JP2015202597A - Molding device and molding method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a molding device that has good heat energy efficiency and can be reduced in size, and a molding method.SOLUTION: A molding device 1 includes a stage 2, a tape conveying mechanism 6 that conveys a flexible molding material 10 to a molding position on the stage 2, a discharge mechanism 7 that discharges on the molding material 10 conveyed to the molding position, and a moving mechanism 4 that relatively moves the molding position to the stage 2; and the molding device is configured to melt a tip of the molding material 10 by discharge to stack layers of the material.

Description

  The present invention relates to a modeling apparatus and a modeling method.

Conventionally, a modeling apparatus (so-called 3D printer) that generates a three-dimensional modeled object based on input data is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a substrate and a dispensing head, and these substrate and dispensing head are relatively movable. A solid rod, which is a modeling material, is supplied to the dispensing head, the solid rod is heated to the melting point in the dispensing head, and is dispensed from the nozzle of the dispensing head in a flowing state.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-158228

  By the way, in an apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, a solid rod (modeling material) supplied into a dispensing head is melted, and a molten material is dispensed at a predetermined position to form a three-dimensional structure. . In such a configuration, it is necessary to reliably melt the modeling material, and there is a problem that the configuration of the heating unit is increased. Further, since the amount of heat necessary for melting is increased, energy efficiency is also deteriorated. Further, since it is necessary to extrude the modeling material in a molten state, there is a problem that the heating time for complete melting becomes longer, and maintenance such as cleaning becomes complicated if the molten processed material remains in the nozzle.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a modeling apparatus and a modeling method that have good thermal energy efficiency and can be miniaturized.

  The modeling apparatus of the present invention includes a feeding mechanism that conveys flexible modeling material to a modeling position on a stage, a discharge mechanism that discharges the modeling material conveyed to the modeling position, and the modeling position. And a moving mechanism for moving the stage relative to the stage.

In this invention, a modeling material is conveyed to the modeling position on a stage, and it fuse | melts by discharging with a discharge mechanism with respect to the conveyed modeling material, for example, front-end | tip part. Thereby, only the required part of modeling material can be fuse | melted, and the fuse | melted modeling material can be laminated | stacked on a modeling position. And the modeling position with respect to a stage is moved by a moving mechanism, the lamination position of modeling material is changed sequentially, and the modeling object of a desired shape can be modeled by repeating said modeling process.
In addition, the modeling position on the stage in the present invention includes not only the predetermined position on the stage as the modeling position but also the predetermined position in the modeled object modeled on the stage as the modeling position.
In such this invention, what is necessary is just to discharge locally to the modeling position of the front-end | tip part of modeling material, and to make it melt | dissolve, and it is not necessary to fuse | melt all the modeling material. Therefore, for example, compared with the structure which extrudes the modeling material of a molten state, the required thermal energy is less, the time for heating gas can also be shortened, and energy efficiency is good. Further, the apparatus can be downsized without requiring a large melting mechanism for melting the modeling material. Furthermore, since the molten modeling material does not remain in the modeling apparatus, cleaning or the like for removing the residual material is unnecessary, and maintenance is facilitated.

In the modeling apparatus of the present invention, the modeling material is preferably a tape-shaped material having a rectangular cross section.
In the present invention, a tape-shaped modeling material is used. In a modeling material having a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section, the thickness dimension varies depending on the position, and the thickness of the modeling material stacked at the modeling position varies. On the other hand, since the thickness dimension is uniform in the tape-shaped material having a rectangular cross section, the thickness dimension when laminated at the modeling position is also uniform, and a modeled object with high accuracy can be modeled.
Further, the modeling material that is sequentially sent out is usually stored by being wound around a cylindrical core (bobbin), but when a modeling material having a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section is wound around the bobbin, as described above. Since the cross-sectional thickness dimension of the modeling material having a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section varies depending on the position, a gap is generated even when the modeling material is wound around the bobbin so as to be adjacent to each other. On the other hand, when a tape-shaped modeling material is wound around a bobbin, the tape surface and the back surface of the tape can be closely attached and wound around the bobbin. The volume occupancy can be improved as compared with the case of using. That is, as compared with the case of using a modeling material having a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section, the space for storing the modeling material can be reduced, and the apparatus can be further downsized.

In the modeling material of the present invention, the modeling material preferably has an aspect ratio of 10 or more in a tape thickness dimension and a tape width dimension in a cross-sectional view.
In the present invention, the aspect ratio (tape width dimension / tape thickness dimension) is 10 or more.
Here, when the aspect ratio is less than 10, it can be considered that the tape thickness dimension is too large with respect to the tape width dimension and the tape width dimension is too small with respect to the tape thickness dimension. In the former case, the flexibility of the modeling material is insufficient, and the conveyance handling property of the modeling material by the feeding mechanism is deteriorated. In the latter case, twisting or the like occurs, and conveyance handling properties deteriorate. On the other hand, by setting the aspect ratio to 10 or more as described above, the conveyance efficiency of the flexible modeling material can be improved, and the modeling material can be efficiently conveyed to a desired modeling position. Can do.

The modeling apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said discharge mechanism is equipped with the scanning mechanism part which performs the discharge with respect to the said modeling material from the same height along the tape width direction of the said modeling material.
In the present invention, only a part of the tape-shaped modeling material is melted by discharging the part in the width direction. At this time, the discharge position can be easily moved with respect to the tape width direction by providing a scanning mechanism that can discharge the modeling material from the same height. In addition, the tape-shaped modeling material can be reliably melted in the width direction and can be used without waste. Furthermore, when the discharge position is moved along the length direction (conveyance direction) of the modeling material, the discharge is performed on the modeling material feeding mechanism side (upstream side in the conveyance direction), so that the discharge position is unintended. Melting of the modeling material can occur. In contrast, when the discharge position is moved in the width direction, melting of the modeling material on the upstream side in the transport direction can be suppressed, and a modeled object with high accuracy can be modeled.

The modeling apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said discharge mechanism sprays the shielding gas which covers the said discharge on the said modeling material.
Here, the shielding gas is an inert gas such as argon or helium, or a mixed gas obtained by mixing an inert gas and an active gas such as hydrogen, and an appropriate gas is used depending on the form of discharge. .
In this invention, since shielding gas is sprayed on modeling material, the modeling material and electric discharge which are fuse | melted are interrupted | blocked from air | atmosphere, and the oxidation and nitridation of the melted part of modeling material can be prevented. In particular, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of blowholes in which nitrogen dissolves into the melted portion, and this nitrogen precipitates all at once during solidification and becomes bubbles and solidifies in the solidified portion. Further, when an arc or plasma state is generated by discharge, a plasma state can be generated by the shielding gas itself, or the formed arc can be maintained well.

The modeling apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said modeling material is comprised with the metal.
Since the present invention uses a metal material as a modeling material, a high-strength modeling object can be modeled.

The modeling apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said modeling material is made incombustible or incombustible.
In the present invention, the metal modeling material is subjected to flame retardant treatment or non-flammability treatment. Therefore, when the heated gas is sprayed, the metal material is less likely to cause a chemical reaction due to combustion, and a high-quality model can be modeled.

The modeling apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said modeling material is comprised with resin which has electroconductivity.
In the present invention, a mixture of a resin material and a conductive material is used as a modeling material. The resin material has a lower melting point than the metal material, and can reduce the electrical energy required for discharge. Therefore, the structure of the discharge mechanism can be made simpler, and the downsizing of the apparatus can be further promoted.

The modeling method of the present invention transports a flexible modeling material to a modeling position on a stage, and discharges the modeling material conveyed to the modeling position to melt the tip portion to form the modeling material. The modeling material is formed by stacking the modeling material at a position and changing the stacking position of the modeling material by moving the modeling position.
In the present invention, similarly to the above-described invention, the modeling material is transported to the modeling position on the stage, and the transported modeling material is discharged, whereby the modeling material is melted and laminated at the modeling position. By repeating this by moving the modeling position, a modeled object having a desired shape can be modeled. In addition, since it is only necessary to discharge to the modeling position of the modeling material, for example, the modeling material does not need to melt all of the modeling material, for example, compared to a configuration in which the modeling material in a molten state is extruded, less thermal energy is required Energy efficiency can be improved. In addition, a large melting apparatus for melting the modeling material is not required, and the apparatus can be downsized.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the modeling apparatus of this embodiment. The perspective view which shows schematic structure of the modeling material used by this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the cassette of this embodiment. The figure which shows the structural example of the rocking | swiveling part for scanning a discharge part to a tape width direction. The flowchart which shows the modeling method (modeling process) of the molded article using the modeling apparatus of this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the process in which a molded article is formed by modeling process in this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the storage structure of the modeling material in other embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the sending roller at the time of using the thread-shaped modeling material in other embodiment.

Hereinafter, a modeling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Schematic configuration of modeling equipment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a modeling apparatus according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the modeling apparatus 1 (laminated modeling apparatus) includes a stage 2, a modeling head 3, a moving mechanism 4, and a controller 5.
The modeling apparatus 1 is an apparatus that models a three-dimensional structure by stacking the modeling material 10 on the stage 2 in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the modeling data input from the data output device such as a personal computer to the controller 5. It is. Specifically, the controller 5 controls the movement mechanism 4 based on the modeling data to move the modeling head 3 to a predetermined modeling position P. Then, the controller 5 controls the modeling head 3 to melt and laminate the modeling material 10 at the modeling position P on the stage 2 (including the modeling position P of the modeled object on the stage 2).
Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail.

[Configuration of stage 2]
The stage 2 is a pedestal for modeling a modeled object, and includes, for example, a plane on which the modeled object is placed.

[Configuration of modeling head 3]
The modeling head 3 is provided so as to be movable by the moving mechanism 4 with respect to the stage 2 and includes a tape transport mechanism 6 and a discharge mechanism 7 as shown in FIG.
[Configuration of Tape Transport Mechanism 6]
The tape transport mechanism 6 constitutes the feed mechanism of the present invention, and transports the modeling material 10 to the modeling position P on the stage 2 along the transport direction D1. The tape transport mechanism 6 includes a cassette 61 that stores the modeling material 10 and a delivery unit 62 that transports the modeling material 10 supplied from the cassette 61 to a predetermined modeling position P on the stage 2.

(Configuration of modeling material 10)
Here, the modeling material 10 stored in the cassette 61 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the modeling material 10 used in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the modeling material 10 has a flat cross section with a short side (tape thickness dimension) a and a long side (tape width dimension) b, and a thin-walled shape with an aspect ratio (b / a) of 10 or more ( Tape). Here, when the aspect ratio is less than 10, the conveyance handling property of the modeling material 10 is deteriorated. That is, when the tape thickness dimension a is increased with respect to the tape width dimension b, the conveyance efficiency of the delivery roller pair 621 and the drive roller pair 622 described later decreases due to the decrease in flexibility of the modeling material 10, and handling properties during conveyance are reduced. (Ease of transport) decreases. Moreover, in this embodiment, the surface of the modeling material 10 on the stage 2 side (tape back surface) and the upper surface of the modeling object at the modeling position P (or the surface of the stage 2) using the flexibility of the modeling material 10 Abut. Therefore, when it does not have sufficient flexibility, a gap is generated between the upper surface of the modeling object (or the surface of the stage 2) and the tape back surface of the modeling material 10 at the modeling position P, and the modeling material 10 is melted. Then, the adhesiveness when laminated is reduced. Further, even when the tape thickness dimension a is sufficiently small, if the tape width dimension b is small, the modeling material 10 may be twisted during conveyance, and conveyance handling properties are deteriorated.
In contrast, by setting the aspect ratio to 10 or more as described above, the conveyance efficiency of the flexible modeling material 10 can be improved, and the modeling material is efficiently conveyed to a desired modeling position. be able to.

Examples of such a modeling material 10 include metal and conductive resin. When a metal is used as the modeling material 10, the strength of a modeled object obtained by modeling becomes higher than that of a resin. On the other hand, the modeling material 10 needs to be transported to the modeling position P on the stage 2 and is required to be flexible. In the metallic modeling material 10, it is preferable that the tape thickness dimension is a ≦ 0.1 mm in order to ensure the flexibility. When the tape thickness dimension is a> 0.1 mm, the modeling material 10 is difficult to bend, and it is difficult to transport the modeling material 10 to a desired modeling position P during conveyance.
As described above, the tape width dimension b is set in consideration of the transport handling property. When the tape thickness dimension a is 0.1 mm, the tape width dimension is preferably 1 mm or more. Although it depends on the set value of the tape thickness dimension a, the set value of the tape width dimension b is more preferably 5 mm ≦ b ≦ 15 mm. In the tape-shaped modeling material 10 formed in the dimensions a and b as described above, sufficient flexibility can be maintained, and a reduction in handling properties due to twisting or the like can be suppressed.

When using the metal modeling material 10, it is more preferable to use Mg. For example, Mg has a smaller specific gravity than Al or the like (Mg specific gravity is 1.7 with respect to Al specific gravity 2.7), and the modeling material 10 can be reduced in weight.
Further, the metallic modeling material 10 is preferably subjected to a flame retardant treatment or an incombustible treatment so that oxidation does not occur when heated to the vicinity of the melting point. A well-known technique can be used as a flame-retardant treatment or an incombustible treatment.
The metal modeling material 10 as described above can be manufactured in a large amount and at a low cost by cutting one formed by rolling or extruding, for example.

On the other hand, when a conductive resin is used as the modeling material 10, the melting point is lower than that of a metal, the current value supplied by the discharge mechanism 7 described later can be set smaller, and the discharge mechanism 7 can be further simplified. In the case of using such a resin-made modeling material 10, it is preferable that the tape thickness dimension is a ≦ 1 mm and the tape width dimension is 5 mm ≦ b. The resin-made molding material 10 can easily ensure flexibility as compared with metal and can increase the thickness dimension. However, when the tape thickness dimension is a> 1 mm, the flexibility is insufficient and the handling property is deteriorated. Further, when the tape width dimension is 5 mm> b, twisting is likely to occur, and handling properties are deteriorated. From the above, it is preferable to configure the modeling material 10 so that the aspect ratio becomes 10 or more in the range of the dimensions a and b as described above.
As the conductive resin, for example, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, or a composite material in which conductive metal powder or fiber is added to an insulating resin is imparted with conductivity. Resin etc. can be illustrated.

(Configuration of cassette 61)
Next, the cassette 61 of the tape transport mechanism 6 will be specifically described.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the cassette 61 of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette 61 includes a case 611, a bobbin 612, and a pinch roller 613.
The case 611 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an internal space, and the bobbin 612, the modeling material 10 wound around the bobbin 612, and the pinch roller 613 are stored therein.
In addition, a delivery port 611A is provided in a part of the case 611 (in this embodiment, a corner of a rectangular parallelepiped), and the modeling material 10 housed inside is taken out from the delivery port 611A.

The bobbin 612 is a shaft-like member, and is rotatably supported on surfaces facing each other in the case 611. One end of the modeling material 10 described above is fixed to the bobbin 612, and the modeling material 10 is wound along the peripheral surface of the bobbin 612. More specifically, the tape-shaped modeling material 10 has a tape back surface (a surface facing the stage 2 when the tape is transported onto the stage 2) on the surface of the modeling material 10 wound around the bobbin 612 ( It is wound concentrically so as to be in close contact with the surface opposite to the back surface of the tape, and is stored in a roll shape.
In such a configuration, for example, the volume occupancy is higher than when a thread-shaped modeling material is wound around the bobbin 612. Therefore, when the thread-shaped modeling material and the tape-shaped modeling material 10 of the present embodiment are wound on the bobbin by the same amount, when the modeling material 10 of the present embodiment is used, the thread-shaped modeling material is used. Compared to the case, the volume can be reduced, the size of the cassette 61 can be reduced, and the number of turns on the bobbin 612 is reduced, so that the manufacturing efficiency is also improved. Further, in the case where the size of the cassette 61 is defined, when the tape-shaped modeling material 10 of the present embodiment is used, the volume occupancy is large, so that the inside of the cassette 61 is larger than when the thread-shaped modeling material is used. Thus, it becomes possible to store more modeling material 10.

  The pinch roller 613 is provided in the vicinity of the delivery port 611A, and the modeling material 10 guides the conveyance direction. A pair of pinch rollers 613 is provided, and the modeling material 10 is sandwiched between the pair of pinch rollers 613 and guided to the delivery port 611A. Moreover, the modeling material 10 is inserted | pinched by the pinch roller 613, the slackness of the wound modeling material 10 can be suppressed, and the runability (conveyance) of the modeling material 10 sent out from the delivery port 611A improves.

  Further, the cassette 61 is provided with positioning portions such as locking pins and guide projections (not shown) on the exterior portion of the case 611, for example, and by positioning these positioning portions at predetermined positions in the modeling head 3, the cassette 61 61 can be attached to the modeling head 3.

(Configuration of sending unit 62)
As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery unit 62 sends the modeling material 10 provided from the cassette 61 to the modeling position P on the stage 2.
The delivery unit 62 includes a delivery roller pair 621 configured by a pair of delivery rollers 621A and 621B, a drive roller pair 622 configured by a drive roller 622A and a driven roller 622B, and a guide unit 623. In this embodiment, an example in which one delivery roller pair 621 is provided is shown. However, two or more delivery roller pairs 621 may be provided, the delivery roller pair 621 is not provided, and only the drive roller pair 622 is provided. It is good. Furthermore, although an example in which only one driving roller pair 622 is provided is shown, a configuration in which two or more driving roller pairs are provided may be used.

  The pair of delivery rollers 621 sandwiches the modeling material 10 by the delivery rollers 621A and 621B and guides the conveyance of the modeling material 10. Here, the pair of delivery rollers 621 conveys the modeling material 10 while curving the modeling material 10 to the opposite side to the curl of the modeling material 10 delivered from the cassette 61 (winding direction around the bobbin 612). . Thereby, it becomes possible to correct the curl of the modeling material 10.

  The drive roller pair 622 draws the modeling material 10 and sends it out toward the modeling position P. Specifically, the drive roller pair 622 includes a drive roller 622A that is rotationally driven by a drive amount of a motor or the like, and a driven roller 622B that follows the drive of the drive roller 622A (the motor drive force is not transmitted). . The driving roller 622A and the driven roller 622B can transport the modeling material 10 at a constant speed.

Here, the driving roller 622A is preferably in contact with the tape back surface of the modeling material 10. Thereby, the said modeling material 10 is urged | biased by the driving roller 622A with the curl of the modeling material 10, the slip at the time of conveyance etc. can be suppressed, and conveyance efficiency can be improved.
The drive roller 622A may be in contact with the tape surface. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which drives both a pair of roller which comprises the drive roller pair 622 as a drive roller. In this case, the curl of the modeling material 10 can be more reliably corrected by slightly increasing the rotational speed of the drive roller in contact with the tape back surface with respect to the drive roller in contact with the tape surface.

For example, the guide portion 623 is configured in a leaf spring shape from a highly durable metal material whose surface is subjected to wear resistance treatment, and includes guide walls (not shown) at both ends along the transport direction.
The guide portion 623 guides the conveyance of the modeling material 10 to the modeling position P on the stage 2 by removing the slack of the modeling material 10 and correcting the conveyance direction of the modeling material 10.
The modeling material 10 guided by the guide unit 623 is biased and brought into contact with the modeling position P due to the bending, and is melted and stacked at the modeling position P by the discharge mechanism 7 described later.

[Configuration of Discharge Mechanism 7]
As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge mechanism 7 includes a plasma generation unit 71, an arc power source 72, and a scanning mechanism unit 73. A plasma arc having a temperature around the melting point of the modeling material 10 is formed in a torch shape by the arc discharge performed by the discharge mechanism 7, and the plasma arc is urged and brought into contact with the model 2 on the stage 2 or in the course of lamination. The modeling material 10 is applied to the tip of the modeling material 10 and locally melted by the heat and laminated on the modeling object on the stage 2 or in the process of lamination, and this is sequentially repeated to form a three-dimensional modeled object.

[Configuration of Plasma Generator 71]
The plasma generating unit 71 includes an electrode 711 made of a refractory metal such as tungsten disposed in the center, an inner cylindrical earth shield case 712 in which the electrode 711 is accommodated and cooled by a cooling water channel 712A on the outer peripheral side. And an outer cylindrical housing case 713 in which the earth shield case 712 is accommodated.

The electrode 711 is connected to the high potential side of the arc power source 72.
The earth shield case 712 is connected to the ground side of the arc power source 72 via a discharge trigger switch 712B. Inside the earth shield case 712, a plasma generation gas is supplied through a plasma generation gas supply path 712C. The tip of the earth shield case 712 has a nozzle shape having an opening diameter of about 1 to 2 mm. A stable discharge is performed between the electrode 711 and the modeling material 10 by the plasma generation gas, and the plasma state accompanied by the arc is favorably maintained. In addition, in the nozzle-shaped portion at the tip of the earth shield case 712, the plasma arc is concentrated and formed in a torch shape by squeezing and injecting the plasma generation gas.
Shield gas is supplied into the housing case 713 through the shield gas supply path 713A. The supplied shielding gas flows out from the front end of the housing case 713 while covering the plasma arc, that is, discharge, and is sprayed onto the modeling material 10. The plasma arc is cooled by the supply of the shielding gas. Due to the thermal pinch effect at this time, the plasma arc is formed into a more concentrated elongated torch shape, and the modeling material 10 can be melted in a local spot shape. .

Here, as the plasma generation gas and the shielding gas used in the present embodiment, argon (Ar), helium (He), or the like, in order to prevent chemical changes such as oxidation-reduction near the melting point of the modeling material 10 An inert gas such as a mixed gas (Ar + He) in which these are mixed is used. Further, the plasma generation gas and the shielding gas may be reducing gases (Ar + H ₂ , Ar + H ₂ + He) in which hydrogen (H ₂ ) is added to the inert gas in order to prevent the modeling material 10 from being oxidized. Good.

[Description of Arc Power Supply 72]
As the arc power source 72, a power source having an output comparable to that required for TIG welding or plasma welding for a thin plate can be employed. As described above, the electrode 711 is connected to the high potential side of the arc power source 72. In addition to the trigger switch 712 </ b> B described above, a power supply line that is electrically connected to a predetermined portion of the modeling material 10 is connected to the ground side of the arc power source 72.

[Description of Scanning Mechanism Unit 73]
FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of a scanning mechanism unit 73 for scanning the plasma generating unit 71 in the tape width direction.
In the example of FIG. 4, a scanning mechanism unit 73 is provided at the base end portion of the plasma generation unit 71. The scanning mechanism unit 73 includes a linear motion motor 731 that can move in parallel to the normal direction D2 of the stage 2. The linear motion motor 731 includes a guide rail 731A fixed to the main body (not shown) of the modeling head 3 and a slider 731B movable along the guide rail 731A. The base end side of the plasma generator 71 is located on the slider 731B. It is supported. In such a scanning mechanism unit 73, the operation of the linear motor 731 is controlled by the controller 5, whereby the plasma generating unit 71 can be moved to a predetermined position in the tape width direction, and the plasma arc is applied to the modeling material 10. Can always be applied from the same height.
In addition, as a scanning mechanism part which scans the plasma generation part 71, what kind of structure may be used for others, and it is not limited to the above.

[Configuration of moving mechanism 4]
The moving mechanism 4 moves the modeling head 3 with respect to the stage 2 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and transports the modeling material 10 of the tape transport mechanism 6 in the modeling head 3 (modeling position). P) and the irradiation position of the plasma arc by the discharge mechanism 7 are moved to a desired position. That is, the moving mechanism 4 moves the modeling position P with respect to the stage 2.
Specifically, for example, a column movable on a Y guide laid along the Y-axis direction, a slider provided with an X guide provided on the column and extending in the X-axis direction, and moved along the X guide An example is a configuration in which a ram having a Z guide along the Z direction is provided and the modeling head 3 is provided so as to be movable along the Z guide of the ram. Moreover, it is good also as a structure etc. which can move the modeling head 3 in a three-dimensional space by connecting a some arm member and controlling the connection angle of an arm.
Moreover, in this embodiment, although the structure which moves the modeling head 3 with respect to the stage 2 by the moving mechanism 4 is illustrated, it is not limited to this, For example, as a structure etc. which move the stage 2 with respect to the modeling head 3 Good. Furthermore, the stage 2 may be moved along the Z direction, and the modeling head 3 may be moved along the XY axes.

[Configuration of controller 5]
The controller 5 includes a storage unit such as a memory, an arithmetic circuit with a CPU, and the like, and controls the overall operation of the modeling apparatus 1. Various programs and various data for controlling the modeling apparatus 1 are recorded in the storage circuit. The arithmetic circuit of the controller 5 functions as a data acquisition unit 51, a movement control unit 52, and a modeling control unit 53 as shown in FIG. 1 by reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit. In the present embodiment, each functional configuration is an example realized by cooperation of an arithmetic circuit that is hardware and a program (software). For example, an integrated circuit (hardware) having each function is combined. It is good also as a structure implement | achieved by this.
For example, the data acquisition unit 51 acquires modeling data from an external device such as a personal computer that is communicably connected to the controller 5. The controller 5 may include a drive device that reads a recording medium, and may directly acquire modeling data from the recording medium mounted on the drive device.
The movement control means 52 controls the movement mechanism 4 based on the modeling data and moves the modeling head 3.
The modeling control means 53 includes an operation of the drive roller pair 622 of the delivery unit 62 constituting the modeling head 3, a cooling water supply operation to the plasma generation unit 71, a plasma generation gas supply operation, a shield gas supply operation, and an arc power supply The power supply operation from 72 to the plasma generation unit 71 and the operation of the scanning mechanism unit 73 are controlled, and the modeling material 10 is melted and laminated at the modeling position P to model the modeled object.

[Method for Manufacturing Modeled Object by Modeling Apparatus 1]
Next, a modeling method of a modeled object using the modeling apparatus 1 as described above will be described based on the drawings.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a modeling method (modeling process) of a modeled object using the modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a process in which a model is formed by the modeling process.
In order to model a modeled object with the modeling apparatus 1, first, the data acquisition means 51 of the controller 5 acquires modeling data (step S1). Specifically, the data acquisition means 51 is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or modeling data input from an external device such as a personal computer connected to the controller 5 based on the operation of the operator. Data for modeling, data for modeling acquired via a communication line such as the Internet, and the like are acquired.

  Then, the shaping control means 53 introduces the plasma generation gas into the plasma generation unit 71 at the initial position, causes the trigger switch 712B to be in a connected state, generates a pilot discharge between the electrode 711 and the earth shield case 712, and generates the plasma generation gas. A plasma state is formed and a stable arc is obtained.

Next, the movement control means 52 analyzes the cross-sectional shape of the modeling object from the modeling data, and moves the modeling head 3 to the modeling position P corresponding to the modeling object section as shown in FIG. 6 (step S2).
Specifically, the moving mechanism 4 is controlled so that the tip of the modeling material 10 conveyed by the tape conveyance mechanism 6 is located at the modeling position P indicated based on the modeling data. By doing so, the modeling material 10 is positioned immediately below the plasma generation unit 71, and the plasma arc generated between the electrode 711 and the earth shield case 712 of the plasma generation unit 71 migrates between the electrode 711 and the modeling material 10. To do.

  Thereafter, the shaping control means 53 introduces a shielding gas into the plasma generation unit 71. As a result, in addition to the plasma generation gas ejecting from the tip of the earth shield case 712 having a nozzle shape, the shield gas blown from the tip of the housing case 713 covers the discharge, so that the arc obtained by the discharge is elongated. It becomes a concentrated torch-shaped plasma arc, the plasma arc hits the modeling material 10 and melts the modeling material 10, melts and laminates the modeling material 10 at the modeling position P, and forms a modeled object as shown in FIG. 6. (Step S3).

Thereafter, the modeling control means 53 determines whether or not the modeling processing of the modeled object based on the modeling data is completed (Step S4).
If “No” is determined in step S4, the process returns to step S2 and step S3, and the movement of the modeling head 3 and the melt lamination of the modeling material are repeated.
At this time, the movement control means 52 controls the linear motion motor 731 of the scanning mechanism unit 73 to move the irradiation position of the plasma arc from the plasma generating unit 71 along the tape width direction and move the moving mechanism 4. Then, the position of the modeling head 3 is controlled so that the irradiation position of the plasma arc becomes the modeling position P based on the modeling data.
In addition, when the modeling material 10 along the tape width direction is melted and laminated, the modeling control unit 53 drives the driving roller 622A of the sending unit 62 to send out the modeling material 10 by a predetermined amount, and the tip portion is moved. Move to modeling position P. Since the modeling material 10 delivered by the delivery unit 62 has flexibility, it is bent by its own weight and is urged against the modeling position P. Thereafter, similarly to step S3, the modeling material 10 is melted and stacked on the modeling position P.
And if it determines with "Yes" in step S4, a modeling process will be complete | finished.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
The modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a stage 2 on which a model is modeled, a tape transport mechanism 6 that transports a flexible modeling material 10 to a predetermined modeling position P on the stage 2, and a modeling position P. A discharge mechanism 7 that performs arc discharge on the transported modeling material 10 and a moving mechanism 4 that moves the modeling head 3 in which the discharge mechanism 7 is incorporated so that the modeling position P is located at a desired position based on modeling data. And.
In such a configuration, conveyance and supply of the modeling material 10 and irradiation of the plasma arc by discharge are performed by separate mechanisms, and only necessary portions of the modeling material 10 are locally melted. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where the molten modeling material 10 is extruded and laminated | stacked on the modeling position P, the melting amount and melting area (volume) of the modeling material 10 are small, and thermal energy may be small. Therefore, the configuration of the plasma generating unit 71 and the like of the discharge mechanism 7 can be downsized, and the modeling apparatus 1 can be downsized and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Further, since the modeling material 10 conveyed by the tape conveyance mechanism 6 is urged and brought into contact with the modeling position P and melted at that position, the melted modeling material 10 is provided to the tape conveyance mechanism 6 and the discharge mechanism 7. Will not adhere or remain. Therefore, maintenance of the modeling apparatus 1 is also facilitated.

In this embodiment, the modeling material 10 is formed in a tape shape having a rectangular cross section. Since the tape-shaped modeling material 10 has a uniform thickness dimension, a highly accurate modeled object can be modeled without the thickness of the modeling material 10 laminated at the modeling position P changing.
Further, when the modeling material 10 is wound concentrically with the bobbin 612, the gap between the tape back surface and the tape surface can be eliminated, for example, compared to the case where a thread-shaped modeling material is used. Volume occupancy increases. That is, when the same amount of modeling material is stored in the cassette 61, the cassette 61 can be reduced in size as compared with the thread-shaped modeling material. When the size of the cassette 61 is fixed, more modeling material 10 can be wound around the bobbin as compared with the case where a thread-shaped modeling material is used.
In addition, there is a configuration in which powder is used as a modeling material. However, since such a powder is spherical, the volume occupancy becomes small when stored in the cassette 61, as in the case of the thread-shaped modeling material. It also becomes necessary to provide a lid for closing the outlet 611A. On the other hand, in the modeling material 10 of this embodiment, the volume occupation ratio can be made larger than that of the powdered modeling material, and it is not necessary to provide a lid portion on the delivery port 611A, and the handling becomes easy.

  In this embodiment, the aspect ratio (a / b) which is the ratio of the tape thickness dimension a and the tape width dimension b of the tape-shaped modeling material 10 is 10 or more. For this reason, the flexibility of the modeling material 10 can be sufficiently ensured, and deterioration of the transport handling property of the modeling material 10 due to twisting, bending, or the like can be suppressed.

Here, as the modeling material 10 of the present embodiment, either metal or conductive resin can be selected.
When using the metal modeling material 10, it is possible to model a model with a higher durability than the resin modeling material 10. When using the resin modeling material 10, In comparison, the heating temperature is low, the current supplied from the arc power source 72 can be made smaller, the insulation structure and the like can be simplified, and further downsizing can be achieved.
Moreover, when using the metal modeling material 10, weight reduction of the modeling material 10 can be achieved by using Mg with small specific gravity, and the modeling object modeled also becomes a lightweight thing. Moreover, when using such a metal, in order to suppress the oxidation reaction by heating, a flame retarding process or an incombustible process is performed. Thereby, the metal oxidation at the time of spraying heated gas can be suppressed effectively, and the quality degradation of the molded article by alteration can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the discharge mechanism 7 includes a scanning mechanism unit 73 and can move the plasma generation unit 71 along the tape width direction of the modeling material 10. In such a configuration, when manufacturing a high-accuracy shaped object by locally applying a plasma arc to a part in the tape width direction, the irradiation height of the plasma arc is kept constant with respect to the tape width direction. Scanning can be performed while maintaining. Therefore, the tape-shaped modeling material 10 can be reliably melted and can be used without waste over the width direction.

  In the present embodiment, since the plasma arc is covered with the shielding gas, the molten modeling material 10 and the plasma arc caused by the discharge are blocked from the atmosphere, and oxidation and nitridation of the melted portion of the modeling material 10 can be prevented. In particular, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of blowholes in which nitrogen dissolves into the melted portion, and this nitrogen precipitates all at once during solidification and becomes bubbles and solidifies in the solidified portion. Further, in the present embodiment in which an arc or plasma state is generated by discharge, a plasma state can be generated by the shielding gas itself, or the formed arc can be maintained satisfactorily.

  In the present embodiment, since the tip of the earth shield case 712 has a nozzle shape, the plasma arc can be narrowed at the tip of the earth shield case 712, and the plasma arc can be formed in an elongated and concentrated torch shape.

[Other Embodiments]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
In the said embodiment, the arc discharge which applies a plasma arc to modeling material was mentioned as an example as discharge which concerns on this invention, and was demonstrated. That is, in the above embodiment, it has been described that applying a plasma arc is synonymous with discharging. However, the discharge according to the present invention is not limited to applying a plasma arc, and may be discharge that does not form an arc, such as corona discharge, spark discharge, or glow discharge, or discharge that does not require a plasma atmosphere.
In addition, although the above is a direct current discharge with dielectric breakdown, an alternating current discharge such as a dielectric barrier discharge, an RF (Radio Frequency) discharge, or a microwave discharge may be used. In short, in this invention, what is necessary is just to fuse the said modeling material by discharging to modeling material, and the discharge form in particular is not ask | required.
Further, the modeling material may be heated and melted not by arc heat but by Joule heat generated at the time of discharge, and may be melted by an electric current flowing through the modeling material.
And for the shielding gas, even in the case of a discharge in which an arc is not formed or a discharge in the case where a plasma atmosphere is not required, it may be applied as necessary, regardless of whether it is a direct current discharge or an alternating current discharge, May apply.

In the above embodiment, the discharge mechanism 7 has the scanning mechanism unit 73 and can scan the plasma generating unit 71 in the tape width direction of the modeling material 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, when a thread-shaped modeling material is used, the scanning mechanism unit 73 may not be provided.
Even when a tape-shaped modeling material is adopted, a configuration for moving the stage 2 along the XY axes is provided, and the scanning mechanism 73 is substituted by cooperating this configuration with the moving mechanism 4. Also good.

  As the modeling material 10, a tape-shaped material having a rectangular cross section with an aspect ratio of 10 or more is illustrated, but the modeling material 10 is not limited thereto. For example, a tape-shaped material having an aspect ratio of less than 10 is used as long as it has sufficient flexibility depending on the material of the modeling material 10 and the conveyance handling property of the modeling material 10 in the tape conveyance mechanism 6 is good. May be.

  In the said embodiment, although the modeling material 10 was set as the structure accommodated in the cassette 61, it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the modeling material 10 may be held in a roll shape by winding the modeling material 10 around the shaft core 614. In this case, the mounting hole 615 is provided along the central axis of the shaft core 614, and the shaft core 614 around which the modeling material 10 is wound is formed by, for example, inserting a locking pin provided in the modeling head 3 into the mounting hole 615. Can be attached to the modeling head 3. In addition, by providing the flange portions 616 that hold both end edges of the modeling material 10 in the tape width direction at both ends in the axial direction of the shaft core 614, loosening of the modeling material 10 can be prevented.

In the said embodiment, although the example whose modeling material 10 is a tape-shaped material was shown, you may be comprised, for example in the shape of a thread | yarn. Even in this case, the modeling material can be held by winding the thread-shaped modeling material around the bobbin 612 of the cassette 61 as shown in FIG. 3 or the shaft core 614 shown in FIG. On the other hand, when such a thread-shaped modeling material is used, twisting at the time of conveyance is likely to occur, and conveyance handling properties may deteriorate.
In this case, it is preferable to use rollers 624A and 624B having a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 8 as the delivery roller pair 621 and the drive roller pair 622 of the delivery unit 62. The surface of the driving roller 624A is a roller configured by an elastic member having a high friction coefficient such as rubber or elastomer. Further, the driven roller 624B is a roller that is in contact with the thread-shaped modeling material 10A at two points and has a triangular cross-section groove 624B1 into which more than half of the thread-shaped modeling material 10A enters. In such a configuration, stable quantitative conveyance becomes possible by feeding the thread-shaped modeling material 10A to the groove 624B1 with an elastic force while feeding it in the conveyance direction.

  In addition, the specific structure for carrying out the present invention can be appropriately changed to other structures and the like within a range in which the object of the present invention can be achieved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Modeling apparatus, 2 ... Stage, 3 ... Modeling head, 4 ... Movement mechanism, 5 ... Controller, 6 ... Tape conveyance mechanism (feed mechanism), 7 ... Discharge mechanism, 10 ... Modeling material, 10A ... Filamentous modeling material, 71 ... Plasma generator, 72 ... Arc power source, 73 ... Scanning mechanism.

Claims (9)

A feeding mechanism for conveying a modeling material having flexibility to a modeling position on the stage;
A discharge mechanism for discharging the modeling material conveyed to the modeling position;
A moving mechanism for moving the modeling position relative to the stage;
A modeling apparatus comprising: The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,
The modeling apparatus is a tape-shaped material having a rectangular cross section. The modeling apparatus according to claim 2,
The modeling material is characterized in that an aspect ratio of a tape thickness dimension and a tape width dimension in a sectional view is 10 or more. In the modeling apparatus of Claim 2 or Claim 3,
The said discharge mechanism is equipped with the scanning mechanism part which performs the discharge with respect to the said modeling material from the same height along the tape width direction of the said modeling material. The modeling apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The modeling apparatus, wherein the discharge mechanism sprays a shielding gas covering the discharge onto the modeling material. In the modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The modeling material is made of metal. The modeling apparatus according to claim 6,
The modeling apparatus, wherein the modeling material is flame-retardant or incombustible. In the modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The modeling material is made of a resin having conductivity. Transport the modeling material with flexibility to the modeling position on the stage,
Lamination of the modeling material by discharging the modeling material conveyed to the modeling position to melt the tip portion, stacking the modeling material at the modeling position, and moving the modeling position A modeling method characterized by modeling a modeled object by changing the position.

Images