JPH10323906A - Optical shaping device using lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To aim at the shortening of shaping time through adjustment to a curing depth in compliance with shaping accuracy and at the same time, make it easy to handle a light source to save on cost by selecting between and switching the wavelengths of a lamp light using the rays of a lamp which emits ultraviolet rays in lieu of a conventional laser beam. SOLUTION: A lamp light is guided by extending an optical fiber 7 to a position above a container 1 from an ultrahigh voltage mercury lamp 6 as a light emitting means 5 which is different from a conventional laser beam installed above the container 1. A filter 8 disposed near the tip 7a of the optical fiber 7 selects a light of specific wavelength from among various types of light with varying wavelengths to extract it, so that the emitted light has a curing depth ranging from as small as about 0.2 mm or less to as large as about 2 mm. Consequently, when a part where the accuracy of a shaped object in the longitudinal direction is highlighted and also a part where such an accuracy is unnecessary, are present, the filter 8 is switched to select between the wavelengths. Thus it is possible to significantly shorten time required for a shaping process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical molding apparatus for sequentially laminating photocurable resins by a curing reaction when a liquid photocurable resin is irradiated with light to produce a predetermined molded object with high accuracy. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an optical shaping apparatus of this type scans a laser beam in accordance with graphic data designed by three-dimensional CAD, traces a photo-curable resin, cures the resin one by one, and sequentially laminates. Meanwhile, a technique for making a predetermined three-dimensional object is known. In this type of stereolithography apparatus, a laser beam is used as a light source, and the laser beam is mainly emitted at a wavelength in the ultraviolet light range of about 325 nm or 360 nm.

[0003]

By the way, even in the case of the same optical molding, a case where a high molding accuracy is required depending on a shape and a part of the molded object, a use of the molded object, and the like, and a case where the precision is not so required. There is. However,
In conventional stereolithography equipment, since the laser beam of a single wavelength is used for irradiation, modeling is always performed under the same conditions irrespective of modeling accuracy.If high accuracy is not required, excessive quality is required. At the same time, it was not possible to shorten and adjust the molding time in proportion to the required accuracy. In addition, the laser is susceptible to the surrounding atmosphere, requires careful handling, and is expensive, leading to an increase in cost.

Accordingly, the present invention uses a light beam from a lamp that emits ultraviolet light, such as an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, instead of a conventional laser beam, and selects and switches the wavelength of the lamp light to achieve a curing depth corresponding to the modeling accuracy. It aims to adjust and shorten the molding time. It is another object of the present invention to facilitate the handling of the light source and to reduce the cost.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical molding apparatus using a lamp, comprising: irradiating light from a lamp onto a photocurable resin to sequentially cure the resin; In the optical shaping apparatus for forming a laminate, the curing depth when the photocurable resin is irradiated with the lamp light is adjusted by selecting the wavelength of the lamp light.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical shaping apparatus using a lamp, wherein the wavelength of the lamp light is selected by a filter, a reflecting mirror or a coated lens disposed on the optical path. It is characterized by.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical shaping apparatus using a lamp, wherein a curing depth when the photocurable resin is irradiated with a lamp light is set to 0.2 mm or less. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereolithography apparatus using a lamp, wherein the photocurable resin is irradiated with light from the lamp so as to be sequentially cured to form a laminate. 1 or 2 for selecting a wavelength on the optical path of lamp light
It is characterized in that more than two kinds of filters are installed so as to be switchable, and the wavelength of the lamp light is selected by switching the filters.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereolithography apparatus using a lamp, wherein the photocurable resin is irradiated with light from the lamp so as to be sequentially cured to form a laminate. It is characterized in that two or more pinholes having different hole diameters are switchably provided on the optical path of the lamp light, and the irradiation area on the photocurable resin is changed by switching the pinholes.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stereolithography apparatus using a lamp, wherein the photocurable resin is irradiated with light from the lamp so as to be sequentially cured to form a laminate. 1 or 2 for selecting a wavelength on the optical path of lamp light
It is characterized in that at least two or more kinds of filters and two or more pinholes having different hole diameters are provided so as to be switchable, and these can be switched independently or in conjunction with each other.

The lamp used in the present invention is a discharge lamp such as an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp in which the distance between electrodes is short.

[0012]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stereolithography apparatus using a lamp according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of an optical shaping apparatus using a lamp. In this drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a container for accommodating a liquid ultraviolet curable resin 2, 3 denotes a table which moves up and down in the container 1, and 4 denotes a resin cured product laminated on the table 3. The vertical movement of the table 3 is controlled by a Z-axis moving table (not shown), and the table is lowered each time the photocurable resin is cured one by one.

Above the container 1, a light irradiating means 5 is provided. This light irradiation means 5 uses a 250 W ultra-high pressure mercury lamp 6 as a light source, unlike a conventional laser beam.
An optical fiber 7 extends from the extra-high pressure mercury lamp 6 to a position above the container 1 to guide the lamp light. The light emitted from the ultrahigh-pressure mercury lamp 6 may be guided by a single fiber or a plurality of fibers may be bundled and guided. The irradiation energy can be adjusted by the number of fibers or the diameter of the optical fiber 7.

A filter 8 for selecting the wavelength of lamp light is provided near the tip 7a of the optical fiber 7. The filter 8 selects a specific wavelength from light of various wavelengths emitted from the lamp light.
By extracting the wavelength in the ultraviolet light region below m,
Irradiation light having a hardening depth of 0.2 mm or less can be obtained, and irradiation light having a hardening depth of up to about 2 mm can be obtained by taking out a wavelength in the visible light region of 400 nm or more. The hardening depth has a very deep relationship with the modeling accuracy and the lamination thickness, and the shallower the hardening depth, the higher the shaping accuracy, but the smaller the area layer thickness, and the longer the shaping time. The opposite is true for deeper cure depths. Therefore, parts where vertical accuracy of the model is required
When there is a part (simple shape) that is not required (fine shape), by switching the filter 8 and selecting a wavelength,
It is possible to greatly reduce the molding time together with the desired accuracy. Note that the filter 8 may be configured by only one filter and selecting a predetermined wavelength, or may be configured by combining a plurality of filters. By combining them, a desired wavelength can be accurately extracted. If the wavelength can be selected, instead of the filter 8 described above,
As shown in FIG. 2, the same operation and effect can be obtained even if the reflection mirror 12 capable of selecting a specific wavelength is provided on the optical path. It is also possible to directly irradiate light from the optical fiber 7 without selecting a wavelength with the filter 8 or the reflection mirror. In this case, irradiation with a low curing depth but a deep curing depth can be obtained.

In the vicinity of the lower portion of the filter 8, there is provided a shutter 9 which is mechanically turned on and off when the filter 8 is switched, and a plurality of condenser lenses 10 are provided below the shutter 9. The light that has passed through the filter 8 is condensed on the liquid surface of the photocurable resin 2 by forming a condensed beam 11 by the condensing lens 10. Note that the condenser lens 10
It is also possible to select a specific wavelength in place of the filter 8 by applying a special coating to.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment in which two or more filters 8 can be switched.
In this embodiment, a disk 15 is placed near the tip 7a of the optical fiber 7.
And the same configuration as that of the above embodiment except that filters 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d having different wavelengths are incorporated in four places around the disk 15. A rotation shaft 16 is provided at the center of the disk 15, and the four filters 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, and 8 d are switched by manually or automatically rotating the disk 15 and set on the optical path. Therefore, in this embodiment, four types of filters 8a, 8b, 8 having different wavelength selections appropriately from the wavelength in the ultraviolet region to the wavelength in the visible region.
By incorporating c and 8d, the curing time can be reduced while appropriately adjusting the modeling accuracy and the lamination thickness. Thus, by simply switching the filters 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d, it is possible to easily select the wavelength from the ultraviolet light region to the visible light region without increasing the number of light sources having different wavelength regions. The filters 8a, 8b, 8
For c and 8d, there is a case where a specific wavelength is selected by using only one sheet, and a case where a wavelength is selected by combining a plurality of sheets. In the above embodiment, four types of filters 8a, 8b, 8
Although c and 8d have been described, two or three types of filters may be used, and if necessary, five or more types may be used. Further, one of the four locations on the disk 15 may be left empty without a filter.

Next, the operation of the optical shaping apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. FIG. First, CA
The modeling data designed on the D system is divided into the above-mentioned respective filters 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, and based on the modeling data, the lamp light is switched to the photo-curable resin while switching the filters 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. Scan on the liquid level of 2. For example, when trying to obtain a resin molded product 4 having a shape as shown in FIG. 2, first, the filter is switched to a filter for selecting a wavelength in the ultraviolet region, and as shown in FIG. The side surface 18 is formed by ultraviolet light. In this case, the lamination thickness is reduced as much as possible and the connection is made smooth to secure the molding accuracy. Next, the filter is switched to a wavelength including the visible light region, and as shown in FIG. 6, the inside 19 of the resin molded product 4 whose shape in the height direction does not change is formed. At a wavelength including the visible light region, the depth of one curing is deep, so that the lamination thickness can be several times larger than that of the ultraviolet light, and the molding can be performed efficiently in a short time. That is, in the case of the ultraviolet light, a place where the lamination must be performed many times can be performed by a single lamination, so that the molding time can be significantly reduced.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a case where a pinhole 20 is provided in place of the filter 8. By passing the light beam through the pinhole 20, the light energy of the lamp light coming out of the tip 7a of the optical fiber 7 can be adjusted, and the effect is particularly large when the optical fibers 7 are bundled.
In this embodiment, the pinholes 20a, 20b,
20c and 20d are provided. Therefore, by rotating the disk 21, the pinholes 20a, 20b, 20c, 2
0d can be switched, and the irradiation area of the condensed beam 11 that scans the liquid surface of the photocurable resin 2 can be changed. This embodiment irradiates light in which various wavelengths are mixed, and thus is not suitable for modeling that requires precision in the vertical direction. However, when the inside of the model is painted, the pinhole 20 is enlarged. As a result, a hardened area can be gained, and the molding time can be shortened accordingly.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the above-described filter 8 and the pinhole 20 are combined, and the disc 1 as described above is used.
2, 21 are arranged close to each other, four types of filters 8 having different wavelength selections are incorporated in one side, and four types of pinholes 20 having different hole sizes are provided in the other side. The vertical positional relationship between the filter 8 and the pinhole 20 does not matter. In this embodiment, after the irradiation amount of the lamp light emitted from the distal end 7a of the optical fiber 7 is adjusted by the pinhole 20, a specific wavelength can be further selected by the filter 8, so that the filter 8 can be selected based on the CAD data.
And the pinhole 20 can be optimally set. In this case, a combination of the filter 8 and the pinhole 20 is registered in advance, and the switching is interlocked with each other so that a specific pinhole is selected for one filter selected based on the CAD data. It can be carried out. The filter 8 and the pinhole 20 can be independently switched. As described above, in this embodiment, by combining the filter 8 and the pinhole 20, it is possible to finely control the curing depth based on the precision of the molded object, and as a result, the molding time is significantly reduced. .

In the above embodiment, the case where an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp is used as a light source has been described. However, a discharge lamp having a short distance between electrodes, such as a metal halide lamp or a xenon lamp, can be used. In the above embodiment, the case where the optical fiber is extended from the ultrahigh-pressure mercury lamp and the tip thereof is moved on the photocurable resin has been described. However, the ultrahigh-pressure mercury lamp itself may be directly moved.

[0021]

As described above, according to the optical shaping apparatus using the lamp according to the present invention, the depth of cure can be controlled by using one lamp light as the light source and selecting its wavelength. As a result, the curing time can be reduced by appropriately selecting the modeling accuracy and the lamination thickness.

Further, the use of lamp light as a light source facilitates handling and significantly reduces the cost as compared with the case where laser light is used.

Further, by arranging the pinholes on the optical path, the irradiation amount and the irradiation area on the photocurable resin can be appropriately controlled, which is effective for a solid molding which does not require molding accuracy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first example of an optical shaping apparatus using a lamp according to the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows an Example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus in which a reflection mirror is used instead of a filter.

FIG. 3 shows a second example of the optical shaping apparatus using the lamp according to the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows an Example.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a filter.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram when stereolithography is performed using light rays in an ultraviolet light region.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram when stereolithography is performed using light rays in a visible light region.

FIG. 7 shows a third example of the optical shaping apparatus using the lamp according to the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows an Example.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a pinhole.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth example of the optical shaping apparatus using the lamp according to the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows an Example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Photocurable resin 4 Resin molding 6 Ultra-high pressure mercury lamp 8 Filter 20 Pinhole

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An optical shaping apparatus for irradiating light from a lamp to a photocurable resin and sequentially curing the same to form a laminate, wherein a wavelength of the lamp light is selected so that the photocurable resin has a lamp light. An optical shaping apparatus using a lamp, wherein the curing depth when irradiating is adjusted. 2. An optical shaping apparatus using a lamp according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the lamp light is selected by a filter, a reflecting mirror, or a coated lens provided on the optical path. . 3. An optical molding apparatus using a lamp according to claim 1, wherein a curing depth when the photocurable resin is irradiated with lamp light is set to 0.2 mm or less. 4. An optical shaping apparatus for irradiating light from a lamp to a photocurable resin and sequentially curing the resin to form a laminate, wherein one or two or more filters for selecting a wavelength on an optical path of the lamp light. 3. An optical shaping apparatus using a lamp according to claim 2, wherein the wavelength of the lamp light is selected by switching the filter. 5. An optical shaping apparatus for irradiating light from a lamp to a photocurable resin and sequentially curing the resin to form a laminate, wherein two or more pinholes having different hole diameters are switched on an optical path of the lamp light. An optical shaping apparatus using a lamp, which is installed as possible and changes an irradiation area on a photocurable resin by switching a pinhole. 6. An optical shaping apparatus for irradiating light from a lamp to a photocurable resin and sequentially curing the resin to form a laminate, wherein one or two or more filters for selecting a wavelength on an optical path of the lamp light. And two or more pinholes having different hole diameters are provided so as to be switchable, and these can be switched independently or in conjunction with each other. 7. The stereolithography device using a lamp according to claim 1, wherein the lamp is a discharge lamp having a short distance between electrodes. 8. The lamp according to claim 7, wherein the lamp emits ultraviolet light, such as an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp.
An optical shaping apparatus using the lamp as described.