
- a barrel (4) comprising a base (5) positioned on the lower plate (11) and surmounted by an elevation (6),
- a manufacturing plate (14), parallel to the lower plate (11) and placed on an upper edge (6b) of the elevation (6) of the barrel (4),
- a jacket (26) which surrounds the manufacturing plate (14) and which forms a closed wall extending, in the direction of the central axis (Z100), projecting from the manufacturing plate (14),
- a cover (1) placed on the jacket (26) so as to form a cavity, called the working zone (34), delimited by the jacket (26), by the cover (1) and by the manufacturing plate (14 ),
- inlet orifices (15) and outlet orifices (16) made in the manufacturing plate (14), said inlet orifices (15) allowing a gaseous fluid (40) to enter inside the the working zone (34) and said outlet orifices (16) allowing said gaseous fluid (40) to exit,
characterized in that the module (50) comprises fixing means (55) intended to cooperate removably with complementary fixing means (56) integrated into the additive manufacturing machine (100) and in that the module (50) ) comprises a blowing device (59) for blowing the gaseous fluid (40) and a heating device (52) for heating said gaseous fluid (40).
Module (50) according to claim 1, characterized in that the blowing device (59) of the gaseous fluid (40) cooperates with a distribution device (28) of the gaseous fluid (40), said distribution device (28) being designed to ensure on the one hand the collection of the gaseous fluid (40) leaving the work zone (34) through the outlet orifices (16) and on the other hand the return of said gaseous fluid (40) towards said work zone (34) passing through the inlet ports (15).
Module (50) according to claim 2, characterized in that the distribution device (28) of the gaseous fluid (40) comprises an intermediate plate (8), parallel to the manufacturing plate (14) and positioned below said plate of manufacturing (14) and outside the work zone (34), said intermediate plate (8) comprising a circular opening (19) in its center and notches (30) at its periphery, said intermediate plate (8) forming, with said manufacturing plate (14) and the elevation (6) of the barrel (4), a cavity called suction zone (32), said suction zone (32) receiving the gaseous fluid (40) coming from from the work area (34) through the outlet orifices (16).
Module (50) according to claim 3, characterized in that the distribution device (28) of the gaseous fluid (40) comprises inlet openings (35) formed by the cooperation of the notches (30) and the elevation ( 6), said inlet openings (35) coinciding by superposition, in the direction of the central axis (Z100), with the inlet orifices (15) made in the manufacturing plate (14).
Module (50) according to claim 4, characterized in that the distribution device (28) of the gaseous fluid (40) comprises partitions (17) normal to the intermediate plate (8), extending from the intermediate plate (8) up to the manufacturing plate (14), said partitions (17) cooperating with the elevation (6) to form sealed conduits (61) which connect the inlet openings (35) of the intermediate plate (8) to the orifices of entry (15) made in the manufacturing tray (14).
Module (50) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the distribution device (28) of the gaseous fluid (40) comprises a support plate (31), parallel to the intermediate plate (8) and located at -below said intermediate plate (8), said support plate (31) forming with said intermediate plate (8) and the elevation (6) of the barrel (4) a cavity called discharge zone (33), said discharge zone ( 33) allowing on the one hand to receive the gaseous fluid (40) coming from the suction zone (32) through the circular opening (19) and on the other hand to inject said gaseous fluid (40) into the zone work (34) passing through the inlet openings (35), the sealed conduits (61) and the inlet orifices (15).
Module (50) according to claim 6, characterized in that the heating device (52) of the gaseous fluid (40) comprises at least one heating tube (7), containing an electrical heating resistance, said heating tube (7) being placed in the discharge zone (33).
Module (50) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the device for blowing (59) the gaseous fluid (40) comprises a fan (12), comprising blades (20) located in the zone of repression (33).
Module (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the device for blowing (59) the gaseous fluid (40) and the device (52) for heating the gaseous fluid (40) are electrically powered by an electrical connector (57) which is on board said module (50) and which is arranged to cooperate removably with a complementary electrical connector (58) which is integrated into the additive manufacturing machine (100).
Module (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the jacket (26) is slidably mounted relative to the manufacturing plate (14) along the central axis (Z100), in order to vary the volume of the work area (34).
Module (50) according to claim 10, characterized in that the jacket (26) collaborates with at least one spring (3) which allows it to be pressed axially in a sealed manner against the cover (1).
Additive manufacturing machine (100) comprising a main plate (103) and an injection nozzle (104) arranged to deposit a printing material (54) in successive layers, said machine being characterized in that it comprises a module (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, said module (50) being reversibly fixed on the main plate (103) of the additive manufacturing machine (100) and the injection nozzle (104) of said additive manufacturing machine (100) passing through the cover (1) of said module (50) through an insertion orifice (53) provided for this purpose in said cover (1) to deposit the printing material (54) in the work area (34) of the module (50) in order to generate a part (51) in said work area (34).
Additive manufacturing machine (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises complementary fixing means (56) which cooperate with the fixing means (55) of the module (50) to ensure the reversible fixing of said module ( 50) on the main plate (103).
Additive manufacturing machine (100) according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that it is equipped with a complementary electrical connector (58) intended to be connected to the electrical connector (57) of the module (50).
Method for additive manufacturing of a part (51) by using an additive manufacturing machine (100) according to one of claims 12 to 14, the method comprising the following steps taken chronologically:
- insertion of the module (50) into the enclosure (102) of the additive manufacturing machine (100) and fixing of said module (50) on the main plate (103) using the fixing means (55) of said module (50) which is made to cooperate with the complementary fixing means (56) of said additive manufacturing machine (100),
- connection of the electrical connector (57) of the module (50) to the complementary electrical connector (58) of the additive manufacturing machine (100),
- positioning the module (50) such that the injection nozzle (104) is located in the insertion orifice (53) of the cover (1),
- putting into operation the blowing device (59) of the gaseous fluid (40) and the heating device (52) of the gaseous fluid (40)
- manufacturing of the part (51) in the working zone (34) of the module (50).
Additive manufacturing method according to claim 15, characterized in that, after the production of the part (51), the method comprises the following steps taken chronologically:
- stopping the blowing device (59) of the gaseous fluid (40) and the heating device (52) of the gaseous fluid (40),
- disconnection of the electrical connector (57) from the complementary electrical connector (58),
-positioning of the module (50) such that the injection nozzle (104) is no longer located in the insertion orifice (53) of the cover (1),
- release of the module (50) by actuation of the fixing means (55) then removal of said module (50) from the enclosure (102) of the additive manufacturing machine (100).