JP6566535B1 - Hot end of modeling material for 3D modeling equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to prevent clogging of a modeling material at a hot end of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus and to save energy. SOLUTION: A hot end of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus includes a supply unit having a modeling material supply port, a melting unit to which a heating member is attached and melts the supplied modeling material, and discharges the melted modeling material A discharge portion having a discharge port, a heat insulating portion between the supply portion and the melting portion to suppress conduction of heat from the fusion portion to the supply portion, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port In the length direction of the passage, when the melting portion is heated to a temperature at which the modeling material is melted by the heating member between the melting portion and the heat insulating portion, the temperature in the passage is lower than the melting point of the modeling material. There is provided a temperature adjusting portion consisting of a region extending in the direction. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge head (hot end) of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus (three-dimensional printer).

  In recent years, manufacturing a three-dimensional model using a computer with a three-dimensional printer has been actively performed. As a hot end for manufacturing such a three-dimensional structure, for example, a structure as shown in FIG. 9 is known (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). The hot end has a structure in which the nozzle 101 is screwed so as to project the discharge portion 101a on one end side of the heater block 103, and the barrel 102 having a modeling material supply portion is screwed on the other end side of the heater block 103. ing. By inserting a wire-shaped modeling material (filament) into the barrel 102 and feeding it at a constant pitch, the modeling material is heated and melted by the heater block 103 and flows to the discharge unit 101a and is discharged from the discharge unit 101a. It has become. At this time, the filament is fed in the barrel 102 by an amount necessary according to the control signal, so that a necessary amount is discharged from the discharge unit 101a, and the position of the discharge unit 101a forms a modeling object. By moving relatively in the xyz direction (not shown), the ejected modeling material is stacked to form a desired three-dimensional modeled object.

  In the hot end described above, the boundary between the nozzle 101 and the barrel 102 is heated by the heater block 103 in order to maintain an appropriate melting temperature in the nozzle 101. However, when this boundary portion is heated, the temperature of the entire hot end rises, so that the filament is melted even in the upper part of the barrel 102, and the filament cannot be pressed and cannot be discharged from the discharge port 101a. In order to prevent the filament from melting in the barrel 102, a heat radiating fin (not shown) is provided on the upper portion of the barrel 102, and the cooling is forcibly performed by a fan.

Kazuo Kadota, “Digital manufacturing starting with 3D printers”, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, page 103

  However, in the conventional hot end, there is a possibility that a clogging phenomenon may occur in an area on the supply side where the filament is not normally melted while the modeling (discharge) is stopped or restarted. This is because the flow path (passage) diameter in the vicinity of the hot-end discharge port 101a is smaller than the filament diameter, and there is a gap between the filament and the hot-end supply-side passage, so that the filament melted by pushing the filament This is thought to be caused by the fact that the liquid flows back to the supply side of the passage and solidifies. That is, as in the conventional hot end, even if cooling is performed by a radiation fin or the like in order to prevent the filament from melting in the barrel 102, the melted filament moves to the barrel 102 side when the discharge is stopped or temporarily stopped. The passage in the barrel 102 is clogged, and discharge (stacking) cannot be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable hot end that can be well shaped by preventing clogging of a passage for supplying a modeling material. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing clogging of a hot end passage.

  As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventor has determined the temperature of the passage in a predetermined region immediately above the melting part for melting the modeling material in the hot end for the three-dimensional modeling apparatus. It has been found that when a constant temperature region is formed at a temperature lower than the melting point, clogging of the hot end passage is unlikely to occur even when the molding material is repeatedly discharged and stopped. In addition, the present inventor reduces clogging of the hot-end passage by adjusting the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) in the predetermined width region near the melting portion to match the type (physical properties) of the modeling material to be used. I found out that I can do it.

  That is, the present invention includes a supply unit having a modeling material supply port, a heating unit attached and a melting unit for melting the supplied modeling material, a discharge unit having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, A heat insulating part between the supply part and the melting part for suppressing conduction of heat of the melting part to the supply part, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port 3 A modeling material hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, wherein the modeling material is heated between the melting part and the heat insulating part to a temperature at which the modeling material is melted by the heating member. According to the hot end, there is provided a temperature adjusting portion including a region extending in the length direction of the passage, the temperature in the passage being lower than the melting point of the passage.

  The present invention also includes a supply unit having a supply port for a modeling material, a melting unit to which a heating member is attached and melting the supplied modeling material, a discharge unit having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, A heat insulating part between the supply part and the melting part for suppressing conduction of heat of the melting part to the supply part, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port 3 It is a hot end of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, and a metal block that covers the boundary portion or the vicinity of the boundary portion is attached to the boundary portion or the vicinity of the boundary portion between the melting portion and the heat insulating portion. According to the hot end.

  According to these hot ends of the present invention, the melting part is heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the modeling material, and at the temperature adjusting part or the metal block toward the supply port side, the temperature is lowered to a temperature below the melting point of the modeling material. A flat temperature region can be formed, and the temperature is further lowered from the heat insulating portion toward the supply portion, and the supply portion is lowered to a low temperature that does not affect the filament that is a modeling material. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly reliable hot end that can prevent the clogging of the passage for supplying the modeling material and can be continuously continuously modeled.

  In the hot end of the present invention, temperature monitoring means for monitoring the temperature of the temperature adjusting unit or the metal block may be provided. By providing the temperature monitoring means, the temperature of the temperature adjusting unit or the metal block can be monitored, and in some cases, temperature control can be performed.

  The hot end of the modeling material for the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the present invention includes a supply unit having a modeling material supply port, a heating member attached, a melting unit for melting the supplied modeling material, and the melted A discharge part having a discharge port for discharging a modeling material, a heat insulating part between the supply part and the melting part, which suppresses conduction of heat of the melting part to the supply part, and the supply port; A passage that communicates with the discharge port, and a temperature monitoring unit that monitors the temperature at or near the boundary between the melting portion and the heat insulating portion is provided.

  Further, the method for preventing clogging of the hot end of the modeling material for the three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to the present invention includes a supply unit having a modeling material supply port, a melting unit to which a heating member is attached and melts the supplied modeling material, A discharge part having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, a heat insulating part between the supply part and the melting part, which suppresses conduction of heat of the melting part to the supply part; and A method for preventing clogging of a hot end of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, comprising a passage that communicates the supply port and the discharge port, in a boundary portion between the melting portion and the heat insulating portion or in the vicinity of the boundary portion The temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature corresponding to the type of the modeling material or a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature.

  According to these aspects of the present invention, clogging of the passage that hinders the discharge of the modeling material (modeling operation) is likely to occur, or between the heat insulating portion and the melting portion or between the heat insulating portion and the melting portion. It is possible to use the hot end while adjusting and / or monitoring the temperature. Furthermore, since it becomes possible to use the hot end while controlling the temperature of the boundary portion or the vicinity of the boundary portion in the modeling operation, clogging of the modeling material can be reduced or prevented, and a good continuous A highly reliable hot end capable of realizing a modeling operation can be provided. In addition, it is possible to provide a method for preventing clogging of a passage by a simple and highly practical modeling material.

  Furthermore, the present invention includes a supply part having a supply port for a modeling material, a melting part to which a heating member is attached and melting the supplied modeling material, a discharge part having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, And a hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising a head body having a passage communicating with the supply port and the discharge port, the metal covering the peripheral wall of the head body closer to the supply port than the melting portion The hot block is characterized in that it includes a block, and the metal block is movable along the peripheral wall of the head body in the length direction of the passage.

  By providing such a metal block movable along the peripheral wall of the head body, the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) in the length direction of the passage in the region of a predetermined width from the region where the heating member is attached to the supply unit side. ) Can be adjusted or changed, the temperature gradient can be brought close to an appropriate temperature gradient according to the type and characteristics (physical properties) of the modeling material, and the modeling material is clogged in the passage on the supply end side of the hot end. Can be reduced. As a result, even a plurality of types of modeling materials can be modeled with one hot end.

  The present invention also includes a supply unit having a supply port for a modeling material, a melting unit to which a heating member is attached and melting the supplied modeling material, a discharge unit having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, And a hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising a head body having a passage communicating with the supply port and the discharge port, and having a predetermined width from the region where the heating member is attached toward the supply unit. According to the hot end, a temperature distribution adjusting unit having a function of adjusting or changing the temperature distribution of the region is provided.

  In the hot end of the present invention, the temperature distribution adjusting unit may be a metal block that is movable along the peripheral wall of the head body in the length direction of the passage.

  In this specification, “temperature distribution” is a broad concept including a temperature gradient. By providing this temperature distribution adjusting function unit, the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) in the length direction of the passage in the region of a predetermined width from the region where the heating member is attached to the supply unit side can be obtained. Since it can be adjusted or changed so as to approach an appropriate temperature gradient according to the physical properties), it is possible to reduce the occurrence of clogging of the modeling material in the passage on the supply section side of the hot end. As a result, even a plurality of types of modeling materials can be modeled with one hot end.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the clogging of the channel | path which interferes with discharge (modeling operation | movement) of modeling material can be reduced, and the reliable hot end which can implement | achieve favorable modeling operation | movement can be provided.

It is a front view of the hot end of one Embodiment of this invention. It is the (A) front view and (B) bottom view of the head main body of the hot end of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the heating member of the hot end of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining an example of control of the heating amount by a heating member. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the cooling operation by a temperature control means. It is the (A) front view and (B) bottom view of the state which attached the adapter, the cover member, and the heat shielding board to the hot end of the modeling material of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hot end of other embodiment of this invention, and is a partial cross section schematic diagram for demonstrating the movement of a temperature distribution adjustment part. It is a figure which shows the hot end of another embodiment of this invention, and is a partial cross section schematic diagram for demonstrating the movement of a temperature distribution adjustment part. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional hot end.

  Hereinafter, a hot end of a modeling material for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a hot end 10 of the present invention. The hot end 10 includes a supply unit 20 having a modeling material supply port 21, a melting unit 40 for melting the supplied modeling material, a discharge unit 50 having a discharge port 51 for discharging the melted modeling material, and a supply unit 20. In the head main body 1 having the heat insulating part 30 that suppresses the heat of the melting part 40 from being conducted to the supply part 20 between the melting part 40 and the passage 2 that communicates the supply port 21 and the discharge port 51. A temperature adjustment unit 70 is provided in the heating member 60 that heats the melting unit 40 and the boundary between the melting unit 40 and the heat insulating unit 30 or in the vicinity of the boundary.

  As described above, when modeling is performed using a hot end (a three-dimensional modeling material discharge head), the modeling material may be clogged in the passage when the modeling operation is temporarily stopped. As a result of the present inventors repeatedly investigating the cause of the clogging, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the modeling material once melted on the side to which the modeling material is supplied (the barrel 102 side) is solidified, and the solidification is performed. It was found that the portion that was cut was clogged because it did not remelt.

  That is, as described above, in the conventional structure, even if the heat dissipation fin is provided in the barrel 102 and forcedly cooled by the fan so that the temperature does not rise, the modeling operation is temporarily stopped and the modeling material stops in the passage. It has been found that sometimes the temperature of the modeling material on the barrel 102 side can rise and melt. On the other hand, the inventor insulates between the melting part 40 for melting the modeling material in order to prevent a temperature rise on the modeling material supply unit 20 side without providing a cooling means such as a radiation fin or a fan. A discharge head having the portion 30 formed therein has been developed and a patent application has been filed separately. Even in this case, the heat insulating portion 30 may be clogged with a modeling material.

  As a result of investigating the cause of clogging after further investigation, the present inventor is performing a modeling operation on the modeling material remaining in the passage 2 on the heat insulating portion 30 side when the ejection of the modeling material is stopped. More heat is concentrated and the part of the modeling material that is not melted is melted during the modeling operation, that is, the boundary between the solid part of the modeling material and the part that is melted and fluidized is the heat insulating part 30. We found out that it was caused by shifting to the side.

  When the modeling material melts in the passage 2 of the heat insulating portion 30, when the temperature of the modeling material once melted in the heat insulating portion 30 falls below the melting point, it is solidified and fixed in the passage. Even if the modeling operation is resumed, the modeling material solidified in the passage 2 of the heat insulating portion 30 does not melt. This is originally managed by a temperature sensor provided in the heating member 60 so that the temperature of the melting part 40 becomes a melting temperature determined according to the modeling material during the modeling operation. This is because the temperature is not set so that the modeling material melts and melts in the heat insulating portion 30. That is, the temperature in the passage 2 at the melting part 40 is a temperature at which the melted part 40 is melted, and the heat insulating part 30 and the supply part 20 are controlled so that the modeling material does not melt. In other words, clogging occurs when the melted modeling material is solidified in the heat insulating portion 30.

  Then, this inventor provides the temperature adjustment part 70 in the boundary part between the fusion | melting part 40 and the heat insulation part 30, or the boundary part vicinity, and melt | dissolves the modeling material in the heat insulation part 30 by adjusting the temperature. It has been found that it can be prevented. From the viewpoint of preventing clogging, the temperature of the region that should be lower than the melting point of the modeling material in the boundary portion between the melting portion 40 and the heat insulating portion 30 or in the passage 2 near the boundary portion exceeds the melting point of the modeling material. The temperature adjustment unit 70 can be provided so that the heat capacity can be increased to suppress the temperature rise, and the temperature adjustment unit 70 can be used to provide heat at or near the boundary between the melting unit 40 and the heat insulating unit 30. It has been found that heat can be radiated to make it difficult to raise the temperature, and as a result, clogging of the passage can be prevented. The temperature adjustment unit 70 can be a means for increasing the heat capacity or a means for increasing the heat dissipation amount, such as a heat radiating plate having a predetermined thickness, such as aluminum or stainless steel, or a metal block.

  The temperature adjustment unit 70 may be a metal block provided around a boundary portion between the melting portion 40 and the heat insulating portion 30 or a region having a predetermined width near the boundary portion, and the size, shape, weight, capacity, and the like thereof are modeling. It can be appropriately determined according to the type (physical properties) of the material, the speed of sending (modeling) the modeling material during the modeling operation, and the like. For example, specific examples of the shape include a ring shape, a cylindrical shape, and a polygonal column shape. The metal block that is the temperature adjusting unit 70 is joined to a portion of the melting unit 40 on the heat insulating unit 30 side where the heating member 60 is not provided. For example, when the metal block is a cylinder, the inner diameter is equal to the outer diameter of the melting part 40 and the inner wall is joined to the melting part 40, but the metal block is provided so as to cover the heat insulating part 30 side. In the case where the heat insulating portion 30 is covered, the inner diameter may be changed. However, the metal block is joined only with the melting part 40. Moreover, it is preferable to attach a metal block by increasing the contact area with the fusion | melting part 40 from a viewpoint of suppressing the temperature rise of the boundary part of the fusion | melting part 40 and the heat insulation part 30 or the boundary part vicinity. By attaching the metal block, the heat capacity at or near the boundary between the melting portion 40 and the heat insulating portion 30 increases. Even if much heat is concentrated on the modeling material remaining in the boundary 2 between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or in the vicinity of the boundary part when the discharge of the modeling material is stopped due to the increase in the heat capacity, the temperature is increased. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the boundary between the solid portion of the modeling material and the portion that is melted and fluidized from shifting to the heat insulating portion 30 side. That is, clogging of the modeling material in the passage 2 can be suppressed. In addition, the metal block also has an effect of radiating heat at the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or in the vicinity of the boundary part, and the prevention effect of clogging can be further enhanced by enhancing the heat radiation effect by its shape. The effect of prevention of clogging by suppressing the temperature rise is such that when the temperature at the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or the vicinity of the boundary part is monitored by a temperature monitoring means described later, the temperature becomes a predetermined temperature or less. It can be controlled by adjusting the shape and dimensions of the metal block. That is, the temperature of the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or in the vicinity of the boundary part can be controlled.

  Here, the boundary part between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or the vicinity of the boundary part belongs to (border) between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 or belongs to at least one side of the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30. It is not necessary to include the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 at this time. The temperature adjusting unit 70 can be provided at such a position.

  2A and 2B show an example of the head body 1. In the head main body 1, the supply unit 20, the heat insulating unit 30, the melting unit 40, and the discharge unit 50 may be integrally formed from a heat-resistant material such as metal or ceramics, or a part or all of them. It may be made independent, or may be discontinuous such as interposing other members between any or all of the parts. In the illustrated example, the head main body 1 is a cylindrical metal rod made of, for example, 64 titanium (an alloy obtained by mixing 6 mass% of aluminum and 4 mass% of vanadium) with a total length of, for example, 32 mm and a diameter of, for example, 4 mmφ. Is formed by cutting, for example. The head main body 1 may be partly or entirely formed in a columnar shape in the length direction, or may be a polygonal column shape such as a triangular column shape or a quadrangular column shape.

  The head main body 1 has a passage (through hole) 2 having a diameter of, for example, 2 mmφ that extends in a straight line from a supply port 21 of a filament that is a modeling material on one end side to a discharge port 51 that discharges a melted modeling material on the other end side. Is formed. The sizes of the head main body 1 and the passage 2 can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the filament.

  The supply unit 20 of the head body 1 has a columnar shape (cylindrical shape) having a length of 5 mm and a diameter of 4 mmφ, for example. The supply portion 20 has a supply port 21 formed at the tip thereof, and is formed in a tapered shape so that the passage 2 of 2 mmφ, for example, expands to 3 mmφ toward the supply port 21 in the vicinity of the supply port 21. The supply unit 20 also serves as an attachment unit to an adapter 80 (see FIG. 6A) for attachment to the 3D modeling apparatus main body.

  The heat insulating part 30 is formed so that the thermal resistance is larger than that of the melting part 40. For example, the heat insulating part 30 is structurally thinner than the melting part 40 or has an opening to reduce the cross-sectional area. However, it can also be formed by using a material having a physical property lower than that of the melting portion 40 or by providing a radiation fin or the like. In the illustrated example, the heat insulating unit 30 is located between the supply unit 20 and the melting unit 40 and has a cylindrical shape (cylindrical shape) having a length of 11 mm and a diameter of 3 mmφ, for example. As described above, the heat insulating portion 30 has a diameter of 3 mmφ, and since the passage 2 having a diameter of 2 mmφ penetrating the center portion is formed, the outer wall thickness is a thin portion having a thickness of 0.5 mm. In addition, a window 31 having a length of 8 mm and a width of 1.8 mm, for example, that can reduce the cross-sectional area of the heat insulating portion 30 and increase its thermal resistance is opposed to the passage 2 at the center of the heat insulating portion 30. A pair is formed. It is preferable that the window part 31 is provided so that the inside of the channel | path 2 can be confirmed from the outside. Thereby, when the filament (modeling material) is inserted into the passage 2, the state (the presence or absence of a fluid state or the presence or absence of clogging) can be confirmed. That is, when the clogging of the modeling material described above occurs in a range where the window portion 31 of the passage 2 is formed, the situation can be visually recognized from the outside. Moreover, the window part 31 may be formed as an opening. This is because, in the heat insulating portion 30, since the modeling material is in a filament state that is not melted, the modeling material does not leak out. On the other hand, when the clogging of the modeling material occurs, the clogging can be eliminated by removing the modeling material from the opening 31. One or a plurality of window portions 31 may be provided in the length direction and / or the width direction of the head main body 1, and the size may be determined as appropriate. The cross-sectional area can be appropriately determined within the range in which the strength is guaranteed in relation to the thermal resistance.

  For example, the melting part 40 has a length of 13 mm and a diameter of 4 mmφ. The flat surface side (the front surface side of the paper surface in FIG. 2A) and the back surface side (the back surface side of the paper surface in FIG. 2A) are cut to the melting portion 40, and the two flat surface portions face each other, for example, 3 mm apart. It is formed to do. An opening 41 having a length of 8 mm and a width of 1 mm, for example, is formed in the central portion of the flat portion so as to expose the passage 2. A plurality of openings 41 may be provided side by side in the length direction. In addition, the surface of the flat portion may be roughened, or may be roughened without forming the opening 41. Further, in the vicinity of the discharge part 50 of the melting part 40, the passage 2 is tapered toward the discharge part 50 and has a diameter of, for example, about 0.6 mmφ within the discharge part 50.

  The discharge unit 50 has a length of 3 mm, for example, and is cut from the front side and the back side to have a width of 3 mm, for example, and both side surfaces are tapered toward the discharge port 51 until halfway in the length direction of the discharge unit 50. The front end portion where the discharge port 51 is formed to have a diameter of 1.5 mmφ, for example, and the discharge port 51, for example, has a diameter of 0.6 mmφ.

  As the heating member 60 in the hot end 10, for example, a well-known one such as a heating head or a heat block in which a thick film resistor layer is formed on an insulating substrate can be widely used. It is preferable to use a head. An example of the structure of the heating member (heating head) 60 is shown in FIG. The heating member 60 attached to the melting part 40 of the head main body 1 includes, for example, a ceramic substrate (insulating substrate) 61 such as a rectangular plate of alumina or zirconia having a thickness of 0.3 mm, a length of 12 mm, and a width of 5 mm, and an insulating substrate 61. And an electrode 63 formed so as to be connected to both ends of the heating resistor 62 on the surface of the insulating substrate 61. The surface of the heating resistor 62 may be coated with a protective layer (dielectric layer) such as glass containing a filler.

  The heating member 60 is formed on an insulating substrate 61 by, for example, printing an alloy powder such as Ag, Pd, Pt or the like, or a thick film paste containing ruthenium oxide in a predetermined pattern, drying it, and firing it at a predetermined temperature, thereby generating a heating resistor. 62 and the electrode 63 can be formed.

  In addition, a notch portion is formed in the portion of the insulating substrate 61 where the electrode 63 is formed in order to improve the connection strength between the electrode 63 and the lead 6 (see FIG. 1A). In the example shown in FIG. 3, two notches are provided for each electrode 63, but may be one, or may be three or more. Further, one or a plurality of through holes (through holes) may be provided instead of the notches, or a combination of the notches and the through holes may be used. In other words, the notch or the through hole is provided by increasing the connection area or taking measures to obtain mechanical engagement such as an anchor effect in order to improve the connection strength between the electrode 63 and the lead 6. Even if it is heated to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional movement operation, connection failure does not occur.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in a state where the heating member 60 is attached to the head body 1, the heating member 60 is on the back surface (the back surface of the insulating substrate 61, the surface on which the heating resistor 62 is not formed). Is applied to the flat portion of the melting portion 40 of the head body 1 and the opening 41 is covered, for example, by applying and baking a silver-based thick film paste (Ag containing, for example, glass or Cu) as a bonding material. Are joined. At this time, since the bonding material enters the opening 41 and an anchor effect is obtained, the heating member can be firmly bonded and attached to the melting portion 40 of the head body 1.

  In the present embodiment, the width (5 mm) of the heating member 60 is slightly wider than the width (4 mm) of the flat portion of the melting portion 40 of the head body 1, and the connecting portion between the heating member 60 and the lead 6 is used as the head. The heating member 60 is joined to the head main body 1 by projecting outward from one side edge of the flat portion of the melting portion 40 of the main body 1.

  FIG. 4 also shows the temperature measurement of the substrate by the heating resistor 62 of the heating member 60 in the hot end 10, and the temperature control of the melting part 40 by adjusting the heating amount by the heating resistor 62 according to the measured temperature. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the control circuit in the case of performing. That is, this drive circuit is an example of driving with a DC or AC power supply 64. As the power supply 64, an adjustment unit that adjusts the applied power by adjusting the voltage, application time of the battery, the commercial power supply, or the commercial power supply with a transformer or the like. Is connected to the heating resistor 62.

  The voltage supplied by the commercial AC power supply 64 is adjusted by the power adjustment unit and adjusted to a desired temperature. As a result, no DC power supply is required, and no power supply cooling fan is required. However, a DC power source using a battery may be used. In addition, although not shown, heating may be performed by pulse driving that applies a pulse. In this case, in addition to changing the voltage, the execution applied power related to heat generation can be adjusted by changing the duty cycle or by phase control.

  The temperature can be detected by changing the resistance value using the heating resistor 62. As shown in FIG. 4, the change in the resistance value of the heating resistor 62 can be detected by connecting a shunt resistor 65 in series with the heating resistor 62 and measuring the voltage at both ends thereof. When the voltage applied to the heating resistor 62 is constant, if the change in current is known, the change in resistance value can be known. That is, the resistance value of the heating resistor 62 has a temperature characteristic that varies depending on the temperature. Therefore, by detecting the temperature characteristic (temperature coefficient) in advance, if the resistance value is known, the temperature of the heating resistor 62, that is, the insulating substrate 61 can be known. This temperature detection is performed by the control means. The shunt resistor 65 should have a low resistance value as much as possible to detect temperature in order to avoid the influence of heat generation. Further, a resistor having a temperature coefficient as small as possible is preferable, and the current is set to be small in order to avoid heat generation due to the current.

  In accordance with the temperature measured by this temperature measurement, a control signal is output from the control means so that the voltage applied to the heating resistor 62 is adjusted by the adjustment unit, and the temperature of the heating resistor 62, that is, the insulating substrate 61. Is adjusted to the desired temperature. During the modeling operation in which the modeling material is softened by the heating member 60 to form a modeled object, the temperature of the heating resistor 62 is controlled so that the temperature distribution in the passage 2 is stabilized.

  The temperature adjusting unit 70 in the hot end 10 of the present invention may be provided with a temperature monitoring unit having a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature at or near the boundary between the melting unit 40 and the heat insulating unit 30. As the temperature measurement means, for example, a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or thermistor can be used, but the response is fast, temperature measurement in a small space is possible, temperature information is detected as an electrical signal, and information processing / analysis is performed. It is preferable to use a simple thermocouple. The purpose of monitoring (measuring) the temperature at or near the boundary between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 is to maintain the inside of the passage 2 at a temperature lower than the melting point of the modeling material in order to prevent the above-mentioned clogging. The purpose is to monitor the temperature at or near the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30. As the modeling material, for example, a modeling material having a melting point of about 500 ° C. may be used. Therefore, the temperature measuring unit (temperature sensor) provided in the temperature monitoring unit has a measurement temperature range up to about 500 ° C. on the high temperature side. It is desirable to have. When the temperature adjusting unit 70 is a metal block, the temperature sensor provided in the temperature monitoring unit is embedded in the metal block, and is near the boundary between the melting unit 40 and the heat insulating unit 30 or near the passage 2. It may be provided so that the temperature can be measured. The temperature monitoring unit does not need to be provided in the temperature adjustment unit 70 and may be provided separately from the temperature adjustment unit 70. The hot end 10 may be provided with temperature monitoring means without providing the temperature adjusting unit 70.

  The hot end 10 includes temperature control means for controlling the temperature at or near the boundary between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 according to the temperature monitored by the temperature monitoring means (temperature detected by the temperature sensor). It is preferable to provide. This temperature control means is a cooling means for forcibly cooling so that the temperature at or near the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 where the temperature monitoring means is mainly provided does not exceed a predetermined temperature, or heating It is a heating control means for controlling the heating amount of the member 60. Here, the predetermined temperature is determined depending on the type of modeling material and the like, and if the temperature at or near the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30 provided with the temperature measuring means exceeds the temperature, the modeling material When the boundary between the portion having the fluidity and the portion not having the fluidity shifts toward the heat insulating portion 30 and the temperature is lowered again, the modeling material in the passage 2 in the heat insulating portion 30 is solidified and clogging occurs. This predetermined temperature differs depending on the type of modeling material, and may vary depending on the position where the temperature measuring means is provided (position where the temperature sensor is provided), the position where the heating member 60 is provided, and the like, so the type and temperature of the modeling material used Depending on the position of the measuring means and the like, it can be determined through a test for verifying the occurrence of clogging of the modeling material. For example, when PEEK (polyether ether ketone resin) is used as the modeling material, the predetermined temperature can be set to a temperature that is about 20 ° C. lower than 343 ° C., which is the melting point of PEEK, for example. Even when the temperature in the passage 2 cannot be directly measured, the temperature in the passage 2 may not be measured if the correlation between the temperature in the passage 2 and the temperature of the measurement unit is grasped. A temperature in consideration of the temperature of the correlation can be set as the predetermined temperature.

  As the temperature measuring means included in the temperature monitoring means, as described above, a thermistor or a thermocouple can be used. Originally, since it is desired to measure the temperature in the passage 2 at the boundary between the melting part 40 and the heat insulating part 30, it is preferable to bring a temperature sensor into contact with the side wall of the boundary. However, as described above, the measurement location is not limited as long as the correlation between the temperature in the passage 2 and the temperature of the measurement unit is grasped. However, it is necessary that the measurement location is always constant without fluctuation.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the temperature monitoring unit is provided with a temperature control unit and is controlled so that the temperature at the boundary is maintained at a predetermined temperature. As the temperature control means, a heating control means for generating a control signal for the heating member 60 and adjusting the amount of heating by the heating member 60, or a cooling means can be provided. When the temperature at the boundary portion between the melting portion 40 and the heat insulating portion 30 or near the boundary portion is lowered, the temperature can be adjusted in a short time by providing a cooling means and cooling. As the cooling means, for example, a Peltier element capable of locally cooling the boundary portion between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 or the vicinity of the boundary portion may be used. The element is arranged in the vicinity of the temperature sensor of the temperature monitoring means so that the cooling side of the element faces the head body 1 side. When cooling is performed, a direct current is applied to the element. In addition to this, a water-cooled tube may be arranged so as to locally cool the boundary portion.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the temperature control means when, for example, the temperature detected by the temperature measurement means is higher than a predetermined temperature and needs to be cooled. First, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is sent to the temperature control means and compared with a predetermined temperature (S1). During temperature detection, if the temperature sensor is a thermistor, the detected resistance value signal is converted into a temperature signal, and if the temperature sensor is a thermocouple, the temperature is detected by the detected electromotive force. . As a result of the comparison, the difference (how many times it is high or low) between the detected temperature and the predetermined temperature is calculated, and the temperature to be adjusted is determined (S2). Subsequently, a control signal based on the temperature to be adjusted is generated (S3), and a cooling operation is executed according to the control signal (S4). When a Peltier element is used as the temperature control means (cooling means), the voltage applied to the element is adjusted. When cooling water is used, the flow rate of the cooling water is adjusted.

  The monitoring of the temperature in the above-described temperature monitoring unit and the control of the temperature at or near the boundary between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 are performed to prevent clogging of the modeling material in the passage 2. The modeling material that has been heated above the softening point in the passage 2 and once turned into a fluidized state will adhere to the inner wall of the passage 2 and solidify when cooled again below the softening point, causing clogging of the modeling material. That is, the temperature of the boundary between the part in which the modeling material has fluidity and the part not in fluidity needs to be within a certain range. When the above-described temperature adjustment unit 70 is not provided in the hot end 10, or even if it is provided, depending on disturbance factors (such as abnormal operation of the heating member 60), the boundary portion of the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 or the vicinity of the boundary portion When the temperature of the boundary rises, the boundary shifts to the heat insulating portion 30 side, and even a part of the heat insulating portion 30 enters a fluid state, and the temperature decreases again and the boundary becomes When returning to the original position, the modeling material that has obtained fluidity on the heat insulating portion 30 side solidifies and clogs the passage. However, this clogging can be prevented by controlling the temperature of the boundary portion or the vicinity of the boundary portion between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 to be equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature by the cooling means.

  The temperature control unit may be a heating control unit that uses the temperature control of the heating resistor 62 in the heating member 60 described as an example in the block diagram of FIG. 4 described above. That is, according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector based on the signal detected by the temperature measuring means (temperature sensor) of the temperature monitoring means, the temperature of the boundary portion between the heat insulating portion 30 and the melting portion 40 or the vicinity thereof is determined. When it is necessary to reduce the power, the control signal generated in S3 of FIG. 5 is input to the adjustment unit in FIG. 4, and the power supplied from the power source 64 to the heat generating resistor 62 is reduced to reduce the heating resistor 62. The amount of heating by the heating member can be reduced by lowering the temperature. That is, the temperature can be controlled so that the boundary between the part having the fluidity of the modeling material and the part not having the fluid does not shift to the heat insulating portion 30 side. Moreover, when it is necessary to raise the temperature of modeling material, the amount of heating by a heating member can also be increased by increasing the electric power supplied from the power supply 64 to the heating resistor 62. This control is executed with priority over the temperature control of the heating resistor 62 by adjusting the power supplied based on the temperature of the heating resistor 62 described above with reference to FIG. For example, when a control signal for increasing the heating amount of the heating resistor 62 is input from the control unit in FIG. 4 to the adjustment unit, and at the same time, a control signal for decreasing the heating amount is input from the temperature control unit, the heating amount is set. Priority is given to the control signal to reduce, and an adjustment part functions based on this. In order to reduce the amount of heating, the supply of power to the heating resistor 62 may be temporarily completely interrupted to completely stop heating by the heating resistor 62.

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which the cover member 90 and the heat shielding plate 100 are attached to the hot end 10. For example, the heating member 60 and the temperature adjusting unit 70 are covered with a cover member 90 made of stainless steel or the like. A fixing member 91 is filled between the cover member 90 and the heating member 60. As the fixing member 91, for example, a woven fabric formed by knitting ceramic fibers into a tape shape can be used, and this woven fabric is wound around the heating member 60, and is partially covered with, for example, a cemented inorganic solidified insulating material for bonding. It is fixed to the inner surface. At this time, it is preferable to fix the leads 6 by using a solidified insulating material for bonding. By providing the cover member 90, it is possible to prevent heat from being melted from the melting portion 40 to the outside or the heat insulating portion 30 side, leading to effective use of heat. The heat shielding plate 100 is provided on the supply unit 20 side of the cover member 90. This heat shielding plate 100 suppresses the conduction of heat to the heat insulating part 30 due to heat radiation from the melting part 40 side, and suppresses the hot air heated from the melting part 40 and convection from rising to the heat insulating part 30. And it is provided in order to suppress the temperature rise of the heat insulation part 30, and it is preferable that the material (for example, aluminum) of high heat reflectivity is included. By the combined use of the cover member 90 and the heat shielding plate 100, the heat of the heating member 60 efficiently stays at the melting portion 40 and is used for melting the modeling material. That is, energy saving of modeling is achieved. In addition, the positional relationship of the heating member 60, the temperature adjustment part 70, the heat shielding board 100, and the cover member 90 is not limited to the example of FIG. The cover member 90 may be configured to cover only the heating member 60 without covering the temperature adjusting unit 70, and the heat shielding plate 100 may be provided on the downstream side (melting unit 40 side) of the temperature adjusting unit 70. Further, the heat shielding plate 100 may be attached to the peripheral edge of the temperature adjusting unit 70 and provided so as to project in a plate shape toward the outside. The heat shielding plate 100 also has a function of naturally cooling the temperature adjustment unit 70 and is provided in contact with the temperature adjustment unit 70. The heat shielding plate 100 is formed in an arbitrary shape and size together with the temperature adjustment unit 70 according to the type of modeling material, and can be formed in, for example, a circular flat plate shape or a circular umbrella shape, but is not limited to a circular shape. It may be a polygonal flat plate shape or an umbrella shape. Further, as shown in the figure, an upper lid portion 92 having a concave shape is provided on the upper portion of the cover member 90, and a temperature adjusting portion 70 (metal block) is accommodated in the concave portion of the upper lid portion 92. Means (not shown) may be attached to the temperature adjustment unit 70. The upper lid portion 92 may be provided so that only the temperature measuring means is accommodated in the recess.

  In addition, when attaching the hot end 10 of the present invention to the 3D modeling apparatus, the hot end side supply unit 20 is inserted into an opening provided in the adapter 80 attached to the 3D modeling apparatus main body, For example, it can be fixed using a push screw 82. The adapter 80 is formed with a passage 81 communicating with the supply port 21 of the supply unit 20, and the opening at the entrance of the passage 81 is larger than the inside so that a filament (modeling material) can be easily inserted. It is a hole with a diameter. In the present embodiment, the supply unit 20 is attached to the adapter 80 using the push screw 82. However, the supply unit 20 may be attached to the adapter by threading a screw groove on the outer periphery of the supply unit 20.

  It has been confirmed that the hot end of the above-described embodiment can be rapidly heated to a high temperature of 500 ° C. and can be operated with low power consumption. It has also been confirmed that PEEK (polyetheretherketone), which is known as a super engineering plastic having a high heat resistance temperature, can be satisfactorily shaped using a filament. At this time, heat conduction can be effectively suppressed in the heat insulating portion 30 of the head main body 1, and in the supply portion 20, the passage 2 does not have a problem due to melting of the filament. It is also confirmed that there is no defect in the molding operation due to clogging, and there is no defect in the head main body 1 and the heating head 60, the coupling portion between the heating head 60 and the lead 6, and the connection portion, and the operation is good. doing.

  Moreover, the hot end of the above-mentioned embodiment has a length of 32 mm and a width of 5 mm as a whole, and is much smaller than the existing hot end. Further, when the head body 1 is formed of a 64 titanium alloy, the weight is extremely reduced in combination with the small size. Therefore, even if it is a case where modeling is performed by moving the hot end of the present embodiment in two dimensions or three dimensions, it is possible to save driving energy. In addition, since it is small in size, a plurality of hot ends can be bundled by arranging the hot outlets 51 close to each other with an attachment jig (adapter) or the like. It can also be used as a head. These multi-nozzle heads or multi-nozzle line heads can be used suitably for high-speed modeling of multi-materials.

  Moreover, since the hot end of the present invention can be heated at a high temperature, it can be used as a molding material for fixed melting point metals and low melting point glasses.

  Further, when a titanium alloy (for example, 64 titanium) is used as the material of the head body 1 and a ceramic substrate (for example, an alumina zirconia substrate) is used as the insulating substrate 61 of the heating member 60, the thermal expansion coefficient between the titanium alloy and the ceramic. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a bonding failure due to a heating and cooling cycle due to a modeling operation. In addition, the alumina zirconia substrate can be thin because it has higher mechanical strength than the alumina substrate, and the heating head can be further reduced in size and weight.

  In addition, the head body 1, the heating member 60, and the lead 6 can be joined and connected using the same metal-based thick film paste (for example, silver paste), and the head body 1 and the heating member 60 can be joined. The connection between the electrode of the heating member 60 and the lead 6 can be good, and even when the heating member 60 is heated to a high temperature, poor bonding and poor connection can be prevented. Further, since the heating member 60 can be joined to the head body 1 by the thick film technique, it is possible to prevent the characteristic change of the electronic element.

  In the present invention, the head body 1 is integrally formed (integrated molding), and the number of parts to be joined is reduced. In particular, at the joint between the head body 1 (titanium alloy) and the heating member 60 (ceramic), Since the properties of metal oxides are added and strong heat-resistant bonding is possible, the reliability can be further improved.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the heat insulation part 30 is the heat conductivity of the material used for the head main body 1, its length, and the heating temperature by the heating member 60 from the viewpoint of suppressing heat transfer from the melting part 40 to the supply part 20. In consideration of (the melting point of the modeling material to be used) and the like, the thickness, the size of the opening, and the number can be determined so that the cross-sectional area becomes an appropriate thermal resistance. Moreover, although the thin part and the window part 31 were formed in the heat insulation part 30, the inside of the channel | path 2 can be confirmed from the outside by having the window part 31, and when the modeling material is inserted, the state Can be confirmed. When the window 31 is an opening, when the modeling material is clogged, the modeling material can be removed from the opening 31 to eliminate the clogging.

  Next, a hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 shows the hot end of the present invention. The hot end includes a supply unit 200 having a filament supply port (not shown) at the upper end, a melting unit 400 for melting the supplied filament, and a discharge unit having a discharge port (not shown) for discharging the melted filament at the lower end. 500, a heat insulating unit 300 between the supply unit 200 and the melting unit 400, which suppresses conduction of heat from the melting unit 400 to the supply unit 200, and a head body having a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port 1000, a heating plate (heating head) (not shown), which is a heating member for heating the melting part 400, and a metal block (temperature distribution adjustment) that can be attached to a desired position while sliding the outer peripheral surface of the heat insulating part 300 Part) 700 and a cover member 900 that surrounds the heating plate attached to the melting part 400 and projects the discharge port. Similarly to the head main body 1 described above, part or all of the head main body 1000 in the length direction may be formed in a columnar shape, or may be a polygonal column shape such as a triangular column shape or a quadrangular column shape.

  The supply unit 200, the heat insulating unit 300, the melting unit 400, and the discharge unit 500 may be an integrally molded product, or all or a part thereof may be a separate molded product. In the case of an integrally molded product, for example, it is preferably formed of a metal having a relatively low thermal conductivity such as a titanium alloy.

  The heat insulating unit 300 has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the melting unit 400 and is provided with an opening 310 that exposes a part of the supply unit 200 passage. The heat insulating part 300 is a part for reducing the conduction of heat when the melting part 400 is heated to the supply part 200 side. In the present embodiment, the heat insulating part 300 does not necessarily need to be provided. The filament supplied from the supply port of the supply part 200 can be visually recognized by exposing and providing above the metal block 700 mentioned later.

  The metal block 700 has a volume having a predetermined heat capacity, and the shape seen from the upper surface may be a polygonal shape or a circular shape, and is inserted into the central portion in contact with the outer peripheral wall of the heat insulating portion 300. Therefore, a through hole having a shape that matches the cross-sectional outline of the heat insulating portion 300 is provided, and is attached to a desired position of the heat insulating portion 300 using a push screw or the like. On the lower surface of the metal block 700, ribs are provided so as to protrude downward so as to surround a through hole through which the heat insulating portion 300 is inserted. The metal block 700 may be an integrally molded product or may be formed in two parts so as to sandwich the heat insulating part 300 from both sides. As the metal block 700, for example, a known metal block such as aluminum or SUS can be used.

  The cover member 900 includes a cylindrical upper cover 901 and a lower cover 902 that are attached to the hot end so as to cover the heating plate (one or a plurality of members) attached to the melting portion 400 and are open at the top and bottom. The upper portion of the upper cover 901 is fitted and attached so as to cover the rib on the lower surface of the metal block 700, and the inner periphery of the lower cover 902 is slidably attached to the outer periphery of the upper cover 901. The discharge port of the discharge unit 500 is attached so as to protrude. As a result, the upper cover 901 can slide in the vertical direction along the inner periphery of the lower cover 902. That is, the cover member 900 has a structure in which the length for covering the head main body 1000 can be adjusted according to the attachment position of the metal block 700. The lower cover 902 and the upper cover 901 may be attached to the outer periphery of the lower cover 902 so that the inner periphery of the upper cover 901 is slidable. Further, the shape of the cover member 900 can be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, or the like. In addition, as a material of the cover member 900, well-known metals, such as aluminum and SUS, can be used, for example.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where the mounting position of the metal block 700 is a low position (left figure) and a high position (right figure). The metal block 700 accumulates heat and dissipates heat. In addition, since heat can be conducted to the cover member 900, by changing the position where the metal block 700 is attached, the length of the hot end, particularly from the melting portion 400 to the front and back of the metal block 700 can be changed. The temperature distribution (temperature gradient) in the region can be changed. The position where the metal block 700 is attached can be determined so as to have an appropriate temperature gradient that does not cause clogging according to the type (characteristics and physical properties) of the filament.

  FIG. 8 shows a hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention as a modification of the one shown in FIG. In the hot end shown as the other embodiment described above, the metal block 700 is attached to the periphery of the heat insulating portion 300. However, in this other embodiment, the metal block (temperature distribution adjusting portion) 710 is attached to the melting portion 400. It is different in that it is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction around the periphery, and the other parts have the same configuration. Reference numeral 1100 denotes a head body, reference numeral 320 denotes an opening, reference numeral 910 denotes a cover member, reference numeral 911 denotes an upper cover, and reference numeral 912 denotes a lower cover. 7 and 8, the ribs and cover members 900, 910 under the metal blocks 700, 710 are drawn as cross sections, and the internal head bodies 1000, 1100 are shown exposed.

  In the head main bodies 1000 and 1100, the heat insulating part 300 having a reduced cross-sectional area is used. However, by making the outer shape and size the same from the supply part 200 to the melting part 400, the head main body having the same length is used. Even so, the permissible range of the attachment position of the metal block can be further expanded.

  In addition, the manner of changing the temperature distribution can be changed by changing the dimensions (size), shape, and material (material) of the metal blocks 700 and 710. Further, the manner in which the temperature distribution is changed can also be changed by changing the size, shape, material, and overlapping state of the upper cover and the lower cover of the cover members 900 and 910.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head main body 2 Passage 6 Lead 10 Hot end 20, 200 Supply part 21 Supply port 30, 300 Heat insulation part 31 Window part (opening part)
40, 400 Melting part 41 Opening part 50, 500 Discharge part 51 Discharge port 60 Heating member 61 Insulating substrate 62 Heating resistor 63 Electrode 64 Power supply 65 Shunt resistance 70 Temperature adjustment part 80 Adapter 81 Passage 82 Push screw 90 Cover member 91 Fixing member 92 Upper lid part 100 Heat shielding plate 1000, 1100 Head body 310, 320 Opening part 700, 710 Metal block (temperature distribution adjustment part)
900, 910 Cover members 901, 911 Upper cover 902, 912 Lower cover

Claims (4)

A supply unit having a supply port for modeling material;
A melting part to which a heating member is attached and melts the supplied modeling material,
A discharge part having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material;
A heat insulating part between the supply part and the melting part for suppressing conduction of heat of the melting part to the supply part, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port 3 It is a hot end of modeling material for 3D modeling equipment,
The passage having a temperature in the passage lower than the melting point of the modeling material when the melting portion is heated to a temperature at which the modeling material is melted by the heating member between the melting portion and the heat insulating portion. A hot end characterized in that a temperature adjustment unit comprising a region extending in the length direction is provided. The hot end according to claim 1, further comprising temperature monitoring means for monitoring the temperature of the temperature adjusting unit. A supply unit having a supply port for modeling material;
A melting part to which a heating member is attached and melts the supplied modeling material,
A hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising a head body having a discharge section having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port,
A metal block that covers the peripheral wall of the head body on the supply port side of the melting portion;
The hot end according to claim 1, wherein the metal block is movable along the peripheral wall of the head body in the length direction of the passage. A supply unit having a supply port for modeling material;
A melting part to which a heating member is attached and melts the supplied modeling material,
A hot end for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising a head body having a discharge section having a discharge port for discharging the melted modeling material, and a passage communicating the supply port and the discharge port,
Temperature distribution adjusting section having a function of to, or change adjust the temperature distribution in the region of a predetermined width toward the supply unit side from the heating member is attached region is provided,
The hot end is characterized in that the temperature distribution adjusting unit is a metal block that is movable along the peripheral wall of the head body in the length direction of the passage .

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