JP2022010180A - Three-dimensional model forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional model forming apparatus capable of forming a three-dimensional model in which the model is supported by a support part which is excellent in peelability from the model and can shorten the time required for removal.

SOLUTION: A three-dimensional model forming apparatus (1) of an embodiment includes: a molding material discharge head (5) that discharges a molding material that is a material for the model; a first support material discharge head (6) that discharges the first support material; a second support material discharge head (7) that discharges the second support material; and a control unit (4). The first support material is incompatible with the model formed by hardening the molding material. The second support material has different melting characteristics after curing from those of the first support material. The control unit controls the molding material discharge head so as to form the model of a laminated structure, controls the first support material discharge head so as to form a first support part of the laminated structure in contact with a surface of the model, and controls the second support material discharge head so as to form the second support part of the laminated structure that supports the model by interposing the first support part.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a three-dimensional model forming apparatus and a three-dimensional model forming method.

Conventionally, a three-dimensional model forming apparatus, which is also called, for example, a 3D printer is known. There is an inkjet method as one of the methods for forming a three-dimensional model. In the inkjet type three-dimensional model forming apparatus, a modeling material (model material) is ejected from an inkjet head at a predetermined position and cured repeatedly to form a target model.

There are various types of shaped objects such as industrial products, daily necessities and toys, and there are also a wide variety of shapes. In the case of an inkjet type three-dimensional model forming apparatus, a support portion (support portion) for supporting the modeling material is required to form an overhang portion or a ceiling portion among a wide variety of shapes. The support portion is formed by ejecting a support material (support material) from the inkjet head for the support portion and curing the support material. The support is removed when the model has been formed. A material that is easily dissolved in water or a solvent, such as a resin or a polymer, or a material that is easily melted by heating, such as wax or wax, is used as the support material so that the support portion can be removed.

When a material such as a resin or a polymer that is easily dissolved in water or a solvent is selected as the support material, the adhesion to the modeled object formed mainly of the resin is also high, and the support material remains attached to the modeled object. Sometimes. On the other hand, when a material that is easily melted by heating, such as wax or wax, is selected as the support material, it may take a relatively long time to melt and remove it. If it is heated for a long time, there is a concern that the modeled object will be thermally deformed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,373 U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,859 Japanese Patent No. 5972335 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-132773

The problem to be solved by the present invention is that a three-dimensional model can be formed in which the model is supported by a support portion which is excellent in peelability from the model and can shorten the time required for removal. It is an object of the present invention to provide an original modeling object forming apparatus and a three-dimensional modeling object forming method.

In order to solve the above problems, the three-dimensional model forming apparatus of the embodiment includes a modeling material discharge head that discharges a modeling material that is a material of a modeling object, a first support material discharge head that discharges a first support material, and a first. 2 A second support material discharge head for discharging the support material and a control unit are provided. The first support material is incompatible with the modeled object formed by hardening the modeled material. The second support material has different melting characteristics after curing from the first support material. The control unit controls the model material discharge head so as to form the modeled object of the laminated structure, and controls the first support material discharge head so as to form the first support portion of the laminated structure in contact with the surface of the modeled object. The second support material discharge head is controlled so as to form the second support portion of the laminated structure that supports the modeled object by interposing the first support portion.

It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the 3D model formation apparatus of an embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the inkjet head unit of the 3D model formation apparatus of an embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control system of the 3D model formation apparatus of an embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of forming a model, the 1st support part and the 2nd support part by the 3D model formation apparatus of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of taking out a modeled object by removing the 1st support part and the 2nd support part of an embodiment. This is another example of a three-dimensional model formed by the three-dimensional model forming apparatus of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the three-dimensional model forming apparatus according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an inkjet type 3D printer 1 as an example of the three-dimensional model forming apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the inkjet head unit 2 included in the 3D printer 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system of the 3D printer 1.

Further, in FIG. 1, as an example of the three-dimensional model 3 formed by the 3D printer 1, a target object model (see FIG. 5) 31 having a “T” shape when viewed from the front is shown as a first support portion. The shape supported by 32 and the second support portion 33 is shown. The first support portion 32 is in contact with the surface of the target model 31. The second support portion 33 supports the target model 31 via the first support portion 32. The thickness of the first support portion 32 is set to be smaller than that of the second support portion 33. The object modeled object 31, the first support portion 32, and the second support portion 33 are all formed by an inkjet method. The first support portion 32 and the second support portion 33 are integrally formed with the target target model 31 and then removed when the target target model 31 is taken out from the three-dimensional model 3.

The first support material, which is the material of the first support portion 32, is composed of an incompatible component that is immiscible with the target model 31 formed by curing the model. When a material composed of compatible components is used, it is difficult to define the boundary with the surface of the target model 31 at the dot level, for example, and the target model 31 when the first support portion 32 is removed is further removed. This is because the peelability from the surface is poor. The thickness of the first support portion 32 is larger than the diameter of one dot ejected from the inkjet head unit 2 and smaller than the thickness of the second support portion 33. The second support material, which is the material of the second support portion 33, is composed of components having different melting characteristics after curing from the first support material. The first support material and the second support material are preferably incompatible. As an example, a heat-meltable material is used as the material of the first support material, and a water-soluble material is used as the material of the second support material. The second support material may be a material that is soluble in a solvent other than water instead of being water-soluble. Alternatively, as the second support material, a heat-meltable material having a melting point different from that of the first support material may be used. As described above, the support portion of the three-dimensional model 3 is composed of two support portions 32 and 33 having different melting characteristics. Specific examples of the materials of the first support material and the second support material will be described later.

Subsequently, the configuration of the 3D printer 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the 3D printer 1 includes a stage 11 that supports the three-dimensional model 3 and an inkjet head unit 2 that is arranged above the stage 11. The 3D printer 1 variably controls the relative positional relationship between the stage 11 and the inkjet head unit 2, and hierarchically controls the modeling material, the first support material, and the second support material discharged from the inkjet head unit unit 2. By stacking them, a three-dimensional model 3 is formed. The stage 11 and the inkjet head unit 2 are housed inside, for example, a box-shaped case 10 that forms a process space.

The inkjet head unit 2 is held by the carriage 21. The carriage 21 includes a main scanning drive motor 41, which is an example of a driving device, and is movable along a guide 22 arranged in the main scanning direction (X direction). The carriage 21 freely moves the inkjet head unit 2 to a predetermined position in the main scanning direction according to the position control information output from the control unit 4 of the 3D printer 1. The stage 11 is supported on the upper surface of the carriage 12 for the stage. The carriage 12 includes a sub-scanning drive motor 42, which is an example of a driving device, and moves the stage 11 along a guide 13 arranged in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction). The carriage 12 freely moves the stage 11 to a predetermined position in the sub-scanning direction according to the position control information output from the control unit 4 of the 3D printer 1. The stage 11 is further supported by the elevating device 14 via the carriage 12. The elevating device 14 includes an elevating drive motor 43, which is an example of a driving device, and moves the stage 11 along a guide 15 arranged in the height direction (Z direction). The elevating device 14 freely moves the stage 11 to a predetermined position in the height direction according to the position control information output from the control unit 4 of the 3D printer 1. Instead of the configuration in which the stage 11 is moved in the height direction, the inkjet head unit 2 may be moved in the height direction.

The inkjet head unit 2 includes a modeling material discharge head 5, a first support material discharge head 6, and a second support material discharge head 7. The modeling material ejection head 5 ejects droplets of the modeling material which is the material of the target modeled object 31. The first support material discharge head 6 discharges droplets of the first support material containing, for example, a heat-meltable material as a main component. The second support material discharge head 7 discharges droplets of the second support material containing, for example, a water-soluble material as a main component. The modeling material tank 51, the first support material tank 61, and the second support material tank 71 are connected to the modeling material discharge head 5, the first support material discharge head 6, and the second support material discharge head 7 via a flow path, respectively. Has been done. The liquid material stored in the tanks 51, 61, 71 is supplied to the discharge heads 5, 6 and 7 by a pump (not shown) which is an example of the liquid feeding device. Each of the tanks 51, 61, 71 is a rectangular tank made of, for example, resin or metal. The flow paths 52, 62, 72 through which the liquid material flows are, for example, flexible tubes. When, for example, a heat-meltable material is used as the first support material, a heat insulating device (not shown) for maintaining the liquid state of the material is arranged in the first support material tank 61 and the flow path 62. The heat insulating device is, for example, a heater.

The inkjet head unit 2 further includes a first UV light source 23 and a second UV light source 24 as an example of a light irradiation device. For example, when a photocurable material that cures when irradiated with light containing an ultraviolet (UV) wavelength is used as a modeling material, the modeling material that has landed at a desired position is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure it. The same applies when a photocurable material is used as the material of the support material. The first UV light source 23 and the second UV light source 24 are arranged on both sides of the inkjet head unit 2 in the main scanning direction (X direction). The first UV light source 23 irradiates ultraviolet rays when scanning the inkjet head unit 2 toward the right side of the paper surface in the main scanning direction (X direction).
The second UV light source 24 irradiates ultraviolet rays when scanning the inkjet head unit 2 toward the left side of the paper surface in the main scanning direction (X direction). When an electron beam curing type material that cures when irradiated with an electron beam (EB) is used, an electron beam irradiation device is arranged instead of the UV light source.

The inkjet head used for the modeling material discharge head 5, the first support material discharge head 6, and the second support material discharge head 7 is, for example, an actuator of any one of a drop-on-demand piezo method, a share wall type, and a share mode type. An inkjet head provided with 58, 68, 78 can be used. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the discharge heads 5, 6 and 7 has a substantially rectangular outer shape, and the long sides are arranged along the sub-scanning direction (Y direction). As an example, the sizes of the discharge heads 5, 6 and 7 are 80 to 90 mm in length, 60 to 70 mm in width, and 20 to 30 mm in thickness. Nozzles (not shown), which are discharge holes, are formed on the nozzle plates 53, 63, 73 arranged on the bottom surfaces of the discharge heads 5, 6, and 7. The nozzle density is formed, for example, in the range of 150 to 1200 dpi. Each ejection head 5, 6 and 7 can eject droplets having a capacity in the range of, for example, 1 to 180 picolitres, for example, in the range of 1 to 15 drops to form dots of, for example, 150 to 1200 dpi. Use an inkjet head. When, for example, a heat-meltable material is used as the first support material, a heat insulating device (not shown) for maintaining the liquid state of the material is arranged in the first support material discharge head 6. The heat insulating device is a heat insulating member through which temperature adjusting water such as hot water flows.

In the first UV light source 23 and the second UV light source 24, irradiation surfaces 23a and 24a for irradiating light including an ultraviolet (UV) wavelength are arranged on the bottom surface thereof. The first UV light source 23 and the second UV light source 24 have the same structure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 4 of the 3D printer 1 includes a CPU 44, a ROM 45, a RAM 46, a modeling layer / support layer data memory 47, and an I / O port 48. The CPU 44, ROM 45, RAM 46, modeling layer / support layer data memory 47, and I / O port 48 are control boards arranged inside, for example, the 3D printer 1. The CPU 44 controls the drive system device through the I / O port 48, which is an input / output port. As an example, the CPU 44 sends, for example, time-series position data of the stage 11 and the inkjet head unit 2 to the main scanning drive circuit 41A, the sub-scanning drive circuit 42A, and the elevating drive circuit 43A, respectively. The main scanning drive circuit 41A, the sub-scanning drive circuit 42A, and the elevating drive circuit 43A control the start and stop of the main scanning drive motor 41, the sub-scanning drive motor 42, and the elevating drive motor 43, respectively, based on the time-series position data. .. Further, the CPU 44 controls the start and stop of modeling devices such as the first UV light source 23 and the second UV light source 24 through the I / O port 48. Further, the CPU 44 controls each sensor 17 of the operation unit 16 of the 3D printer, which is a user interface, and the 3D printer 1 through the I / O port 48.

The ROM 45 stores information such as a program executed by the CPU 44 and various control conditions. The CPU 44 reads out the program and various control conditions, and controls the overall operation of the 3D printer 1. The RAM 46 stores data on the shape of the three-dimensional model 3 sent from an external device such as a computer. The data of the shape of the three-dimensional model 3 is created by the CAD system as an example. Alternatively, it is created based on the result of actually measuring the real thing with a three-dimensional measurement system. Of course, it may be created by another method. The data of the shape of the three-dimensional model 3 is sent to the 3D printer 1 via, for example, wired communication or wireless communication. When the data sent from the external device is only the shape of the target model 31, the control unit 4 of the 3D printer 1 analyzes the shape of the target model 31 and the first support 32 and the second support 33. The program may be configured to determine the shape of.

The CPU 44 generates data of a multi-layer structure obtained by slicing the three-dimensional model 3 in a horizontal plane based on the data of the shape of the three-dimensional model 3 (see FIG. 4). The slicing thickness is set to be the same as, for example, the diameter of 1 dot ejected from the inkjet head unit 2 or larger than the diameter of 1 dot. Further, the CPU 44 divides the area of the target object 31, the area of the first support portion 32, and the region of the second support portion 33 in the plane into, for example, dot units with respect to the planes of all the generated layers. , Set the landing position of the droplets ejected from each ejection head 5, 6 and 7. The data for each layer generated in this way is stored in the modeling layer / support layer data memory 47.

The data for each layer stored in the modeling layer / support layer data memory 47 is sent to each of the discharge heads 5, 6 and 7, respectively. That is, for example, the data of the dot unit region for discharging the modeling material for each layer, the data of the dot unit region for discharging the first support material, and the data of the dot unit region for discharging the second support material are each. It is sent to the drive circuits 54, 64, 74 of the discharge heads 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

The drive circuits 54, 64, 74 of the discharge heads 5, 6, and 7 each include a data buffer 55, 65, 75, a decoder 56, 66, 76, and a driver 57, 67, 77. The data buffers 55, 65, 75 store time-series discharge data. The time-series ejection data is synchronized with the time-series position data of the stage 11 and the inkjet head unit 2. The decoders 56, 66, 76 control the drivers 57, 67, 77 based on the time-series discharge data. The drivers 57, 67, 77 output an electric signal V for operating the actuators 58, 68, 78 based on the control of the decoders 56, 66, 76. The electric signal V is a voltage applied to the actuators 58, 68, 78 as a driving force for ejecting droplets from predetermined nozzles of the nozzle plates 53, 63, 73.

Subsequently, an example of the modeling material, the first support material, and the second support material will be described. The molding material contains a monomer or an oligomer which is a photocurable resin as a main component, and further contains a photopolymerization initiator. In addition, additives such as stabilizers, fillers and pigments may be included. Examples of the photocurable resin include urethane acrylate, acrylic resin acrylate, epoxy acrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and the like. Is given as an example. Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include benzoin isopropyl ether, benzophenone, chlorothioxanthone, benzyl dimethyl ketal, acetophenone diethyl ketal, α-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-phenylpropane and the like. The modeling material is adjusted so that droplets having a viscosity of, for example, 1 to 100 [mPa · s], preferably 5 to 40 [mPa · s] are ejected.

The first support material is a heat-meltable material having a melting point at least at room temperature or higher than the temperature inside the case. As an example, it is a heat-meltable fat such as wax or wax having a melting point in the range of 40 to 100 ° C. Heat-meltable fats and oils such as waxes and waxes include animal-derived waxes such as paraffin wax, which is a petroleum-derived wax, and carnauba wax, which is a plant-derived wax, candelilla wax, wood wax, and rice wax. Examples include synthetic waxes such as Fisher Tropush wax, polyethylene wax, stearate amide, and diheptadecylketone, such as montan wax, which is a mineral-derived wax such as beeswax and wool wax. The first support material has, for example, a viscosity of 1 to 100 [mPa · s], preferably 5 to 40 [mPa · s] when it is in a liquid state at the time of ejection.

The first support material may contain, for example, 1 to 20% of a thermoplastic resin that is compatible with heat-meltable fats and oils such as wax and wax. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer resin, polypropylene, vinyl chloride resin, polystyrene, ABS resin, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic resin, and polyvinyl. Examples thereof include alcohol, vinylidene chloride resin, polycarbonate, polyamide, acetal resin, fluororesin, aromatic petroleum resin, and hydride petroleum resin. The thermoplastic resin is mixed as a viscosity modifier, for example, when the viscosity of the heat-meltable fat and oil at the time of melting is low.

The first support material may further contain particles having an average particle diameter (D50) of, for example, 1 nm to 200 nm. Examples of the particles include fillers such as silica and alumina, and coloring materials such as organic pigments and inorganic pigments.

The second support material is, for example, 1 to 99% of a water-soluble compound. Examples of the water-soluble compound include water-soluble polyester resin, styrene maleic acid half ester copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, carboxymethyl cellulose, water-soluble nylon resin, and higher grades such as fatty acid sodium and fatty acid potassium. An example is a fatty acid salt. As a component other than the water-soluble compound, for example, a photocurable compound can be included.

Next, as an example of the method of forming the three-dimensional model 3 of the embodiment, the flow of forming the three-dimensional model 3 with the 3D printer 1 will be described. FIG. 4 schematically shows the state of the time series in which the three-dimensional model 3 is formed. The CPU 44 generates data of a multi-layer structure obtained by slicing the three-dimensional model 3 on a horizontal plane based on the data of the shape of the three-dimensional model 3, and further discharge heads 5, 6, and 7 for all the generated layers. Set the landing position of the droplet ejected from. The generated data for each layer is stored in the modeling layer / support layer data memory 47, and further sent to the drive circuits 54, 64, 74 of the discharge nozzles 5, 6, and 7. Further, the CPU 44 sends the time-series position data of the stage 11 and the inkjet head unit 2 synchronized with the time-series ejection data to the drive circuits 41A, 42A, and 43A.

The inkjet head unit 2 held by the carriage 21 is scanned in the main scanning direction according to the time-series position data. The modeling material ejection head 5 ejects droplets of the modeling material from a predetermined nozzle among a plurality of nozzles at a predetermined timing according to the time-series ejection data synchronized with the time-series position data. The ejected droplets of the modeling material land at a predetermined position forming the modeling material layer. However, in order to ensure the releasability from the stage 11, the lowermost layer N1 is formed with the first support material layer 32a as a base, and the modeling layer is formed from the modeling layer 32b of the second layer N2. preferable. The modeling material layer 32b is formed on the stage by repeating the ejection operation of the modeling material while scanning in the main scanning direction while shifting the stage 11 in the sub-scanning direction. The modeling material layer 32b formed on the stage 11 is cured by, for example, a polymerization reaction proceeding by ultraviolet rays emitted from the first UV light source 23 or the second UV light source 24. The degree of curing can be adjusted by adjusting the irradiation amount or irradiation time of ultraviolet rays.

While the inkjet head unit 2 is scanning while ejecting the modeling material, the first support material ejection head 6 is also ejected from a predetermined nozzle among a plurality of nozzles according to the time-series ejection data synchronized with the time-series position data. Droplets of the first modeling material are ejected at a predetermined timing. The ejected droplets of the first support material land at a predetermined position forming the first support material layer 32a of the lowermost layer N1. By repeating the ejection operation of the first support material while scanning in the main scanning direction while shifting the stage in the sub-scanning direction, the entire first support material layer 32a of the lowest layer N1 is formed on the stage 11. The first support material, which is a heat-meltable material, is cured by cooling to room temperature or the temperature inside the case and becoming below the melting point. For example, by adjusting the temperature inside the case, the degree of curing of the first support material layer 32a can be adjusted. Further, in order to accelerate the curing after landing, for example, a cooling device may be provided in the case 10.

While the inkjet head unit 2 is scanning while ejecting the modeling material and the first support material, the second support material ejection head 7 also has a plurality of nozzles according to the time-series ejection data synchronized with the time-series position data. Of these, droplets of the second modeling material are ejected from a predetermined nozzle at a predetermined timing. The ejected droplets of the second support material land at a predetermined position forming the second support material layer 33a of the lowermost layer N1. By repeating the ejection operation of the second support material while scanning in the main scanning direction while shifting the stage 11 in the sub-scanning direction, the entire second support material layer 33a of the lowermost layer N1 is formed on the stage 11. .. The second support material layer 33a formed on the stage 11 is cured by, for example, a polymerization reaction proceeding by the ultraviolet rays emitted from the first UV light source 23 or the second UV light source 24. The degree of curing can be adjusted by adjusting the irradiation amount or irradiation time of ultraviolet rays.

In this way, the bottom layer N1 is formed based on the discharge data and the position data. After the lowermost layer N1 is formed, the position data is used to form the modeling material layer 31b, the first support material layer 32b, and the second support material layer 33b of the second layer N2 on the lowermost layer N1. Based on this, the stage 11 is lowered by one step. Then, the same ejection operation as that of the lowermost layer N1 is executed to form the modeling material layer 31b, the first support material layer 32b, and the second support material layer 33b of the second layer N2. It should be noted that the first support material layer and the second support material layer may not be included in the layer, for example, as in the case where the uppermost layer N of the three-dimensional model 3 is formed. When it is composed of only the modeling material layer 31n like the uppermost layer N, only the discharging operation of the modeling material discharging head 5 is executed.

When the lamination proceeds to the Nnth layer, the first support material layer 32n in contact with the back surface of the overhanging “T” of the target model 31 is formed. Then, a "T-shaped" portion of the target object model 3 is formed on the first support material layer 32n, and the entire three-dimensional model 3 is completed by laminating up to the uppermost layer N.

When the three-dimensional model 3 is completed, the first support portion 32 and the second support portion 33 are removed, and the target model object 31 is taken out. The flow of removing the first support portion 32 and the second support portion 33 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 schematically shows the state of the time series in which the first support portion 32 and the second support portion 33 are removed. The removal of the first support portion 32 and the second support portion 33 is performed after the three-dimensional model 3 is taken out from the 3D printer 1. First, the second support portion 33 is removed. The second support portion 33 is removed by, for example, immersing the three-dimensional model 3 in a tank or a water tank for storing water and dissolving it in water. You may stir to form a liquid stream in the water tank. Instead of immersing in water, water may be injected from the water injection device toward the three-dimensional model 3 to dissolve the second support portion 33. Although the second support portion 33 is thicker and has a larger volume than the first support portion 32, it can be removed by dissolving it in water, so that it can be removed in a shorter time than by heating and melting.

When the second support portion 33 is removed, a heat treatment is then performed to remove the first support portion 32. The temperature of the heat treatment is set to a temperature higher than the melting point of the heat-meltable material constituting the first support portion 32 and lower than the heat distortion temperature of the target model 31. In the heat treatment, for example, the three-dimensional model 3 is placed in a thermostat equipped with a heater for a predetermined time. The melted material may be recovered and reused. Instead of the incubator, the three-dimensional model 3 may be immersed in, for example, a tank or a liquid tank for storing a solvent heated to the heat treatment temperature. In this case, as the solvent, for example, a liquid compatible with the melted heat-meltable material is used. Since the first support material is an incompatible heat-meltable material that does not mix with the target model, it has good peelability from the target model 31 and has less adhesion residue than the resin material. Further, since the thickness of the first support portion 32 is set to be small so that the volume is small, the time required for removal can be shortened accordingly.

As another example, when the glass-shaped object object 8 is formed, the first support portion 83 is formed from the outer periphery of the stem 81 to the lower part of the bowl 82, as schematically shown in FIG. The second support portion 84 is formed so as to support the lower portion of the bowl 82 with the first support portion 83 interposed therebetween. Further, a first support portion 85 is also formed in a portion where the inner peripheral surface of the bowl 82 is overhanging inward, and the inner peripheral surface of the bowl 82 is supported via the first support portion 85. The second support portion 86 is formed. For such a target structure 8, the first support portions 83, 85 are formed so as to be in contact with the target target structure 8, and the target target structure 8 is further interposed via the first support portions 83, 85. The second support portions 84 and 86 are formed so as to support the above to form a three-dimensional model.

Of course, the shape of the target structure is not limited to the shapes shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6. Further, the support portion is not limited to the two layers of the first support portion and the second support portion. For example, the third support portion may be formed of materials having different melting characteristics.

According to any of the embodiments described above, the target model objects 31 and 8 formed by hardening the modeling material are on the surface of the target object model objects 31 and 8 by the first support material which is incompatible with the target model objects 31 and 8. The target model is formed by forming the first support portions 32,83,85 in contact with each other and interposing the first support portions 32,83,85 by the second support material having different melting characteristics after curing from the first support material. By forming the second support portions 33, 84, 86 that support the 31 and 8, the support portion 32 is excellent in releasability from the target modeled object 31, 8 and can shorten the time required for removal. , 33, 83, 84, 85, 86 can form a three-dimensional model supporting the target model objects 31, 8.

The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 3D printer 3 3D modeled object 31 Target modeled object 32 1st support part 33 2nd support part 4 Control unit 5 Modeling material discharge head 6 1st support material discharge head 7 2nd support material discharge head

In order to solve the above problems, the three-dimensional model forming method of the embodiment is a step of laminating and curing the modeling material which is the material of the modeling, and the process of forming the modeling is incompatible with the modeling. The step of laminating the first support material containing the heat-meltable material and the thermoplastic resin and curing it to form a first support portion in contact with the surface of the modeled object, and the first support material being melted after curing. A second support material containing a water-soluble material having different characteristics is laminated so as to be in contact with the surface of the first support portion, and cured to form a second support portion that supports the modeled object via the first support portion. Including the step of forming .

Claims (5)

A modeling material discharge head that discharges the modeling material that is the material of the modeling object,
A first support material discharge head that discharges a first support material that is incompatible with the modeled object formed by hardening the model material, and
A second support material discharge head that discharges a second support material having different melting characteristics after curing from the first support material, and
The model material discharge head is controlled so as to form a modeled object having a laminated structure, and the first support material discharge head is controlled so as to form a first support portion of the laminated structure in contact with the surface of the modeled object. A three-dimensional model forming device including a control unit that controls the second support material discharge head so as to form a second support portion of a laminated structure that supports the modeled object by interposing a first support portion. The three-dimensional model forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first support portion has a volume smaller than that of the second support portion. The three-dimensional model forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first support material is a heat-meltable material. The three-dimensional model forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second support material is a water-soluble material. The process of laminating and curing the modeling material, which is the material of the modeling object, to form the modeled object,
A step of laminating and curing a first support material that is incompatible with the modeled object to form a first support portion in contact with the surface of the modeled object.
A second support material having different melting characteristics after curing from the first support material is laminated so as to be in contact with the surface of the first support portion, and cured to support the modeled object via the first support portion. A method for forming a three-dimensional model including a step of forming a second support portion.

Images