JP3905396B2 - Stereolithography equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical modeling apparatus that performs surface modeling of a photocurable resin according to a mask pattern and performs optical modeling.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an optical modeling apparatus that includes a three-dimensional CAD or the like that outputs data relating to optical modeling, and that performs optical modeling by exposing a photocurable resin with a laser beam such as a semiconductor laser in accordance with the data from the three-dimensional CAD or the like. Are known.
[0003]
Since this type of resin takes a long time to expose and cure a single layer of resin, in recent years, a mask has been created for the purpose of high-speed modeling, and a photocurable resin is surface-exposed with a UV lamp in accordance with this mask pattern. Has been proposed.
[0004]
This surface exposure apparatus forms a mask using an electrostatic toner on a light transmissive member, superimposes it on an uncured resin layer, and irradiates ultraviolet light through the mask to apply the photocurable resin at once. Surface exposure is performed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, conventionally, since a mask is formed using electrostatic toner on the light transmissive member, a demagnetizing head, a toner scraper, a charging head, a developing device, and the like are required as a mask forming unit, and further, the toner scraper is covered. Since a cover and a suction device connected to the cover via a toner suction hose are required, there is a problem that the mask creating means is enlarged.
[0006]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical modeling apparatus and an optical modeling method capable of solving the problems of the conventional techniques described above and creating a mask with a simple configuration and erasing the mask.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a creation stage for creating a mask by transferring a light-impermeable material to a plate-like light-transmissive member according to the optical modeling data, and an uncured resin layer of a photocurable resin over the mask are provided. An exposure stage for exposure, an erase stage for erasing the light-impermeable material formed on the plate-like light transmissive member, and a plate-like light transmissive member provided between the exposure stage and the mask erase stage. A light transmitting member using a standby stage, a control means for repeatedly operating each stage , a creation stage, an exposure stage, a standby stage, and an erasing stage arranged at four corners in the same plane, and using a moving means such as a transport roller And a means for moving in the direction .
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the invention, the creation stage to create a mask a light impermeable material is transferred to a plate-like light transmitting member according to the optical shaping data, the uncured resin layer of the photocurable resin through the mask An exposure stage for exposure, an erase stage for erasing the light-impermeable material formed on the plate-like light transmissive member, and a plate-like light transmissive member provided between the exposure stage and the mask erase stage. The standby stage, the control means for repeatedly operating each stage, the creation stage, the exposure stage, and the standby stage are linearly arranged, the light transmitting member is raised at the position of the standby stage, and the light transmitting member is exposed to the exposure stage. conveying the right above, here comprising a erasure stage, drawer immediately above the creation stage erased light transmitting member, especially in that it comprises a means for lowering to create stage from here To.
[0009]
The invention described in claim 3 is a stage for creating a mask by transferring a light-impermeable material to a light-transmissive member in accordance with stereolithography data, and an exposure for exposing an uncured resin layer of a photocurable resin through the mask. A stage, an erasing stage for erasing the light-impermeable material created on the light-transmissive member, and a control means for repeatedly operating each stage, wherein the light-transmissive member is in the form of a drum, and the outer periphery of the drum Further, each of a creation stage, an exposure stage, and an erasing stage is assigned, and a means for rotating the drum is provided .
[0010]
The invention according to claim 4 is the device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein means for wiping and erasing the light-impermeable material, means for erasing by melting the light-impermeable material with heat, Any one of the means for erasing by melting with a solvent, or a combination of a plurality of means.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 5 is the one according to claim 1, 2, or 4, wherein the plate-like light-transmitting member is any one of a glass plate, a polycarbonate plate, a hard vinyl chloride plate, an acrylic plate, and a PET plate. It is characterized by being.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical modeling apparatus, and the optical modeling apparatus 1 includes a control means (not shown) including a three-dimensional CAD or the like. This stereolithography apparatus 1 includes a mask creating means 3 and an exposure means 5.
[0016]
The mask creating means 3 includes a thermal transfer ink ribbon 8 having light impermeability disposed in contact with the upper surface of a thick plate-like transparent glass plate (light transmissive member) 7 in the creation stage 4, and the thermal transfer ink. A thermal printer head (creating means) 9 that scans the upper surface of the ribbon 8 in the direction of the arrow is configured.
[0017]
Here, the thick transparent glass plate 7 may be, for example, a polycarbonate plate, a hard vinyl chloride plate, an acrylic plate, a PET plate, or the like, but it is easy to transfer ink (light-impermeable material). A glass plate or a polycarbonate plate is preferable from the viewpoint of easily erasing the film and being hardly damaged.
[0018]
The thermal printer head 9 is scanned in accordance with the optical modeling data from a computer (not shown), and the ink on the thermal transfer ink ribbon 8 is thermally transferred to the transparent glass plate 7 to create a mask. 8A is a roller on the supply side of the thermal transfer ink ribbon 8, and 8B is a roller on the winding side.
[0019]
The ink-transferred transparent glass plate 7 is sent to the exposure stage 10 via a moving means such as a transport roller (not shown).
[0020]
In this exposure stage 10, a light source 11 and a condenser lens 12 are disposed above the transparent glass plate 7, a projection lens 13 is disposed below the transparent glass plate 7, and below the projection lens 13, An uncured resin layer 15 of a photocurable resin is disposed. The uncured resin layer 15 is formed on the lower surface of the film 16C wound between the pair of rollers 16A and 16B. When the rollers 16A and 16B are driven in the direction of the arrow, the uncured resin layer 15 is directly below the projection lens 13. It goes out in order.
[0021]
The light source 11 includes, for example, a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, or an ultraviolet fluorescent lamp.
[0022]
On the transparent glass plate 7 sent to the exposure stage 10, for example, ink having light impermeability is transferred to portions other than the circular 14 and the L-shaped 17, and when exposed to light from the light source 11. The light that has passed through the circular 14 and L-shaped portions 17 is projected onto the uncured resin layer 15 of the photocurable resin via the projection lens 13. Thereby, the uncured resin layer 15 is cured.
[0023]
When the uncured resin layer 15 is cured, as described above, the pair of rollers 16A and 16B are driven in the direction of the arrow, and a new uncured resin layer 15 is fed out directly below the projection lens 13 for the next process.
[0024]
The transparent glass plate 7 that has passed through the exposure stage 10 is sent to the standby stage 12 through a moving means such as a transport roller.
[0025]
The transparent glass plate 7 that has passed through the standby stage 12 is sent to the erasing stage 18 through a moving means such as a conveying roller.
[0026]
In the erasing stage 18, the ink transferred to the transparent glass plate 7 is mechanically wiped off. That is, the erasing stage 18 is provided with an erasing device 19 configured to roll on the surface of the transparent glass plate 7, and by rolling the erasing device 19, the outer peripheral material mechanically inks the ink. Wipe off. In this case, since the transparent glass plate 7 has a hard surface, it is difficult to be scratched.
[0027]
The transparent glass plate 7 from which the ink has been erased is sent again to the creation stage 4 via the moving means such as the rotary table.
[0028]
Then, at this creation stage 4, the thermal printer head 9 is scanned again according to the optical modeling data from a computer (not shown), and the ink of the thermal transfer ink ribbon 8 is thermally transferred to create a mask.
[0029]
Thereafter, the above operations are repeated, and optical modeling having a shape according to optical modeling data from a computer (not shown) is performed.
[0030]
The ink erasing process described above is an important process. This is because if the ink is not completely erased in this step and the light-opaque ink remains on the transparent glass plate 7, the optical modeling in the next step becomes incomplete. As the erasing means, as described above, in addition to the means for directly wiping and erasing the ink, for example, after the ink is melted with heat, the ink is wiped off, or the ink is removed with a solvent such as water or alcohol. After melting, it may be wiped off. Alternatively, the ink may be erased simply by melting the ink with heat or simply melting the ink with a solvent.
[0031]
Alternatively, so-called ultrasonic cleaning may be performed on the transparent glass plate 7 so that the ink is removed.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, the mask is formed by thermally transferring the light-impermeable ink to the thick transparent glass plate 7, so that the contrast becomes clearer, for example, compared with the mask using electrostatic toner. The boundary between the transmission part and the light non-transmission part is clarified, and the contour of the optical modeling object can be finished with high accuracy.
[0033]
Further, since the price of the thermal printer head 9 necessary for the above-described thermal transfer mask method is low, for example, the optical modeling apparatus can be provided at a lower price than the mask method using electrostatic toner.
[0034]
Since the thermal transfer mask system is adopted, the structure of the creation stage 4 and the erase stage 18 is simplified, and the mask creation means can be downsized.
[0035]
In the above configuration, the creation stage 4, the exposure stage 10, the standby stage 12 and the erasing stage 18 are arranged at four corners in the same plane, and the transparent glass plate 7 is moved in that direction by using a moving means such as a transport roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the creation stage 4, the exposure stage 10, and the erase stage 18 may be linearly arranged. In this case, for example, a reciprocating actuator such as a chain belt, an air cylinder or a linear motor is adopted as the moving means.
[0036]
Further, for example, the creation stage 4, the exposure stage 10, and the standby stage 12 are linearly arranged, the thick transparent glass plate 7 is raised at the position of the standby stage 12, and the transparent glass plate 7 is moved to the exposure stage 10. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the sheet is transported directly above, provided with an erasing stage 18, and the erased transparent glass plate 7 is pulled out directly above the creating stage 4 and lowered to the creating stage 4 from here.
[0037]
The light transmissive member (transparent glass plate) 7 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may be a drum shape, for example. In this case, the production stage 4, the exposure stage 10 and the erasing stage 18 are assigned to the outer periphery of the drum, and the drum rotating means constitutes the moving means.
[0038]
In the above configuration, the uncured resin layer 15 of the photocurable resin and the exposure stage 10 are defined at a predetermined distance, and the uncured resin layer 15 is passed through the mask using the optical system including the projection lens 13. Are exposed.
[0039]
Therefore, for example, the effect of suppressing exposure blur at the edge portion can be obtained as compared with the case where the mask is attached to the uncured resin layer 15 and the surface exposure is performed.
[0040]
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment.
[0041]
In this embodiment, an uncured resin layer 15 of a photocurable resin is formed in the resin liquid tank 31. A lifter 32 is disposed in the resin liquid tank 31, and a table 33 is disposed on the lifter 32. The resin liquid tank 31 is filled with a photocurable resin in a liquid state. Other configurations are substantially the same as those shown in FIG.
[0042]
When the transparent glass plate 7 described above is sent to the exposure stage 10 and exposed to light from the light source 11, the light that has passed through the circular 14 and L-shaped portions 17 is photocured via the projection lens 13. It is projected onto the uncured resin layer 15 of resin. Thereby, the uncured resin layer 15 is cured.
[0043]
In this embodiment, when the uncured resin layer 15 is cured, the table 33 is lowered by a predetermined distance, and the uncured resin layer 15 having a thickness corresponding to the predetermined distance is formed on the table 33. Other operations are substantially the same as those shown in FIG.
[0044]
As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on one Embodiment, it is clear that this invention is not limited to this.
[0045]
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the optical modeling in which the modeled object is stacked and modeled up and down has been described. However, when the modeled object is enlarged, the model is stacked in the horizontal direction and optically modeled without being stacked up and down. Is possible. In this case, it goes without saying that the optical system is also arranged in the horizontal direction.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the mask creating means can be reduced in size, and a mask can be created and erased with a simple configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an optical modeling apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing another embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stereolithography apparatus 3 Mask preparation means 4 Creation stage 5 Exposure means 7 Transparent glass plate (light transmissive member)
8 Thermal transfer ink ribbon 9 Thermal printer head (creating means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Exposure stage 11 Light source 12 Condensing lens 13 Projection lens 15 Uncured resin layer 18 Erase stage 19 Erase device

Claims (5)

A creation stage that creates a mask by transferring a light-impermeable material to a plate-like light-transmissive member according to the optical modeling data, an exposure stage that exposes an uncured resin layer of a photocurable resin through the mask, and a plate-like shape Each stage is repeated with an erasing stage for erasing the light-impermeable material created on the light transmissive member, and a standby stage for a plate-like light transmissive member provided between the exposure stage and the mask erasing stage. A control means for operating, a means for arranging a creation stage, an exposure stage, a standby stage and an erasing stage at four corners in the same plane, and a means for moving the light transmissive member in that direction using a moving means such as a transport roller optical shaping apparatus characterized by comprising and. A creation stage that creates a mask by transferring a light-impermeable material to a plate-like light-transmissive member according to the optical modeling data, an exposure stage that exposes an uncured resin layer of a photocurable resin through the mask, and a plate-like shape Each stage is repeated with an erasing stage for erasing the light-impermeable material created on the light transmissive member, and a standby stage for a plate-like light transmissive member provided between the exposure stage and the mask erasing stage. The control means to operate, the production stage, the exposure stage, and the standby stage are linearly arranged, the light transmissive member is raised at the position of the standby stage, and the light transmissive member is conveyed directly above the exposure stage. An optical modeling apparatus comprising: an erasing stage; and a means for pulling out the erased light transmissive member directly above the production stage and lowering it to the production stage . A creation stage that creates a mask by transferring a light-impermeable material to a light-transmissive member according to the optical modeling data, an exposure stage that exposes an uncured resin layer of a photo-curable resin through the mask, and a light-transmissive member An erasing stage for erasing the produced light-impermeable material; and a control means for repeatedly operating each stage. The light-transmissive member is in the form of a drum. An optical modeling apparatus characterized in that each stage of an erasing stage is assigned and provided with means for rotating a drum .   The erasing means is any one of a means for wiping and erasing the light-impermeable material, a means for erasing by melting the light-impermeable material with heat, a means for erasing by melting with a solvent, or a plurality of means The stereolithography apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stereolithography apparatus is a combination of the above means. The optical modeling apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 4, wherein the plate-like light transmissive member is any one of a glass plate, a polycarbonate plate, a hard vinyl chloride plate, an acrylic plate, and a PET plate .

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