SLAG REMOVAL APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

An apparatus (20, 21) and method (80) operable to: feed (82) a granulated feedstock (26) into a chamber (22); apply (84) a melting or sintering energy (28) in programmable scans (30) producing a material deposit (32) overlaid with slag (34) in the chamber (22); position (86) a slag removal device (40, 52) such that its cutting surface (35) is coincident with a top surface (33) of the material deposit; cut or break the slag free (88) from the material deposit with the slag removal device; separate (92) the removed slag from a reusable portion of the granulated feedstock in a separator (42); and feed (94) the reusable portion of the granulated feedstock to the top surface of the material deposit for repeating (96) the above operations.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
forming a deposit of a material by heating a granulated feedstock wherein a slag layer is formed on a top surface of the deposit; removing the slag and a reusable portion of the feedstock with a slag removal device mounted on a drive mechanism that moves the slag removal device relative to the top surface of the deposit; collecting the removed slag and the reusable portion of the feedstock into a separating device; and separating the removed slag from the reusable feedstock with the separating device.