JP2020069701A - Three-dimensional molding apparatus, three-dimensional model, and three-dimensional molding method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a three-dimensional molding apparatus that easily forms a structure in which a powder material is filled inside a three-dimensional model formed by a powder sintering method.SOLUTION: A three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention includes: a supply unit for supplying a powder material; a sintering unit for sintering a part of the powder material supplied by the supply unit; and a control unit that forms a three-dimensional model so that a powder material that has not been sintered in the powder materials supplied by the supply unit is sealed with the powder material sintered by the sintering unit by controlling the supply unit and the sintering unit for each layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a three-dimensional modeling device, a three-dimensional model, and a three-dimensional modeling method.

  In recent years, so-called 3D printers have been actively developed, and various methods such as a powder sintering method are known. The powder sintering method (powder sintering additive manufacturing method) is a step of laying raw material powders of nylon resin, ceramics, metal, etc. in layers and a step of selectively sintering a part of the powder layer by irradiating laser light. This is a method of forming a three-dimensional structure by repeatedly performing and. In recent years, a powder sintering method using a metal powder as a raw material has begun to be utilized as a method for producing an article required to have high mechanical strength and good thermal conductivity. In addition, it is known that the powder sintering method can easily form a complicated shape and can form a three-dimensional structure having a hollow shape.

  Further, conventionally, a method has been known in which the vibration acting on the shaft component or the structure is damped by filling the inside of the metal shaft component or the structure with a powder material which is a vibration absorber. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses filling a hollow portion of a metal shaft main body with a ceramic material such as powder, particles or fluid as a vibration absorber.

WO2003 / 95851

  However, in the conventional technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to close and seal the opening after the vibration absorber is filled in the metal shaft member through the opening. Therefore, the structure of the shaft member becomes complicated, and it may take time to process. In addition, since the vibration absorber filled in the shaft member may leak out, when the shaft member is used in equipment equipped with precision equipment or electric boards, the vibration absorber leaks inside the equipment. , May affect the equipment.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional modeling apparatus that easily forms a structure in which a powder material is filled inside a three-dimensional model formed by a powder sintering method.

  The three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the present invention includes a supply unit for supplying a powder material, a sintering unit for sintering a part of the powder material supplied by the supply unit, the supply unit and the sintering for each layer. The three-dimensional modeling so that the powder material that has been sintered by the sintering section is sealed with the powder material that has not been sintered among the powder materials that have been supplied by the supply section. And a control unit that forms an object.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a three-dimensional modeling apparatus that easily forms a structure in which a powder material is filled inside a three-dimensional model formed by a powder sintering method.

(A) is a figure which shows the formation process of the three-dimensional molded item of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state in which formation of the three-dimensional structure of the first embodiment is completed. It is a figure which shows the shape of the three-dimensional molded item of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the three-dimensional molded item of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the three-dimensional molded item of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the three-dimensional molded item of 4th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are given to the same members, and duplicate description will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
The three-dimensional structure 4 of the first embodiment and the method for forming the three-dimensional structure 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The 3D object 4 of the first embodiment is formed using a 3D device. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the present invention forms a region (sintered region) melted and solidified by applying heat to a powder material and a non-sintered region for each layer, and repeats lamination to form a three-dimensional structure. It is an apparatus capable of forming a modeled object. In particular, it is an apparatus capable of forming a three-dimensional structure having a structure in which unsintered powder remains inside a three-dimensional structure and is sealed with a sintered powder material. Examples of the powder material used in the three-dimensional modeling device include raw materials such as nylon resin, ceramics, and metal. Further, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus is provided with a light source (sintering unit) that irradiates the light beam A to heat the powder material. The control unit of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus controls the sintering unit to form a region in which the powder material is sintered and an unsintered region.

  FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a process of forming the three-dimensional structure 4 of the first embodiment using the three-dimensional structure forming apparatus. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus includes a modeling stage 1, a modeling frame 2, a light source (sintering unit) that irradiates the light beam A, and a supply unit that supplies the powder material 3 to a modeling region surrounded by the modeling stage and the modeling frame 2. (Not shown).

  A three-dimensional modeling method for manufacturing a three-dimensional model using the three-dimensional modeling apparatus will be described. In the flow of the modeling process, the CAD data of the three-dimensional model designed by 3D-CAD is input to the control unit of the three-dimensional model. The CAD data includes information indicating the shape of the 3D object manufactured by the 3D object. Next, the control unit controls the operation of each unit of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus (3D printer) using the powder sintering lamination method based on the inputted CAD data to manufacture a three-dimensional model. The control unit may be integrated with the 3D modeling apparatus, or may be a device different from the 3D modeling apparatus and may be controlled remotely. The control unit of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus controls the sintering unit to sinter the powder material 3 in an arbitrary region based on the input CAD data and a predetermined program. Further, the control unit controls the supply unit to supply the powder material to the modeling region for each layer to be laminated.

  In addition, the control unit may perform conversion of data necessary for manufacturing the three-dimensional model 4 with the three-dimensional model. Specifically, the CAD data or the like input to the control unit is made into a polygon or a polygon mesh, optimized, and further converted into STL data. Further, the control unit can convert into slice data according to the three-dimensional modeling device. The slice data is three-dimensional data necessary for outputting to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus. Further, the control unit calculates a region in which the powder material 3 is sintered and a region in which the powder material 3 is not sintered, based on the slice data, from a predetermined program, and sends the calculation result to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus. You can

  The three-dimensional modeling method of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. First, the powder material 3 is spread with a predetermined thickness in a modeling region surrounded by the modeling stage 1 and the modeling frame 2. Then, by irradiating a desired region of the spread powder material 3 with the light beam A, the powder material 3 is solidified by heat and then solidified to form a solidified layer 3a (sintered region). The region not irradiated with (non-sintered region) remains in the modeling region as the powder material 3. The powder material 3 is sintered while the position of the light beam A is scanningly driven within the modeling area. At this time, the positions of the modeling stage 1 and the modeling frame 2 may be scan-driven with respect to the position of the light beam A to sinter the powder material 3 at an arbitrary position within the modeling region. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the solidified layers 3a are sequentially stacked to form the three-dimensional structure 4.

  Further, the scanning direction of the light beam A of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus is not limited to the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 1A, but the scanning can be performed in the depth direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface). Similarly, when the light beam A is scanned in the depth direction, the three-dimensional structure 4 can be formed by switching the region where the powder material 3 is sintered and the region where it is not sintered.

  At this time, in the three-dimensional structure 4 of the first embodiment, the unsintered portion 4a is formed as a space surrounded by the sintered area, and the unsintered powder material 3 is formed in the unsintered portion 4a. Remains. Since FIG. 1B is a view showing a cross section of the three-dimensional model 4, the unsintered portion 4a surrounded by the solidified layer 3a is shown in the vertical and horizontal directions of the paper surface. The solidified layer 3a is also formed in the vertical direction (front direction and depth direction). Therefore, the powder material 3 in the unsintered part 4a is sealed inside the three-dimensional structure 4.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the three-dimensional structure 4 formed by the three-dimensional structure forming apparatus of the first embodiment. The shape of the three-dimensional structure 4 of the first embodiment is cylindrical, and the unsintered portion 4a is formed of the unsintered powder material 3 therein. That is, the powder material 3 remains in the powder state in the unsintered portion 4a of the three-dimensional structure 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the vibration that acts from the outside of the three-dimensional structure 4 is transmitted to the powder material 3 remaining inside the three-dimensional structure 4, and the powder materials 3 collide with each other to cause vibration. It has the effect of attenuating energy.

  As described above, the three-dimensional structure 4 of the first embodiment can positively damp vibrations that act on the cylindrical shaft component or structure. Here, the case where the shape of the three-dimensional structure 4 is a cylindrical shape has been described as an example, but the shape may be another shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. The powder material 3 of the unsintered portion 4a may be partially sintered to change the size of the powder material.

(Second embodiment)
The three-dimensional structure 5 of the second embodiment and the method for forming the same will be described with reference to FIG. The 3D object 5 of the second embodiment is formed using a 3D device. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus is the same as that in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a three-dimensional structure 5 formed by the three-dimensional structure forming apparatus of the second embodiment and a device using the same. In the three-dimensional structure 5, an unsintered portion 5a is formed as an area surrounded by an area where the powder material 3 is sintered, and the unsintered powder material 3 remains in the unsintered portion 5a.

  The three-dimensional structure 5 of the second embodiment is used in combination with a motor 6 as shown in FIG. A motor 6 is contained inside the three-dimensional structure 5 of the second embodiment, and the three-dimensional structure 5 serves as a motor case that holds the motor 6. Vibration is generated by driving the motor 6, but the vibration generated from the motor 6 is transmitted to the powder material 3 remaining inside the three-dimensional structure 5 serving as the motor case, and the powder materials 3 are separated from each other. The collision with each other has the effect of damping the vibration energy.

(Third Embodiment)
The three-dimensional structure 7 and the method of forming the same according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The three-dimensional structure 7 of the third embodiment is formed by using a three-dimensional structure forming device. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus is the same as that in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a perspective view of a three-dimensional structure 7 formed by the three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the three-dimensional structure 7, an unsintered portion 7a is formed as an area surrounded by an area where the powder material 3 is sintered, and the unsintered powder material 3 remains in the unsintered portion 7a. FIG. 4 is a diagram that clearly shows that the powder material 3 remains in the three-dimensional structure 7, and if the three-dimensional structure 7 is not formed of a transparent member, it is actually unbaked. The joint portion 7a and the powder material 3 cannot be observed.

  As for the three-dimensional structure 7 of the third embodiment, a device using the three-dimensional structure 7 shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The three-dimensional structure 7 that is the shaft part has an unsintered portion 7a of the powder material 3, and the powder material 3 remains in an uncured state inside the portion. Vibrations transmitted from other parts are transmitted to the powder material 3 remaining inside the three-dimensional structure 7, and the powder materials 3 collide with each other and are transmitted to the shaft part. It has the effect of attenuating vibration energy.

(Fourth Embodiment)
The three-dimensional structure 8 and the method for forming the same according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The three-dimensional structure 8 of the fourth embodiment is formed by using a three-dimensional molding device. Since the three-dimensional modeling apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

  FIG. 5: is the figure which showed the structure of the cross section of the three-dimensional modeling object 8 formed with the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of 4th Embodiment. In the three-dimensional structure 8, an unsintered portion 8a is formed as an area surrounded by an area where the powder material 3 is sintered, and the unsintered powder material 3 remains in the unsintered portion 8a.

  The three-dimensional model 8 of the fourth embodiment is used as a gear part in combination with other parts, as shown in FIG. The three-dimensional structure 8 of the fourth embodiment is used as a gear part, and vibrations transmitted from other parts are generated, but the vibrations are transmitted to the powder material 3 remaining inside the three-dimensional structure 8. As a result, the powder materials 3 collide with each other, which has the effect of damping the vibration energy.

  Thus, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the above-described embodiment, by leaving the unsintered powder material inside the three-dimensional model formed by the powder sintering method, by sealing with the calcined powder material, It is possible to form a three-dimensional structure having a simplified structure. The three-dimensional model formed in this manner can positively damp vibrations that act on the model.

  Further, in the three-dimensional modeling method of the above-described embodiment, the powder sintering laminated molding method is a simpler method than the conventional method, and it is possible to form a sealed structure by leaving the powder material inside the molded article as it is. The three-dimensional model formed by this method can damp the vibration acting on the model.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

1 modeling stage 2 modeling frame 3 powder material 4 three-dimensional model 4a unsintered part

Claims (7)

A supply unit for supplying powder material,
A sintering unit for sintering a part of the powder material supplied by the supply unit,
By controlling the supply unit and the sintering unit for each layer, the powder material that has been sintered by the sintering unit, and the powder material that has not been sintered among the powder materials supplied by the supply unit. A control unit that forms a three-dimensional model so as to seal the material,
A three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising:   The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sintering unit is a light source that irradiates the powder material with a light beam.   The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit irradiates the light beam in a region where the powder material is sintered and does not irradiate the light beam to the sealed powder material. .. A three-dimensional structure formed by supplying a powder material for each layer and sintering a part of the supplied powder material,
A three-dimensional structure, wherein the powder material is sintered so as to seal the powder material which has not been sintered.   The three-dimensional structure according to claim 4, wherein the sealed powder material and the sintered powder material are the same material.   The three-dimensional structure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a part of the sealed powder material is sintered and powder materials having different sizes are sealed. A three-dimensional modeling method for forming a three-dimensional model by sintering a powder material,
Supplying the powdered material,
With the sintered powder material, part of the supplied powder material is sintered layer by layer so as to seal the unsintered powder material of the supplied powder material. A three-dimensional modeling method characterized by that.

Images