JP5794285B2 - Modeling equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a modeling method for modeling a solid by transferring a layered structure formed on a substrate onto a transfer substrate and sequentially laminating the layered structure on the transfer substrate.

  Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, as one of modeling methods for modeling a solid, a layered structure is laminated by repeatedly transferring a layered structure formed on a substrate to a transfer substrate. A so-called laminating method for forming a three-dimensional object is known. In Patent Document 1, first, a liquid material containing an ultraviolet curable resin is used as a forming material, and a liquid layer made of the liquid material is formed on a drawing substrate to which liquid repellency is imparted to the liquid material. Next, after the transfer substrate is brought close to the drawing substrate, the liquid layer sandwiched between the drawing substrate and the transfer substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light. Thereby, a layered structure formed by curing the liquid layer is formed between the drawing substrate and the transfer substrate. The adhesive force between the layered structure and the transfer substrate is larger than the adhesive force between the liquid-repellent drawing substrate and the layered structure, and the transfer substrate is moved away from the drawing substrate. The layered structure is peeled from the drawing substrate in a state where it is adhered to the substrate. In this way, the layered structure is transferred to the transfer substrate. Then, by repeating the transfer of another layered structure to the layered structure transferred to the transfer substrate, a three-dimensional structure made up of a plurality of layered structures is formed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-34752

  By the way, when expressing a model having a part floating in the air as a solid, it is necessary to use a thin linear connecting part for connecting the part floating in the air and another part. On the other hand, in the above laminating method, although the liquid repellency for the liquid material is imparted to the drawing substrate, when the layered structure formed on the drawing substrate is peeled, the external force accompanying the peeling is It acts on the layered structure that has been transferred prior to the transfer substrate. If such an external force acts on the connecting portion described above, the connecting portion is bent or damaged. As a result, there is a possibility that a problem relating to a three-dimensional shape such as a positional shift or a lack of a portion connected to the connection portion may occur.

  This invention is made in view of the said actual condition, The objective is to provide the modeling method which can raise the precision of the solid shape formed by laminating | stacking a layered structure.

  The modeling method of the present invention includes a drawing process of drawing a curable liquid layer on a drawing surface of a drawing substrate, a curing process of curing the liquid layer in a state where the liquid substrate is covered with a transfer substrate, A transfer step of transferring a layered structure, which is a cured product of the liquid layer, to the transfer substrate by widening the interval between the drawing substrate and the transfer substrate, the drawing step, the curing step, A modeling method for modeling a solid in the form of a laminate of the layered structures on the transfer substrate by repeating a transfer process, wherein in the drawing process, the drawing area of the liquid layer in the drawing area of the drawing surface A gist is to draw a support layer for supporting the layered structure in a region different from the above, and to transfer the layered structure to the transfer substrate together with the support layer in the transfer step.

  According to this modeling method, the layered structure can be laminated while forming the support layer around the members constituting the solid. That is, in the laminating process of the layered structure, a new layered structure can be stacked on the layered structure while supporting the layered structure prior to the transfer substrate with the support layer. Therefore, the external force that acts on the laminate laminated on the transfer substrate can be dispersed in the layered structure and the support layer. As a result, compared to the case where a three-dimensional structure is formed by laminating only the layered structures, the layered structures stacked on the transfer substrate are less likely to be bent or damaged. Problems such as omissions can be made difficult to occur. Therefore, the accuracy of the three-dimensional shape can be increased.

In this modeling method, the support layer is drawn so as to surround the drawing region of the liquid layer.
According to this modeling method, the support layer is drawn so as to surround the drawing area of the liquid layer. According to such a configuration, it is possible to further prevent bending and breakage of the three-dimensional component member. Therefore, a three-dimensional shape can be realized with higher accuracy.

In this modeling method, the support layer is drawn so as to be in contact with the liquid layer.
According to this modeling method, since the laminated body in which the layered structures are laminated is directly supported by the support layer, it is possible to further prevent the three-dimensional component member from being bent and damaged.

In this modeling method, the support layer is drawn over the entire area of the drawing area of the drawing surface that is different from the drawing area of the liquid layer.
Here, when only the layered structure is laminated on the transfer substrate, the smaller the contact area between the transfer substrate and the layered structure, the easier the layered structure falls off from the transfer substrate. In this respect, according to this modeling method, the liquid layer or the support layer is drawn at each position of the drawing area of the drawing surface. According to such a configuration, the contact area with the transfer substrate can be increased as compared with the case where only the layered structure is laminated. Therefore, the layered structure can be made difficult to drop off from the transfer substrate.

In this modeling method, the support layer is composed of an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water, or a liquid material in which a water-insoluble powder resin is dispersed in the aqueous solution.
According to this modeling method, the support layer can be removed simply by immersing the laminate laminated on the transfer substrate. Thereby, compared with the case where a support layer is removed mechanically, the load to the layered structure accompanying the removal of a support layer can be suppressed, for example. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult to cause a three-dimensional deformation or breakage accompanying the removal of the support layer.

In this modeling method, the liquid layer has photocurability.
According to this modeling method, the liquid layer can be cured simply by irradiating the liquid layer with light.

In this modeling method, the liquid layer and the support layer are drawn by a droplet discharge method in which a liquid is discharged as droplets.
Like this modeling method, a high-definition liquid layer and a support layer can be formed on a drawing surface by drawing a liquid layer and a support layer using a droplet discharge method in which a liquid is discharged as droplets. .

The figure which shows the structure of the modeling system used for the modeling method of one Embodiment which actualized this invention. The perspective view which shows the perspective structure of the modeling apparatus which comprises a modeling system. The side view which shows the side structure of the droplet discharge head which a modeling apparatus has. The top view which shows the planar structure of the nozzle formation surface which a droplet discharge head has. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an internal structure of a droplet discharge head. The perspective view which shows the perspective structure of the exposure part and transfer part which a modeling apparatus has. The side view which shows the side structure of an exposure part and a transfer part. The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a modeling apparatus. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional laminated structure modeled by a modeling system. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the modeling method which actualized this invention. The figure which showed typically the drawing area | region of each liquid on the drawing surface. The figure which shows typically the state by which the cross-sectional layer was drawn. The figure which shows the state by which a cross-sectional layer is hardened | cured typically. The figure which shows typically the state by which the cross-sectional layer was transcribe | transferred. The side view of a transcription | transfer part when a cross-sectional layer is laminated | stacked to the nth layer. The front view which shows the front structure of the laminated body after a removal process. The figure which shows the state by which a cross-sectional layer is hardened | cured typically. The figure which shows an example of the formation aspect of the support layer in a modification.

  Hereinafter, a modeling method in an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a modeling system used for the modeling method will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a modeling system. As shown in FIG. 1, the modeling system 1 includes a computer 3, a modeling apparatus 5, and a water immersion apparatus 9. The computer 3 generates data indicating the shape of each layered structure based on the data indicating the shape of the solid 7 in order to handle the solid 7 as a laminated body including a plurality of layered structures. The computer 3 outputs layer shape data, which is data indicating the shape of the layered structure, to the modeling apparatus 5. Based on the layer shape data input from the computer 3, the modeling apparatus 5 forms a cross-sectional layer composed of a layered structure having the shape indicated by the layer shape data and a support layer that supports the layered structure. The cross-sectional layers are sequentially stacked. After that, the solid body 7 is formed by immersing the laminate composed of the cross-sectional layers in the water immersion device 9 and removing the support layer. In addition, the solid body 7 of this embodiment has the connection member 7c which connects the bending member 7a and the air member 7b other than the bending member 7a and the air member 7b as a structural member.

  Next, the modeling apparatus 5 which comprises the modeling system 1 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a perspective structure of the modeling apparatus. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the modeling apparatus 5 includes a substrate transport unit 10, a carriage transport unit 20, an exposure unit 70, and a transfer unit 80.

  The board | substrate conveyance part 10 has the base 12 extended along one direction. On the upper surface 12a of the base 12, a pair of guide rails 13a and 13b extending along the transport direction X, which is the direction in which the base 12 extends, are laid. A pair of guide rails 13a and 13b is provided with a transport table 14 connected to a drive shaft of a substrate transport motor 16 (see FIG. 8) via a transmission mechanism. When the substrate transport motor 16 is driven, the transport table 14 moves between the transfer area facing the transfer unit 80 and the standby area opposite to the transfer area along the guide rails 13a and 13b.

  The transport table 14 is made of, for example, glass or quartz having transparency to the ultraviolet light 71 (see FIG. 7) emitted from the exposure unit 70. A drawing substrate 15 as a first substrate having a rectangular drawing surface 15 a is placed on the upper surface 14 a of the transfer table 14. The drawing substrate 15 is made of, for example, glass or quartz having transparency to the ultraviolet light 71 (see FIG. 7) emitted from the exposure unit 70.

  The carriage transport unit 20 includes columns 21a and 21b that are erected on both sides of the base 12 in the head movement direction Y, which is a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the base 12 extends, and guide members that are installed on the columns 21a and 21b. 22. A direction orthogonal to the transport direction X and the head movement direction Y is referred to as a vertical direction Z. A guide rail 23 is disposed on the guide member 22 along the direction in which the guide member 22 extends. The guide rail 23 is provided with a carriage 24 connected to a drive shaft of a carriage motor 27 (see FIG. 8) via a transmission mechanism. When the carriage motor 27 is driven, the carriage 24 moves along the guide rail 23. A droplet discharge head 30 is mounted on the carriage 24 via a head plate 25. In the modeling apparatus 5 of the present embodiment, an area facing the path along which the droplet discharge head 30 moves among the paths along which the transport table 14 moves is referred to as a drawing area.

  Next, the droplet discharge head 30 mounted on the carriage 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a side view of the droplet discharge head viewed from the direction in which the carriage 24 moves. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a planar structure of the nozzle forming surface. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the droplet discharge head.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the droplet discharge head 30 includes a head main body 31 connected to the head plate 25 and a nozzle plate 32 provided at the bottom of the head main body 31. The nozzle plate 32 is disposed so that the nozzle forming surface 32a and the drawing surface 15a of the drawing substrate 15 are substantially parallel when the droplet discharge head 30 and the drawing substrate 15 face each other. When the nozzle forming surface 32a and the drawing surface 15a face each other, the droplet discharge head 30 forms a space in which the droplets 55 and 65 (see FIG. 5) fly between them. The nozzle forming surface 32a of the nozzle plate 32 maintains a platen gap that is a distance between the nozzle forming surface 32a and the drawing surface 15a at a predetermined distance while the head main body 31 and the drawing substrate 15 face each other. The A plurality of nozzles 33 penetrating the nozzle plate 32 along the vertical direction Z are formed on the nozzle forming surface 32a.

  As shown in FIG. 4, two nozzle rows 34 a and 34 b composed of a plurality of nozzles 33 arranged with a pitch dimension P along the direction in which the drawing substrate 15 moves are ejected onto the nozzle plate 32. The heads 30 are juxtaposed in the moving direction. The plurality of nozzles 33 constituting the nozzle rows 34a and 34b are arranged such that the nozzles 33 in the nozzle row 34b are arranged so as to compensate for the space between the nozzles 33 in the nozzle row 34a when viewed from the direction in which the droplet discharge head 30 moves. Yes. A nozzle group 35K is constituted by the two nozzle rows 34a and 34b. The nozzle plate 32 includes a nozzle group 35C, a nozzle group 35M, a nozzle group 35Y, a nozzle group 35W, and a nozzle group 35T having the same configuration as the nozzle group 35K in the direction in which the droplet discharge head 30 moves. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the head body 31 is bonded to the nozzle plate 32 and has a cavity plate 41 having a plurality of cavities 45 communicating with the nozzles 33, and the cavity plate 41 so as to cover the cavities 45. And a vibration plate 42 joined to each other. The head main body 31 has a plurality of piezoelectric elements 43 bonded to the diaphragm 42 so as to face the cavities 45. In the droplet discharge head 30 having such a configuration, when the piezoelectric element 43 receiving the driving voltage expands and contracts in the vertical direction Z, a part of the liquid materials 50 and 60 accommodated in the cavities 45 corresponds to the driving voltage. After being ejected from the nozzle 33 as droplets 55 and 65 having a size and speed, they land on the drawing surface 15a. On the drawing surface 15a, a cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the liquid layer 58 formed by the landed droplet 55 and the support layer 68 formed by the droplet 65 is drawn. In addition, if the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 are drawn using such a droplet discharge head 30, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 with higher definition than those formed by using the dispenser method. It is possible to draw.

  Next, the liquid materials 50 and 60 discharged from the nozzle 33 as the droplets 55 and 65 will be described. First, the liquid material 50 will be described. The liquid material 50 of the present embodiment is a liquid material obtained by adding a photocuring agent having photocurability that cures by ultraviolet light to a resin material. As a resin material constituting such a liquid body 50, for example, an acrylic or epoxy resin material can be employed. As the photocuring agent, for example, a radical polymerization type photopolymerization initiator, a cationic polymerization type photopolymerization initiator, or the like can be employed. Examples of radical polymerization type photopolymerization initiators include isobutyl benzoin ether, isopropyl benzoin ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin methyl ether, benzyl, hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, diethoxyacetophenone, chlorothioxanthone, and isopropylthioxanthone. Can be mentioned. Examples of the cationic polymerization type photopolymerization initiator include arylsulfonium salt derivatives, allyl iodonium salt derivatives, diazonium salt derivatives, and triazine initiators.

  The degree of progress of curing of the liquid 50 varies depending on the intensity and irradiation time of the ultraviolet light irradiated on the liquid 50 described above. For example, if the intensity of the ultraviolet light applied to the liquid material 50 is constant, the curing of the liquid material 50 proceeds more as the irradiation time of the ultraviolet light becomes longer. Moreover, if the irradiation time of the ultraviolet light irradiated to a liquid layer is constant, hardening of the liquid body 50 will progress more, so that the intensity | strength of ultraviolet light becomes high. Therefore, it is possible to change the degree of curing of the liquid 50 by changing the intensity of ultraviolet light applied to the liquid 50 and the irradiation time.

  Further, by adding a coloring material such as a pigment or a dye or a functional material such as a surface modifying material exhibiting lyophilicity or liquid repellency to the liquid material 50 having the above-described configuration, the liquid material 50 having a specific function is obtained. It is also possible to generate. In the modeling apparatus 5 of the present embodiment, the liquid material 50 includes five types of liquids composed of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K), and white (W) colors. The bodies 50Y, 50M, 50C, 50K, and 50W are used. The liquid bodies 50K, 50C, 50M, 50Y, and 50W corresponding to the nozzle groups 35K, 35C, 35M, 35Y, and 35W are supplied to the nozzle groups 35K, 35C, 35M, 35Y, and 35W, respectively.

  The liquid body 60 of this embodiment is an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water in a water-insoluble powder resin. Such a liquid material 60 is gradually solidified by evaporating the contained water, and returns to the liquid material again by exposing the solidified material to water. In order to increase the strength of the support layer, a liquid material in which a water-insoluble powder resin is dispersed in an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water may be used. As the water-insoluble powder resin, an acrylic, silicone, or acrylic silicone powder resin can be used. In addition, the water-insoluble powder resin preferably has a particle size of 4.0 μm or less, more preferably 2.0 μm or less, and a plurality of particle sizes because of the relationship between clogging of the nozzle diameter of the inkjet head and maintenance of the strength of the support. It is preferable that the mixed particles have. As the water-soluble resin added to the water-insoluble powder resin, for example, polyvinyl alcohol (Polyvinyl Alcohol, hereinafter referred to as PVA) is suitable. Moreover, the preferable range of the polymerization degree in PVA is 300-6000, More preferably, it is 300-2000, More preferably, it is 300-1000. Moreover, the preferable range of the saponification degree in PVA is 80-100 or less, More preferably, it is 85-90. By using PVA within the above-described range, it is possible to obtain a high powder fixing force and ease of dissolution of the solidified product when the liquid 60 is solidified. When the strength of the support layer is not particularly required, it is not necessary to add a water-insoluble powder resin. In the modeling apparatus 5 of the present embodiment, the liquid material 60 is ejected as the droplets 65 from the nozzles 33 constituting the nozzle group 35T.

  Next, the drawing surface 15a of the drawing substrate 15 on which the droplets 55 land will be described. The drawing surface 15 a is coated with a material that exhibits liquid repellency with respect to the liquids 50 and 60. By imparting liquid repellency to the drawing surface 15a, the liquids 50 and 60 cured on the drawing surface 15a can be easily separated from the drawing surface 15a. Examples of the material exhibiting liquid repellency with respect to the liquid bodies 50 and 60 include a material containing fluorine or a fluorine compound. The liquid repellent region includes a gas phase method in which a substrate is exposed to a gas containing fluorine or a fluorine compound, an immersion method in which the substrate is immersed in a solution containing fluorine or a fluorine compound, a spray method in which the solution is sprayed on the substrate, the solution Is formed on the surface of the substrate by a spin coat method or the like. Moreover, it forms also by carrying out the plasma processing of the board | substrate in the gas containing a fluorine or a fluorine compound. In the present embodiment, the drawing surface 15a is coated with a material containing a fluoroalkylsilane compound that is one of the fluorine compounds.

  Next, the exposure part 70 which advances hardening of the liquid layer 58 is demonstrated with reference to FIG.6 and FIG.7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a perspective structure of the exposure unit and the transfer unit. FIG. 7 is a side view of the exposure unit and the transfer unit viewed from the direction in which the drawing substrate 15 moves.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the exposure unit 70 is provided at one end of the base 12 in the direction in which the base 12 extends. The exposure unit 70 is disposed in a recess 12b provided between the guide rails 13a and 13b in the base 12, and emits ultraviolet light 71 having a predetermined wavelength and intensity toward the opening of the recess 12b. The light is emitted from the light source 73. A lid plate 75 that transmits the ultraviolet light 71 emitted from the light source 73 is disposed in the opening of the recess 12b. The ultraviolet light 71 is preferably ultraviolet light having a wavelength longer than 200 nm so that the coating film formed on the drawing surface 15a is not destroyed. As the light source 73, for example, a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, an excimer lamp, or the like can be used. When the ultraviolet light 71 is emitted from the light source 73 when the transport table 14 is located in the transfer area, the ultraviolet light 71 that has passed through the cover plate 75, the transport table 14, and the drawing substrate 15 is applied to the drawing surface 15a. The drawn sectional layer 69 is reached.

  Next, the transfer unit 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the transfer unit 80 faces the exposure unit 70 and the columns 81 a and 81 b erected on both sides of the base 12 in the direction in which the droplet discharge head 30 moves. And an erection member 82 erected on the columns 81a and 81b. A support member 83 extending toward the exposure unit 70 is attached to the central portion of the erection member 82 so as to move in the vertical direction Z in the direction in which the droplet discharge head 30 moves. The base end of the support member 83 is connected to the drive shaft of the lift motor 86 via a transmission mechanism, and is driven by the lift motor 86 to move in the vertical direction Z. A rectangular transfer substrate 85 as a second substrate is fixed to the tip of the support member 83. The transfer substrate 85 has a modeling surface 85 a parallel to the drawing surface 15 a of the drawing substrate 15. The modeling surface 85a is such that when the transport table 14 is placed in the transfer area, the center of the drawing surface 15a of the drawing substrate 15 coincides with the center of the modeling surface 85a in the vertical direction Z. 15 opposite to the drawing surface 15a. Incidentally, the modeling surface 85a of the transfer substrate 85 is configured so that the liquid repellency with respect to the liquid 50 is lower than that of the drawing surface 15a of the drawing substrate 15.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the modeling apparatus 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the modeling apparatus. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the modeling apparatus 5 includes a control unit 101 that performs overall control of the modeling apparatus 5. The control unit 101 includes a CPU 102, a drive control unit 103, and a storage unit 104. The CPU 102, the drive control unit 103, and the storage unit 104 are connected to each other via a bus 111.

  The drive control unit 103 includes a motor control unit 131, a position detection control unit 133, an ejection control unit 135, and an exposure control unit 137. Each component of the drive control unit 103 controls driving modes in the substrate transport unit 10, the carriage transport unit 20, the droplet discharge head 30, the exposure unit 70, and the transfer unit 80 based on a command from the CPU 102. The storage unit 104 includes a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and has an area for storing various control programs 105 in the modeling apparatus 5 and an area for storing expanded data 106 in which various data are temporarily expanded.

  The computer 3 is connected to the control unit 101 via an interface 113 (hereinafter referred to as I / F 113). The computer 3 generates data indicating the shape of each layered structure based on the data indicating the shape of the solid 7 and outputs the data to the control unit 101 in order to handle the solid 7 as a stacked body including a plurality of layered structures. .

  Here, the aspect which handles the solid 7 as a laminated body which consists of a some layered structure is demonstrated with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a three-dimensional laminated structure that is modeled by the modeling system.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the computer 3 converts the solid 7 having the thickness tn into the n layer (n is an integer of 2 or more) having the film thickness t based on the data indicating the shape of the solid 7. The layered structure 120 is virtually divided. Among the layered structures 120, the layered structures 120 from the fourth layer to the (k-1) th layer are layered structures having a part of the bending member 7a and the connecting member 7c. The layered structure 120 of the kth layer and the (k + 1) th layer is a layered structure having a part of the bending member 7a and the aerial member 7b. In FIG. 9, adjacent layered structures 120 are color-coded so that each layered structure 120 can be easily identified. Then, the computer 3 generates layer shape data indicating the size, thickness, shape, position, color scheme, and the like of the layered structure 120 for each of the layered structures 120.

  The motor control unit 131 drives each of the substrate transport motor 16, the carriage motor 27, and the lift motor 86 based on a command from the CPU 102. The position detection control unit 133 converts each of the position of the transport table 14, the position of the carriage 24, and the position of the transfer substrate 85 based on a command from the CPU 102, the table position detection device 141, the carriage position detection device 143, and the transfer The substrate position detecting device 145 is used for detection. The position detection control unit 133 determines the position of the transport table 14, the position of the carriage 24, and the position of the transfer substrate 85 based on the detection results of the table position detection device 141, the carriage position detection device 143, and the transfer substrate position detection device 145. A signal indicating the position is output to the CPU 102. The discharge controller 135 drives the droplet discharge head 30 based on a command from the CPU 102. The discharge control unit 135 discharges the droplets 55 and 65 from the nozzle 33 by supplying a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element 43 based on the data for discharging the droplets 55 and 65 stored in the storage unit 104. . The exposure control unit 137 performs power supply to the light source 73 and interruption thereof based on a command from the CPU 102.

Next, the modeling method of the solid 7 performed using the modeling apparatus 5 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an overall procedure for the modeling method.
As shown in FIG. 10, a layer shape data generation step (step S <b> 11) in which a plurality of layer shape data for modeling the solid 7 is first generated by the computer 3 is performed. Next, based on the layer shape data of the first layer, a drawing step (step S12) in which the first cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 is drawn on the drawing substrate 15 is performed. Done. Subsequently, a curing step (step S13) in which the liquid material 50 is cured in a state where the first cross-sectional layer 69 is sandwiched between the drawing substrate 15 and the transfer substrate 85, and a layered structure in which the liquid layer 58 is cured. A transfer step (step S14) for transferring the cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the body 120 and the support layer 68 to the transfer substrate 85 side is sequentially performed.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the transfer to all the layered structures 120 has been completed (step S15). When the transfer to all the layered structures 120 is not completed (step S15: NO), the subsequent drawing process of the layered structures 120 (step S12) until the transfer to all the layered structures 120 is completed. The curing process (step S13) and the transfer process (step S14) are repeated. On the other hand, when the transfer to all the layered structures 120 has been completed (step S15: YES), the laminate 150 (see FIG. 15) on which the cross-sectional layers 69 are laminated is separated from the transfer substrate 85. Then, a removing step (step S16) is performed to remove the support layer 68 by immersing the laminate 150 with the water immersion device 9.

Next, the modeling method described above will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a drawing region of each liquid material on the drawing surface, and is a diagram showing a first cross-sectional layer. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the cross-sectional layer is drawn, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first cross-sectional layer is drawn. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the cross-sectional layer is cured, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first cross-sectional layer is cured. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the cross-sectional layer is transferred, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first cross-sectional layer is transferred. FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which cross-sectional layers are stacked up to the nth layer. FIG. 16 is a front view showing the front structure of the laminated body after the removing step.

  In the drawing step (step S12), a cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the liquid layer 58 having a film thickness t and the support layer 68 is drawn on the drawing surface 15a. The process of drawing the cross-sectional layer 69 is executed by the control unit 101 as follows.

  First, the control unit 101 reads out the layer shape data corresponding to the liquid layer 58 to be drawn in accordance with the control program stored in the storage unit 104, and then the position where the layered structure is formed and the layered structure. The film thickness t is grasped from the layer shape data. Next, the control unit 101 determines, based on the position of the layered structure and the film thickness t of the layered structure, the diameter, quantity, and position of the droplet 55 required for drawing the liquid layer 58, and the support layer. The diameter, quantity and position of the droplet 65 required to draw 68 are determined. The control unit 101 generates sectional layer drawing data indicating the diameter, quantity, and position of the droplets 55 and 65, and then temporarily stores the sectional layer drawing data in a predetermined storage area in the storage unit 104. In accordance with the control program stored in the storage unit 104, the control unit 101 according to the present embodiment outputs the cross-sectional layer drawing data so that the liquid 50 or the liquid 60 is discharged at each position of the drawing area of the drawing surface 15a. Generate. As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 101 discharges the liquid 50 to the central portion of the drawing surface 15a and surrounds the area where the liquid 50 is discharged, as shown in FIG. The body 60 is discharged.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 101 transfers the drawing substrate 15 from the standby area to the drawing area, and then uses the sectional layer drawing data to move the droplet discharge head 30 and the drawing substrate 15 relative to each other. The cross-sectional layer 69 having the film thickness t is drawn on the drawing surface 15a while being moved. The discharged liquid 60 is gradually solidified by evaporating the contained water.

  In the curing step (step S13), the liquid layer 58 is cured with the cross-sectional layer 69 sandwiched between the drawing substrate 15 and the transfer substrate 85 to form the layered structure 120. The curing process for curing the liquid 50 is executed by the control unit 101 as follows.

  First, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 101 lowers the transfer substrate 85 to a position corresponding to the liquid layer 58 to be cured in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 104, so that the cross-sectional layer 69 is formed. It is sandwiched between the drawing substrate 15 and the transfer substrate 85. Next, the control unit 101 starts supplying power to the light source 73 and irradiates the cross-sectional layer 69 with the ultraviolet light 71. The control unit 101 cuts off the supply of power to the light source 73 when an irradiation time sufficient to completely cure the liquid material 50 constituting the liquid layer 58 has elapsed. Also in this curing step, the solidification of the support layer 68 proceeds as the moisture evaporates from the support layer 68.

  In the transfer process (step S14), the layered structure 120 formed in the curing process (step S13) is transferred to the transfer substrate 85. The process of transferring the layered structure 120 is executed by the control unit 101 as follows. The control unit 101 raises the transfer substrate 85 according to the control program stored in the storage unit 104. At this time, the cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the layered structure 120 and the support layer 68 has a larger adhesive force to the transfer substrate 85 than to the adhesive force to the drawing substrate 15. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the film is peeled from the drawing substrate 15 in a state of being bonded to the transfer substrate 85. Thus, the first cross-sectional layer 69 is laminated on the transfer substrate 85 side.

Thereafter, a series of processing from the drawing process (step S12) to the transfer process (step S14) is performed in order from the second layer to the nth layer.
In the curing step (step S13), the control unit 101 transfers the transfer substrate to the position where the distance between the drawing surface 15a and the modeling surface 85a is (j × t) with respect to the j-th cross-sectional layer 69. Lower 85. That is, the second and subsequent cross-sectional layers 69 are sandwiched between the drawing substrate 15 and the transfer substrate 85 via the cross-sectional layers 69 from the first layer to the (j−1) th layer. Further, the cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the layered structure 120 and the support layer 68 has a liquid repellency with respect to the liquids 50 and 60 because the drawing surface 15a has an adhesive force before the drawing surface 15a. Thus, the adhesive force with respect to the laminated cross-sectional layer 69 is greater. Therefore, in the transfer step (step S14), the cross-sectional layer 69 is peeled off from the drawing surface 15a in a state of being bonded to the cross-sectional layer 69 laminated on the transfer substrate 85 as the transfer substrate 85 is raised.

  Thus, as shown in FIG. 15, when the transfer process (step S <b> 14) of the n-th cross-sectional layer 69 is completed, a laminated body 150 in which the cross-sectional layer 69 is laminated is formed on the transfer substrate 85. Then, in the removing step (step S16), the laminate 150 separated from the modeling surface 85a is put into the water immersion device 9. In the laminated body 150 thrown into the water immersion apparatus 9, since the support layer 68 is eluted and removed by water, the solid 7 appears as shown in FIG.

  As described above, by using the liquid 60 described above, the support layer 68 can be removed only by immersing the laminate 150. Thereby, compared with the case where the support layer 68 is removed mechanically, the load to the structural member of the solid 7 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to make it difficult for the solid body 7 to be deformed or damaged as the support layer 68 is removed.

  Next, the action expressed in the lamination process of the layered structure 120 by forming the support layer 68 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the cross-sectional layer is cured, and schematically illustrates a state in which the k-th cross-sectional layer having the layered structure 120 constituting a part of the aerial member 7b is cured. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 17, after the cross-sectional layers 69 from the fourth layer to the (k−1) th layer having the layered structure 120 constituting the connecting member 7c are laminated, the transfer substrate 85 has A k-th cross-sectional layer 69 is laminated. The k-th cross-sectional layer 69 has a layered structure 120 that constitutes a part of the bending member 7a and the aerial member 7b.

  When the cross-sectional layer 69 is drawn in the drawing process (step S12), the control unit 101 in the curing process (step S13) positions the gap (k × t) between the drawing surface 15a and the modeling surface 85a. Until the transfer substrate 85 is lowered.

  At this time, the cross-sectional layer 69 is sandwiched between the drawing substrate 15 and the transfer substrate 85 via the cross-sectional layers 69 from the first layer to the (k−1) th layer. Then, the control unit 101 supplies power to the light source 73 and irradiates the cross-sectional layer 69 with the ultraviolet light 71 to cure the liquid material 50 constituting the liquid layer 58. The controller 101 cuts off the supply of power to the light source 73 when an irradiation time sufficient to completely cure the liquid material 50 has elapsed. In the subsequent transfer process (step S14), the control unit 101 raises the transfer substrate 85, peels the cross-sectional layer 69 from the drawing surface 15a, and stacks the cross-sectional layer 69 on the transfer substrate 85 side.

  In the transfer step (step S14), although the drawing surface 15a has liquid repellency with respect to the liquids 50 and 60, the first to (k-1) th layers laminated in advance. The external force that accompanies the peeling of the k-th cross-sectional layer 69 acts on the cross-sectional layer 69 described above. Here, when only the layered structure 120 is laminated, if the external force described above acts on a thin line member such as the connecting member 7c, the connecting member 7c may be bent or damaged. There is a risk that problems such as displacement and loss of the aerial member 7b may occur.

  On the other hand, according to the configuration described above, the support layer 68 is formed in the gap between the three-dimensional body 7 formed by the bending member 7a, the aerial member 7b, and the connecting member 7c. Therefore, even if the external force is applied to the cross-sectional layer 69 previously laminated on the transfer substrate 85, the external force can be dispersed in the layered structure 120 and the support layer 68. That is, as compared with the case where only the layered structure 120 is laminated, the force received by each layered structure 120 when receiving the same external force can be reduced. Thereby, even if it is a thin line member like the connection member 7c, it becomes difficult to produce a bending | flexion and damage by the said external force, Therefore It can make it difficult to produce malfunctions, such as a position shift and a missing part, in the three-dimensional structural member. Therefore, the accuracy of the shape of the three-dimensional body 7 can be improved as compared with the case where only the layered structure 120 is laminated without forming the support layer 68.

  Further, when only the layered structure 120 is laminated, if the contact area between the first layered structure 120 and the modeling surface 85a is small, the layered structure 120 is easily peeled from the modeling surface 85a. Therefore, in the stacking process, there is a possibility that the stacked body in which the layered structures 120 are stacked is dropped from the modeling surface 85a.

  In this regard, according to the configuration described above, the cross-sectional layer 69 composed of the layered structure 120 and the support layer 68 is adhered to the modeling surface 85a. That is, as compared with the case where only the layered structure 120 is laminated, the contact area with the modeling surface 85a is increased by the support layer 68, so that the adhesion force between the modeling surface 85a and the cross-sectional layer 69 can be increased. it can. Thereby, in the lamination process, the layered structure 120 can be made difficult to drop off from the modeling surface 85a.

As described above, according to the modeling method of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the laminating process of the cross-sectional layer 69, a support layer 68 is formed in a gap formed by the bending member 7a, the aerial member 7b, and the connecting member 7c which are constituent members of the solid body 7. According to such a configuration, the force received by the layered structure 120 in the stacking process can be reduced as compared with the case where only the layered structure 120 is stacked. Thereby, it is possible to make it difficult to cause a problem such as a positional shift or a lack in the constituent members of the three-dimensional body 7. Therefore, the accuracy of the shape of the solid 7 can be increased.

  (2) The liquid 50 or the liquid 60 was discharged to each position on the drawing surface 15a. According to such a configuration, the contact area between the first cross-sectional layer 69 and the modeling surface 85a can be reliably increased as compared with the case where only the layered structure 120 is laminated. Thereby, in the lamination process, the cross-sectional layer 69 laminated on the transfer substrate 85 can be made difficult to drop off from the modeling surface 85a.

  (3) As the liquid body 60 constituting the support layer 68, an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water or a liquid body in which a water-insoluble powder resin is dispersed in an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water is used. It was. According to such a configuration, the support layer 68 can be removed simply by allowing the laminated body 150 to be immersed in the water immersion device 9.

  (4) Further, by removing the support layer 68 by water immersion, it is possible to suppress the load on the constituent members of the three-dimensional body 7 as compared with the case where the support layer 68 is mechanically removed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the solid 7 from being deformed or damaged due to the removal of the support layer 68.

  (5) The liquid 50 constituting the liquid layer 58 has photocurability that is cured by being irradiated with the ultraviolet light 71. With such a configuration, the liquid layer 58 can be cured simply by irradiating the liquid 50 with the ultraviolet light 71.

  (6) The liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 are drawn on the drawing surface 15a by using a droplet discharge method in which the droplets 55 and 65 of the liquid materials 50 and 60 are discharged from the droplet discharge head 30. According to such a configuration, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 can be drawn on the drawing surface 15a with high definition.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the above embodiment, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 are drawn on the drawing surface 15 a by using a droplet discharge method in which the liquids 50 and 60 are discharged as droplets 55 and 65. The method for drawing the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 on the drawing surface 15a is not limited to this, and a dispenser method, for example, may be used. Even if it is such a structure, the effect similar to said (1)-(5) is acquired.

  In the above embodiment, the liquid layer 58 is formed by the liquid 50 having photocurability. By changing this, for example, the liquid layer 58 may be formed of a thermosetting liquid. If it is such composition, while being able to acquire the same effect as the above (1)-(4), in addition to hardening of liquid 50 in the hardening process (Step S13), drying of liquid 60 can also be promoted.

  In the above embodiment, the support layer is formed by using, as the liquid body 60, an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water, or a liquid body in which a water-insoluble powder resin is dispersed in an aqueous solution in which a water-soluble resin is dissolved in water. 68 was drawn. The support layer 68 is not limited to this, and may be formed using another liquid material as long as it is transferred to the transfer substrate 85 side together with the layered structure 120 in the transfer step (step S14) and can be removed later. May be.

  In the drawing surface 15a of the above embodiment, the support layer 68 is drawn over the entire region where the liquid layer 58 is not drawn. For example, the following configuration may be used by changing this. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a form of forming the support layer in this modification.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the support layer 68 may be formed so that only the layered structure 120 constituting the connecting member 7 c is supported by the support layer 68. Even with such a configuration, the connecting member 7c is unlikely to be bent or damaged during the stacking process, and thus it is possible to make it difficult to cause a problem such as a positional shift or missing of the aerial member 7b that is a constituent member of the three-dimensional body 7. Therefore, even when only the layered structure 120 is stacked to form the solid 7, the accuracy of the shape of the solid 7 can be increased.

  -In the modeling method of the said embodiment, you may further provide the solidification process which solidifies the liquid body 60 which comprises the support layer 68. FIG. In the solidification step, for example, a heating means for heating the drawing substrate 15 is provided on the transport table 14, and the support layer 68 drawn on the drawing substrate 15 is applied in parallel with the irradiation of the ultraviolet light 71 to the liquid layer 58. This is realized by heating using a heating means.

  In the above-described embodiment, the drawing surface 15 a is formed with a liquid repellent region coated with a material that exhibits liquid repellency with respect to the liquid bodies 50 and 60. Within this liquid repellent area, lyophilic areas that exhibit lower liquid repellency than the liquid repellent areas may be dotted. According to such a configuration, a part of the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 drawn on the drawing surface 15a can be held in the lyophilic region. Therefore, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 can be drawn with higher definition.

  In the modeling apparatus 5 of the above embodiment, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 are drawn by one droplet discharge head 30. By changing this, the liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 may be drawn by the plurality of droplet discharge heads 30. With such a configuration, the processing time in the drawing step (step S12) can be shortened. Further, the droplet discharge head 30 for drawing the liquid layer 58 and the droplet discharge head 30 for drawing the support layer 68 may be provided separately.

The liquid layer 58 and the support layer 68 may be drawn at different timings. With such a configuration, for example, the liquid layer 58 can be drawn after the support layer 68 is solidified.
In the modeling apparatus 5 of the above-described embodiment, the droplet 55 is discharged by the piezoelectric element driving type droplet discharge head 30. From a viewpoint of changing this and discharging the droplet 55 from the droplet discharge head, even if the droplet 55 is discharged by a resistance heating type or electrostatic drive type droplet discharge head. Good.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Modeling system, 3 ... Computer, 5 ... Modeling apparatus, 7 ... Solid, 7a ... Bending member, 7b ... Aerial member, 7c ... Connecting member, 9 ... Submerged device, 10 ... Substrate conveyance part, 12 ... Base, 12a ... upper surface, 12b ... concave portion, 13a, 13b ... guide rail, 14 ... transfer table, 14a ... upper surface, 15 ... drawing substrate, 15a ... drawing surface, 16 ... substrate transfer motor, 20 ... carriage transfer section, 21a, 21b ... Support column, 22 ... guide member, 23 ... guide rail, 24 ... carriage, 25 ... head plate, 27 ... carriage motor, 30 ... droplet discharge head, 31 ... head body, 32 ... nozzle plate, 32a ... nozzle formation surface, 33 ... Nozzle, 34a, 34b ... Nozzle row, 35C, 35K, 35M, 35T, 35W, 35Y ... Nozzle group, 41 ... Cavity plate, 42 Vibration plate, 43 ... piezoelectric element, 45 ... cavity, 50 ... liquid, 55 ... droplet, 58 ... liquid layer, 60 ... liquid, 65 ... droplet, 68 ... support layer, 69 ... cross-section layer, 70 ... exposure , 71 ... ultraviolet light, 73 ... light source, 75 ... cover plate, 80 ... transfer part, 81a, 81b ... strut, 82 ... installation member, 83 ... support member, 85 ... substrate for transfer, 85a ... modeling surface, 86 ... Lifting motor, 101 ... control unit, 102 ... CPU, 103 ... drive control unit, 104 ... storage unit, 105 ... control program, 106 ... development data, 111 ... bus, 113 ... interface, 120 ... layered structure, 131 ... motor Control unit, 133 ... Position detection control unit, 135 ... Discharge control unit, 137 ... Exposure control unit, 141 ... Table position detection device, 143 ... Carriage position detection device, 145 ... Substrate position detection device for transfer, 50 ... laminate.

Claims (7)

A photocurable first liquid used for forming a layered structure constituting a solid;
A liquid in which a water-soluble resin used for forming the support layer for supporting the layered structure is dissolved in water, and a second liquid that solidifies as the water evaporates can be discharged onto the drawing surface of the drawing object A liquid droplet ejection head,
An exposure unit that irradiates the first liquid ejected on the drawing surface with light;
A layered structure that is a cured product of the first liquid cured by light irradiation of the exposure unit , and a transfer target having a modeling surface onto which the support layer that supports the layered structure is transferred.
The modeling apparatus is characterized in that the modeling surface has lower liquid repellency than the drawing surface with respect to the first liquid and the second liquid . The droplet discharge head is
The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid are discharged to different areas on the drawing surface. The droplet discharge head is
The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid is discharged so as to surround the first liquid on the drawing surface. The droplet discharge head is
The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid is discharged so as to come into contact with the first liquid on the drawing surface. The droplet discharge head is
5. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, on the drawing surface, the second liquid is discharged over an entire region different from the first liquid.   The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid includes a water-insoluble powder resin. The said light irradiation performs light irradiation in the state which pinched | interposed the said 1st liquid and the said 2nd liquid with the said drawing surface and the said modeling surface, It is any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The modeling apparatus of description.

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