PRINT HEAD FOR 3D PRINTING OF METALS

• Main Authors: MAIER, Eberhard, SCHWEIZER, Benjamin
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 17.04.2024
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CASTING; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

The invention relates to a print head (1) for a 3D printer, in particular a metal printer, comprising a housing (3), a device (28) for feeding a metal (14), a piston (5), a reservoir (7, 27) with an outlet opening (10), and an actuator device (12) for displacing the piston (5), wherein the reservoir (7, 27) has a melting region (20) and a displacement body chamber (21) for a liquid phase (8) of the metal (14), wherein the melting region (20) adjoins an inert atmosphere (22) and is connected to the displacement body chamber (21) such that, as a result of the displacement of the piston (5), the liquid phase (8) of the metal (14) can be caused to pass through the outlet opening (10), said housing (3) having a multi-part design and comprising at least one cooling flange (25), an insulating plate (26), and the reservoir (7, 27).The invention is characterized in that the print head (1) comprises a displacement unit (40) for inserting the piston (5) into the reservoir (7, 27) and retracting it therefrom, the displacement unit (40) comprising a locking element (50).The invention also relates to a method of operating and/or starting up a print head (1).