Assembly to fabricate objects from e.g. titanium powder in chamber with inert gas partition forming smoke screen

摘要

An assembly fabricates a product by the application of successive powder layers hardened in situ by a laser (18) beam. The assembly has a process housing around a process chamber with a product buildup zone (25). The product buildup zone is located on a lift/lower support pad in the process chamber. The lower part of the chamber with the product under formation is separated from the upper chamber by a continual feed of inert gas forming a gas partition that is virtually impenetrable for the smoke and vapor emerging from the laser-heated powder.