JP2001354877A - Inorganic pigment ink, method for using the same, and method for forming laminar layer by using the inorganic pigment ink - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inorganic pigment ink applicable to an inkjet printer and able to develop bright color, a method for using the same, and further a method for forming a laminar layer by using the inorganic pigment ink. SOLUTION: The inorganic pigment ink 11 contains an inorganic pigment 12 consisting of non-circular particles having particle sizes of 1-10 μm and surface shapes of almost plain as coloring material. The inorganic pigment particles are coated with transparent continuous layer 16 formed with a solidifiable material 13 so that the ink can develop color at high chroma. The method for forming a laminar layer by using the inorganic pigment ink comprises a coloring process for coloring specific regions of a three dimensional material.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inorganic pigment ink suitable for an ink jet printer and a method for using the same, and a method for forming a three-dimensional object colored using the inorganic pigment ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, most inks used in ink jet printers are dye inks using a dye as a coloring material. Dyes have a large number of colors, but are inferior in light fastness, heat resistance, and chemical resistance. For this reason, attempts have been made to apply an inorganic pigment ink in which an inorganic pigment having higher robustness is dispersed in a solvent to an ink jet printer.

[0003] Various uses of this inorganic pigment ink have been proposed, and in particular, application to the field of the additive manufacturing method is considered promising. The additive manufacturing method is also called a rapid prototyping method (rapid prototyping), in which a three-dimensional object having a complicated shape is produced in a short time based on a numerical model defined on a computer such as three-dimensional CAD data. It is used as a method. The produced three-dimensional objects are used as part models (prototypes) of various devices.
It is used to check the quality of its function and shape.

As a typical example of the lamination molding method, there is a technique in which a solidified layer is formed from a solidifiable material such as a liquid resin or a resin powder, and the solidified layers are sequentially laminated to form a three-dimensional object. In the additive manufacturing process, an inorganic pigment ink having higher robustness is suitable as a coloring material. Therefore, there is a strong demand for jetting this ink with an ink jet printer for coloring.

[0005]

However, if the particles of the inorganic pigment are made fine enough to be ejected by an ink jet nozzle, the chroma of the pigment decreases, and the color of the pigment appears fading. . For this reason, inorganic pigment inks are said to be unsuitable for inkjet printers and have not been practically used except for some colors such as black.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an inorganic pigment ink which can be applied to an ink jet type printer and can obtain a vivid color, and a method for using the same. Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a layered manufacturing method capable of coloring a predetermined region of a three-dimensional object to be formed using an inorganic pigment ink.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inorganic pigment ink comprising, as a colorant, an inorganic pigment having non-spherical particles having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and having a substantially flat surface shape. The inorganic pigment is coated with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material so that the inorganic pigment is colored with high saturation.

According to the above-mentioned invention, since the inorganic pigment ink is a pigment whose coloring material is composed of an inorganic component, the inorganic pigment ink has excellent fastness such as light resistance and heat resistance as compared with dyes and organic pigments. Also,
Since the inorganic pigment is finely divided into the above particle diameter range, the dispersibility of the pigment particles is good. For this reason, by dispersing the inorganic pigment in a suitable solvent, the pigment is hardly sedimented and separated, and a stable liquid ink is obtained. In addition, by mixing the inorganic pigment with the solvent at an appropriate concentration, the ink can be sufficiently applied to an ink jet printer.

On the other hand, when the particles of the inorganic pigment are made finer, a phenomenon occurs in which the saturation gradually decreases and the color appears fading. This is presumably because light of the original color of the pigment is scattered due to irregular reflection of light on the surface of the finely divided pigment particles. Therefore, in the present invention, irregular reflection of light is reduced by devising the composition and preparation method of the inorganic pigment into non-spherical particles having a substantially planar surface shape. Furthermore, by coating the surface of the inorganic pigment with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material on the object to be coated, the difference in the refractive index between the inorganic pigment and the surrounding medium is reduced, and light scattering is prevented. Has been suppressed.

[0010] Here, the solidifiable material refers to a material such as a liquid or a paste which has a property of undergoing a fluid state and finally losing its fluidity and solidifying transparently. Specific examples include organic materials such as natural resins and synthetic resins, and inorganic materials such as water glass. Therefore, when the inorganic pigment ink is used in the object to be coated, the solidifiable material surrounds the pigment particles by its fluidity, and solidifies transparently in this state, thereby forming a continuous layer covering the surface of the pigment particles. Form.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the inorganic pigment ink according to the first aspect, the inorganic pigment is produced by pulverizing rock paint.

[0012] Here, the rock paint is an inorganic pigment used as an art material for Japanese painting or an upper paint for ceramics. Rock paints include natural rock paints and new rock paints, and any of these can be applied in the present invention.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned invention, the use of an inorganic pigment prepared from a rock paint which is particularly excellent in fastness such as light resistance and heat resistance and has a vivid and elegant color makes it possible to use the same. Inorganic pigment ink with the same properties as paint.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the inorganic pigment ink according to the first or second aspect, wherein the inorganic pigment is dispersed in a solvent containing the solidifiable material.

According to the above invention, the inorganic pigment and the solidifiable material are mixed in advance before being used for the object to be coated. Therefore, the solidifiable material solidifies in the object to be coated while surrounding the inorganic pigment, and the inorganic pigment ink is configured as a one-pack type.

A method of using an inorganic pigment ink according to claim 4, wherein the colorant contains an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and having a substantially planar surface shape. A method of using an ink on an object to be coated, wherein the inorganic pigment is coated with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material so that the inorganic pigment is colored with high saturation. A step of applying and printing a pigment ink; and a step of further applying the liquid solidifiable material to the object to which the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed.

According to the above invention, first, the inorganic pigment ink is printed, and the inorganic pigment is fixed on the object to be coated. In this state, the periphery of the inorganic pigment is mainly surrounded by air. Subsequently, when the liquid solidifiable material is applied, the medium around the inorganic pigment is replaced with the solidifiable material. As a result, the solidifiable material solidifies in the article to be coated while surrounding the inorganic pigment.

A method of using an inorganic pigment ink according to claim 5, wherein the inorganic pigment comprises a non-spherical particle having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and having a substantially flat surface shape as a coloring material. A method of using an ink on an object to be coated, wherein the inorganic pigment is coated with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material so that the inorganic pigment is colored with high saturation. The method further comprises a step of applying the solidifiable material, and a step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on the object to which the liquid solidifiable material is applied.

According to the above invention, when the inorganic pigment ink is printed, the inorganic pigment enters the liquid solidifiable material and is surrounded by the solidifiable material.
As a result, the solidifiable material solidifies in the article to be coated while surrounding the inorganic pigment.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using the inorganic pigment ink according to the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the inorganic pigment is produced by pulverizing rock paint.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of using the inorganic pigment ink according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein the liquid solidifiable material has a viscosity of 100 cps or less.

According to the present invention, the low-viscosity liquid solidifiable material enters the gaps where the inorganic pigments are aggregated or disperses the inorganic pigments well. This allows the solidifiable material to surround substantially the entire surface of the inorganic pigment.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using the inorganic pigment ink according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, wherein the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed using an ink jet printer. is there.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the method of the eighth aspect, the solidifiable material is applied using the ink jet printer.

According to the eighth or ninth aspect of the present invention, the inorganic pigment ink or the solidifiable material is accurately applied and printed by a predetermined amount on a predetermined area of the substrate.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an additive manufacturing method using an inorganic pigment ink, wherein at least a part of a target three-dimensional object is formed by stacking a solidified layer formed of a solidifiable material. And the particle size is 1 to 10 μm,
And, using an inorganic pigment ink containing, as a coloring material, an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a substantially planar surface shape, a coloring step for coloring a predetermined region of the three-dimensional object is provided. is there.

Here, the solidifiable material is a material such as a liquid or a paste which has a property of undergoing a fluid state and finally losing its fluidity and solidifying. Specifically, for example, a synthetic resin such as a photocurable resin, a thermosetting resin, and a thermoplastic resin, and a composition containing the same are exemplified.

Therefore, according to the invention, a thin solidified layer is formed from a solidifiable material, the next solidified layer is formed and stacked on the solidified layer, and the upper and lower solidified layers are bonded and integrated. By repeating this operation, a three-dimensional object in which a plurality of solidified layers are stacked or a part of the three-dimensional object is formed.

In this additive manufacturing process, a predetermined area of the solidifiable material is coated with an inorganic pigment ink, printed or mixed. The solidifiable material surrounds the inorganic pigment of the inorganic pigment ink by its fluidity and solidifies in an integrated state. Therefore, the inorganic pigment vividly colors in a predetermined region of the three-dimensional object, and a three-dimensional object colored with the inorganic pigment is formed.

[0030] In the lamination molding method using the inorganic pigment ink according to the eleventh aspect, in the invention according to the tenth aspect, the solidifiable material is a photocurable resin, and the solidifiable material is a predetermined one prior to the coloring step. Forming a wall for surrounding the photocurable resin in the region, wherein the coloring step includes adding the inorganic pigment ink to the photocurable resin inside the wall, thereby forming the inorganic pigment. A step of substantially uniformly dispersing the photocurable resin inside the wall, and irradiating the photocurable resin in which the inorganic pigment is dispersed with light capable of curing the photocurable resin, Forming a three-dimensional object and forming a colored region in at least a part of the three-dimensional object.

Here, the photocurable resin refers to a resin having a property of being cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or visible light. Specifically, for example, a radical polymerization type urethane acrylate, a radical polymerization type epoxy acrylate, a cationic polymerization type epoxy resin and the like can be mentioned.

Therefore, according to the above invention, a predetermined region of the liquid photocurable resin is surrounded by the wall, and the inorganic pigment ink is added therein. Then, the inorganic pigment is rapidly dispersed in the low-viscosity liquid, and is substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the photocurable resin surrounded by the wall. Then, by irradiating the photocurable resin with light to cure it, a colored region in which the entirety is substantially uniformly colored is formed.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the lamination molding method using an inorganic pigment ink according to the tenth aspect, the solidifiable material is a photo-curable resin, and the light-curable resin is used before the coloring step. A step of irradiating the curable resin with first light capable of increasing the viscosity of the photocurable resin to form a semi-cured resin layer, wherein the coloring step is performed in a predetermined region of the semi-cured resin layer. Applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink, and irradiating the semi-cured resin layer on which the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed with a second light capable of curing the semi-cured resin layer, thereby forming the solidified layer. And forming a colored region in at least a part of the solidified layer.

According to the invention, first, the liquid photo-curable resin is irradiated with the first light to form a semi-cured resin layer having sufficient viscosity to maintain its planar shape. Next, the semi-cured resin layer is printed by spraying an inorganic pigment ink.
In this case, unlike the case where the photocurable resin is completely cured and printed on the surface, the inorganic pigment is diffused into the semi-cured resin layer. Therefore, the colored region formed by irradiating the second light thereafter is also colored in the thickness direction. Further, by laminating the solidified layers having the colored regions, a three-dimensional object colored in the laminating direction is formed.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the lamination molding method using the inorganic pigment ink according to the tenth aspect, the solidifiable material is a resin powder, and the resin powder is mixed with the resin powder prior to the coloring step. Spread to a substantially constant thickness,
A step of forming a powder resin layer, wherein the coloring step is a step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on a predetermined area of the powder resin layer, and the step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on the powder resin layer. Irradiating irradiation energy capable of melting the resin of the powdered resin layer, solidifying the resin once in a molten state, and forming the solidified layer,
Forming a colored region in at least a part of the solidified layer.

Here, the resin powder includes, in addition to powdered resin, powder obtained by coating metal or ceramic powder with resin. Further, as the resin, specifically, a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like can be used.

Therefore, according to the invention, when the inorganic pigment ink is sprayed onto the surface of the powder resin layer made of resin powder and printed, the inorganic pigment ink permeates in the thickness direction. When the powder resin layer is irradiated with irradiation energy, the molten resin surrounds the inorganic pigment and solidifies while being integrated. Therefore, the colored region thus formed is colored also in the thickness direction. Further, by laminating the solidified layers having the colored regions, a three-dimensional object colored in the laminating direction is formed.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an additive manufacturing method using an inorganic pigment ink according to the fourteenth aspect, wherein the inorganic pigment is produced by grinding rock paint. It is.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an additive manufacturing method using the inorganic pigment ink, wherein the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed using an ink jet printer. Or it is added.

According to the above invention, the inorganic pigment ink is accurately printed or added in a predetermined amount to a predetermined region of the solidifiable material. Further, it can be easily incorporated into an automation process of additive manufacturing.

[0041] The additive manufacturing method using the inorganic pigment ink according to the sixteenth aspect is the method according to any one of the tenth to fifteenth aspects, wherein the method is performed using the inorganic pigment ink of a plurality of colors. is there.

According to the above invention, a three-dimensional object having complex color information colored in a plurality of colors is formed. Further, by using the inorganic pigment inks of the three primary colors (and black) in combination, more colors can be expressed with a smaller number of colors.

[0043]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an inorganic pigment ink and a method for using the same will be described in detail. Inorganic pigment ink basically has a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm, and contains, as a colorant, an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a substantially planar surface shape, and the inorganic pigment is a solidifiable material. By covering with a transparent continuous layer formed by the above, a color is displayed with high saturation.

The inorganic pigment as a coloring material of the inorganic pigment ink is a pigment composed of an inorganic material such as a metal and a compound thereof. Generally, the inorganic pigment has a higher fastness such as light resistance, heat resistance and chemical resistance than dyes and organic pigments. Is excellent. Here, as the inorganic pigment, specifically, a pigment manufactured from rock paint is preferably used. Rock paints include natural rock paints and new rock paints, which are particularly excellent in robustness and have the characteristic of having elegant and vivid colors. Natural rock paint is made by crushing ore and sorting. On the other hand, new rock paints are made from artificially synthesized materials and are cheaper and more readily available than natural rock paints. For this reason, in the present invention, new rock paint is more preferably used.

In addition, this new rock paint is specifically made by adding a metal oxide to glass and chemically changing it by a method of making a glaze for pottery. Different kinds of colors are made. For example,
When selenium oxide is used as the metal oxide, it is possible to obtain a new rock paint that exhibits a red color.In addition, it exhibits a blue color for cobalt oxide, a yellow color for cadmium oxide, and a black color for iron oxide. You can get new rock paint.

The inorganic pigment has a particle size of 1 to 10 μm,
Preferably, it is manufactured to have a thickness of 1 to 5 μm. Normal,
Since the ejection nozzle diameter of the ink jet printer is about 50 μm, by setting the particle diameter within this range, a pigment applicable to ink of the ink jet printer can be obtained. Further, by making the particles finer to the range of the particle diameter, the pigment can be dispersed in a liquid having a low viscosity quickly and substantially uniformly, and can be a pigment having excellent dispersibility, such as being hardly settled and separated after the dispersion. .

On the other hand, when the inorganic pigment is refined to the above-mentioned particle size range, the saturation is remarkably lowered, and the original color of the pigment appears fading. This is due to the irregular reflection of light on the surface of the miniaturized pigment particles,
It is considered that the light of the original color of the pigment is scattered. Therefore, the inorganic pigment is formed into non-spherical particles having a substantially planar surface shape, and irregular reflection of light on the surface of the pigment particles is reduced by leaving the surface of the pigment particles as smooth as possible.

In order to form the inorganic pigment into such non-spherical particles, it is preferable to employ a method in which the bulk raw material is crushed and finely divided. More specifically, for example, the rock paint as a raw material is gradually refined while being slowly turned in a stone wall. Ore and glass materials, which are the raw materials of mineral pigments, have the property of easily breaking due to the formation of a flat split surface.By crushing in this way, it is possible to compare inorganic pigment particles with a predetermined three-dimensional shape. It can be easily formed.

The inorganic pigment thus produced is used as a coloring material,
This is dispersed in a solvent to prepare an inorganic pigment ink. Since the inorganic pigment is not eluted in the organic solvent unlike the organic pigment, the solvent of the inorganic pigment ink may contain an organic solvent. In this case, it is possible to obtain an ink that is excellent in drying property as compared with the case of using a water-soluble ink and has good fixability when applied to a synthetic resin or the like for printing. In addition, the inorganic pigment ink is used as a raw pigment,
Alternatively, a dry color may be prepared by mixing with another powdery component.

When an inorganic pigment ink is used, the inorganic pigment is coated with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material. By replacing the medium surrounding the inorganic pigment with the transparent continuous layer, the difference in the refractive index between the inorganic pigment and the medium surrounding the inorganic pigment becomes smaller. Accordingly, in combination with the above-described improvement in the shape of the inorganic pigment, the effect of suppressing light scattering is exhibited, and the inorganic pigment is colored with high saturation.

As the solidifiable material, any material having a property of solidifying transparently through a fluid state such as a liquid or a paste can be used. Specific examples include natural resins such as urushi, synthetic resins such as acryl, urethane, and epoxy, and inorganic materials such as water glass.

Next, a method of using the inorganic pigment ink having the above-described configuration will be described.

The inorganic pigment ink can be formed as a one-pack ink in which the solidifiable material is previously mixed by dispersing the inorganic pigment in a solvent containing the solidifiable material. In this case, it can be used in the same manner as ordinary ink. That is, when the solidifiable material applied to the object is coated with the inorganic pigment and solidified, the inorganic pigment exhibits a vivid color.

On the other hand, even an inorganic pigment ink containing no solidifiable material can be used so as to exhibit high chroma. In this case, it is necessary to mix the inorganic pigment and the solidifiable material during the use process, and a specific method will be described below as an example.

FIG. 1 is a process sectional view schematically showing an example of a method for using an inorganic pigment ink. As shown in FIG. 1A, first, an inorganic pigment ink 11 in which an inorganic pigment 12 is dispersed in a solvent 14 is applied and printed on the surface of a workpiece 15. The solvent 14 does not contain any solidifiable material.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the solvent 14 of the inorganic pigment ink 11 printed on the surface of the object 15 evaporates or permeates the object 15, and the surface of the object 15 , The inorganic pigments 12 aggregate and fix. The thus-printed inorganic pigment 12 is mainly surrounded by air, and light is irregularly reflected on the surface thereof, so that the original color of the pigment is seen to have a low chroma and fading.

Next, as shown in FIG.
A liquid solidifiable material 13 is applied on the inorganic pigment 12 fixed on the surface of No. 5. Applied solidifiable material 13
Is to surround the surface of the inorganic pigment 12 and
Spread on the surface. Then, as shown in FIG. 1D, the inorganic pigment 12 is solidified in a surrounding state, and a transparent continuous layer 16 is formed on the surface of the article 15 to be coated. As a result, the inorganic pigment 12 develops a vivid color.

FIG. 2 is a process sectional view schematically showing another example of the method of using the inorganic pigment ink. As shown in FIG. 2A, first, a liquid solidifiable material 13 is applied to the surface of the object 15.

The inorganic pigment ink 11 is sprayed thereon and printed. Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the inorganic pigment 12 enters the solidifiable material 13 and is surrounded by the solidifiable material 13. And FIG.
As shown in (c), the solidifiable material 13 solidifies to form a transparent continuous layer 16. As a result, the inorganic pigment 13 develops a vivid color.

In each of the above methods of use, the liquid solidifiable material 13 has a viscosity of 100 cp.
s or less, preferably 50 cps or less, more preferably 1 cps or less.
It is adjusted to 0 cps or less. By setting the viscosity within this range, in the method shown in FIG. 1, the low-viscosity solidifiable material 13 can enter the narrow gaps where the inorganic pigments 12 are aggregated. Alternatively, in the method shown in FIG. 2, the inorganic pigment 12 can be incorporated into the low-viscosity solidifiable material 13 and dispersed.

As a printing means for the inorganic pigment ink 11, it is preferable to use an ink jet printer. Thereby, the inorganic pigment ink 11 can be accurately applied and printed on a predetermined area of the work 15 by a predetermined amount.

Further, it is preferable that the liquid solidifiable material 13 is applied by the same ink jet printer as the inorganic pigment ink 11. Thereby, the inorganic pigment ink 11 and the solidifiable material 13 can be applied to the object 15 and printed almost at the same time, and the feeling of use equivalent to that of the one-pack type inorganic pigment ink can be obtained.

By the way, the above-mentioned method of using the inorganic pigment ink is an example showing the concept, and the composition and composition other than the inorganic pigment 12 can be arbitrarily selected and used.
For example, in the method of use shown in FIG. 1, when the object 15 is a synthetic resin, turpentine is applied to the solvent 14 of the inorganic pigment ink 11 and a transparent paint such as an oil-based varnish is applied to the liquid solidifiable material 13. By doing so, the fixing property to the synthetic resin is good, and the inorganic pigment 1 is dried quickly.
2 can be developed.

For example, in the method of use shown in FIG. 2, when the object to be coated 15 is pottery, the liquid solidifiable material 13 is water glass, and the inorganic pigment 12 is dispersed in a water-soluble solvent 14. By applying and printing the pigment ink 11, it is possible to perform printing with an inorganic material on the surface of the pottery.

As described above, according to the inorganic pigment ink of the present embodiment and the method of using the same, it has high robustness such as light resistance and heat resistance, is applicable to an ink jet printer, and has good dispersibility. Ink of stable properties can be obtained. Further, the finely divided inorganic pigment can be vividly colored.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an additive manufacturing method using an inorganic pigment ink will be described in detail. This method is a method of forming at least a part of a target three-dimensional object by laminating a solidified layer formed of a solidifiable material, and forming the inorganic pigment ink in the same manner as in the first embodiment. And a coloring step for coloring a predetermined area of the three-dimensional object using

The additive manufacturing method is a technique for automatically forming a three-dimensional object at high speed based on three-dimensional CAD data. The principle is that first, three-dimensional CAD data stored in a computer is cut along a horizontal plane at equal intervals in the height direction to create slice graphic data. Based on the slice pattern data, a thin solidified layer is formed, and a solidified layer is formed on this solidified layer using the next slice pattern, and is overlaid. In this way, the upper and lower solidified layers are bonded and integrated,
By repeating this operation, a solidified layer laminate is created.

Several methods are known for the additive manufacturing method. Typical examples include a solidifiable material such as a liquid photocurable resin or resin powder, a laser beam,
There is a technique of irradiating a solidifiable material with irradiation energy such as ultraviolet rays or infrared rays to form a solidified layer, and laminating the solidified layers to form a three-dimensional object. The method using a photocurable resin is called an optical molding method, and the method using a resin powder is called a powder fusion lamination method. Hereinafter, a specific method in which a coloring step using an inorganic pigment ink is incorporated into these lamination molding methods will be described.

First, the case where a photocurable resin is used as the solidifiable material will be described in detail. Here, as the photocurable resin, an ultraviolet curable resin that cures with ultraviolet light, or a visible light curable resin that cures with visible light can be used. Specifically, for example, a radical polymerization type urethane acrylate, a radical polymerization type epoxy acrylate, a cationic polymerization type epoxy resin and the like can be mentioned.

Incidentally, as the inorganic pigment ink as the coloring means, those having the same constitution as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, detailed description is omitted here.

FIG. 3 is a process sectional view schematically showing an example of a lamination molding method using a photocurable resin. FIG. 3 (a)
In the step (3), the table 23 on which the laminate 21 is placed is moved downward in a container (not shown) filled with the photocurable resin 22. With this operation, the photocurable resin 22 flows and is applied to the uppermost surface of the laminate 21. Note that the laminate 21
Is formed of a plurality of solidified layers, and the hollow interior is filled with a photocurable resin 22.

In the step shown in FIG. 3B, a predetermined area of the liquid surface of the photo-curable resin 22 is irradiated with light by the laser irradiation device 25 to form a new solidified layer 24 constituting the laminate 21. . At this time, the photocurable resin 2 inside the laminate 21 is
2 is isolated from the external photocurable resin 22.

In the step shown in FIG. 3C, the photo-curable resin 22 inside the laminate 21 is
An inorganic pigment ink of a predetermined color is added. At this time, the inorganic pigment contained in the inorganic pigment ink is rapidly dispersed and spread in the liquid photocurable resin 22 having low viscosity. Therefore, the entire photocurable resin 22 inside the laminate 21 is substantially uniformly colored.

In the step shown in FIG. 3D, the whole of the laminate 21 as a wall surrounding the photocurable resin 22 is irradiated with light by the irradiation device 27 to form a colored region 29 colored with an inorganic pigment. I do. At this time, the colored region 29 is
As a result, a model having a colored region 29 provided therein is formed.

Through the above steps, a predetermined area of a three-dimensional object to be formed can be colored substantially uniformly. Also,
Since a wide area can be colored in a short time, it is possible to save time in the modeling process.

FIG. 4 is a process sectional view schematically showing another example of the lamination molding method using a photocurable resin. FIG.
In the step (a), the laminate 3
A photo-curable resin 32 is applied to the surface of 1 to form a liquid resin layer having a certain thickness. The stacked body 33 is formed by stacking a plurality of solidified layers.

In the step shown in FIG. 4B, an optical mask 37 having the same planar shape as that of the solidified layer 34 constituting the three-dimensional object to be formed is prepared.
The semi-cured resin layer 35 having such a viscosity as to be able to maintain its planar shape is formed by irradiating the light through 7.

In the step shown in FIG. 4C, the printing device 36 applies an inorganic pigment ink to the semi-cured resin layer 35 to color it. At this time, the inorganic pigment of the inorganic pigment ink diffuses in the thickness direction of the semi-cured resin layer 35, and coloring is also performed in the thickness direction.

In the step of FIG. 4D, the same optical mask 37 as in the step of FIG. 4B is prepared, and light is irradiated through the optical mask 37 to form a new solidified layer 34. At this time, the colored region 38 colored with the inorganic pigment ink is simultaneously formed on the solidified layer 34.

Through the above steps, a predetermined area of the three-dimensional object to be formed can be colored. Further, a more complicated form of the colored region can be expressed.

Next, an additive manufacturing method using a resin powder as a solidifiable material will be described. In this method, a thin powder layer made of a resin powder is formed, and this is irradiated with infrared rays or laser light, and is thermally fused by heating and melting.

Specific examples of the resin applied to the resin powder include thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyamide resins, and thermosetting resins such as phenol resins, epoxy resins, and urethane resins. Resin, and the like.

FIG. 5 is a process sectional view schematically showing an example of the additive manufacturing method using a resin powder. In the step of FIG. 5A, a resin powder is sprayed on the laminate 41 and pressed by a roller 43 so as to have a uniform thickness to form a powder resin layer 45. Note that the laminate 41 is formed by a plurality of solidified layers.

In the step of FIG. 5B, the printing device 46 applies and prints an inorganic pigment ink on a predetermined region of the powder resin layer 45. At this time, the inorganic pigment ink is applied to the powder resin layer 4.
5 and the inorganic pigment diffuses in the thickness direction.

In the step of FIG. 5C, the laser irradiation device 47 melts the powder resin layer. At this time, the resin powder is heated to about 290 ° C., but since the inorganic pigment is formed of a material having excellent heat resistance, discoloration and fading hardly occur.

In the step of FIG. 5D, the molten resin solidifies to form a new solidified layer 44. At this time, in addition to the inorganic pigment ink penetrating into the powder resin layer 45, the inorganic pigment is dispersed by its fluidity in a molten state, so that the coloring region 4 which is substantially uniformly colored in the thickness direction is also provided.
8 are formed.

Through the above steps, a predetermined area of the three-dimensional object to be formed can be colored. Further, a more complicated form of the colored region can be expressed.

In the above-described additive manufacturing method,
Preferably, the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed using an ink jet printer, in which case it can be easily incorporated into an automated additive manufacturing process. Further, it is preferable that the lamination molding method is performed using a plurality of colors of inorganic pigment inks. In particular, it is preferable to prepare three primary colors of blue, red and yellow, and further prepare black and white.
Most colors can be expressed by mixing these colors.

The multicoloring of a three-dimensional object to be formed means that the three-dimensional CAD data having color information can be directly transferred to a color three-dimensional model. For example, it is possible to obtain more easily viewable models such as DNA molecular models, human computed tomography (CT) images, piping and buildings of chemical plants, and the inside of a modeled object such as a skeleton model of a machine or a biological model. Can be arbitrarily colored.

Each of the above-described lamination molding methods is an example showing the concept, and the means for supplying a photocurable resin or resin powder as a solidifiable material, the means for irradiating irradiation energy, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In particular, any method other than the coloring step using an inorganic pigment ink, which is a characteristic part of the present invention, may be performed.

As described above, according to the additive manufacturing method of the present embodiment, by using an inorganic pigment ink that does not discolor or fade even by light or heat applied in the process of manufacturing a three-dimensional object, A predetermined area of the object can be colored with vivid colors.

[0092]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an inorganic pigment ink which is applicable to an ink jet printer and has good pigment dispersibility and stable properties. In addition, it is possible to suppress a decrease in chroma due to finer inorganic pigments, and to obtain a vivid color.

According to the invention described in claim 2, according to claim 1
In addition to the effects of the invention described in (1), an ink having excellent fastness such as light resistance, heat resistance, and chemical resistance, and having an elegant and vivid color can be obtained.

According to the invention described in claim 3, according to claim 1
Or, in addition to the effects of the invention described in 2, a one-pack type inorganic pigment ink that exhibits a high color saturation on an object to be coated can be obtained.

According to the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the inorganic pigment of the inorganic pigment ink and the solidifiable material can be separated.

According to the invention set forth in claim 6, according to claim 4,
Or, in addition to the effect of the invention described in 5, the inorganic pigment ink can be more vividly colored.

According to the invention of claim 7, according to claim 4,
In addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of Items 1 to 6, the inorganic pigment can be reliably coated with the solidifiable material, and thereby the inorganic pigment ink can be reliably colored.

According to the invention described in claim 8, according to claim 4,
In addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of the above items 7, the inorganic pigment ink can be accurately applied and printed in a predetermined amount on a predetermined area of the object to be coated.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of the above-described embodiments, the liquid solidifiable material can be accurately applied by a predetermined amount to a predetermined region of the workpiece.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, discoloration and fading hardly occur due to light irradiation or heating in the additive manufacturing process, and a predetermined area of a three-dimensional object to be formed can be vividly colored. it can.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the tenth aspect, in the lamination molding method using the photocurable resin, the predetermined region of the three-dimensional object to be molded is substantially removed. It can be uniformly colored. In addition, a wide area can be colored in a short time, and the time required for the modeling process can be reduced.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the tenth aspect, in the lamination molding method using a photocurable resin, a predetermined region of a three-dimensional object to be molded is colored. can do. Further, a more complicated form of the colored region can be expressed.

According to the thirteenth aspect, in addition to the effect of the tenth aspect, in the additive manufacturing method using the resin powder, a predetermined area of the three-dimensional object to be formed is colored. Can be. Further, a more complicated form of the colored region can be expressed.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the invention of any one of the tenth to thirteenth aspects,
The three-dimensional object to be formed can be more vividly colored.

According to the invention set forth in claim 15, in addition to the effects of the invention set forth in any one of claims 10 to 14,
The inorganic pigment ink can be accurately applied to a predetermined area of the solidifiable material by a predetermined amount and printed. Further, automation and high speed can be achieved by computer control.

According to the invention of claim 16, in addition to the effect of the invention of any one of claims 10 to 15,
The three-dimensional object to be formed can be colored with a plurality of colors.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a process sectional view schematically showing an example of a method for using an inorganic pigment ink of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a process cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the method for using the inorganic pigment ink of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a process cross-sectional view schematically showing each process in one embodiment using a photocurable resin in the additive manufacturing method of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a process cross-sectional view schematically showing each process in another embodiment using a photocurable resin in the additive manufacturing method of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a process cross-sectional view schematically showing each process in one embodiment using a resin powder in the additive manufacturing method of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Inorganic pigment ink 12 Inorganic pigment 13 Solidifiable material 15 Coating object 16 Continuous layer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) C09C 3/10 B41J 3/04 101Y F term (Reference) 2C056 EA04 EA13 EE18 FC01 FC02 FD20 HA42 2H086 BA02 BA05 BA17 BA55 BA59 BA60 BA61 4F213 AA44 AF10 WA25 WA54 WA58 WB01 4J037 AA08 AA27 CA27 CC12 CC14 CC22 CC27 4J039 BA13 BA23 BA25 BD04 BE01 BE12 CA07 EA15 EA16 EA17 EA19 EA29 EA35 EA37 EA40 EA46 GA24

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An inorganic pigment ink containing, as a coloring material, an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and having a substantially planar surface shape, wherein the inorganic pigment is solidifiable. An inorganic pigment ink characterized by being colored with high saturation by being covered with a transparent continuous layer formed of a material. 2. The inorganic pigment ink according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic pigment is produced by pulverizing rock paint. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic pigment is dispersed in a solvent containing the solidifiable material.
3. The inorganic pigment ink according to item 1. 4. A method of using an inorganic pigment ink having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and containing, as a coloring material, an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a substantially planar surface shape as a coating material. In coating the inorganic pigment with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material so as to exhibit a high color saturation,
A step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on the object to be coated, and a step of applying the liquid solidifiable material further to the object to which the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed. How to use inorganic pigment ink. 5. A method of using an inorganic pigment ink having a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and containing, as a coloring material, an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a substantially flat surface shape as a coating material. In coating the inorganic pigment with a transparent continuous layer formed of a solidifiable material so as to exhibit a high color saturation,
A step of applying the liquid solidifiable material to the object, and a step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on the object to which the liquid solidifiable material is applied, How to use inorganic pigment ink. 6. The method for using an inorganic pigment ink according to claim 4, wherein the inorganic pigment is produced by pulverizing rock paint. 7. The liquid solidifiable material having a viscosity of 100
The method for using an inorganic pigment ink according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the inorganic pigment ink is not more than cps. 8. The method for using an inorganic pigment ink according to claim 4, wherein the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed using an ink jet printer. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the solidifiable material is applied using the ink jet printer. 10. A method for forming at least a part of a target three-dimensional object by laminating a solidified layer formed of a solidifiable material, wherein the solidified layer has a particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and has a substantially planar shape. Using an inorganic pigment ink containing an inorganic pigment composed of non-spherical particles having a surface shape as a coloring material, comprising a coloring step for coloring a predetermined region of the three-dimensional object, Method. 11. The solidifying material is a photo-curable resin, comprising a step of forming a wall for surrounding the photo-curable resin in a predetermined region prior to the coloring step. Adding the inorganic pigment ink to the photocurable resin inside the wall, and dispersing the inorganic pigment substantially uniformly in the photocurable resin inside the wall, To the dispersed photocurable resin, irradiating light capable of curing the photocurable resin, to form the three-dimensional object, and to form a colored region in at least a part of the three-dimensional object, The method of claim 10, further comprising: 12. The solidifiable material is a photocurable resin, and the photocurable resin is irradiated with first light capable of increasing the viscosity of the photocurable resin before the coloring step, A step of forming a semi-cured resin layer, wherein the coloring step is a step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on a predetermined area of the semi-cured resin layer, and the semi-cured step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink. Irradiating the resin layer with second light capable of curing the semi-cured resin layer to form the solidified layer, and forming a colored region in at least a part of the solidified layer. The additive manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein 13. The solidifying material is a resin powder, the method comprising, prior to the coloring step, forming a powder resin layer by spraying the resin powder to a substantially constant thickness. A step of applying and printing the inorganic pigment ink on a predetermined area of the powder resin layer, and applying the irradiation energy capable of melting the resin of the powder resin layer to the powder resin layer on which the inorganic pigment ink is applied and printed. Irradiating and solidifying the resin once in a molten state to form the solidified layer, and forming a colored region in at least a part of the solidified layer. 3. The additive manufacturing method according to 1. 14. The additive manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the inorganic pigment is produced by pulverizing rock paint. 15. The additive manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the inorganic pigment ink is applied or printed using an ink jet printer or added. 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method is performed using the inorganic pigment ink of a plurality of colors.