APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ARTICLES FROM POWDER MATERIALS Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: powder metallurgy. SUBSTANCE: apparatus has substrate for receiving material for subsequent treatment with high-energy flux. Material is delivered from hopper provided with gate, which may be moved downward to cut off supply of material from hopper onto substrate. Hopper is replenished with material. When necessary, energy flux source is switched on and device for moving energy flux source relative to substrate is driven and material is fed from hopper onto substrate by moving gate upward. Energy flux is passed through pipeline to get onto substrate, where the material is selectively sintered. As material is supplied and sintered so that height of article is increased, substrate is caused to be displaced downward. EFFECT: increased efficiency of apparatus by providing continuous production of articles with predetermined shape. 1 dwg