JP2006192616A - Molten resin extruding, laminating and shaping method and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the cost of a support material and to shorten the number of finish processes of an article such as a model or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A thermoplastic material heated and melted by a preheater is extruded to a specific region on a base stand 50 from a nozzle 35 which performs scanning according to preset shape data to manufacture three-dimensional matter 55. At this time, an unmelted first support material is first laminated on the base stand 50, a meltable second support material is laminated on a first support material layer 60a and a material for manufacturing the three-dimensional matter 55 is further laminated on a second support material layer 60b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method and an apparatus therefor.

  In a conventional molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus, a wire-shaped thermoplastic material supplied from a resin cartridge is guided into a preheater by a tractor drive. The thermoplastic material heated and melted by the preheater is pushed out from the nozzle to a base located below. At this time, the nozzle scans on a plane having a perpendicular to the extrusion direction according to the given shape data, so that a specific area of a certain surface on the base is filled with a thermoplastic material and extruded onto the base. The material hardens.

The base is then lowered a certain pitch, and the nozzle is then scanned to create a shape one above the already cured material. By repeating this process, a three-dimensional object such as a model having a cross-sectional shape as a laminate is created (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  At this time, if the model you want to create is created directly on the base, the model will be damaged when the model is removed from the base, so it is common to form a support material with a predetermined thickness between the base and the model. Is. Further, even when the model has a protrusion shape or the like, it is necessary to provide a support in order to support it from below.

Therefore, the conventional molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus includes the modeling system (first system) including a resin cartridge that contains a thermoplastic material as a support material and a means for taking out the thermoplastic material in the resin cartridge. A second system different from the above is provided. In the second system, a support material is extruded from a nozzle, and a support material layer having a predetermined thickness is formed in advance on a base.
Special Table 2000-500709

  In the conventional device, the material pushed out from the nozzle is two systems, the model material and the support material, so the support material can be selected from either one that dissolves in a specific solvent or one that does not dissolve easily. Was. Therefore, when a support material that dissolves in a specific solvent is used, there is a problem that the cost increases. In addition, support materials that are difficult to dissolve are inexpensive but difficult to come off from the model material. Therefore, if the support material adheres to the details of the model and remains, it takes a lot of man-hours to remove the support material. .

In the present invention, three or more systems capable of extruding a thermoplastic material are provided, so that three or more different thermoplastic materials can be extruded. For example, if the support material is made up of three systems, including those that do not dissolve in a specific solvent and the system for the model material, the support is inexpensive and can be easily removed without damaging the support material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method and an apparatus thereof.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, in the present invention, the thermoplastic material heated and melted by the preheater is extruded from a nozzle that scans according to preset shape data to a specific area on the base, and is cured on the base. In the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method in which the molten material is further laminated on the material to create a three-dimensional object, a non-dissolved first support material is first laminated on the base with a specific solvent A, The second support material that can be dissolved by the specific solvent A is laminated on the support material layer, and the material for creating the three-dimensional object is laminated on the second support material layer in order.

  The non-dissolving support material refers to a support material that does not dissolve in a specific solvent A. The dissolvable support material refers to a support material that dissolves in a specific solvent A.

  The present invention also includes a resin cartridge that contains a thermoplastic material, a means for taking out the thermoplastic material in the resin cartridge, a preheater that heats and melts the thermoplastic material, and is heated by the preheater. And a nozzle for extruding the molten thermoplastic material onto the base, and the nozzle is a molten resin extrusion layered molding apparatus configured to be scanned in accordance with preset shape data, and at least the resin cartridge There are three or more systems for taking out the thermoplastic material.

Furthermore, the resin cartridge of the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a first resin cartridge containing a thermoplastic material for creating a three-dimensional object, and a first support material that is not dissolved by the specific solvent A. And a third resin cartridge containing a second support material that can be dissolved by the specific solvent A, the first support material is laminated on the base, and the first support The second support material is laminated on the material layer, and the material for creating the three-dimensional object can be laminated on the second support material layer in order.

  In the melt resin extrusion layered manufacturing method of the present invention, the cost of the support material is low, and the finishing man-hour of an article such as a model can be shortened.

  The molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can easily carry out the above method.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the apparatus. The molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a first resin supply unit 2, a second resin supply unit 3, a third resin supply unit 4, a preheater 20, a communication chamber 22, and an extrusion unit 30. The main structure is composed of the base 50. The molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with three systems for extruding a thermoplastic material.

  The 1st resin supply means 2 is provided with the 1st resin cartridge 5a in which the wire-shaped thermoplastic material was accommodated, and the tractor drive 10a which takes out a thermoplastic material from the 1st resin cartridge 5a.

  The tractor drive 10 a includes a pair of toothed belts 11 and 11, pulleys 12 and 12 around which the toothed belts 11 are wound, a drive motor 15, and an encoder 16. The drive motor 15 and the toothed belt 11 operate to force the thermoplastic material into the preheater 20 through the preheater inlet 21.

Also in the second resin supply means 3 and the third resin supply means 4, the second and third resin cartridges 5b and 5c in which the thermoplastic material is accommodated, and the thermoplastic material are used for each resin cartridge 5b.
Tractor drives 10b and 10c to be taken out from 5c.

  In addition, the material accommodated in the 1st resin cartridge 5a of the 1st resin supply means 2 is a material (model material) for creating the model as a laminated body, for example. The second resin cartridge 5b of the second resin supply means 3 contains a support material that does not dissolve in a specific solvent A. The third resin cartridge 5c of the third resin supply means 4 contains a support material that dissolves in a specific solvent A.

  The preheater 20 is connected to the extrusion unit 30 side through the communication chamber 22. A pressure sensor 23 is provided so as to communicate with the communication chamber 22. The pressure sensor 23 detects the pressure in the communication chamber 22 and transmits the pressure signal to a control device (not shown) that controls the supply speed of each tractor drive 10a, 10b, 10c.

  The extrusion unit 30 includes a collet 31, a rotary propulsion device 32 inserted into the collet 31, a variable speed motor 33 that rotates the rotary propulsion device 32, and a nozzle 35 that is provided below the collet 31. And a rotary seal 34 that seals between the collet 31 and the rotary propulsion unit 32.

  The tractor drives 10a, 10b, 10c, the preheater 20 and the pushing unit 30 are configured to scan on the plane (in the X and Y directions) according to the given data.

  The base 50 is arrange | positioned under the extrusion part 30, and can move only a predetermined position (for a fixed pitch) to an up-down direction (Z direction).

  Next, a case where a model is created using the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described.

  First, a support material (a support material that does not dissolve in the specific solvent A) supplied from the resin cartridge 5b of the second resin supply means 3 is guided into the preheater 20 by the tractor drive 10b. The support material heated and melted by the preheater 20 passes through the communication chamber 22, is filled in the collet 31, and is pushed out from the nozzle 35 by the rotary thruster 32. The nozzle 35 scans in accordance with the shape data, so that a specific area of a certain surface on the base 50 is filled with a support material to a predetermined thickness, and a hardened first support layer 60a is formed (FIG. 3A). reference). As the support material that does not dissolve in the specific solvent A, an inexpensive material can be used, so that the layer can be thickened.

  Next, the support material (support material dissolved in the specific solvent A) supplied from the resin cartridge 5c of the third resin supply means 4 is guided into the preheater 20 by the tractor drive 10c. The support material heated and melted by the preheater 20 passes through the communication chamber 22, is filled in the collet 31, and is pushed out from the nozzle 35 by the rotary thruster 32. The nozzle 35 scans according to the shape data, whereby the second support layer 60b is laminated on the first support layer 60a (see FIG. 3A). The second support layer 60b is thinner than the first support layer 60a.

  Further, the model material supplied from the resin cartridge 5a of the first resin supply means 2 is guided into the preheater 20 by the tractor drive 10a. The model material heated and melted by the preheater 20 passes through the communication chamber 22, is filled in the collet 31, and is pushed out from the nozzle 35 by the rotary thruster 32. At this time, the nozzle 35 scans on the plane having the extrusion direction as a perpendicular line according to the given shape data, whereby the specific region of the cured second support layer 60b is filled with the model material.

Next, the base 50 is lowered by a certain pitch. In order to create a shape that is one layer above the already hardened model material, the molten model material is pushed out while being scanned by the nozzle 35, and this processing step is repeated, so that a layered structure in which the cross-sectional shape is laminated with a plurality of layers Model 55 is created (see FIG. 3C).

  Next, the model 55 is removed from the base 50. At this time, since the support layers 60 a and 60 b are interposed between the model 55 and the base 50, the model 55 can be easily and quickly removed from the base 50 without being damaged. Moreover, even if the support layer is attached to the model 55 as shown in FIG. 4A, it is the second support layer 60b that is dissolved in the specific solvent A that is in direct contact with the model 55. The second support layer 60b can be easily removed with the specific solvent A (see FIG. 4B).

  In addition, although the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 1 of the said embodiment combined the single nozzle with respect to the 1st-3rd resin supply means, it extrudes with respect to each of the 1st-3rd resin supply means. It is also possible to provide the parts (nozzles) separately. In such a case, each resin supply means 2, 3, 4 includes a preheater 20, a communication chamber 22, and an extrusion unit 30.

  Further, in the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present invention, the resin extrusion system is not limited to three systems, and may be more than that. When the resin extrusion system is composed of three systems, one system can be used for extruding the support material, and the other two systems can each be used for the model material colored in a predetermined color. In such a case, it is possible to produce a color model.

  When four or more resin extrusion systems are provided, the first support layer 60a and the second support layer 60b are provided in two systems as described above, and the resin colored in different colors in the other systems. A color model can be produced by extruding.

It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of a molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing of each process which manufactures a model using the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method concerning this invention. (A) is sectional drawing of each process which removes a model from a base, (b) is sectional drawing of a model.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus 5a 1st resin cartridge 5b 2nd resin cartridge 5c 3rd resin cartridge 10a, 10b, 10c Tractor drive (Means to take out thermoplastic material)
20 Preheater 30 Extrusion part 35 Nozzle 50 Base 55 Three-dimensional object 60a First support material layer 60b Second support material layer

Claims (3)

A thermoplastic material heated and melted by a preheater is extruded from a nozzle that scans according to preset shape data to a specific area on the base, and further melted on the cured material on the base. In the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method of creating a three-dimensional object by laminating the above materials,
First, a non-dissolvable first support material is laminated with the specific solvent A on the base, a second support material that can be dissolved with the specific solvent A is laminated on the first support material layer, and further a second support material. A molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing method, wherein materials for creating the three-dimensional object are sequentially stacked on a layer. A resin cartridge containing a thermoplastic material; means for taking out the thermoplastic material in the resin cartridge; a preheater that heats and melts the thermoplastic material; and a thermoplastic that is heated and melted by the preheater. In a molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus comprising a nozzle for extruding a material on a base, and configured to be able to scan according to preset shape data,
3. A molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus, comprising at least three systems for taking out at least the resin cartridge and the thermoplastic material. The resin cartridge includes a first resin cartridge containing a thermoplastic material for creating a three-dimensional object, a second resin cartridge containing a first support material that is not dissolved by the specific solvent A, and a specific solvent. A third resin cartridge containing a second support material that can be dissolved by A, and laminating the first support material on the base, and laminating the second support material on the first support material layer. Furthermore, the molten resin extrusion layered manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the material for creating the three-dimensional object can be sequentially stacked on the second support material layer.

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