JP2019006077A - Three-dimensional shaping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a three-dimensional shaping apparatus that can be used to make a three-dimensional shaped article with great shaping precision.SOLUTION: A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprises a shaping table, a discharge head, a heating part, a transfer mechanism, and a control part. The control part is configured so that the discharge head starts to discharge a curing liquid for forming a cross-sectional layer in a first layer when the heating part does not produce output and the heating part starts to produce output at least after the discharge head starts to discharge the curing liquid for forming the cross-sectional layer in the first layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a three-dimensional modeling apparatus.

  Conventionally, there has been known a powder lamination type three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a three-dimensional model by forming a cross-sectional layer by solidifying a powder material spread in a thin layer with a curing liquid, and sequentially laminating these layers. It has been. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a modeling tank in which a powder material is accommodated and a modeled object is formed, a discharge head that discharges a curable liquid to the powder material in the modeling tank, and a curable liquid is discharged. There is disclosed a three-dimensional modeling apparatus including a heating unit that heats a powder material for each layer of a cross-sectional layer. In the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of Patent Document 1, the heating unit has a plurality of heaters, the heater to be used is determined according to the modeling range of the modeled object, and the curable liquid is discharged with the heater turned on. Configured to start.

JP2015-223768A

  However, according to the study of the present inventor, immediately after the modeling is started, the powder material in the modeling tank is in a dry state. For this reason, when the discharge of the curable liquid is started with the heater turned on, the curable liquid is heated rapidly and the drying speed becomes extremely fast. As a result, in the cross-sectional layer immediately after the start of modeling, the bonding force between the powder materials becomes weak, and there is a problem that peeling or chipping is likely to occur, for example, at the edge of the modeled object or the delicate part of the modeled object.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and the object thereof is to suppress the occurrence of peeling and chipping in a cross-sectional layer immediately after the start of modeling, and to obtain a three-dimensional modeled object with high modeling accuracy. The object is to provide a three-dimensional modeling apparatus.

  The present invention provides a three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a three-dimensional structure by forming a cross-sectional layer by solidifying a powder material and sequentially laminating the cross-sectional layers. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus includes a modeling table on which the powder material is placed, a discharge head that discharges a curable liquid to the powder material, and a heating unit that heats the powder material from which the curable liquid is discharged. And a moving mechanism that moves one of the modeling table and the ejection head relative to the other, and the electrical connection to the ejection head, the heating unit, and the moving mechanism, and at least the heating unit And a control unit configured to control the output. The control unit starts discharging the curable liquid for forming the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head in a state where the output of the heating unit is not performed, and the discharge head is at least the first cross-sectional layer. The output of the heating unit is started after the discharge of the curable liquid for forming the liquid is started.

  According to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus having the above configuration, the curing liquid is not heated immediately after the modeling is started, so that the drying speed can be slowed down. Thereby, the joining property of powder materials can be improved and generation | occurrence | production of peeling and a chip | tip can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional structure with high modeling accuracy in which the integrity in the stacking direction is improved.

  In addition, according to the present invention, while either one of the modeling table on which the powder material is placed and the discharge head that discharges the curable liquid to the powder material is moved relative to the other, the modeling is performed. Discharging the curable liquid from the discharge head onto the powder material on the table; and heating the powder material from which the curable liquid has been discharged with a heating device; There is provided a method of forming a three-dimensional structure by forming a solidified cross-sectional layer and sequentially laminating the cross-sectional layers. In this modeling method, the discharge of the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head is started without heating the powder material by the heating device, and the discharge head is at least the first layer. After the discharge of the curable liquid for forming the cross-sectional layer is started, the heating of the powder material is started by the heating device.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the powder lamination system which can obtain a three-dimensional structure with high modeling precision, and the modeling method of a three-dimensional structure are provided.

It is sectional drawing which showed typically the three-dimensional modeling apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a block diagram of a control part concerning one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the heating control part which concerns on one Embodiment. It is an example of the flowchart which concerns on step A of FIG. It is another example of the flowchart which concerns on step A of FIG. It is an example of the flowchart which concerns on step B of FIG. It is another example of the flowchart which concerns on step B of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, members / parts having the same action are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

<Three-dimensional modeling device>
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1. Note that the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in FIG. 1 indicate front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower, respectively. Moreover, the codes | symbols X, Y, and Z of FIG. 1 have each shown the front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction (lamination direction of a cross-sectional layer). However, these are only directions for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 at all.

  The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a three-dimensional modeled object by forming a cross-sectional layer by solidifying a powder material with a curing liquid and sequentially laminating the cross-sectional layer in the Z direction. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a supply unit 10, a modeling unit 20, a discharge head 30, a heating unit 40, and a control unit 50 (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the structure of each part of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 will be described.

  The supply unit 10 is for supplying a powder material to the modeling unit 20. The supply unit 10 includes a supply tank 11, a supply table 12, a supply table lifting / lowering device 13, a powder recovery tank 14, and a roller 15.

  The supply tank 11 contains a powder material (not shown). The kind and form of the powder material are not particularly limited. Examples of the powder material include inorganic materials such as alumina, silica, and gypsum, metal materials, and resin materials. The powder material may be configured by using the above-mentioned material as a main material, for example, a material that promotes or assists the binding of the main material as a sub-material. Examples of the auxiliary material include an immersion material that promotes penetration of the curable liquid described later. Examples of the soaking material include a water-soluble resin that is water-soluble and exhibits binding properties when it contains moisture. The water-soluble resin has a glass transition point Tg of about 100 ° C. or less, typically 80 ° C. or less, preferably 70 ° C. or less, for example 60 ° C. or less, from the viewpoint of easy drying and productivity. Specifically, those having a temperature of 25 ° C. or higher, preferably 35 ° C. or higher, for example, 40 ° C. or higher are suitable. Specific examples of the water-soluble resin include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), starch and the like.

  The supply table 12 is disposed inside the supply tank 11 and constitutes the bottom surface of the supply tank 11. The supply table 12 is electrically connected to the supply table lifting device 13. The supply table 12 is configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction inside the supply tank 11 by a supply table lifting device 13. The supply table lifting device 13 is for moving the supply table 12 in the Z direction. Although it does not specifically limit as the supply table raising / lowering apparatus 13, The cylinder mechanism is employ | adopted here. The supply table lifting device 13 is electrically connected to the control unit 50.

  The powder recovery tank 14 is for recovering the powder material excessively supplied to the modeling unit 20. In the Y direction, the powder recovery tank 14 is provided on the opposite side of the supply tank 11 with the modeling unit 20 interposed therebetween. The powder recovery tank 14 has a space for storing excess powder material. A take-out port (not shown) for taking out the collected powder material is provided below the powder collection tank 14.

  The roller 15 is a member for supplying the molding material 20 with the powder material accommodated in the supply tank 11. The roller 15 has a long cylindrical shape, and is arranged so that the cylindrical axis is along the X direction. The length of the roller 15 in the X direction is longer than the length of the modeling tank 21 of the modeling unit 20 described later in the X direction. The roller 15 is mounted on the first carriage 16. The first carriage 16 is engaged with the guide rail 17. The guide rail 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 and extends in the Y direction. The first carriage 16 is connected to a motor 16M (not shown in FIG. 1, see FIG. 2), and is configured to be slidable in the Y direction along the guide rail 17. Thereby, the roller 15 is comprised so that the upper surface of the supply tank 11, the modeling tank 21, and the powder collection tank 14 can be independently moved to a Y direction. When the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 is not used, the roller 15 is placed on the roller placement portion 15 a on the right side of the supply tank 11. The motor 16M of the first carriage 16 is electrically connected to the control unit 50.

  The modeling unit 20 constitutes a modeling area for modeling a desired three-dimensional modeled object. The modeling unit 20 includes a modeling tank 21, a modeling table 22, and a modeling table lifting device 23. At the time of modeling a three-dimensional structure, the powder material is accommodated in the modeling tank 21. The powder material is spread in the modeling tank 21 with the thickness of the cross-sectional layer for one layer (for example, 0.1 mm).

  The modeling table 22 is disposed inside the modeling tank 21 and constitutes the bottom surface of the modeling tank 21. The modeling table 22 is electrically connected to the modeling table lifting device 23. The modeling table 22 is configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction inside the modeling tank 21 by the modeling table lifting device 23. The modeling table lifting device 23 is for moving the modeling table 22 in the Z direction. Although it does not specifically limit as the modeling table raising / lowering apparatus 23, The cylinder mechanism is employ | adopted here. The modeling table lifting device 23 is electrically connected to the control unit 50. The modeling table lifting device 23 is an example of a moving mechanism that moves the modeling table 22 relative to the ejection head 30 in the Z direction.

  The discharge head 30 is for discharging the curable liquid according to the shape of the cross-sectional layer with respect to the powder material in the modeling tank 21. The discharge head 30 is disposed above the modeling unit 20. The discharge head 30 is a so-called line type. That is, the discharge head 30 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) for discharging the curable liquid on the lower surface thereof. The plurality of nozzles are long enough to cover the entire width of the modeling area in the modeling tank 21 and are arranged in a line in the X direction. The nozzle communicates with a curable liquid tank (not shown). The curable liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid (including a viscous body) capable of binding particles constituting the powder material when supplied to the powder material. Examples of the curable liquid include wax and binder. Further, when the powder material has a water-soluble resin as an auxiliary material, a liquid capable of dissolving the water-soluble resin, for example, water, can be used as the curing liquid.

  The discharge head 30 is mounted on the second carriage 31. The second carriage 31 is engaged with the guide rail 17. The second carriage 31 is connected to a motor 31M (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 2), and is configured to be slidable in the Y direction along the guide rail 17. Thereby, the discharge head 30 is comprised so that the upper surface of the modeling tank 21 can be moved independently to a Y direction. The motor 31M of the second carriage 31 is connected to the control unit 50. The motor 31M of the second carriage 31 is an example of a movement mechanism that moves the ejection head 30 relative to the modeling table 22 in the Y direction. Further, the discharge head 30 is connected to the control unit 50 and configured to discharge the curable liquid from a plurality of nozzles.

  The heating part 40 is for warming the powder material in the modeling tank 21, and accelerating | stimulating the heat drying of a hardening liquid. The heating unit 40 is provided around the modeling tank 21. The heating method of the heating unit 40 is not particularly limited. Examples of the heating method include a direct heating method using a heater or a lamp, a radiant heat transfer heating method that irradiates infrared rays, an internal heat generation heating method that irradiates microwaves, and a resistance heating method. Of these, the direct heating method is preferable because the configuration can be simplified. The heating unit 40 may be configured to be able to heat the powder material in the modeling tank 21 to, for example, 30 ° C. or higher, preferably 40 ° C. or higher, for example, to a temperature of the glass transition point Tg or less of the water-soluble resin. . The heating unit 40 is electrically connected to the control unit 50.

  There may be one heating unit 40 or a plurality of heating units 40. In the present embodiment, the heating unit 40 includes three types of heat sources, that is, a first heater 41, a second heater 42, and a third heater 43. In the present embodiment, the modeling tank 21 is surrounded by four sides by first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43.

  The first heater 41 is disposed above the modeling unit 20, specifically, above the modeling table 22. The first heater 41 is disposed at a position higher than the roller 15 and the ejection head 30 so as not to interfere with the roller 15 and the ejection head 30 that slide in the Y direction. The first heater 41 also serves as an illumination device for the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1. The 1st heater 41 heats the powder material in the modeling tank 21 from the upper surface side of the modeling tank 21, ie, the side where the hardening liquid is discharged. Thereby, the powder material discharged with the curable liquid is efficiently heated. The first heater 41 is, for example, a halogen lamp heater, a far infrared heater, a near infrared heater, or the like. There may be one first heater 41 or a plurality of first heaters 41. Here, two 85 W halogen lamp heaters are arranged side by side in the X direction.

  The second heater 42 is disposed on a pair of left and right side surfaces in the Y direction of the modeling tank 21. The second heater 42 heats the powder material in the modeling tank 21 from the side of the modeling tank 21. The second heater 42 is, for example, a band-shaped silicon band heater, a silicon belt heater, a ceramic heater, or the like. There may be one or more second heaters 42.

  The third heater 43 is disposed inside the modeling table 22, that is, on the bottom surface of the modeling tank 21. The third heater 43 heats the powder material in the modeling tank 21 from below. The third heater 43 is, for example, a planar silicon rubber heater or an aluminum foil heater. There may be one third heater 43 or a plurality of third heaters 43.

  The control unit 50 controls the overall operation of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control unit 50. The control unit 50 includes a movement control unit 51, a discharge control unit 52, and a heating control unit 53.

  The movement control unit 51 is electrically connected to the supply table lifting device 13 of the supply unit 10, the motor 16M of the first carriage 16, the modeling table lifting device 23 of the modeling unit 20, and the motor 31M of the second carriage 31, respectively. It is configured to be able to control these. The movement control unit 51 drives the supply table lifting device 13 of the supply unit 10 to move the supply table 12 upward or downward (Z direction). The movement control unit 51 drives the motor 16M of the first carriage 16 to move the roller 15 in the Y direction. The movement control unit 51 drives the modeling table lifting device 23 of the modeling unit 20 to move the modeling table 22 upward or downward (Z direction). The movement control unit 51 drives the motor 31M of the second carriage 31 to move the ejection head 30 in the Y direction.

  The discharge control unit 52 is electrically connected to the discharge head 30 and configured to be able to control it. The ejection controller 52 causes the ejection head 30 to eject the curable liquid by driving the ejection head 30.

  The heating control unit 53 is electrically connected to the first to third heaters 41, 42, 43 of the heating unit 40. The heating control unit 53 is configured to integrally control the heating unit 40. The heating control unit 53 is configured to simultaneously adjust the heating intensity of the first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43 by controlling power on / off and output. The heating control unit 53 does not output the first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43 when the discharge of the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30 is started. The heating control unit 53 starts output of the first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43 after at least the discharge head 30 starts to discharge the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer.

  The configuration of the control unit 50 is not particularly limited. The control unit 50 is a microcomputer, for example. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited. For example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data from an external device such as a host computer, and a central processing unit (CPU: central processing unit) that executes control program instructions processing unit), ROM (read only memory) storing a program executed by the CPU, RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for developing the program, and memory storing various data such as the control program. And a section. The control unit 50 may be configured by software (for example, a circuit).

<Modeling method of three-dimensional structure>
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 models a three-dimensional modeled object by the following process, for example. The shape of the cross-sectional layer at a certain height in the Z direction indicates the cross-sectional shape of the three-dimensional structure at that height. In the modeling method of the present embodiment, first, slice data of a cross-sectional layer formed by slicing three-dimensional data of a three-dimensional model to be obtained with a predetermined thickness is input to the control unit 50.

  Next, the control unit 50 spreads the powder material in the modeling tank 21 with the thickness of the cross-sectional layer for one layer based on the slice data. Specifically, the control unit 50 drives the supply table lifting device 13 to move (lift) the supply table 12 upward. When the supply table 12 is moved upward, a part of the powder material accommodated in the supply tank 11 is raised and stacked above the upper surface of the supply tank 11. When the control unit 50 drives the motor 16M of the first carriage 16 in this state, the roller 15 moves horizontally from the roller mounting unit 15a to the left. Then, the pulverized powder material is pushed leftward by the roller 15 and supplied to the modeling tank 21. At the same time, the roller 15 moves horizontally on the modeling tank 21 so that the surface of the modeling tank 21 is leveled. As a result, the powder material is accommodated in the modeling tank 21 and uniformly spread on the modeling table 22 with a predetermined thickness.

  The powder material is usually supplied in a larger amount than the amount accommodated in the modeling tank 21. Excess powder material that could not be accommodated in the modeling tank 21 is pushed to the left by the roller 15 as it is and is collected in the powder collection tank 14. When the roller 15 moves to the left side 15b of the powder recovery tank 14, it is temporarily placed at the position of the left side 15b of the powder recovery tank 14 or rotated in the reverse direction to return to the original roller mounting portion 15a. Is returned to.

  Next, the control part 50 discharges a hardening liquid with respect to the powder material in the modeling tank 21 based on slice data. Specifically, the motor 31M of the second carriage 31 is controlled to move the ejection head 30 in the Y direction, and at the same time, the ejection head 30 is controlled so that a predetermined area and a predetermined condition in the modeling area are controlled. The curable liquid is discharged from the discharge head 30 to the position. In the portion where the curable liquid is sprayed, the curable liquid penetrates into the powder material. As a result, a first cross-sectional layer is formed on the modeling table 22.

  When the first cross-sectional layer is formed, the control unit 50 then spreads the powder material again in the modeling tank 21 with the thickness of the cross-sectional layer for one layer. Specifically, the control unit 50 drives the modeling table lifting device 23 to move (lower) the modeling table 22 downward. The descending width of the modeling table 22 is the same as the thickness of one cross-sectional layer. In the same manner as described above, the powder material is supplied from the supply tank 11 and uniformly spread in the space generated by the lowering of the modeling table 22.

  Next, the control part 50 discharges a hardening liquid again with respect to the powder material in the modeling tank 21 based on slice data. Specifically, the motor 31M of the second carriage 31 is controlled to move the ejection head 30 in the Y direction, and at the same time, the ejection head 30 is controlled to apply the curable liquid to the powder material from the ejection head 30. Discharge. As a result, the second cross-sectional layer is formed on the first cross-sectional layer formed as described above. Then, the operation of spreading the powder material in the modeling tank 21 and the operation of discharging the curable liquid to the powder material in the modeling tank 21 are repeated by the number of slice data. Thereby, a desired three-dimensional structure in which the first to mth cross-sectional layers (m is an integer of 2 or more) are stacked in the Z direction is formed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control method of the heating control unit 53 in the modeling of the three-dimensional structure as described above. In the present embodiment, the heating control unit 53 is configured to execute three steps A, B, and C in this order from the start to the end of modeling. That is, the heating control unit 53 controls the timing at which the inside of the modeling tank 21 starts to be heated in Step A. The heating control unit 53 performs control so as to gradually increase the temperature in the modeling tank 21 in Step B. The heating control unit 53 performs control so that the temperature in the modeling tank 21 is kept constant in Step C. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

  First, step A will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an aspect of step A. In the present embodiment, the output of the heating unit 40 is stopped in step A1. Therefore, the powder material in the modeling tank 21 is at room temperature, for example, 20 to 30 ° C. at the time when the discharge of the curable liquid for forming the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30 is started. The control unit 50 starts discharging the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30 in a state where the output of the heating unit 40 is not performed. Then, after the discharge head 30 starts discharging the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer, in step A2, the output of the heating unit 40 is started. In the meantime, the controller 50 continues to discharge the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30. In other words, the heating control unit 53 starts the output of the heating unit 40 in the middle of discharging the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer. Thereby, the drying speed of a hardening liquid is blunted at the time of formation of the section layer of the 1st layer.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another aspect of step A. In this embodiment, the output of the heating unit 40 is stopped in step A11. The control unit 50 discharges the curable liquid that forms the nth (n is a natural number) cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30 in a state where the output of the heating unit 40 is not performed. And after discharge of the hardening liquid which forms the nth (n is a natural number) cross-sectional layer is completed, the output of the heating part 40 is started in step A12. Thereby, the drying speed of a hardening liquid is blunted in the cross-sectional layer from the start of modeling to the n-th layer. n is not particularly limited as long as it is an integer of 1 or more, but is generally 1 ≦ n ≦ 10, typically 1 ≦ n ≦ 5, for example, n = 1,2. This aspect is particularly effective when, for example, the discharge amount of the curable liquid is small at the initial stage of modeling, in other words, when the cross-sectional area of the cross-sectional layer is small at the initial stage of modeling.

  Next, step B will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an aspect of step B. In step B, the curable liquid is discharged from the discharge head 30 to the powder material heated by the heating unit 40. In the present embodiment, in step B1, the output of the heating unit 40 is improved as the discharge amount of the curable liquid from the discharge head 30 increases. The improvement of the output of the heating unit 40 can be controlled, for example, so that the temperature of the powder material is increased to 10 to 50 ° C./h. The improvement in the output of the heating unit 40 may be proportional (that is, gradually increased) or may be stepwise. The powder material in the modeling tank 21 is warmed by the output of the heating unit 40, and the heat drying of the curable liquid is promoted. Usually, as the discharge amount of the curable liquid increases, the inside of the modeling tank 21 becomes wet, and the curable liquid becomes difficult to dry. By gradually increasing the output of the heating unit 40 according to the discharge amount of the curable liquid, the drying speed in the Z direction is homogenized. Thereby, the dispersion | variation in the drying speed of hardening liquid can be suppressed more favorably in a Z direction. Moreover, workability and productivity can be improved by increasing the drying efficiency of the curable liquid. In addition, there is an effect that it becomes difficult for extra powder material (which should be powdered after the completion of modeling) to adhere to the cross-sectional layer.

  Next, in step B2, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of modeling. This predetermined time is determined in advance and stored in the control unit 50 in consideration of, for example, deterioration of the powder material and the components of the curable liquid. And when predetermined time has not passed, it returns to step B1. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed, step B is terminated. Thereby, deterioration of powder material and hardening liquid is prevented.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another aspect of step B. In the present embodiment, in step B11, the output of the heating unit 40 is improved by one step each time the discharge of the curable liquid that forms one cross-sectional layer is completed. The stepwise output improvement width is determined in advance and stored in the control unit 50. The improvement width of the output can be set so as to increase the temperature in the modeling tank 21 by about 0.1 to 5 ° C. every time one cross-sectional layer is formed, for example. Next, in step B12, it is determined whether the cross-sectional layer has reached a predetermined number of layers. The predetermined number of layers is determined in advance and stored in the control unit 50. If the predetermined number of layers is not stacked, the process returns to step B11. On the other hand, when a predetermined number of layers are stacked, step B is terminated. Thereby, deterioration of powder material and hardening liquid is prevented.

Next, step C will be described. In Step C, control is performed so that the temperature in the modeling tank 21 is maintained uniformly. Here, the output of the heating unit 40 is controlled to be constant. The output of the heating unit 40 is determined in advance and stored in the control unit 50 in consideration of, for example, deterioration of the components of the powder material and the curable liquid. For example, when the resin material is included in at least one of the powder material and the curable liquid, the temperature in the modeling tank 21 is not higher than the glass transition point of the resin material, for example, 40 to 50 ° C. (about ± 1 ° C. The output is controlled so that some variation is acceptable. Thereby, deterioration of powder material, hardening liquid, and modeling tank 21 is prevented. Alternatively, in Step C, instead of making the output constant, the heating unit 40 may be intermittently output so that the temperature in the modeling tank 21 is maintained uniformly. Note that “outputting the heating unit 40 intermittently” is a method of adjusting the average output by repeatedly turning on and off the heating unit 40 in a short cycle, and can be preferably applied to, for example, an internal heat generation heating method and a resistance heating method. .
And when modeling is complete | finished, the output of the heating part 40 is stopped.

  As described above, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment starts discharging the curable liquid that forms the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head 30 in a state where the output of the heating unit 40 is not performed. After 30 starts discharging the curable liquid, the output of the heating unit 40 is started. Thereby, the drying speed of the hardening liquid immediately after starting shaping | molding becomes loose, and the joining force of powder material improves. Further, by outputting the heating unit 40, productivity and workability are improved, and excess powder material is difficult to adhere to the cross-sectional layer. Therefore, according to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a three-dimensional modeled object having excellent integrity and modeling accuracy can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 is configured to start the output of the heating unit 40 after the discharge head 30 finishes discharging the curable liquid that forms the n-th layer (n is a natural number) cross-sectional layer. ing. Thus, for example, even when the discharge amount of the curable liquid is small at the initial stage of modeling (in other words, when the cross-sectional area of the cross-sectional layer is small at the initial stage of modeling), the effect of the technique disclosed here is suitably exhibited. can do.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 sets the output of the heating unit 40 to the first output when the total amount of the curable liquid discharged from the discharge head 30 is the first amount, and is discharged from the discharge head 30. When the total amount of the curable liquid is a second amount larger than the first amount, the output of the heating unit 40 is set to a second output larger than the first output. For example, the control unit 50 is configured to increase the output of the heating unit 40 stepwise or proportionally as the total amount of the curable liquid discharged from the discharge head 30 increases.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 sets the output of the heating unit 40 to the first output when the number of cross-sectional layers stacked is the first number, and the number of cross-sectional layers stacked is greater than the first number. When the second number is large, the output of the heating unit 40 is set to a second output larger than the first output. For example, the control unit 50 is configured to increase the output of the heating unit 40 stepwise as the number of cross-sectional layers is increased. Usually, as the amount of the curable liquid discharged increases or the number of cross-sectional layers increases, the interior of the modeling tank 21 becomes wet, and the curable liquid becomes difficult to dry. For this reason, by increasing the output of the heating unit 40 in accordance with the total amount of the curable liquid or the number of cross-sectional layers stacked, the drying speed in the Z direction can be homogenized and the bondability in the Z direction can be further improved.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 is configured to keep the output of the heating unit 40 constant after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating unit 40 was started.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 is configured to make the output of the heating unit 40 constant after forming a predetermined number of cross-sectional layers. After a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the output of the heating unit 40, or after a predetermined number of cross-sectional layers have been formed, the output of the heating unit 40 is made constant so that the powder material and the hardening liquid And the deterioration of the modeling tank 21 can be prevented. Moreover, it can suppress that the drying speed of hardening liquid becomes too fast, and can improve the bondability in a Z direction better.

  In the present embodiment, the heating unit includes a first heater 41 disposed so as to face the surface of the modeling table 22 on the side on which the powder material is placed. Thereby, the powder material from which the curable liquid is discharged can be efficiently heated without unevenness.

  In the present embodiment, the heating unit 40 includes first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43, and the control unit 50 is configured to control the outputs of the first to third heaters 41, 42, and 43 simultaneously. Has been. Thereby, the powder material in the modeling tank 21 can be heated uniformly and stably from various angles. Therefore, variation in the drying speed of the curable liquid can be better suppressed.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ejection head 30 is a so-called line type, and the ejection head 30 is configured to be movable only in the Y direction. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the ejection head 30 may be so-called scan type, that is, configured to be movable in the horizontal plane of the modeling tank 21 (both in the X direction and the Y direction).

  In the above-described embodiment, the modeling table 22 is configured to be moved relative to the ejection head 30 in the Z direction, and the ejection head 30 is configured to be movable relative to the modeling table 22 in the Y direction. It was. However, these movements only need to be relative and are not limited to these. For example, the modeling table 22 may be configured to be movable in both the Z direction and the Y direction, while the ejection head 30 may be configured to be fixed and immovable.

  In the above-described embodiment, the supply unit 10 is provided at a position adjacent to the modeling unit 20 in the Y direction. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the supply unit 10 is provided at a position higher than the modeling unit 20 and may not be aligned with the modeling unit 20 in the Y direction. In this case, the supply tank 11 is typically disposed on the right side of the modeling tank 21 while avoiding the top of the modeling tank 21. The modeling tank 21 has, for example, a shape in which the plane area becomes narrower as it goes downward, and has a slit-like opening at the lower end. The powder material in the modeling tank 21 is discharged from the opening at the lower end, and is stacked, for example, in a line shape along the X direction between the modeling tank 21 and the roller mounting portion 15a. And this powder material is supplied to the modeling part 20 with the roller 15 similarly to above-mentioned embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the heating control unit 53 outputs the output of the heating unit 40 after a predetermined time has elapsed after starting the output of the heating unit 40 or after a predetermined number of cross-sectional layers are formed. It was configured to be constant. However, it is not limited to this. For example, when the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 is electrically connected to the heating control unit 53 of the control unit 50 and includes a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the powder material in the modeling tank 21, the temperature sensor After the temperature of the powder material reaches a predetermined temperature based on the temperature information measured in step 1, the output of the heating unit 40 may be made constant. The temperature sensor includes, for example, a thermocouple that can directly detect the temperature of the powder material, and an amplifier that converts the temperature measured by the thermocouple into an electrical signal and outputs it. For example, when the resin material is included in at least one of the powder material and the curable liquid, the output of the heating unit 40 when the temperature of the powder material measured by the temperature sensor approaches the glass transition point of the resin material. May be configured to be constant.

  In the above-described embodiment of FIG. 3, the configuration is such that Step C is performed after Step B, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the height of the desired three-dimensional structure in the Z direction is low, the three-dimensional structure may be completely formed while the heating control unit 53 performs the control of Step B. Needless to say, in such a case, the control of step C is not performed after step B, and the modeling can be terminated at that time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Three-dimensional modeling apparatus 10 Supply part 20 Modeling part 30 Discharge head 40 Heating part 41,42,43 Heater 50 Control part

Claims (9)

A three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a three-dimensional structure by forming a cross-sectional layer by solidifying a powder material and sequentially laminating the cross-sectional layers,
A modeling table on which the powder material is placed;
A discharge head for discharging a curable liquid to the powder material;
A heating section for heating the powder material from which the curable liquid is discharged;
A moving mechanism for moving one of the modeling table and the ejection head relative to the other;
A control unit electrically connected to the ejection head, the heating unit, and the moving mechanism, and configured to control at least an output of the heating unit;
With
The control unit starts discharging a curable liquid for forming a first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head in a state where the output of the heating unit is not performed, and the discharge head is at least the first cross-sectional layer A three-dimensional modeling apparatus configured to start the output of the heating unit after the discharge of the curable liquid for forming the liquid is started. The control unit is configured to start the output of the heating unit after the discharge head finishes discharging the curable liquid that forms the nth layer (n is a natural number) cross-sectional layer.
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1. The controller sets the output of the heating unit to a first output when the total amount of the curable liquid discharged from the discharge head is a first amount, and sets the output of the curable liquid discharged from the discharge head. When the total amount is a second amount larger than the first amount, the output of the heating unit is set to a second output larger than the first output.
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit sets the output of the heating unit to a first output when the number of cross-sectional layers stacked is a first number, and the number of cross-sectional layers stacked is greater than the first number. Is configured to set the output of the heating unit to a second output larger than the first output,
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit is configured to make the output of the heating unit constant after a predetermined time has elapsed after starting the output of the heating unit.
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 3 or 4. The control unit is configured to make the output of the heating unit constant after forming the cross-sectional layer of a predetermined number of layers.
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 3 or 4. The heating unit includes a heat source disposed so as to face the surface of the modeling table on the side on which the powder material is placed.
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The heating unit includes a plurality of heaters,
The control unit is configured to control the output simultaneously for the plurality of heaters,
The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The powder on the modeling table is moved while moving either one of the modeling table on which the powder material is placed and the discharge head for discharging the curable liquid to the powder material relative to the other. Discharging the curable liquid from the discharge head onto a body material; and
Heating the powder material discharged with the curable liquid with a heating device;
By forming a solidified cross-sectional layer of the powder material, and forming a three-dimensional structure by sequentially laminating the cross-sectional layers,
The discharge of the curable liquid for forming the first cross-sectional layer from the discharge head is started without heating the powder material by the heating device, and the discharge head forms at least the first cross-sectional layer. A method for forming a three-dimensional structure, wherein heating of the powder material is started by the heating device after the discharge of the curable liquid is started.

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