JP2015193134A - Three-dimensional laminate modeling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional laminate modeling apparatus capable of forming a flat layer of powder material on a stage top surface by moving blades once in one direction on a stage top surface.SOLUTION: A three-dimensional laminate modeling apparatus 1 comprises: a moving part 20 which moves on a top surface side of a stage 5; and a blade part 21 which consists a plurality of blades 21a to 21c extending in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the moving part 20 and supported by the moving part 20 along a movement direction of the moving part 20. The blade part 21 has the plurality of blades 21a to 21c, by which the plurality of blades 21a to 21c move with the movement of the moving part 20, and spread a powder material over the top surface of the stage 5 while leveling the material.

Description

  The present invention relates to a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus that forms a three-dimensional structure by repeatedly forming a solidified layer formed by solidifying a predetermined region of a powder material layer.

  In recent years, a layered modeling technique for modeling a modeled object one by one has attracted attention, and many types of three-dimensional layered modeling apparatuses have been developed due to differences in materials and modeling methods (see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a conventional three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 9, a conventional three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a modeling frame 102 having a pit portion 102a at the center, a stage 105 provided inside the pit portion 102a of the modeling frame 102, and a stage 105. And a drive mechanism 103 that moves up and down inside the section 102a. Further, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 100 has a laser beam or an electron beam applied to the powder tanks 107A and 107B for supplying the powder material P to the surface of the stage 105, the blade 109, and the layer of the powder material P formed on the surface of the stage 105. And a beam source 110 for irradiating an energy beam.

  The powder tanks 107A and 107B are disposed on both sides of the stage 105, and supply a desired powder material P to the stage 105 side. The stage 105 includes a seal member 106 at an end surface thereof, and the seal member 106 maintains slidability and sealing performance between the stage 105 and the modeling frame 102. The blade 109 is configured by a plate-like member extending in the width direction of the stage 105, for example. The blade 109 is supported by the support member 108 that reciprocates between the two powder tanks 107A and 107B, and spreads the powder material P flowing out from the powder tanks 107A and 107B on the surface of the stage 105 while leveling it flat. In order to form a desired three-dimensional structure, the beam source 110 irradiates an energy beam based on the data of a two-dimensional shape sliced to a certain thickness, and the energy beam causes the powder material P on the stage 105 to be irradiated. Melt.

  In such a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 100, first, the powder material P discharged from the powder tanks 107 </ b> A and 107 </ b> B is scraped off by the blade 109 and carried onto the stage 105, and one layer of the powder material P is placed on the surface of the stage 105. Lay down. Then, the powder material P in a predetermined position is melted by scanning the layer of the powder material P with an energy beam in a two-dimensional plane. At this time, the melted powder material P is bonded to each other, and then solidified to form a solidified layer for one layer. Next, the stage 105 is lowered by a drive mechanism 103 such as a rack and pinion, a ball screw, and the powder material P is further spread, and the powder material is melted and solidified in the same manner as in the previous step. Two solidified layers are formed integrally with the solidified layer. In this way, the three-dimensional structure M is formed by lowering the stage 105, supplying the powder material P onto the stage 105, and repeating the process of melting and solidifying the powder material P.

Special table 2008-540100

  By the way, when the desired material M is formed by melting and solidifying the powder material P, a coarse molten piece that has been melted and solidified unnecessarily enters the layer of the powder material P on the stage 105 in the formation process. There is a case. When the layer of the powder material P is spread with a single blade 109 as in the conventional three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 100, the blade 109 is moved in a state where coarse molten pieces are mixed in the layer of the powder material P on the stage 105. And the layer of the powder material P cannot be flattened by one movement due to the influence of the coarse molten piece. For this reason, conventionally, the layer of the powder material P is flattened by moving the blade 109 back and forth on the stage 105 a plurality of times.

  Thus, in the conventional three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 100, since the powder material P is spread, it is necessary to move the blade 109 back and forth on the stage 105 a plurality of times, and the powder material P spread process takes time.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a flat powder material layer on the upper surface of a stage only by moving a blade once in one direction.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a stage to which a powder material for forming a modeled object is supplied on the surface, and a powder material in the vicinity of the stage. And a powder supply unit for supplying. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a moving unit and a blade unit that move on the upper surface side of the stage. The blade unit is a plurality of blades extending in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving unit, and includes a plurality of blades supported by the moving unit along the moving direction of the moving unit. The blade portion spreads on the upper surface of the stage while leveling the powder material as the moving portion moves.

  In the three-dimensional laminating apparatus of the present invention, the blade part is composed of a plurality of blades, so that a flat powder material layer is formed on the upper surface of the stage only by moving the blade part once in one direction. Can do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus in which work efficiency is improved.

It is the schematic (the 1) which shows the whole structure of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic (the 2) which shows the whole structure of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the Z drive mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the leveling member of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing at the time of the spreading | laying operation | work of the metal powder P on the upper surface of a stage. It is the figure which showed the state which the stage support body moved to the lowest end of the movement range. It is a schematic block diagram of the leveling member which concerns on a modification. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the whole structure of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, an example of a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following examples.

<1. First Embodiment: Three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus>
[1-1. Configuration of 3D additive manufacturing equipment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (No. 1) showing an overall configuration of a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional additive stack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic (the 2) which shows the whole structure of a modeling apparatus. FIG. 1 is a sectional view (partially shown in a front view) of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view (partially shown in a side view) of a side surface of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a vacuum vessel 2, a modeling frame 3 configured in the vacuum vessel 2, a heater 4, a stage 5, a stage support 6, and Z drive. The mechanism support unit 7, the leveling member moving mechanism 10, the leveling member 19, the powder supply unit 35, and the powder recovery box 40 are included. In addition, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a modeling unit 50 mounted on the upper part of the vacuum vessel 2. In the following description, the moving direction (vertical direction) of the stage 5 is the Z direction, the first direction perpendicular to the Z direction is the X direction, and the second direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is the Y direction. Moreover, in this embodiment, the example which uses metal powder, such as titanium, aluminum, and iron, is demonstrated as a powder material which forms a molded article.

  The vacuum container 2 is composed of a container capable of maintaining the inside in a vacuum, and a modeling part 50 is mounted on the upper part. When modeling a modeled object, the inside of the vacuum vessel 2 is deaerated by a vacuum pump (not shown), and the inside of the vacuum vessel 2 is maintained in a vacuum.

  The modeling frame 3 includes a cylindrical body 3a whose axial direction is the Z direction, and a collar portion 3b provided on the upper end side in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3a. The cylindrical body 3a is a square tube whose cross section perpendicular to the axial direction is a quadrangle. The collar part 3b is provided in the side periphery of the upper end part of the cylindrical body 3a, and is comprised so that the surface may become horizontal. Further, the outer peripheral end of the collar portion 3 b is fixed to the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel 2. Inside the cylindrical body 3a, a molded article M is formed on a stage 5 described later. For this reason, one surface of the square cylinder which comprises the cylindrical body 3a is a structure which can be opened so that the completed molded object M can be taken out from the modeling frame 3. FIG.

  The heater 4 is arrange | positioned along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 3a. As the heater 4, for example, a heater that can be heated to a temperature of 1000 ° C. or higher, such as a PG / PBN (Pyrolytic Graphite / Pyrolytic Boron Nitride) heater composed of two types of ceramics, is used. The cylindrical body 3a is heated by heating the heater 4, and the temperature inside the cylindrical body 3a can be raised.

  The stage 5 is configured by a rectangular plate-shaped member having a surface parallel to the XY plane on the surface, and is configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction inside the cylindrical body 3a. And the stage 5 is supported by the stage support body 6 in which the heat insulation structure which consists of the 1st heat insulation structure 26 and the 2nd heat insulation structure 27 is arrange | positioned, The cylinder shape of the modeling frame 3 so that the surface may become horizontal It is arranged inside the body 3a.

  Further, a seal member 11 that is in contact with the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body 3a is provided at the outer peripheral end of the stage 5, and the sliding property between the stage 5 and the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body 3a is improved. It has a sealing property. As the seal member 11, for example, ceramic wool having heat resistance and flexibility can be used. By providing the sealing member 11, it is possible to prevent the metal powder P supplied from a powder supply unit 35 described later from leaking under the stage 5.

  The stage support 6 is composed of a plate-like bottom portion 6a having a surface parallel to the surface of the stage 5, and a side wall portion 6b erected in the Z direction on the side facing the X direction of the bottom portion 6a. The opened cross section is constituted by a U-shaped member. The bottom 6a is formed of a quadrangular member having an area larger than the cross-sectional area of the surface perpendicular to the Z direction of the cylindrical body 3a of the modeling frame 3, and the side wall 6b is a plate having a rectangular surface. It is comprised by the member of. The stage support 6 supports the stage 5 on the surface of the bottom 6a on the side where the side wall 6b is provided via the heat insulation structure including the first heat insulation structure 26 and the second heat insulation structure 27. The side wall portion 6b is arranged so as not to block the surface that becomes the outlet of the modeling frame 3.

  The first heat insulating structure 26 and the second heat insulating structure 27 are arranged in this order on the bottom 6 a of the stage support 6, and the stage 5 is fixed to the upper surface of the second heat insulating structure 27. . As the first heat insulating structure 26, a material having low thermal conductivity can be used, and for example, refractory bricks, ceramics, or the like can be used. Moreover, as the 2nd heat insulation structure 27, a metal material with low heat conductivity can be used, for example, stainless steel can be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the space part 27a is formed in the inside of the 2nd heat insulation structure 27, and while being reduced in weight, heat conduction is suppressed.

  The Z drive mechanism support section 7 is composed of a first Z drive mechanism support section 7A and a second Z drive mechanism support section 7B that are arranged at positions sandwiching the stage support 6. The first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A and the second Z drive mechanism support portion 7B are respectively a plate-like bottom portion 7a fixed to the upper surface of the base 30 provided on the bottom side of the vacuum vessel 2, and sides of the end portions of the bottom portion 7a. The cross section which consists of the side wall part 7b standingly arranged in the Z direction is comprised by the L-shaped member. The first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A and the second Z drive mechanism support portion 7B are fixed to the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel 2 on the opposite side to the side where the side wall portion 7b of the bottom portion 7a is provided. Each side wall part 7b is arrange | positioned so that the side wall part 6b of the stage support body 6 may be followed. Further, Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B are provided on the opposing surfaces of the side wall portion 7b of the first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A and the second Z drive mechanism support portion 7B and the side wall portion 6b of the stage support body 6, respectively. . Since the configurations of the Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B are the same, here, the Z drive mechanism 12A is shown as a representative, and the structure thereof will be described.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the Z drive mechanism 12A. The Z drive mechanism 12A shown in FIG. 3 represents a state in which the Z drive mechanism 12A is viewed in the X direction from between the first Z drive mechanism support 7A and the Z drive mechanism 12A.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the Z drive mechanism 12A includes a guide member 12a attached to the first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A side, a ball screw 32A, a drive portion 31A, and a slide member 34A attached to the stage support body 6 side. And have. The Z drive mechanism 12A is a linear roller guide in which a roller is used at a contact portion between the guide member 12a and the slide member 34A.

  The guide member 12a includes two guide shafts 12a1 and 12a2 fixed in parallel to the side wall portion 7b of the first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A along the Z direction. Similarly to the guide shafts 12a1 and 12a2, the ball screw 32A is arranged in the Z direction on the side wall portion 7b of the first Z drive mechanism support portion 7A, and a drive portion 31A such as a motor is connected to one end. The ball screw 32A receives the driving force of the driving unit 31A and rotates forward or backward.

  The slide member 34A moves in the Z direction (up and down direction) along (guided with) the two guide shafts 12a1 and 12a2 in accordance with the rotation of the ball screw 32A. The slide member 34A has, for example, a flat plate shape having a plane parallel to the YZ plane in accordance with the shapes of the side wall 6b of the stage support 6 and the side wall 7b of the first Z drive mechanism support 7A. The side wall 6b of the stage support 6 is fixed to at least a plane parallel to the YZ plane of the slide member 34A. Therefore, the stage support 6 moves in the Z direction as the slide member 34A moves in the Z direction, and the position (height) of the stage 5 in the Z direction inside the cylindrical body 3a of the modeling frame 3 changes.

  Similarly to the Z drive mechanism 12A, the Z drive mechanism 12B also includes a guide member 12b composed of two guide shafts, a ball screw 32B, a slide member 34B, and a drive unit 31B such as a motor (see FIG. 1). ). The slide member 34B moves in the Z direction while being guided by the two guide shafts of the guide member 12b according to the rotation of the ball screw 32B. Similarly to the slide member 34A, the slide member 34B has a flat plate shape having a plane parallel to the YZ plane as an example. The side wall 6b of the stage support 6 is fixed to at least a surface parallel to the YZ plane of the slide member 34B. The driving of the slide member 13A of the Z drive mechanism 12A and the slide member 34B of the Z drive mechanism 12B is controlled so that the stage 5 is parallel (horizontal) to the XY plane.

  In the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 having such Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B, when the stroke of the stage support 6 (stage 5) in the Z direction is about 600 mm, the stage 5 swings in the lateral direction at room temperature. The amount is as small as 3 μm to several μm. Then, the stage support 6 is slid in the Z direction with respect to the Z drive mechanism support portion 7 by such Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B, so that the stage 5 moves in the Z direction.

  The base 30 is a table on which the Z drive mechanism support 7 is placed, and a hole (pit) 30a having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the bottom 6a of the stage support 6 is formed in the center. The stage support 6 is moved in the Z direction inside the first and second Z drive mechanism support portions 7A and 7B and in the pit 30a by the Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B.

  Further, between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 3a of the modeling frame 3 and the side wall portion 6b of the stage support 6, and the end of the cylindrical body 3a of the modeling frame 3 on the base 30 side and the bottom of the stage support 6 A heat shielding plate 41 is provided between 6a. Although the temperature around the modeling frame 3 becomes high, infrared rays (radiant heat) in a vacuum atmosphere are shielded by the heat shielding plate 41. As a material for forming the heat shielding plate 41, aluminum having a relatively good thermoelectric power and easily forming a reflecting surface can be used.

  The heat shielding plate 41 is in contact with the Z drive mechanism support portion 7 cooled by the cooling pipe 42 through a connection member 41a formed of a material having high thermal conductivity. The upper part of the heat shielding plate 41 and the upper ends of the side wall parts 7b of the Z drive mechanism support part 7 are connected so as not to hinder the movement of the connection member 41a and the stage support body 6. In the cooling pipe 42, cooling water or the like flows inside the pipe, and is arranged along the surface opposite to the side facing the stage support 6 of the side wall 7 b of the Z drive mechanism support 7. Further, a heat insulating material 44 is arranged on the lower surface of the collar portion 3 b of the modeling frame 3, and the collar portion 3 b of the modeling frame 3 is placed on the upper end of the side wall portion 7 b of the Z drive mechanism support portion 7 via the heat insulating material 44. It is fixed. In this manner, the heat shielding plate 41 and the heat insulating material 44 can prevent heat from being radiated from the modeling frame 3 to the Z drive mechanism support portion 7 and heat conduction.

  The leveling member moving mechanism 10 is provided on the upper surface side of the collar portion 3b of the modeling frame 3, and includes a first rotating mechanism 10A and a second rotating mechanism 10B arranged with the stage 5 interposed therebetween. The first rotating mechanism 10 </ b> A includes a pair of gears 13 disposed at a position sandwiching the stage 5 in a moving direction (X direction) of a leveling member 19 described later, and a first belt portion 14 stretched between the pair of gears 13. It consists of Similarly to the first rotating mechanism 10A, the second rotating mechanism 10B has a pair of gears 17 disposed at a position sandwiching the stage 5 in a moving direction (X direction) of a leveling member 19 described later and the pair of gears 17. It is comprised by the 2nd belt part 16 stretched around. As the first belt portion 14 and the second belt portion 16, for example, a chain belt or a heat-resistant toothed belt can be used. As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second rotating mechanisms 10A and 10B are configured so that each of the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 travels in the X direction above the stage 5 on the XY plane. The stage 5 is disposed along the side in the X direction.

  The pair of gears 13 constituting the first rotation mechanism 10A and the pair of gears 17 constituting the second rotation mechanism 10B have the same shape. In addition, one of the pair of gears 13 constituting the first rotating mechanism 10A and one of the pair of gears 17 constituting the second rotating mechanism 10B are arranged side by side in the Y direction and connected to the same rotating shaft 15a. Has been. Further, the other of the pair of gears 13 constituting the first rotating mechanism 10A and the other of the pair of gears 17 constituting the second rotating mechanism 10B are arranged side by side in the Y direction and connected to the same rotating shaft 15b. Has been. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating shaft 15 a is connected to a motor 18 disposed outside the vacuum vessel 2. The rotary shaft 15b is also connected to a motor arranged outside the vacuum vessel 2, although not shown. The rotational driving force from the motor 18 is introduced into the vacuum vessel 2 by feedthrough using an O-ring such as a rotation introducing machine.

  In FIG. 2, one end of the rotating shaft 15 a is connected to the motor 18 and the other end is not supported, but the other end is also rotatably supported on the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel 2. It is good also as a structure. In the present embodiment, both the rotation shafts 15a and 15b are connected to the motor. However, at least one of the two rotation shafts 15a and 15b may be connected to the motor.

  In such a configuration, by driving the motor 18 and rotating the gears 13 and 17, the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 of the first and second rotating mechanisms 10A and 10B are rotated. At this time, the same-shaped gears 13 and 17 adjacent in the Y direction rotate at the same speed, so that the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 in the first and second rotation mechanisms 10A and 10B have the same speed. Rotate. In the leveling member moving mechanism 10 having such a configuration, the leveling member 19 can be moved in the X direction by supporting the leveling member 19 described later between the first and second belt portions 14 and 16. . In this specification, in FIG. 1, the 1st and 2nd belt parts 14 and 16 shall rotate clockwise, and the leveling member 19 which moves the side close | similar to the stage 5 is the powder supply part 35 side mentioned later. The following explanation will be given on the assumption that the powder is moved from the powder collection box 40 side (from the right side to the left side in FIG. 1).

  FIG. 4 is a side view of the leveling member 19. The leveling member 19 is provided at the moving part 20 that moves with the rotation of the first and second belt parts 14, 16, the blade part 21 supported by the moving part 20, and both end parts of the moving part 20. A support member 22 and auxiliary wheels 23 are provided.

  The moving unit 20 is supported with respect to the support member 22 with a degree of freedom of rotation. The support members 22 are provided at both end portions orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving unit 20, and the respective support members 22 provided at both end portions of the moving unit 20 are the first belt unit 14 and the second belt unit 14. It is fixed to the belt portion 16. At this time, the moving unit 20 is fixed to the first belt unit 14 and the second belt unit 16 so that the longitudinal direction of the moving unit 20 is balanced and the end of the blade unit 21 on the stage 5 side is horizontal. . The moving unit 20 is fixed to the first and second belt units 14 and 16, thereby moving with the rotation of the first and second belt units 14 and 16.

  As with the support member 22, the auxiliary wheels 23 are provided at positions closer to the stage 5 than the support member 22 at both end portions in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving unit 20. The auxiliary wheel 23 is rotatably attached by a rotating shaft 25. In the present embodiment, two auxiliary wheels 23 are provided at each side end of the moving unit 20, and the two auxiliary wheels 23 provided at the side end are in the moving direction of the moving unit 20. Are arranged side by side.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the rail 24 is disposed along the side of the stage 5 in the X direction (that is, the moving direction of the leveling member 19) in the region outside the region where the stage 5 is disposed. Has been. When the moving unit 20 moves near the stage 5, the auxiliary wheel 23 is fitted to a rail 24 provided on the side of the stage 5 and rotates on the rail 24. Thereby, the movement of the moving unit 20 in the Z direction is restricted, and the movement of the moving unit 20 in the X direction is stabilized.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the blade portion 21 is composed of three blades of first to third blades 21 a to 21 c. The first to third blades 21 a to 21 c are configured by rectangular members, and are fixed to the moving unit 20 so that the longitudinal direction thereof extends in the width direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the leveling member 19. Further, the first to third blades 21a to 21c are supported by the moving unit 20 at a predetermined interval in the X direction, and the first to third blades 21a to 21c are moved from the leading side in the moving direction of the leveling member 19 (that is, the left side in FIG. The first blade 21a, the second blade 21b, and the third blade 21c are arranged in this order.

  In the present embodiment, the first blade 21a is composed of an inflexible plate member, and the second blade 21b is composed of a flexible plate member. The third blade 21c is made of a flexible member that is more easily elastically deformed than the second blade 21b, and the side on the stage 5 side is curved in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the leveling member 19. . Furthermore, the first to third blades 21a to 21c are formed of the same material as the metal powder P described later. The first to third blades 21a to 21c move in the X direction while scraping a metal powder P discharged from a powder tank 34, which will be described later, along with the movement of the moving unit 20, and the scraped metal powder P is moved to the stage 5 Cover the top surface.

  By configuring the first blade 21a with a non-flexible, relatively hard plate-like member, the metal powder P scraped from the powder receiver 37 described later when the metal powder P supplied from the powder tank 34 is carried. It is possible to prevent the blade from being bent due to the weight. Thereby, the metal powder P can be conveyed to the entire stage 5. In addition, by configuring the first blade 21a with an inflexible member, in the step of laying the metal powder P in the second layer and thereafter, powder recovery, which will be described later, such as molten pieces formed on the stage 5 is performed. It can be carried to the box 40 side.

  On the other hand, the surface of the metal powder P can be leveled more flatly by configuring the second blade 21b with a flexible and relatively soft plate-like member. Further, the third blade 21c is formed of a flexible plate-like member that is more easily elastically deformed than the plate-like member constituting the second blade 21b, and the end side closer to the stage 5 is the moving direction of the moving unit 20. The shape is curved in the opposite direction. Thereby, the surface of the metal powder P on the stage 5 can be further flattened.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the leveling members 19 are arranged one by one on the half circumference of the rotating first and second belt portions 14 and 16. As a result, when one of the leveling members 19 is moved from the right to the left on the upper surface of the stage 5, the other leveling member 19 is moved from the left to the right. It can be made to stand by in the vicinity of the part 35, and the spread process of the metal powder P can be performed efficiently.

  The powder supply unit 35 includes a funnel-shaped powder tank 34 filled with the metal powder P, and a metering discharger 36 provided at a discharge port for discharging the metal powder P in the powder tank 34. The powder tank 34 is arranged outside the collar portion 3b of the modeling frame 3, and its discharge port is a stage so that the metal powder P is discharged to a powder receiver 37 provided along the side in the Y direction of the collar portion 3b. 5 along the side in the Y direction.

  The metering discharger 36 is composed of, for example, a screw rotated by a motor, and adjusts the discharge amount of the metal powder P discharged from the discharge port to the powder receiver 37. For example, the weight of the metal powder P discharged to the powder receiver 37 is measured by a weight measuring device (not shown) provided in the powder receiver 37, and a necessary amount of the metal powder P is measured based on the weight. The discharger 36 measures and discharges. From the metering discharger 36, it is preferable that one layer of powder spread on the stage 5 is supplied to the powder receiver 37.

  The powder receiver 37 is insulated from the collar portion 3 b of the modeling frame 3 in order to avoid conduction of heat generated when the modeling frame 3 is preheated by the heater 4. The powder receiver 37 is formed of a material having a low thermal conductivity, or the powder receiver 37 is arranged one step higher than the collar portion 3b so as not to contact the collar portion 3b of the modeling frame 3. The collar part 3b of the modeling frame 3 can be insulated. By insulating the powder receiver 37 from the modeling frame 3, it is possible to prevent the supplied metal powder P from being sintered on the powder receiver 37.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the metal powder P supplied to the powder receiver 37 by the blade portion 21 of the leveling member 19 is scraped, and the scraped metal powder P is spread on the stage 5. Accordingly, the position of the leveling member moving mechanism 10 and the height (position) of the powder receiver 37 are adjusted so that the track of the leveling member 19 passes above the powder receiver 37.

  The powder collection box 40 is provided on the opposite side of the powder supply unit 35 with the stage 5 interposed therebetween, and is provided on the outer side of the collar portion 3 b of the modeling frame 3. As the leveling member 19 moves in one direction, surplus metal powder P scraped by the blade portion 21 is finally collected in the powder collection box 40. In the present embodiment, although not shown in the drawings, the powder recovery box 40 includes a powder classifier configured with a sieve or the like, and unnecessary substances such as coarse molten pieces scraped by the blade portion 21 are removed by the powder classifier. The classified powder can be recovered.

  The modeling unit 50 is composed of an electron gun, and is mounted on the upper surface of the vacuum vessel 2 so that the electron beam emission faces the surface of the stage 5. In the present embodiment, the electron beam emitted from the modeling unit 50 is scanned two-dimensionally on the surface of the stage 5. By emitting the electron beam, the metal powder P supplied to the surface of the stage 5 is melted, and the melted metal powders P are solidified while being joined. Thereby, the solidified layer of a desired shape can be formed, and the three-dimensional structure M can be formed by repeating the formation of the solidified layer.

[1-2. Operation of 3D additive manufacturing equipment]
Next, operation | movement of the three-dimensional layered modeling apparatus 1 at the time of manufacture of the molded article M is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view at the time of laying the metal powder P on top of the stage 5. FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the stage support 6 has moved to the lowest end of the movement range. 1, 2, 5, and 6 show the cross-sectional configuration after repeating the spread of the metal powder P and the melting and solidification of the metal powder P a plurality of times, but in the following, in the first layer The process of spreading the metal powder P will be described.

  First, the Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B are adjusted so that the surface of the stage 5 has substantially the same height as the surface of the collar portion 3b of the modeling frame 3. Next, the cylindrical body 3 a of the modeling frame 3 is preheated by the heater 4. By preheating the cylindrical body 3a of the modeling frame 3, the stage 5 and the surrounding atmosphere are preheated. Next, a predetermined amount of the metal powder P is discharged from the powder tank 34 by the metering discharger 36. The discharged metal powder P is mainly supplied to the upper part of the powder receiver 37.

  Next, by rotating the motor 18, the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 of the leveling member moving mechanism 10 are rotated, and the leveling member 19 is moved. In the present embodiment, the leveling member 19 scrapes off the metal powder P supplied onto the powder receiver 37, and carries the scraped metal powder P onto the stage 5. For this reason, when the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 start to rotate, one of the two leveling members 19 is closer to the powder receiver 37 (on the right side in FIG. 1). Adjust so that it is located at the top.

  As the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 rotate, the leveling member 19 located on the upper side of the gear near the powder receiver 37 moves the blade portion 21 to the moving portion as shown by the broken line in FIG. It moves clockwise while being held at the lower end surface of 20. As a result, the blade portion 21 moves while scraping the metal powder P on the powder receiver 37, and when the leveling member 19 reaches the lowest point on the gear, the auxiliary portions provided on both side ends of the moving portion 20 are provided. The wheel 23 is fitted to the rail 24. Then, as the auxiliary wheels 23 are guided by the rails 24, the leveling member 19 moves horizontally while maintaining the height determined by the track of the rails 24. At this time, the gap between the tip of the leveling member 19 on the stage 5 side of the blade portion 21 and the surface of the collar portion 3b of the modeling frame 3 is the thickness of the first layer of the modeled object M to be created. Then, as the leveling member 19 moves in the X direction, the first layer of the metal powder P is supplied while being leveled flat on the upper surface of the stage 5.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the metal powder P is supplied onto the stage 5 by moving the leveling member 19 from the right side to the left side, and then the surplus metal powder P scraped by the blade portion 21 is collected into the powder. Collected in box 40. As one leveling member 19 moves from the right side to the left side while leveling the upper part of the stage 5, as shown in FIG. 5, the other leveling member 19 moves from the left side to the right side. Then, the spread of the metal powder P is finished, and the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 are rotated in a state where the two leveling members 19 are distributed to both sides (right and left) of the leveling member moving mechanism 10 in the X direction. Stop. Thereafter, an electron beam is emitted from the modeling unit 50 in a state where the leveling member 19 does not exist on the modeling frame 3 (a state shown in FIG. 1).

  The modeling unit 50 generates an electron beam based on two-dimensional data obtained by slicing three-dimensional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data of a target object to be manufactured by the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 into a certain thickness (Δz thickness). Scanning and melting the metal powder P. Then, when the molten metal powders P are joined and solidified, a one-dimensional shaped object M is formed.

  Subsequently, the stage 5 is lowered by Δz by the Z drive mechanisms 12A and 12B. Then, a predetermined amount of metal powder P is supplied from the powder tank 34 to the powder receiver 37, and the motor 18 is driven to rotate the first and second belt portions 14, 16 to move the leveling member 19. Then, again, the metal powder P is spread on the stage 5 in the same manner as in the first layer. In the spreading process of the metal powder P in the second layer, the leveling member 19 stopped at the upper end side of the right gear in FIG. 1 is used when the spreading process of the metal powder P in the first layer is completed. It is done. Thus, in this embodiment, the leveling member 19 is provided one by one every half circumference of the first and second belt portions 14 and 16, so that each time the first and second belt portions 14 and 16 are rotated halfway. Since the metal powder P can be spread on the surface, the working efficiency can be increased.

  Then, after the second layer of metal powder P is spread, an electron beam is scanned based on the two-dimensional data corresponding to the second layer to melt the metal powder P. At this time, the molten metal powder P is bonded to each other, and the molten metal powder P is also bonded to the first solidified layer to be solidified. As a result, a two-layer shaped object M is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the metal powder P is spread while the stage 5 is lowered in the Z direction by moving the stage support 6 in the Z direction with respect to the Z drive mechanism support 7, and the metal powder P The desired shaped article M is formed by repeatedly performing melting and solidification of the above.

  In the present embodiment, the blade portion 21 is composed of three blades including the first to third blades 21a to 21c, so that the metal powder P can be compared with a case where the metal powder P is spread with a single blade. The flatness of the layer can be increased. For this reason, in this embodiment, it is possible to form a sufficiently flat metal powder P layer by moving the leveling member 19 once in one direction on the upper surface of the stage 5. In addition, the first blade 21a arranged at the head in the moving direction is made of a non-flexible member and is made of a material that can withstand the weight of the metal powder P scraped off on the powder receiver 37, so that the metal powder P Can be carried to the end of the upper surface of the stage 5.

  By the way, in the laying process of the metal powder P in the second and subsequent layers, molten dust generated in the melting / solidifying process may be mixed in the lower layer. In the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the first blade 21a arranged at the head in the movement direction in the blade portion 21 is configured by an inflexible member. For this reason, the first blade 21a serves to move the metal powder P supplied to the powder receiver 37 onto the stage 5 and to move molten dust remaining in the lower layer to the powder collection box 40 side. Then, by configuring the second and third blades 21b and 21c with flexible members, the metal powder P can be flattened on the stage 5 while leveling. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the third blade 21c is made of a flexible member, and the end side near the stage 5 is curved in the direction opposite to the moving direction, so that the surface of the metal powder P Can be made even more flat and the finish can be made cleaner.

  Conventionally, the blade is made of, for example, SUS (Steel Use Stainless), which has excellent heat resistance. However, when a powder material other than SUS is used, the worn blade material is mixed into the molded object as an impurity. There is a risk. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the first to third blades 21a to 21c are made of the same material as the metal powder P or an equivalent material, thereby preventing mixing of different materials into the formed object M to be created. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the blade portion 21 is configured by the first to third blades 21a to 21c having different stiffnesses and shapes, but the blade portion 21 may be configured by using a plurality of blades having the same stiffness and shape. Good. The blade portion 21 may be any configuration as long as the metal powder P can be leveled only by moving once on the stage 5 in one direction, and various changes can be made.

[1-3. Variation of leveling member]
FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of a leveling member according to a modification. In FIG. 7, parts corresponding to those in FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view when the leveling member 60 is viewed from the moving direction (X direction) of the leveling member 60.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the leveling member 60 according to the modification shows an example in which a blade portion 63 is configured by a plurality of (two in FIG. 7) blades 61 and 62 having different shapes. The leveling member 60 includes a moving unit 20 and first and second blades 61 and 62 that are comb-shaped and supported by the moving unit 20. The tooth portion of the first blade 61 and the tooth portion of the second blade 62 are formed to have different widths, and the first and second blades 61 and 62 have the tooth portion of the first blade 61 of the second blade 62. It arrange | positions so that the clearance gap between two adjacent tooth parts may be covered. In the modification, the first and second blades 61 and 62 are preferably made of the same material as the metal powder P used.

  As described above, by using two comb-shaped blades 61 and 62, it is possible to remove unnecessary molten pieces and spread the metal powder P while leveling the surface flat. By providing the two blades on the moving part 20, the metal powder P can be leveled flatly by moving the leveling member 60 once on the stage 5.

<2. Second Embodiment: Three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus having a powder pump>
FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 70 of this embodiment is an example in which a powder pump 71 is added to the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, parts corresponding to those in FIG.

  The powder pump 71 is configured by an apparatus that can automatically transport the metal powder P, such as a screw pump, and is disposed so as to transport the powder from the powder recovery box 40 to the powder tank 34. The powder pump 71 is disposed at a position that does not interfere with the manufacturing process, for example, on the opposite side of the modeling frame 3 from the outlet of the modeling object M. The powder pump 71 is driven by a motor 73 fixed to a motor mounting base 74 attached to the powder recovery box 40, for example. By driving the motor 73, in the powder recovery box 40, the metal powder P that has been classified by being removed by the foreign matter is passed to the powder tank 34.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the metal powder P excessively scraped off by the blade portion 21 in the laying process can be recovered and used again for the creation of the shaped object M, and the surplus powder can be automatically recycled. is there. In addition, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 70 of the present embodiment also has the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the metal powder is used as the powder material. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as the powder material, ceramic, resin, or the like can be used in addition to a metal material. The plurality of blades constituting the blade portion may be made of different materials.

  In the first and second embodiments, the electron gun is used as the modeling unit 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the modeling unit 50 may be a laser light source that oscillates laser light, an ion gun that generates an ion beam, an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays, or the like. Further, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus having a configuration in which droplets are discharged onto a powder material to solidify the powder material. In the first and second embodiments, since the electron gun is used as the modeling unit 50, the stage 5 is arranged in the vacuum vessel 2 evacuated. However, a laser light source is used as the modeling unit 50. When using, the manufacturing process of a molded article can be performed in air | atmosphere.

  As mentioned above, this invention is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary described in the claim.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Three-dimensional layered modeling apparatus, 2 ... Vacuum container, 3 ... Modeling frame, 3a ... Cylindrical body, 3b ... Collar part, 4 ... Heater, 5 ... Stage , 6 ... stage support, 7 ... Z drive mechanism support, 7A ... first Z drive mechanism support, 7B ... second Z drive mechanism support, 10 ... leveling member moving mechanism DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10A ... 1st rotation mechanism, 10B ... 2nd rotation mechanism, 11 ... Seal member, 12A, 12B ... Z drive mechanism, 12a ... Guide member, 13, 17 ... Gear , 13A ... slide member, 14 ... first belt part, 16 ... second belt part, 18 ... motor, 19 ... leveling member, 20 ... moving part, 21 ... -Blade part, 21a ... 1st blade, 21b ... 2nd blade, 21c ... 3rd blade, 22 ... Holding member, 23 ... auxiliary wheel, 24 ... rail, 26 ... first heat insulating structure, 27 ... second heat insulating structure, 30 ... foundation, 34 ... powder tank, 35 ... Powder supply unit, 36 ... Weighing discharger, 40 ... Powder recovery box, 41 ... Heat shield, 42 ... Cooling pipe, 44 ... Heat insulation, 50 ... Modeling Part, 63 ... blade part, 70 ... three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus, 71 ... powder pump, 73 ... motor

Claims (12)

A stage for holding a powder material for forming a shaped object on the surface;
A powder supply unit provided in the vicinity of the stage for supplying the powder material;
A moving unit that is above the stage and moves in a direction parallel to the surface of the stage;
A three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a blade portion that is provided in the moving portion and includes a plurality of blades extending in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the moving portion. A first rotation mechanism disposed on the upper surface side of the stage and having a first belt portion that rotates;
A second belt portion disposed on the upper surface side of the stage and having a rotating second belt portion, wherein the extending direction of the second belt portion is parallel to the extending direction of the first belt portion; A rotation mechanism,
The said moving part is supported between the said 1st belt part and the said 2nd belt part, and moves the upper surface side of the said stage with rotation of the said 1st and 2nd belt part. 3D additive manufacturing equipment. Two moving parts are arranged between the first and second belt parts, and the two moving parts are arranged one by one for each half circumference of the rotating first and second belt parts. 3. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to 2. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of blades have different stiffnesses and / or shapes. The blade portion is provided on the leading side in the moving direction, and is provided on the rear side of the first blade with respect to the moving direction by a first blade made of an inflexible material. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second blade made of a material. The blade portion further includes
The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a third blade that is provided on a rear side of the second blade with respect to the moving direction and has a side that is in contact with the powder material curved in a direction opposite to the moving direction. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades are made of the same material as the powder material. The said powder supply part is provided with the powder tank with which the powder material was filled, and the measurement discharger provided in the discharge port which discharges | emits the powder material of the said powder tank, The three-dimensional in any one of Claims 1-7 Additive manufacturing equipment. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a powder recovery box that recovers an excess powder material remaining after laying a powder material on the upper surface of the stage at the blade portion. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the powder recovery box includes a powder classifier that removes unnecessary substances. The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of Claim 9 or 10 provided with the powder pump which automatically conveys the powder material collect | recovered with the said powder collection | recovery box to the said powder supply part again. The stage includes a cylindrical body that is movable in the axial direction inside, a modeling frame that is heated by a heater from the outside,
The three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a powder receiver provided near the discharge port of the powder tank and insulated from the modeling frame.

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