JPH05124115A - Optical formation apparatus and formation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an apparatus and method of efficiently forming high accurate solid images in the art of forming a three dimensional solid image by applying laser beams on the liquid level of an optical setting fluid substance. CONSTITUTION:A tank 120 is filled with an optical setting fluid substance 130. In the tank, a vertically movable table 160 is provided. By a first rectilinear guide surface 200 and a second rectilinear guide surface 210 intersecting the liquid level within the parallel surface in the tank, an irradiating device 300 is directed to an arbitrary position within the horizontal surface. Into the irradiating device 300, laser from a laser oscillating device is supplied via an optical fiber 410. The irradiating device 300 has a function of applying laser beams perpendicularly on the liquid level and also has a function of applying laser beams by varying angles about the perpendicular line. The high accurate and efficient formation can be achieved by the use of these functions.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for irradiating a photocurable fluid material with light to form a solid having a desired shape.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An optical shaping technique has been proposed in which a fluid material which is cured by absorbing light energy is irradiated with a light beam to form a solid having a desired shape. For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 2-48422 discloses that a container is filled with a photocurable fluid substance, and a substance on a work surface that moves up and down in the container is irradiated with light to form a two-dimensional solid layer. A method and apparatus for forming a three-dimensional solid by sequentially descending and stacking solid layers is disclosed.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a conventional processing apparatus. An X-axis that is orthogonal to a plane parallel to the liquid surface of the resin 20 that is a photocurable fluid substance filled in the tank 10,
The laser beam irradiation device 30 along the Y-axis is the NC device 4
0 is controlled via the servo devices 42 and 44. The resin 20 that receives the laser beam 35 from the irradiation device 30 cures to form a two-dimensional solid image 50. A desired three-dimensional image can be obtained by pouring resin on the upper surface of the solid image and repeating the same photo-curing treatment. In this apparatus, the laser beam 35 is always irradiated perpendicularly to the resin liquid surface, so that the drawing accuracy is high. However, since the irradiation device 30 is mechanically driven, the drawing speed is limited.

Next, FIGS. 12 and 13 are explanatory views showing another conventional device. In this device, the tank 10
The inside is filled with the photo-curable resin 20, and a laser beam irradiation device 32 is disposed above the liquid surface of the resin. The irradiation device 32 is
Instead of moving on a plane, it turns around two orthogonal axes a and b. NC device 45 is servo device 47, 4
The turning angle of the two axes is controlled via 8. The laser beam 36 from the irradiation device 32 is applied to the arbitrary two-dimensional image 5 on the liquid surface of the resin.
2 can be drawn. In this device, the laser beam 36 forms an angle θ from a line perpendicular to the resin liquid surface.
Since the irradiation is performed with 1 and θ2, the shapes of the beam spots 36A and 36B projected on the liquid surface change. Therefore, the cured dimension of the resin also changes, and the drawing accuracy also decreases. Further, if the irradiation angular velocity of the irradiation device is controlled to be constant, the moving speed of the beam spot changes, and the curing state also changes due to changes in the energy irradiation amount. For this reason, it becomes difficult to form a two-dimensional image stably. Actually, it is necessary to control the lens system for condensing the laser beam to correct the above-mentioned amount of change. However, this correction requires complicated control.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and provides an optical modeling apparatus and method with high processing accuracy and high processing efficiency.

[0006]

As a basic means of the present invention, a tank filled with a photocurable fluid substance and two axes orthogonal to each other in a plane parallel to the liquid surface of the photocurable fluid substance are provided. The irradiation device includes a controlled laser beam irradiation device and a laser oscillation device that supplies a laser to the irradiation device. The irradiation device includes a first laser beam that is irradiated perpendicularly to the liquid surface of the photocurable fluid substance. A laser beam irradiating unit and a second laser beam irradiating unit for irradiating the laser beam with an angle changed within an acute angle about a line perpendicular to the liquid surface of the photocurable fluid substance are provided.

[0007]

By properly operating the first laser beam irradiating means and the second laser beam irradiating means of the irradiating device, a highly accurate modeled object can be efficiently formed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are explanatory views showing the outline of the device of the present invention. The optical modeling apparatus 100 includes a base 11
0 is provided with two linear motion guide surfaces 200 parallel to each other, and the linear motion guide surfaces 21 that are horizontally orthogonal to each other on the two guide surfaces 200.
0 is guided and controlled in the X-axis direction. A head 290 perpendicularly orthogonal to the guide surface 210 slides. A ball screw or the like is used as the drive mechanism, and the moving speed and the moving amount are controlled by the servo motor. The head 290 slides in the Y-axis direction with respect to the linear motion guide surface 210. The driving speed and movement amount are controlled by the servo motor. A laser irradiation device 300 is attached to the head 290, and the position of the laser irradiation device is vertically controlled by a servomotor. V
The axis changes the vertical focus of the liquid level and the cure width.

A self-standing tank 12 is provided inside the base 110.
0 is placed, and the photocurable fluid material 13 is stored in the tank 120.
0 is filled. A table 16 that moves in the tank 120 along a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by a column 150.
0 is allocated. The upper surface of the table 160 is positioned slightly below (about 0.2 mm) the liquid surface of the photocurable fluid substance, and the laser beam is irradiated onto the liquid surface while moving the laser irradiation device 300 in the X and Y directions. Form a solid layer of dimensions. When one layer is completed, descend the table 160,
The upper surface of the formed solid is covered with a photocurable fluid substance, and a two-dimensional solid layer is formed by the same operation. Hereinafter, this operation is repeated to form a desired three-dimensional solid. The laser irradiation device 300 includes a laser oscillator 400 via a light guide tube 410.
Connected to. The laser oscillator 400 is a laser power source 405.
The laser beam is oscillated by receiving electric power from the laser beam and sent to the laser irradiation device 300.

FIG. 3 shows the details of the control device of the irradiation device 300. The irradiation device indicated by reference numeral 300 includes a lens system 350 that focuses the laser light 420 supplied from the optical fiber 410, and has a mechanism that moves the focusing lens 360 in the Z-axis direction. The laser light 430 that has passed through the focusing lens 360 is reflected by the first mirror 320. The first mirror 320 is rotated about the a-axis by the actuator 310. The reflected light 440 is reflected by the second mirror 340. The second mirror 340 is rotated about the b axis by the actuator 330. The NC device 500 controls a driving device 550 that moves the focusing lens 360 along the Z axis, an a-axis turning drive device 560, and a b-axis turning drive device 570. By providing the optical modeling apparatus of the present invention with the above configuration, the irradiation position 300 is controlled along the X axis and the Y axis, and the first drawing means by the laser beam 600A perpendicular to the liquid surface of the photocurable resin is provided. Any of the second drawing means using the laser beam 600B that changes the irradiation angle by controlling the a-axis, the b-axis, and the Z-axis by stopping the irradiation device 300 on the X-axis and the Y-axis can be selected. Alternatively, both can be used in combination.

FIG. 4 shows the work 700 by the first drawing means.
A method of forming the is shown. The workpiece 700 is formed by sequentially stacking two-dimensional plane images 710 in the height direction. Plane image 7
10 is composed of an outer peripheral contour line 720 and an inner peripheral portion 730 surrounded by the contour line. The accuracy of the contour line 720 is the workpiece 7.
Since it directly affects the outer shape accuracy of 00, it is necessary to draw with high accuracy. The inner peripheral portion 730 need only be filled with a hardened resin that maintains the shape of the work, and therefore does not require drawing accuracy as high as the contour line. Therefore, the contour line 72
After 0 is drawn with high precision by the laser beam 600A by the first drawing means, the irradiation position 300 is rotated by the second drawing means as shown in FIG. 5, and the inner peripheral portion 730 is photo-cured by the laser beam 600B. Let Since the drawing speed of the laser beam 600B is high, the inner peripheral portion 730 can be efficiently hardened. The contour line 720 and the inner peripheral portion 730 may be processed by reversing the drawing process.

FIG. 6 shows a case where a large number of objects of the same shape are drawn by utilizing the function of the device of the present invention. Irradiation device 300
Is controlled on the X-axis and the Y-axis to position at the first position P1, and the laser beam 600B makes
Drawing 760A is executed. Next, the irradiation device 300
And the second drawing 760B is performed with the laser beam 600B at that position. The same drawing 760C is executed also at the third position P3. Drawing 760A, 7
When both 60B and 760C have the same shape, it is possible to efficiently achieve uniform photocuring by the same program simply by moving the irradiation device 300.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the shape of the work 770 is drawn by considering it as a set of straight lines or curves whose width changes.
The entire structure is divided into parts 770A, 770B, 770C, 770.
D and 770E are disassembled, and the irradiation device 300 is moved on a plane along each center line and shaken in a direction perpendicular to the laser beam center line to perform drawing. FIG. 8 illustrates a method of forming a work piece 780 that varies in width along a curve.
While moving the irradiation device 300 along the center line 780A of the drawing shape, the irradiation device 300 is swung to perform drawing corresponding to the change in width. Since the irradiation angle is small from the vertical line, highly accurate curing can be efficiently achieved.

FIG. 9 shows an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this device, the laser beam irradiation device 300 is fixed to the beam member 210 guided along the X axis of the first linear guide surface 200, the mirror 320 pivots around the a axis, and the focusing lens. 360 has a configuration that is controlled along the Z axis. Laser light is supplied from a laser oscillator 400 via an optical fiber 410. NC device 500
Controls each control axis via the X-axis driving device 510, the a-axis driving device 560, and the Z-axis driving device 550. FIG. 10 shows a case where the work 790 is formed by the present apparatus. The irradiation apparatus 300 is rotated along the X axis and is rotated around the a axis to perform drawing by the laser beam 600C.

[0015]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for irradiating a photocurable fluid material with a laser beam to form a three-dimensional solid image. It is provided with means for moving along parallel planes and means for irradiating the laser beam while changing the irradiation angle centering on a line perpendicular to the liquid surface of the fluid substance. By appropriately utilizing this device, a two-dimensional image with high accuracy,
Moreover, it is possible to perform curing and molding in a short time. Further, even when a large number of images of the same shape are drawn on the same plane, there is an effect that a highly accurate image can be efficiently modeled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing control of a laser beam irradiation device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of stereolithography.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another method of stereolithography.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a case where a large number of identical shapes are formed.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another method of stereolithography.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another method of stereolithography.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a stereolithography method by the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing another conventional example.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of FIG. 12.

[Explanation of symbols]

 120 tank 130 photocurable resin 300 irradiation device 320 mirror 340 mirror 350 luminous flux lens system 400 laser oscillator 410 optical fiber 500 NC device 600A, 600B, 600C laser beam 700 work

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Ryoichi Furuhashi 3-7 Matsuzuki-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Kiwa Giken Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A tank filled with a photocurable fluid substance,
The irradiation device has a laser beam irradiation device that is controlled along a linear movement axis in a plane parallel to the liquid surface of the photocurable fluid substance, and a laser oscillation device that supplies a laser to the irradiation device. An optical modeling apparatus comprising: an irradiation means for irradiating the photocurable fluid substance with an angle that is changed within an acute angle in a direction orthogonal to a linear movement axis about a line perpendicular to the liquid surface. 2. An optical modeling method using the optical modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a contour line of the outer periphery of the two-dimensional image to be cured is drawn by the first laser beam irradiation means, An optical modeling method comprising a step of curing an inner peripheral portion of a drawn contour line by a second laser beam irradiation means. 3. An optical modeling method using the optical modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral portion of the contour line of the two-dimensional image to be cured is cured by the second laser beam irradiation means. And an optical modeling method including the step of drawing the contour line of the two-dimensional image by the first laser beam irradiation means. 4. The optical modeling method by the optical modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation device draws a first two-dimensional image by a second laser beam irradiation means at a first position on a plane. And the step of moving the irradiation device to a second position on the plane and drawing a second two-dimensional image that is the same as the first two-dimensional image by the second laser beam irradiation means. An optical modeling method comprising the steps of repeating the same to draw a plurality of identical two-dimensional images. 5. An optical modeling method using the optical modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a step of decomposing a two-dimensional image to be drawn into a combination of a plurality of simple figures, and a centerline of the decomposed figures An optical modeling method comprising a step of drawing a desired figure by the second laser beam irradiation means while moving the irradiation position along the line.