JP2002115004A - Method and equipment for manufacturing article with three-dimensional shape - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly finish the surface of an article regardless of its shape at a low cost. SOLUTION: Powder metallurgical sintered parts in which a plurality of sintered layers 11 are integrally laminated are manufactured by repeating a procedure consisting of steps of; forming a sintered layer 11 by irradiating the prescribed part of a layer 10 of inorganic or organic powders with a light beam L to sinter the powders in the corresponding part, and forming a new sintered layer 11 integrated with the previously-formed sintered layer 11 as a lower layer by covering the previously-formed sintered layer 11 with a new layer 10 of the powder material and irradiating the prescribed part with the light beam L to sinter the powder in the corresponding part. In this method, a step where the surface part and/or unnecessary part of the formed part obtained theretofore is removed after the formation of the sintered layer 11 is inserted between a plurality of manufacturing steps of the sintered layer 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object by manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object by sintering and hardening a powder material with a light beam.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object known as an optical molding method. As shown in FIG. 18 (a), the manufacturing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2620353 irradiates a predetermined portion of a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material with a light beam L and sinters the powder at the corresponding portion. Then, a new layer 10 of a powder material is coated on the sintered layer 11, and a light beam L is applied to a predetermined portion of the powder layer 10.
Is repeated to form a new sintered layer 11 integrated with the lower sintered layer 11 by sintering the powder at the corresponding location, whereby a plurality of sintered layers are laminated and integrated. To create powder sintered parts (three-dimensional shaped object), and to slice and cut a model, which is design data (CAD data) of the three-dimensional shaped object, into a desired layer thickness, and to generate cross-sectional shape data of each layer. By irradiating the light beam L based on the above, it is possible to manufacture a three-dimensionally shaped object having an arbitrary shape without a so-called CAM device, and it is possible to produce a desired three-dimensionally shaped object more quickly than a manufacturing method such as cutting. A shaped object having a shape can be obtained.

[0003]

By the way, as shown in FIG. 20, unnecessary powder 15 adheres around the portion hardened by irradiating the light beam L due to the transmitted heat. The adhering powder is a low-density surface layer 1
6 is formed on the molded article.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-73108 discloses a step on the outer surface caused by laminating the sintered layers 11 (FIG. 18).
(see FIG. 18 (b)), but simply removing this step leaves the low-density surface layer 16 as shown in FIG. Can not.

[0005] Unless a sintered body having a sufficient density (low porosity) is formed in the sintering step, even if the step is removed, pores appear on the surface after the removal and a smooth surface cannot be obtained. .

[0006] Further, in the case of performing the finishing for removing the low-density surface layer after completing the modeled object, there is a limit to the shape of the modeled object by a processing tool. For example, when cutting deep ribs or the like, small-diameter tools may not be able to be machined due to the limited tool length, so a separate process such as electric discharge machining is required, which poses problems in terms of time and cost. Many.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to manufacture a three-dimensionally shaped object capable of smoothly finishing the surface of the object at low cost regardless of its shape. A method and an apparatus therefor are provided.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object, comprising irradiating a predetermined portion of a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material with a light beam to sinter the powder at the corresponding portion. To form a sintered layer, coat a new layer of powdered material on this sintered layer, irradiate a light beam to a predetermined location, and sinter the powder at the corresponding location to sinter the lower layer. Repeatedly forming a new sintered layer integrated with the layer, in order to create a powder sintered part in which multiple sintered layers are laminated and integrated, created by the time after the formation of the sintered layer The method is characterized in that a step of removing the surface portion and / or unnecessary portion of the modeled object is inserted into a plurality of steps of forming a sintered layer.

At this time, it is preferable that the removal depth of the surface portion of the molded article in the removal step is larger than the depth of the low-density surface layer formed by the powder attached around the sintered portion. It is preferable that the surface of the powder sintered component is sintered at a high density, and the high-density portion is exposed by a removing step.

The removing step can be performed by cutting or laser.

[0011] Immediately before the removing step, a light beam is applied to the portion to be removed to soften the portion to be removed, or immediately after the removing step, a light beam for melt-hardening or heat treatment is applied to the portion from which the portion to be removed is removed. You may do so.

In addition, it is preferable to simultaneously remove the unsintered powder around the powder sintered part, which is a three-dimensionally shaped object, and dust generated in the removing operation at the same time as the removing operation in the removing step. May be removed immediately before the removal step.

In the case of performing the above-described removal, a resin or a brazing material may be poured into the removal section and the removal section immediately after the removal step, and then the next layer of powder material may be formed and sintered.

Immediately after the formation of the sintered layer or immediately after the removing step, the shape and the position of the molded object formed so far are measured, and based on the measurement result, a light beam for forming the next sintered layer is formed. It is also preferable to correct the irradiation path data and the removal processing path data of the part to be removed in the next removal step. .

The unsintered powder may be solidified before the removing step. In this case, the unsintered powder may be frozen or a resin or brazing material may be used.

The apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to the present invention comprises: a powder layer forming means for forming a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material; and a light beam irradiating a predetermined portion of the powder layer with a corresponding portion. Sintered layer forming means for forming a sintered layer by sintering the powder of, and adjusting means for adjusting the relative distance between the sintered layer forming means and the sintered layer, and the surface portion of the molded article and or It is characterized by having a removing means for removing unnecessary portions.

The apparatus may be provided with a rejecting means for rejecting unsintered powder and debris generated in the removing step by the removing means. The rejecting means may be provided to the powder layer forming means or may have an XY drive mechanism. Then, a device that performs an exclusion operation along the cross-sectional contour shape of the modeled object can be suitably used.

A measuring means for measuring the shape and position of the formed object immediately after the formation of the sintered layer or immediately after the removing step, and a measuring means for the sintered layer forming means based on the measurement result by the measuring means. It is also preferable to provide a correction means for correcting the operation. In this case, the measurement means includes X
A device having a Y drive mechanism for performing measurement along the cross-sectional profile of a modeled object can be suitably used.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an example of an embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to the present invention, the outer periphery of which is surrounded by a cylinder. The powder layer 1 having a predetermined thickness Δt1 is formed by leveling an inorganic or organic powder material supplied on a lifting table 20 that moves up and down in the space with a squeezing blade 21.
Powder layer forming means 2 for forming a laser oscillator 30;
Layer forming means 3 for sintering the powder by forming a sintered layer 11 by irradiating the laser output from the laser beam onto the powder layer 10 via a scanning optical system such as a galvanometer mirror 31.
A milling head 41 is provided on a base portion of the powder layer forming means 2 via an XY drive mechanism (preferably a linear motion linear motor driven in terms of speeding up) 40 to form a removing means 4. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the production of the three-dimensionally shaped object is performed by shaping the upper surface of the elevating table 20 as an adjusting means for adjusting the relative distance between the sintered layer forming means and the sintered layer. By supplying an inorganic or organic powder material to the surface of the
The powder layer 10 of the layer is formed, and a portion of the powder layer 10 to be cured is irradiated with a light beam (laser) L to sinter the powder to form a sintered layer 11 integrated with the base 22.

Thereafter, the elevating table 20 is slightly lowered, and an inorganic or organic powder material is again supplied to the blade 2.
The second powder layer 10 is formed by leveling with 1, and a light beam (laser) is applied to a portion of the powder layer 10 where the powder layer 10 is to be cured.
The powder is sintered by irradiating L to form a sintered layer 11 integrated with the lower sintered layer 11.

The step of lowering the elevating table 20 to form a new powder layer 10 and irradiating a light beam to form a sintered layer 11 at a required portion is repeated to produce a target three-dimensional shaped object. For example, a spherical iron powder having an average particle size of about 20 μm as a powder material, a carbon dioxide laser as a light beam, and 0.05 mm as a thickness Δt1 of the powder layer 10 are preferable.

The irradiation path of the light beam is determined in advance by three-dimensional CAD.
Create from data. That is, similarly to the conventional one, the contour shape data of each section obtained by slicing the STL data generated from the three-dimensional CAD model at an equal pitch (here, 0.05 mm) is used. At this time, it is preferable to irradiate the light beam so that at least the outermost surface of the three-dimensionally shaped object can be sintered so as to have a high density (porosity of 5% or less). This is because, even if surface removal described later is performed by the removing means, if the exposed portion is porous, the surface after the removal processing is also in a porous state. For this reason, the shape model data is previously stored as shown in FIG. The surface N is divided into a surface portion S and an inner portion N, and the inner portion N is irradiated with a light beam under a sintering condition for forming a porous portion, and the surface portion S is irradiated with a light beam under a condition that the powder is substantially melted and becomes dense. In FIG. 5A, reference numeral 12 denotes a high-density portion, and reference numeral 16 denotes a low-density surface layer formed by the above-mentioned attached powder.

The formation of the powder layer 10 and the irradiation of a light beam to form the sintered layer 11 are repeated. When the required value obtained from the length or the like is reached, the removing means 4 is once operated to cut the surface of the modeled object formed up to that time. For example, if the tool (ball end mill) of the milling head 41 can perform cutting with a diameter of 1 mm, an effective blade length of 3 mm, and a depth of 3 mm, and the thickness Δt1 of the powder layer 10 is 0.05 mm, 6
When the zero sintered layer 11 is formed, the removing means 4 is operated.

As shown in FIG. 5, the removal process 4 removes the low-density surface layer 16 of the powder adhered to the surface of the modeled object and, at the same time, removes the high-density portion 12 to obtain the surface of the modeled object. Then, the high-density portion 12 is entirely exposed. For this reason, the sintered layer 11 may be smaller than the desired shape M.
Is slightly larger.

The cutting path by the removing means 4 is created in advance from the three-dimensional CAD data, similarly to the irradiation path of the light beam. At this time, the processing path is determined by applying the contour processing, but the Z-direction pitch does not need to stick to the lamination pitch at the time of sintering, and in the case of a gentle inclination, the Z-direction pitch is made finer and interpolated. Be prepared to obtain a smooth surface. When the cutting process is performed with a ball end mill with a diameter of 1 mm, the cutting depth is 0.1 to 0.5 mm,
It is preferable that the feed speed is 5 m / min to 50 m / min and the tool rotation speed is 20,000 rpm to 100,000 rpm.

In the removal by cutting, as shown in FIG. 6, a portion immediately before the cutting is irradiated with a light beam (laser) L having a reduced energy density and heated to be softened. When the tool 44 cuts the softened portion, the cutting resistance is reduced, so that the cutting time can be shortened and the life of the tool 44 can be extended.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, it is also preferable to increase the density by irradiating the light beam L again to the portion immediately after the removal of the cut to melt-harden or heat-treat the portion.

FIG. 8 shows that a laser from a laser oscillator 30 which is a sintered layer forming means 3 is applied to an optical fiber 3.
The irradiation head 35 for receiving and outputting through
Is attached to the XY drive mechanism 40 in FIG. Since the number of common parts increases, the number of parts can be reduced.

When the removal means 4 removes the surface of the modeled object and the unnecessary portion, the unsintered powder and the cutting chips by the removal means 4 hinder the removal operation, and the next powder layer 1 is removed.
In the formation of 0, the cutting dust is caught on the blade 21 and the flat powder layer 10 cannot be formed,
In some cases, cutting chips are caught between the blade 21 and the modeled object, and the blade 21 stops. Because of this, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10 (a) or FIG. 10 (b), for example, the suction nozzle 51 connected to the air pump 50 is
It is good to arrange | position adjacent to and to aspirate and remove unsintered powder and cutting waste simultaneously with cutting. In FIG. 10B in which the tool 44 is surrounded by the suction nozzle 51, the tool 4
As 4, a spindle head can be suitably used.

As shown in FIG. 11, only the unsintered powder may be suctioned and removed before cutting, and the chips may be suctioned and removed at the same time as the cutting. Is not mixed, so that the unsintered powder can be easily reused.

When the unsintered powder is removed by suction, a large amount of powder is required when the powder layer 10 is further laminated after the removing step. The powder must be filled in the entire space from which the condensed powder has been removed, resulting in a large time loss.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12, a solidified portion 18 is formed by pouring and solidifying a resin or brazing material in the space from which the unsintered powder has been removed. It may be formed on the upper surface of the upper sintered layer 11 and the solidified portion 18. The amount of powder used can be reduced.

The suction nozzle 51 in the elimination means composed of the air pump 50 and the suction nozzle 51 is provided for removing the unsintered powder prior to the removing step.
As shown in FIG. 13, if it is attached to the drive section of the blade 21 in the powder layer forming means 2, the unsintered powder in the entire area can be eliminated and a dedicated drive mechanism for the suction nozzle 51 is required. Therefore, the device configuration can be simplified.

Further, as shown in FIG.
When 1 is attached to the dedicated XY drive mechanism 55 or the XY drive mechanism 40 in the removing means 4, the suction nozzle 51 can be moved along the cross-sectional contour of the object.

The unsintered powder is not removed by suction immediately before the removing step, but is sprayed with, for example, liquid nitrogen (if necessary, simultaneously with a gas containing moisture), thereby blowing the unsintered powder. May be solidified, or a resin or brazing material may be poured in and solidified, and the removing means 4 may be operated in this state. Since cutting chips do not enter into the unsintered powder, cutting chips can be easily removed.

FIG. 15 shows an apparatus provided with measuring means 6 for measuring the shape and position of a molded article immediately after sintering or immediately after removal processing. It can measure the accuracy of light beam irradiation and the processing accuracy of removal processing on-machine. By feeding back the measurement results and comparing the measurement data (position coordinate data) with the CAD data, the modeling accuracy can be improved. In addition to being able to calculate, by correcting the next light beam irradiation path data or the next removal processing path data based on the comparison result, more accurate modeling can be performed.

When the measuring means 6 is, for example, a piezoelectric contact sensor, the XY driving mechanism 4 in the removing means 4
When the measuring means 6 is provided at 0, measurement can be performed without requiring a dedicated driving mechanism for the measuring means 6.

As the measuring means 6, an image pickup means such as a CCD camera may be used. The imaging means is moved so that the point to be measured is located at the center of the image, and the shift amount is measured from the number of pixels that are shifted between the center of the image and the point to be measured in the object.

In each of the above examples, the removing means 4 is used for removing by cutting. However, the removing means 4 may be removed using a high-power laser. For example, if a Q-switched YAG laser having a peak output of 10 kW or more is used, the low-density surface layer 16 on the surface of the object can be instantaneously evaporated and removed. Further, the removed portion is not limited to the surface portion of the modeled object. If a portion which is originally unnecessary must be formed for the sake of modeling, the unnecessary portion can be removed.

[0041]

As described above, the method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to the present invention comprises irradiating a predetermined portion of a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material with a light beam and sintering the powder at the corresponding portion. A sintered layer is formed, a new layer of powdered material is coated on the sintered layer, and a light beam is applied to a predetermined location to sinter the powder at the corresponding location to integrate with the lower sintered layer. By repeatedly forming a new sintered layer that has become a sintered layer, a plurality of sintered layers are laminated and integrated to create a powder sintered part. Since the step of removing the surface portion and / or the unnecessary portion is inserted into the process of forming the sintered layer a plurality of times, that is, the creation of the sintered layer and the removal of the surface portion and / or the unnecessary portion of the molded article are repeatedly performed. Surface without any restrictions such as drill length. It can gel.

At this time, by making the removal depth of the surface portion of the modeled object in the removing step larger than the depth of the low density surface layer formed by the powder attached to the periphery of the sintered portion, the surface of the modeled object is reliably smoothed. Can be

Further, the surface of the powder sintered part, which is a three-dimensionally shaped object, is sintered at a high density, and the high-density portion is exposed by a removing step to increase the surface roughness of the surface. be able to.

If the part to be removed is irradiated with a light beam immediately before the removing step to soften the part to be removed, if the removal is performed by cutting, the cutting resistance can be reduced. The tool life can be improved.

Further, if a light beam for melt-hardening or heat treatment is applied to the portion from which the portion to be removed has been removed immediately after the removing step, the surface density can be improved.

When the removal operation in the removal step and the removal operation of the unsintered powder around the powder sintered part which is a three-dimensionally shaped object and the debris generated in the removal operation are performed, the processing of the cutting debris is possible. However, it is possible to avoid that cutting chips exert an adverse effect on the formation of the next powder layer. The removal of the unsintered powder may be performed immediately before the removing step. In this case, the unsintered powder and the cutting chips can be separated and processed, so that the reuse of the unsintered powder is facilitated. .

When the above-described removal is performed, a resin or a brazing material is poured into the removal portion and the removal portion immediately after the removal process, and then the next powder material layer is formed and sintered.
The amount of powder used can be reduced.

Immediately after the formation of the sintered layer or immediately after the removing step, the shape and the position of the molded object formed so far are measured, and based on the measurement result, the light beam for forming the next sintered layer is measured. By correcting the irradiation path data and the removal processing path data of the part to be removed in the next removal step, modeling with higher precision is possible.

The unsintered powder may be solidified before the removing step. In this case, the unsintered powder may be frozen or a resin or brazing material may be used. When solidified in this way, only cutting chips can be easily removed without the need to refill the powder.

The apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to the present invention comprises: a powder layer forming means for forming a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material; and a light beam irradiating a predetermined portion of the powder layer with a corresponding portion. Sintered layer forming means for forming a sintered layer by sintering the powder of, and adjusting means for adjusting the relative distance between the sintered layer forming means and the sintered layer, and the surface portion of the molded article and or The provision of the removing means for removing the unnecessary portion can improve the surface roughness after the shaping process, and the above-mentioned manufacturing method can be easily carried out.

By providing an elimination means for eliminating the unsintered powder and debris generated in the removal step by the removal means, the influence of the debris can be avoided.

Further, immediately after the formation of the sintered layer or immediately after the removing step, a measuring means for measuring the shape and position of the formed object up to that time, and an XY drive mechanism are provided to adjust the sectional contour shape of the formed object. Correction means for correcting the operation of the sintering layer forming means based on the measurement result by the measurement means for performing measurement along, so that a high-precision model can be easily obtained. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation explanatory diagram according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the same.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram relating to a high-density surface portion of the above.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing a removing step of the above.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an operation of another example of the above.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an operation of still another example of the above.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of another example.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of still another example.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic cross-sectional views each showing an example of an exclusion unit.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of another example of the elimination means.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic cross-sectional views showing processing after the exclusion processing.

FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view showing still another example of the elimination means.

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the exclusion unit.

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of an example including a measuring unit.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the above.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the measuring means.

18 (a) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the adhesion of powder when forming a sintered layer, FIG. 18 (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a low density surface layer, and FIG. 18 (c).
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when only a step is removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 L Light beam 4 Removal means 10 Powder layer 11 Sintered layer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor: Kiman Higashi, Kazuma, Osaka, 1048, Kadoma, Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. (72) Inventor Isao Fuwa 1048 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Inside the Matsushita Electric Works Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Osamu Uenaga 1048 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Pref. AP06 AR07 WA22 WA25 WA43 WA53 WA67 WA83 WB01 WL03 WL04 WL13 WL21 WL32 WL52 WL85 WL96 4K018 CA44 CA50 CA51 EA51 EA60 FA01 JA05

Claims (18)

[Claims] A sintering layer is formed by irradiating a predetermined portion of a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material with a light beam and sintering the powder at the corresponding portion to form a sintered layer. Repeating the process of forming a new sintered layer integrated with the lower sintered layer by sintering the powder at the corresponding location by irradiating a light beam to a predetermined location by coating a new layer, In producing a powder sintered part in which the sintered layers of the above are laminated and integrated, a process of removing the surface portion and / or unnecessary portions of the formed object after the formation of the sintered layer is performed a plurality of times. A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, wherein the method is inserted during a step of forming a layer. 2. The tertiary tertiary material according to claim 1, wherein the removal depth of the surface of the molded article in the removal step is larger than the depth of the low-density surface layer formed by the powder attached around the sintered part. Manufacturing method of original shaped object. 3. The high-density part is sintered by densifying the surface of a powder sintered part which is a three-dimensionally shaped object and exposing the high-density part by a removing step.
Or the method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to 2. 4. The method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 1, wherein the removing step is performed by cutting. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the removing step is performed by a laser. 6. The three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 1, wherein a light beam is applied to the part to be removed immediately before the removing step to soften the part to be removed. Production method. 7. The three-dimensional shape according to claim 1, wherein a light beam for melt hardening or heat treatment is applied to a portion from which the portion to be removed has been removed immediately after the removing step. A method for manufacturing a molded article. 8. The removal operation in the removal step, the removal operation of the unsintered powder around the powder sintered part which is a three-dimensionally shaped object and the debris generated in the removal operation are performed. 7. The method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to any one of Items 7 to 7. 9. The method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 1, wherein the unsintered powder is removed immediately before the removing step. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a resin or brazing material is poured into the removing section and the removing section immediately after the removing step, and then the next layer of powder material is formed and sintered.
10. The method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to any one of Items 9 to 9. 11. Immediately after the formation of the sintered layer or immediately after the removing step, the shape and the position of the formed object are measured, and based on the measurement result, light for forming the next sintered layer is measured. The method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the beam irradiation path data and the removal processing path data of the part to be removed in the next removal step are corrected. . 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unsintered powder is solidified before the removing step. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the unsintered powder is solidified by freezing. 14. The method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 12, wherein the unsintered powder is solidified with a resin or a brazing material. 15. A powder layer forming means for forming a layer of an inorganic or organic powder material, and irradiating a predetermined portion of the powder layer with a light beam to sinter the powder at the corresponding portion to form a sintered layer. Sintered layer forming means, and an adjusting means for adjusting the relative distance between the sintered layer forming means and the sintered layer, and a removing means for removing a surface portion and / or an unnecessary portion of the modeled object are provided. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object characterized by the following. 16. The three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 15, wherein a removing means for removing unsintered powder and debris generated in a removing step by the removing means is attached to the powder layer forming means. manufacturing device. 17. Eliminating means for eliminating unsintered powder and debris generated in the removing step by the removing means, and the eliminating means has an XY drive mechanism to perform an elimination operation along the cross-sectional contour shape of the modeled object. 16. The apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is used. 18. A measuring means for measuring a shape and a position of a formed object immediately after forming a sintered layer or immediately after a removing step; 18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising a correction unit for correcting an operation, wherein the measurement unit has an XY drive mechanism and performs measurement along a cross-sectional contour shape of the modeled object. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object according to any of the above items.