JP7137227B2 - Preforming apparatus, preforming method, resin molding system, and resin molding method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a preforming apparatus, a preforming method, a resin molding system, and a resin molding method.

Methods for molding resin moldings such as thermoplastic resins include injection molding, blow molding, press molding, and the like. In these molding methods, a metal mold is used. When manufacturing a mold, it is necessary to cut the metal material three-dimensionally, and this cutting process is time-consuming. On the other hand, as a molding method that enables molding of a thermoplastic resin without using a molding die, there is a lamination molding method known as a 3D printer or the like. In the layered manufacturing method, although a molding die is not required, there is a weak point in characteristics due to the layer interface remaining in the molded resin molded product. As a molding method overcoming the weaknesses of these molding methods, for example, there is a method of molding a thermoplastic resin using a molding die made of a non-metallic material and electromagnetic waves, which is disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

In the resin molding method of Patent Document 1, a rubber mold is used instead of a metal mold, and the thermoplastic resin in the cavity of the rubber mold is heated by electromagnetic waves emitted from the surface of the rubber mold. A molded article is obtained. In this resin molding method, the inside of the cavity of the rubber mold is evacuated by vacuum means to facilitate the filling of the cavity with the thermoplastic resin.

Further, in the method for molding a thermoplastic resin molded product of Patent Document 2, when the thermoplastic resin in the rubber mold is heated by electromagnetic waves, the pressure inside the rubber mold is made lower than the external pressure by a vacuum means, A pair of rubber mold parts constituting a rubber mold are brought close to each other, and a thermoplastic resin molded product is molded in the rubber mold with a reduced volume.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-216448 JP 2011-240539 A

By the way, when molding a large-sized molded body, a molded body having a complicated shape, etc., there is room for improvement in molding the molded body depending on the thermoplastic resin molding method disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. . In this case, it has been found that the cavity of the mold becomes large or complicated, and it is difficult to fill the entire cavity with the granular thermoplastic resin.

When molding a large-sized molded body, a molded body having a complicated shape, etc., pre-molding is performed before main molding, the pre-molded body is once molded, and the main molding is performed using the pre-molded body. can be considered. In this case, development of a new apparatus and method for forming the preform is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and a preforming apparatus and a preforming method that can easily form a preform and reduce restrictions on the type of resin that can be formed, as well as a resin molding system and a preforming method. It was obtained by trying to provide a resin molding method.

A first aspect of the present invention is a preforming apparatus for forming a preform used for molding a resin molded product,
a stage frame formed in a frame shape having an opening vertically upward;
Granules containing a resin that are arranged inside the stage frame, move up and down relative to the stage frame along the vertical direction, and have a maximum outer shape within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm. , a stage that is repeatedly spread in layers within a specified thickness range as a granular material layer;
a granular material supplier that supplies the granular material onto the stage surrounded by the stage frame;
a leveling member composed of a flexible leveling sheet for leveling the granular material placed on the stage to form the granular material layer;
a light irradiation source that irradiates the particulate matter layer on the stage with the convergent light while moving the convergent light relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; ,
a control device for controlling the stacking of the particulate material layer on the stage and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation source so as to be repeatedly and alternately performed;
the granular material layer is formed when the leveling sheet is arranged to cover the upper end opening of the stage frame;
The control device melts the surface portions of the granules in the granule layer so that the interfaces where the surface portions are in contact with each other adhere to each other to form the combined granules as the preform. The preforming device is configured to control the state of irradiation of the convergent light onto the granular material layer.
A second aspect of the present invention is a preforming apparatus for forming a preform used for molding a resin molded product,
a stage frame formed in a frame shape having an opening vertically upward;
Granules containing a resin that are arranged inside the stage frame, move up and down relative to the stage frame along the vertical direction, and have a maximum outer shape within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm. , a stage that is repeatedly spread in layers within a specified thickness range as a granular material layer;
a light irradiation source that irradiates the particulate matter layer on the stage with the convergent light while moving the convergent light relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; ,
a control device for controlling the stacking of the particulate material layer on the stage and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation source so as to be repeatedly and alternately performed;
The light irradiation source irradiates near-infrared rays including a wavelength region of 0.78 to 2 μm as the convergent light as spot light having a diameter of 1 to 10 mm to the particles of the particle layer. is composed of
The control device melts the surface portions of the granules in the granule layer so that the interfaces where the surface portions are in contact with each other adhere to each other to form the combined granules as the preform. The preforming device is configured to control the state of irradiation of the convergent light onto the granular material layer.

A third aspect of the present invention includes the preforming device,
an insulating mold having a cavity in which the resin molded product is molded from the preform;
and an electromagnetic wave generator that heats and melts the preform in the cavity through the mold by electromagnetic waves irradiated or applied to the mold.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a preforming method for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product,
On the stage arranged inside the stage frame, a granule layer is formed in which granules containing resin and having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. a particulate matter layer forming step;
a light irradiation step of irradiating the particulate matter layer on the stage with the converged light while the converged light from the light irradiation source moves relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape;
In the granular material layer forming step, the granular material placed on the stage or on the surface of the granular material layer on the stage is leveled by a flexible leveling sheet, and the leveling sheet is leveled by the leveling sheet. The granular material layer is formed when arranged to cover the upper end opening of the stage frame,
The stacking of the particulate layer in the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light in the light irradiation step are repeated, and the surface portions of the particulate matter in the particulate matter layer are melted, and the surface portions of the particulate matter are melted. are fixed to each other at the interfaces where they are in contact with each other to form a combined particulate material as the preform.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a preforming method for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product,
On the stage arranged inside the stage frame, a granule layer is formed in which granules containing resin and having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. a particulate matter layer forming step;
a light irradiation step of irradiating the particulate matter layer on the stage with the converged light while the converged light from the light irradiation source moves relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape;
In the light irradiation step, the convergent light from the light irradiation source is a spot light having a diameter within the range of 1 to 10 mm, which is composed of near-infrared rays including a wavelength range of 0.78 to 2 μm. irradiating the grains of the layer;
The stacking of the particulate layer in the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light in the light irradiation step are repeated, and the surface portions of the particulate matter in the particulate matter layer are melted, and the surface portions of the particulate matter are melted. are fixed to each other at the interfaces where they are in contact with each other to form a combined particulate material as the preform.

A sixth aspect of the invention comprises a preforming method,
a placement step of placing the preform in a mold;
The preform is heated and melted by an electromagnetic wave transmitted through the mold or an alternating electric field as an electromagnetic wave applied by a pair of electrodes, and formed in the mold by the granules constituting the preform. a filling step in which the molten material is filled into the mold so that the gaps formed are eliminated;
a cooling step in which the molten material is cooled and solidified in the molding die, and a resin molded article in which the material is integrated is molded in the molding die.

(Preforming Apparatus of First and Second Aspects)
The preforming apparatus according to the first and second aspects is for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product. The preformed body is used as a material for final molding of a resin molded article, and precision in the surface shape of the preformed body is not required. On the other hand, the preform is required to be easy to mold and to have few restrictions on the type of resin that can be molded. The preforming apparatus is similar to an apparatus used in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method: SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), but differs from the powder sintering additive manufacturing method in terms of molding objects and molding principles.

The preforming apparatus includes a stage frame, a stage, a light irradiation source, and a control device, and under the control of the control device, alternately and repeatedly stacks the particulate material layer on the stage and irradiates convergent light from the light irradiation source. It is something to do. Adjacent granules in the granule layer irradiated with convergent light melt and bond to each other. At this time, the granules in the granule layer and the granules in the adjacent granule layer are melted and bonded to each other.

Since the purpose of the preforming apparatus is to form a preform, the granules should not be completely melted. Specifically, the controller controls the irradiation state of the convergent light from the light irradiation source so that only the surface portions of the particles in the granular material layer that are irradiated with the convergent light are melted. Then, the interfaces where the surface portions of the granular materials are in contact with each other adhere to each other, forming a combined granular material as a preform.

An apparatus for forming such a composite of granular materials was first discovered by a preforming apparatus. Only the surface portions of the particles in the particle layer are melted and bonded to each other. For example, when the particles melt when forming a preform such as a crystalline resin or soft resin having a melting point. Also in, the hardness of the granules is properly maintained. Therefore, restrictions on the type of resin that can be molded can be reduced. On the other hand, in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method, there is no concept of melting only the surface portion of the granular material.

In addition, in order to form a granule assembly in which only the surface portions are melted and fixed, it is a prerequisite to use granules having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm. Further, since the preform is formed using such particles having a large maximum outer shape, for example, the preform can be formed without using fine particles having a maximum outer shape of less than 0.1 mm. is easy to mold.

On the other hand, in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method, spherical fine particles having a particle size of about 50 μm are used. Therefore, sufficient energy is given to the fine particles by a CO ₂ laser or the like, and the whole fine particles are melted and the fine particles are sintered to each other. In other words, the material used for the preforming apparatus is completely different from the material used for the powder sintering additive manufacturing method.

In addition, the surface of the preform has large irregularities due to the particulate matter. However, the preformed body is melted during the main molding to form a resin molded product, and the precision of the surface shape of the preformed body is not required.

According to the preforming apparatus of the first and second aspects, the preform can be easily formed, and restrictions on the type of resin that can be formed can be reduced.

(Resin molding system of the third aspect)
The resin molding system of the third aspect includes a molding die and an electromagnetic wave generator in addition to the preforming device of the first and second aspects. According to the resin molding system of the third aspect, in addition to obtaining the effects of the preforming apparatus of the first and second aspects, the preformed body formed by the preforming apparatus is used to improve the design appearance. It is possible to obtain a resin molded product which is excellent in mechanical properties such as strength.

(Preforming method of fourth and fifth aspects)
In the preforming methods of the fourth and fifth aspects, similarly to the preforming apparatus of the first and second aspects, granular pellets containing a resin having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm A material is used and only the surface portions of the particles in the layer of particles melt and bond together. According to the preforming methods of the fourth and fifth aspects, similarly to the preforming apparatus of the first and second aspects, the preformed body can be easily molded, and restrictions on the type of resin that can be molded are reduced. be able to.

(Resin molding method of sixth aspect)
The resin molding method of the sixth aspect includes an arrangement step, a filling step, and a cooling step in addition to the granular material layer forming step and the light irradiation step of the preforming methods of the fourth and fifth aspects. According to the resin molding method of the sixth aspect, in addition to obtaining the effects of the preforming methods of the fourth and fifth aspects, the preformed body formed by the preforming method is used to improve the design appearance. It is possible to obtain a resin molded product which is excellent in mechanical properties such as strength.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which a first granular material layer forming step is performed according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which a first light irradiation process is performed according to the first embodiment. 3 is a plan view showing a light irradiation source of the preforming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the granular material feeder of the preforming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which second and subsequent granular material layer forming steps are performed according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which second and subsequent light irradiation processes are performed according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the preforming apparatus after forming the preform according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a resin molding system provided with a preforming device and an electromagnetic wave molding device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an enlarged grain in a grain layer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is an explanatory view schematically showing an enlarged state in which particles in the particle layer are fixed to each other at the interfaces of the surface portions according to the first embodiment. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a preform according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the electromagnetic wave molding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the mold divided into the first mold portion and the second mold portion according to the first embodiment. 14 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing another electromagnetic wave forming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing another electromagnetic wave shaping apparatus according to the first embodiment. 16 is a flowchart showing a preforming method and a resin molding method according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 17 is an explanatory view schematically showing an enlarged state in which a preform is arranged in a mold according to the first embodiment; FIG. 18 is an explanatory view schematically showing an enlarged state in which a resin molded product is molded in a molding die according to the first embodiment; 19 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a resin molded product according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which second and subsequent light irradiation processes are performed according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the preforming apparatus after forming the preform according to the second embodiment. 22 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a preform according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which second and subsequent granular material layer forming steps are performed according to the third embodiment. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a preforming apparatus in which second and subsequent light irradiation processes are performed according to the third embodiment. 25 is a flowchart showing a preforming method and a resin molding method according to the third embodiment; FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the preforming apparatus and preforming method described above will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Embodiment 1>
The preforming apparatus 5 of this embodiment forms a preform 2 used for forming a resin molded product 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. The preforming device 5 includes a stage frame 51, a stage 52, a light irradiation source 53, and a control device 6 for preforming. The stage frame 51 is formed in a frame shape having an upper end opening 512 on the vertically upper side. The stage 52 is arranged inside the stage frame 51 and configured to move up and down relative to the stage frame 51 along the vertical direction. On the stage 52 , pellets as the granular material 211 are repeatedly spread in layers as the granular material layer 21 within a specified thickness range. The granules 211 contain resin and have a maximum outer shape within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 8, the light irradiation source 53 moves the converging light G relatively to the stage 52 so as to draw a planar shape in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. , to irradiate convergent light G onto the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 . The control device 6 is configured to control the lamination of the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 and the irradiation of the convergent light G by the light irradiation source 53 so as to be repeatedly and alternately performed.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the control device 6 melts the surface portions 212 of the particulate matter 211 in the particulate matter layer 21 , causes the interfaces 214 where the surface portions 212 are in contact with each other, and adheres to each other to form the preform 2 . It is configured to control the irradiation state of the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 so that the combined body of the particulate matter is formed as. FIG. 9 schematically shows an enlarged grain 211 in the grain layer 21 . FIG. 10 schematically shows an enlarged state in which the particles 211 in the particle layer 21 adhere to each other at the interfaces 214 of the surface portions 212 .

First, the preforming device 5 of this embodiment will be described in detail.
(Preforming device 5)
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the preforming apparatus 5 forms a preformed body 2 that is used for final forming of the resin molded product 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the main molding of the resin molded product 1 is performed by irradiating or applying an electromagnetic wave E to the preform 2 placed in the cavity 33 of the mold 3, thereby melting and cooling the preform 2. done. The preform 2 is a temporary resin molded product, and has large unevenness corresponding to the shape of the granular material 211 on its surface. By performing the main molding using the electromagnetic waves E and the molding die 3, the irregularities in the preform 2 are eliminated, and the resin molding 1 with a smooth surface is obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the preforming device 5 draws a two-dimensional shape on the granular material layer 21 by irradiating the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 so that the surface portions 212 of the granular material 211 are aligned. A two-dimensional sliced portion 22 within a specified thickness range is formed, which is fixedly formed. In addition, the sliced portion 22 formed during the current irradiation of the convergent light G is layered on the sliced portion 22 formed during the previous irradiation of the converged light G, and the sliced portion 22 formed during the previous irradiation of the converged light G is stacked. In this case, the sliced portions 22 are repeatedly fixed to each other to form the preform 2 having a three-dimensional shape. Since the slice portion 22 is fixed to the previously formed slice portion 22, the slice portion 22 does not exist alone.

(Stage frame 51)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 , the stage frame 51 has a frame shape arranged on the outer edge of the stage 52 and surrounds the granular material 211 placed on the stage 52 so that the granular material 211 is placed on the stage 52 . It is intended to be maintained on top. The stage frame 51 of this embodiment is fixed, and the stage 52 can move up and down with respect to the stage frame 51 . Specifically, each time the granular material layer 21 is stacked on the stage 52 , the stage 52 descends relative to the stage frame 51 by a height corresponding to the thickness of the granular material layer 21 . The upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 protrudes from the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 by the thickness of the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52 . Then, the granular material layer 21 is repeatedly formed inside the upper end portion of the stage frame 51 protruding from the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 .

(Stage 52)
As shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, the top surface 525 of the stage 52 is formed as a flat surface to form a uniform thickness grain layer 21 on the stage 52 . The stage 52 has an elevating mechanism 521 for elevating the stage 52 in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. The lifting mechanism 521 has a lifting guide member 522 that guides the lifting of the stage 52 and a lifting motor 523 that is driven under the control of the control device 6 . The stage 52 is guided by an elevation guide member 522 when an elevation motor 523 is driven by the control device 6 and is sequentially lowered by the target thickness of the granular material layer 21 . The stage 52 can be moved up and down by a target amount under the control of the control device 6 . The stage 52 of this embodiment is formed in a rectangular planar shape.

(Particulate matter supplier 55)
As shown in FIGS. 1 , 4 and 5 , the preforming apparatus 5 includes a granule feeder 55 that feeds granules 211 onto the stage 52 surrounded by the stage frame 51 . The granular material supply body 55 has a tank portion 551 for storing the granular material 211, a supply port 552 formed in communication with the tank portion 551, and having a width matching the width of the stage 52, and the supply port 552 can be opened and closed. It has an on-off valve 553 that opens and closes. When the granular material supply body 55 moves on the stage 52 surrounded by the stage frame 51, the supply port 552 is opened by the on-off valve 553, and the granular materials 211 flowing down from the supply port 552 are directed to the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 or It is supplied to the surface of the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 . A portion of the particulate matter layer 21 on the stage 52 forms the slice portion 22 after being irradiated with the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 .

As the granular material supply body 55 moves, the granular material 211 flows down from the supply port 552 to the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 or the surface of the granular material layer 21 . can be formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the granular material 211 that has flowed down from the granular material supply body 55 onto the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 or the surface of the granular material layer 21 is flattened using a leveling member 56 . good too.

(Light irradiation source 53)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the light irradiation source 53 of the present embodiment uses near-infrared rays including a wavelength range of 0.78 to 2 μm as convergent light G as a spot light having a diameter of 1 to 10 mm. , is configured to irradiate the particles 211 of the particle layer 21 . A condensing type halogen lamp is used for the light irradiation source 53 . In the light irradiation source 53, the near-infrared rays emitted from the light source 531 of the halogen lamp are condensed by the condensing member 532 and irradiated to the granular material layer 21 as spot light.

The near-infrared rays are suitable for being absorbed by the granules 211 made of thermoplastic resin and melting the surface portions 212 of the granules 211 . If the diameter of the converging light G is less than 1 mm, the diameter of the converging light G is smaller than the size of the granular material 211, and it may be difficult to quickly melt the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211. . On the other hand, when the diameter of the converging light G exceeds 10 mm, the diameter of the converging light G is large with respect to the size of the granular material 211, and the converging light G is appropriately distributed along the contour shape K of the preform 2. Irradiation may not be possible.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the light irradiation source 53 is attached to a plane movement mechanism 54, and the plane movement mechanism 54 directs the converging light G to an arbitrary portion within the two-dimensional plane of the stage 52. Irradiation is possible. The planar movement mechanism 54 is configured to move the light irradiation source 53 in two orthogonal directions within the two-dimensional plane of the stage 52 . The two-dimensional plane of the stage 52 refers to the plane perpendicular to the direction in which the stage 52 moves up and down.

A two-dimensional plane is defined by the X direction x and the Y direction y. The planar movement mechanism 54 includes an X-direction guide member 541 that guides movement of the light irradiation source 53 in the X direction x, an X-axis motor 542 that drives the light irradiation source 53 in the X direction x, and a Y direction y of the light irradiation source 53. It has a Y-direction guide member 543 that guides movement to and a Y-axis motor 544 that drives the light irradiation source 53 in the Y direction. By controlling the operation of the planar movement mechanism 54 by the controller 6 , a two-dimensional shape can be drawn on the granular material layer 21 by the near-infrared rays emitted from the light irradiation source 53 .

The X-direction guide member 541 is attached to the base member 540 , and the Y-direction guide member 543 is attached to the X-direction guide member 541 . The position of the base member 540 may be fixed above the stage 52 , or may be moved between a position above the stage 52 and a position off the stage 52 by a robot or the like. Further, the light irradiation source 53 may be configured to irradiate the convergent light G onto an arbitrary planar portion of the granular material layer 21 by a device other than the planar movement mechanism 54 .

The light irradiation source 53 may generate light other than near-infrared rays as long as it has a configuration capable of forming a spot light with a diameter within the range of 1 to 10 mm. Any type of light may be used as long as it is absorbed by the particulate matter 211 and causes the particulate matter 211 to generate heat.

(Control device 6 for preforming)
As shown in FIG. 8 , the control device 6 for preforming includes a lifting motor 523 of a lifting mechanism 521 of the stage 52 , turning on/off of irradiation by the light irradiation source 53 , and X movement in the planar movement mechanism 54 of the light irradiation source 53 . It is configured to control each operation of the shaft motor 542 and the Y-axis motor 544 , the movement of the granular material supply body 55 , and the opening and closing of the supply port 552 by the opening/closing valve 553 . The control device 6 is configured using a computer. Under the control of the control device 6, the granular material supply body 55 moves to stack the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52, and the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is applied to the granular material layer 21 to produce the granular material. The operation of semi-melting and fixing the particles 211 in the layer 21 is repeated alternately.

The irradiation state of the convergent light G to the particulate matter layer 21 controlled by the control device 6 is shown as the energy given to the particulate matter layer 21 by the convergent light G of the light irradiation source 53 . The control device 6 is configured to control the energy applied to the particle layer 21 by the converging light G of the light irradiation source 53 so that only the surface portion 212 of the particle 211 melts. The energy given to the particle layer 21 depends on the intensity of the convergent light G emitted from the light irradiation source 53 and the time during which the same portion of the particle layer 21 is irradiated with the converged light G (the amount of the converged light G from the light irradiation source 53 movement speed), etc. In this embodiment, near-infrared rays as light energy are absorbed by the granular material 211 and converted into thermal energy to melt the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 .

The surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 that is melted by the light irradiation source 53 refers to a portion of the granular material 211 excluding the unmelted resin core remaining in the central portion 213 of the granular material 211 . The surface portion 212 is determined, for example, within a range in which the surface of the granular material 211 is melted and more than 1/2 of the volume of the granular material 211 remains as an unmelted resin core in the central portion 213 of the granular material 211. be.

(How to irradiate convergent light G)
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, in this embodiment, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is directed inside the outline shape K of the resin molded product 1 in the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52. The entire region R is irradiated. In other words, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is applied solidly to the target shape in the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52 . As shown in FIG. 10, in the granular material layer 21, the sliced portion 22 is formed by melting the surface portions 212 of the granular materials 211 in the entire inner region R of the contour shape K, and the surface portions 212 of the granular materials 211 are separated from each other. be adhered. In addition, the sliced portions 22 of the granular material layer 21 are also adhered together by the surface portions 212 of the granular material 211 . Then, the preform 2 to be formed is obtained by fixing the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 to each other.

In other words, when the current sliced portion 22 is formed on the previously formed sliced portion 22 on the stage 52, the surface portions 212 of the grains 211 forming the respective sliced portions 22 are separated from each other. be adhered. The combined granular material as the preformed body 2 to be formed is obtained by bonding the surface portions 212 of the plurality of granular materials 211 to each other along the three-dimensional shape of the combined granular material.

(Particulate matter 211, particulate matter layer 21)
As shown in FIG. 9, the pellets that make up the granular material 211 are formed by being cut into strands of a predetermined length when the raw material of the thermoplastic resin is extruded from the extruder. The size of the pellets constituting the granules 211 is such that the maximum length of the maximum outer shape is within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm. By using pellets having a maximum length within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm, the size of the pellets is appropriate and molding of the preform 2 is facilitated. Maximum outline refers to the dimension of the longest part of the pellet, eg, when measured diagonally. In pellets with a maximum outer diameter of 0.5 mm, there are portions with a length of less than 0.5 mm.

If the maximum outer diameter of the pellets is less than 0.5 mm, the pellets are small, and the production of the pellets may be troublesome. If the maximum outer diameter of the pellet exceeds 5 mm, the pellet is too large, and there is a possibility that it will not be possible to form a granule-combined body of the required shape.

The pellets may be micropellets with a maximum outer diameter of about 0.5 to 2 mm or normal pellets with a maximum outer diameter of about 2 to 5 mm. Granules other than pellets having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm may be used as the granules 211 .

For the granular material 211, PP (polypropylene resin) or the like may be used as a crystalline resin having a melting point. Also, the particulate matter 211 may contain various additives other than the thermoplastic resin.

The specified thickness range of the granular material layer 21 can be set, for example, within the range of 1 to 5 mm. In this case, the thickness of the granular material layer 21 is appropriate, and the convergent light G emitted from the light irradiation source 53 to the granular material layer 21 is applied to the entire range of the thickness of the granular material layer 21 and the thickness of the previously formed granular material layer 21 . It is easy to reach the particulate matter layer 21 appropriately.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 to 7, the thickness of the particle layer 21 made up of the plurality of particles 211 is shown to be larger than it actually is for the sake of clarity. The thickness of the granular material layer 21 is appropriately set according to the maximum outer shape of the granular material 211, the shape of the preform 2 to be molded, and the like. 20 to 22 of Embodiment 2, which will be described later, the granular material layer 21 is shown with a reduced thickness.

(Preform 2)
By the way, the particles 211 are made of thermoplastic resin. When the preform 2 is formed by the hot melt deposition method (FDM) or the like, the long filaments of the thermoplastic resin are entirely melted and then laminated. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the filament shape of thermoplastic resins such as resins with low viscosity when melted, resins with low hardness, and crystalline resins that have a melting point. There is a problem that it is difficult to

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the preforming device 5 of the present embodiment, only the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 is melted instead of melting the entire granular material 211 . Therefore, even when the particle layer 21 is irradiated with the convergent light G and the surface portion 212 of the particle 211 melts, the unmelted resin core remains in the central portion 213 of the particle 211. It will be. As a result, even when a thermoplastic resin such as a resin having a low melting viscosity, a resin having a low hardness, or a crystalline resin having a melting point is used for the particulate matter 211, the particulate matter 211 in the particulate matter layer 21 is By appropriately maintaining hardness, it is possible to prevent the granular material 211 from melting and losing its shape. Therefore, according to the preforming apparatus 5 of this embodiment, the preform 2 can be easily formed even in the case of a thermoplastic resin that is difficult to be formed by the hot melt lamination method or the like.

The surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 irradiated with the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is once melted and solidified when molded as the preform 2, and then again when molded as the resin molded product 1. Melt and solidify. On the other hand, in the central portion 213 of each granular material 211 in the preform 2 and in the granular material 211 not irradiated with the converging light G, there is no heat history from the pellet state. In other words, the central portion 213 of each granular material 211 in the preform 2 and the granular material 211 not irradiated with the converging light G have never been heated from the pellet state. According to the preforming apparatus 5 of the present embodiment, the heat history applied to the granular material 211 as the resin material for forming the preform 2 is small, and various mechanical properties of the resin material can be maintained satisfactorily. .

As shown in FIG. 10, when the preform 2 is formed, in the portion irradiated with the convergent light G, an interface 214 is formed as a fixed portion in which the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 are adhered to each other. be. The three-dimensional shape after molding is maintained in the preform 2 due to the existence of the interface 214 as a fixing site.

The preform 2 of this embodiment is molded as a resin material for forming the resin molded article 1 as a whole. The preform 2 may be molded as a resin material for forming a part of the resin molded product 1 .

(Resin molding system 10)
As shown in FIG. 8, the preforming apparatus 5 of this embodiment constitutes a resin molding system 10 together with the electromagnetic wave forming apparatus 4 having the forming die 3 and the electromagnetic wave generator 42 . The molding die 3 is an insulating one having a cavity 33 in which the resin molding 1 is molded from the preform 2 . The electromagnetic wave generator 42 heats and melts the preform 2 in the cavity 33 via the mold 3 with the electromagnetic waves E irradiated or applied to the mold 3 .

(Electromagnetic wave molding device 4)
As shown in FIG. 12 , the preform 2 formed by the preforming device 5 is formed into the resin molded product 1 by the electromagnetic wave forming device 4 . The electromagnetic wave molding device 4 includes a molding die 3 , a vacuum pump 41 and an electromagnetic wave generator 42 . The mold 3 has a cavity 33 in which the shape of the resin molded article 1 as a product is reversed. The vacuum pump 41 is for evacuating the inside of the cavity 33 of the mold 3 . The electromagnetic wave generator 42 generates an electromagnetic wave E to irradiate the molding die 3 . As shown in FIG. 8, the evacuation of the cavity 33 of the molding die 3 by the vacuum pump 41 and the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave E to the molding die 3 by the electromagnetic wave generator 42 are controlled by the control device 43 for the main molding. is done.

(Molding mold 3, vacuum pump 41)
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the molding die 3 of this embodiment is configured by a rubber mold made of a rubber material. Various rubbers other than silicone rubber are used as the rubber material. The molding die 3 is composed of a combination of a plurality of divided mold parts 31 and 32 . The mold 3 of this embodiment is divided into a pair of mold portions 31 and 32, and between the first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 as the pair of mold portions 31 and 32, a resin molded product A cavity 33 for molding 1 is formed.

Either the first mold portion 31 or the second mold portion 32 is formed with a vacuum port 34 to which a vacuum pump 41 is connected for making the inside of the cavity 33 into a vacuum state lower than the atmospheric pressure. The vacuum port 34 of this embodiment is formed in the second mold portion 32 . By evacuating the inside of the cavity 33 by the vacuum pump 41 , a mold clamping force can be applied from the outside to the inside of the mold 3 . Due to this mold clamping force, the resin material 20 of the preform 2 placed in the cavity 33 and melted is pressed against the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33, and the shape of the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 is transferred to the surface of the resin. A molded product 1 is molded.

Since the molding die 3 is made of a rubber mold, the molding die 3 can be elastically deformed inward so as to reduce the volume of the cavity 33 when pressure is applied from the outside to the inside of the molding die 3. . Due to this elastic deformation of the mold 3 , the shape of the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 can be effectively transferred to the resin molded product 1 molded in the cavity 33 .

As shown in FIG. 14, the first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 can also have a slide structure in which the volume of the cavity 33 can be reduced by sliding so as to approach each other. In this case, the first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 are formed with a guide portion 35 for sliding them relative to each other. In this case, the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33, and when the cavity 33 is in a vacuum state and the pressure inside the cavity 33 becomes lower than the pressure outside the mold 3, the first mold part 31 and the second mold portion 32 approach each other. As a result, the volume of the cavity 33 is reduced, and the melted resin material 20 of the preform 2 in the cavity 33 is pressed against the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 more effectively.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33, if there is almost no gap between the surface 201 of the preform 2 and the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33, the second The first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 can be of a fixed structure that does not slide. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, when the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33, a certain amount of gap is formed between the surface 201 of the preform 2 and the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33. can have a structure in which the first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 slide.

Considering the relative sliding amount of the first mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 of the mold 3, the shape of the preform 2 is determined to be the first shape compared to the shape of the resin molded product 1 as the target shape. It may be increased in the relative sliding direction of the mold portion 31 and the second mold portion 32 .

(Manufacturing Mold 3)
As shown in FIG. 13, the rubber molding die 3 can be manufactured by transferring a master model of a resin molding 1, which is a product to be molded. More specifically, the master model is placed in a mold, a rubber material is poured into the gaps in the mold, and the rubber material is allowed to harden. After that, the solidified rubber material is cut open, the master model is taken out from the inside thereof, and a pair of mold parts 31 and 32 are formed from the rubber material. Further, the position where the rubber material is cut becomes a dividing surface (parting line) 332 between the pair of mold parts 31 and 32 .

Further, the mold parts 31 and 32 forming the molding die 3 made of a rubber mold may be manufactured separately using a master model. In particular, when a pair of mold portions 31 and 32 have a slidable structure, each mold portion 31 and 32 is manufactured separately in order to form a guide portion 35 for sliding in each mold portion 31 and 32. is preferred.

The master model has the shape of the product and can be produced by various methods. When the master model is produced by the layered manufacturing method, the stepped surface due to the layered interface of the three-dimensional model can be made smooth by cutting, grinding, painting, or the like. For example, the master model can be formed by cutting or grinding the surface of a three-dimensional molded product formed by lamination molding or the like. The master model can also be formed by coating the surface of a three-dimensional molded article with a resin-containing paint or the like. Moreover, the master model can also be one in which a defective part in a resin molded article that has already been used as a product is repaired.

Further, the molding die 3 may be directly manufactured by various lamination molding methods using three-dimensional digital data (CAD data, etc.) of the product. For example, the molding die 3 may be manufactured by a stereolithography method in which three-dimensional digital data is used and liquid resin that is cured by ultraviolet rays (UV) is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to form a layered three-dimensional modeled object. Further, the mold 3 may be manufactured by an inkjet method (material jetting method) or the like. Further, when forming the mold 3, the stepped surface formed according to the layered interface of the three-dimensional structure may be cut, ground, painted, or the like to make a smooth surface.

The mold 3 may be a resin mold made of a curable resin material, a cement mold made of a cement material, or a gypsum mold made of a gypsum material, instead of a rubber mold. Curable resin materials include thermosetting resin materials, photo-curing resin materials, and the like. The mold 3 may be made of various heat-resistant non-metallic materials.

(Electromagnetic wave E, electromagnetic wave generator 42)
As shown in FIG. 12, the electromagnetic waves E used in the electromagnetic wave generator 42 are electromagnetic waves (near infrared rays) E including a wavelength range of 0.78 to 2 μm, and electromagnetic waves (microwaves) including a wavelength range of 0.01 to 1 m. E, or an electromagnetic wave (high frequency) E including a wavelength range of 1 to 100 m. When near-infrared rays are used, a transparent or translucent rubber mold or the like that easily transmits near-infrared rays is used as the mold 3, and the near-infrared rays transmitted through the mold 3 are used to heat the thermoplastic resin in the mold 3. may be heated and melted. In this case, it is preferable that the near-infrared transmittance of the mold 3 is higher than the near-infrared transmittance of the preform 2 . In other words, it is preferable that the near-infrared absorption rate of the mold 3 is lower than the near-infrared absorption rate of the preform 2 .

When microwaves are used, a rubber mold or the like with low dielectric loss (dielectric loss) is used as the molding die 3, and the dielectric loss is caused to the thermoplastic resin preform 2 in the molding die 3 by microwaves. generated to dielectrically heat and melt the preform 2 . Dielectric loss is energy loss that occurs in an insulator when an alternating electric field is applied to the insulator. This energy loss generates heat in the insulator.

When using microwaves, the dielectric power factor (dielectric loss tangent, tan δ) of the mold 3 may be lower than that of the preform 2 . Since the dielectric power factor of the mold 3 is lower than that of the preform 2 , more dielectric loss can be generated in the preform 2 than in the mold 3 . When using microwaves, rubber molds with various colors may be used.

The electromagnetic wave generator 42 may be a halogen lamp or the like when generating infrared rays. Further, the electromagnetic wave generator 42 may be a microwave oscillator or the like when generating microwaves. Further, the electromagnetic wave generator 42 may be a high frequency oscillator or the like when generating a high frequency.

(Dielectric heater 44)
As shown in FIG. 15, instead of using the electromagnetic wave generator 42, a dielectric heater 44 may be used. The dielectric heater 44 applies an alternating electric field to the resin material 20 in the cavity 33 of the molding die 3 and the molding die 3 by a high-frequency AC voltage applied to a pair of electrodes 441 . More specifically, the dielectric heater 44 applies an alternating electric field to the resin material 20 in the cavity 33 and the mold 3 by an alternating voltage applied between a pair of electrodes 441 arranged on both sides of the mold 3. It is. The dielectric heater 44 uses a high frequency as the electromagnetic wave E that generates an alternating electric field with a pair of electrodes 441 . The frequency of the AC voltage generated by the dielectric heater 44 is a high frequency electromagnetic wave E including a wavelength range of 1 m to 100 m.

The mold 3 used together with the dielectric heater 44 is insulative and has the property of generating heat due to dielectric loss. When an alternating electric field is applied to the mold 3 by the pair of electrodes 441 of the dielectric heater 44, at least one of the mold 3 and the resin material 20 generates heat due to dielectric loss, and the resin material 20 melts. The value of dielectric loss depends on the type of material used as an insulator. Also, the dielectric loss is determined according to the value of the dielectric loss tangent tan δ.

In addition, a molding surface layer having a larger dielectric loss than general portions, which are other portions of the mold 3 , may be formed on the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 in the mold 3 . The molded surface layer contains at least one substance selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, silicon carbide, ferrite, barium titanate, graphite and manganese dioxide, in order to increase dielectric loss. good too.

The outer shape of the electrode 441 can be made larger than the outer shape of the mold 3 , and the entire mold 3 can be arranged between the pair of electrodes 441 . In this case, the positional relationship between the pair of electrodes 441 and the mold 3 is fixed. On the other hand, the outer shape of the electrode 441 may be made smaller than the outer shape of the mold 3 so that part of the mold 3 may be arranged between the pair of electrodes 441 . In this case, the molding die 3 may be moved relative to the pair of electrodes 441 to sequentially melt the resin material 20 positioned at each portion within the cavity 33 of the molding die 3 .

(Resin molding method)
Next, the resin molding method by the preforming method and the electromagnetic wave molding method will be described in detail.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 16, the resin molding method includes a preforming method including a particulate material layer forming step S101 and a light irradiation step S102, and an electromagnetic wave forming method including an arrangement step S104, a filling step S105 and a cooling step S106. Configured.

(Preforming method)
In the preforming method of this embodiment, a preforming device 5 is used to form a preformed body 2 used for forming a resin molded product 1 . In the preforming method, the granular material layer forming step S101 and the light irradiation step S102 are repeatedly performed to form the preformed body 2 .

As shown in FIG. 1, in the granule layer forming step S101, granules as resin-containing pellets having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are placed on the stage 52 arranged inside the stage frame 51. A granular material layer 21 is formed in which the material 211 is spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. First, the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 is lowered by the thickness of the granular material layer 21 from the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 by controlling the elevation motor 523 of the elevation mechanism 521 by the control device 6 for preforming. is formed.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the supply port 552 of the granular material supplier 55 is opened by the on-off valve 553, and the granular material supplier 55 is moved with respect to the stage 52 to open the supply port. Granules 211 flowing down from 552 are placed on top surface 525 of stage 52 or on the surface of the layer of particles 21 on stage 52 to form layer of particles 21 . At this time, the thickness of the granular material layer 21 can be adjusted to be uniform by leveling the surface of the granular material 211 with the leveling member 56 . The leveling member 56 is formed by a scraping plate or the like that can be slid along the upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 .

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, in the light irradiation step S102, the stage 52 is moved so that the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 draws a planar shape relative to the stage 52. Convergent light G is applied to the particulate matter layer 21 at 52 . Convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is irradiated onto the particle layer 21 on the stage 52 by the control of the planar movement mechanism 54 by the controller 6 . Further, in the control device 6, the energy given to the granular material 211 by the convergent light G of the light irradiation source 53 is set to such a magnitude that only the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 melts.

Further, in the light irradiation step S102, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is formed as spot light with a diameter within the range of 1 to 10 mm, composed of near-infrared rays including a wavelength region of 0.78 to 2 μm, and is granular. The particles 211 of the material layer 21 are irradiated. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the convergent light G applied to the granular material layer 21 is applied to the inner area R of the contour shape K of the preform 2, and the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 is melted. Then, the surface portions 212 of the plurality of particles 211 melted by the irradiation of the convergent light G are adhered to each other, and the sliced portion 22 is formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the granular material layer forming step S101 is performed again, and under the control of the lifting motor 523 and the granular material supply body 55 by the control device 6, the previous granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 is removed. On top of this, the granular material layer 21 is laminated. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the light irradiation step S102 is performed again, and the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 in the current granular material layer 21 is melted, and the granular material in the sliced portion 22 of the previous granular material layer 21 is melted. A surface portion 212 of 211 is also melted. Then, the sliced portion 22 is formed in the current granular material layer 21, and the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 in the sliced portion 22 of the current granular material layer 21 and the granular material in the sliced portion 22 of the previous granular material layer 21 are formed. A surface portion 212 of the object 211 is adhered to each other.

After that, in step S103 for confirming the end of preforming, until the control device 43 for main forming finishes preforming, the granular material layer 21 is laminated by the granular material layer forming step S101 and the convergence is performed by the light irradiation step S102. Irradiation with light G is repeated. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 in the particle layer 21 are melted, and the interfaces 214 where the surface portions 212 are in contact with each other adhere to each other, resulting in a combined particle as the preform 2. is molded. In other words, each time the granular material layer forming step S101 and the light irradiation step S102 are repeated, the sliced portions 22 of the granular material layer 21 of each layer are successively adhered to each other, and all the sliced portions 22 are integrated to form a preliminary layer. A molded body 2 is molded.

In the light irradiation step S102 of the present embodiment, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is irradiated to the entire inner region R of the outline shape K in the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52 . Then, in the granular material layer 21, the sliced portion 22 is formed by melting the surface portions 212 of the granular materials 211 in the entire inner region R of the contour shape K, and the surface sections 212 of the granular materials 211 are adhered to each other.

(Electromagnetic wave molding method)
The preformed body 2 formed by the preforming method is used as the resin material 20 when forming the resin molded product 1 by the electromagnetic wave forming method. As shown in FIG. 16, in the electromagnetic wave molding method, a disposition step S104, a filling step S105, and a cooling step S106 are performed using the preform 2 to manufacture a resin molded product 1 of thermoplastic resin.

As shown in FIG. 17, the preform 2 is placed in the mold 3 in the placement step S104. FIG. 17 schematically shows an enlarged state in which the preform 2 is placed in the mold 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, in the filling step S105, the preform 2 is heated and melted by the electromagnetic waves E transmitted through the mold 3, and the particles 211 forming the preform 2 are formed in the mold 3. The molding die 3 is filled with the molten resin material 20 so as to eliminate the gap. In the cooling step S<b>106 , the molten resin material 20 is cooled and solidified within the mold 3 , and the resin molded product 1 integrated with the resin material 20 is molded within the mold 3 .

As shown in FIG. 17 , in the placement step S104, the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33 between the pair of mold parts 31 and 32 forming the mold 3 . When the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33 of the mold 3 , an uneven gap S1 is formed between the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 and the uneven surface 201 of the preform 2 . The uneven gaps S1 are formed as the preform 2 is made of a combined granular material.

As shown in FIG. 12 , after the pair of mold sections 31 and 32 are closed with the preform 2 placed in the cavity 33 , the vacuum pump 41 drives the vacuum opening 34 of the second mold section 32 to the cavity. The inside of 33 is evacuated. At this time, the gap in the cavity 33 is in a vacuum state. Further, the mold 3 is arranged under a pressure environment higher than the atmospheric pressure. Since the pressure outside the mold 3 is higher than the pressure inside the mold 3 (inside the cavity 33 ), a mold clamping force can be applied from the outside to the inside of the mold 3 .

In the filling step S105, when the inside of the mold 3 is evacuated, the residual gas in the mold 3 is forced out of the mold 3 through the gaps S1 and S2 formed in the mold 3 by the preform 2. pulled out to the outside. In particular, by using a solid aggregate of granular materials as the preform 2, residual gas in the mold 3 can be effectively extracted.

By the way, when the preform 2 is placed in the cavity 33, if the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 and the entire surface of the preform 2 are in close contact with each other, the resin material 20 is melted. There is no escape route for the gas (moisture etc.) to escape, the evacuation in the cavity 33 becomes insufficient, and there is a possibility that voids (bubbles) may remain in the resin molded product 1 to be molded. On the other hand, in the filling step S105 and the like of this embodiment, when the inside of the cavity 33 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 41, the gap S1 is formed by the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 and the uneven surface 201 of the preform 2. It is formed.

When the inside of the cavity 33 is evacuated, the gap S1 formed by the uneven surface 201 of the preform 2 and the gap S2 between the particles 211 forming the preform 2 are filled with residual gas in the cavity 33. and a passage for gas generated when the resin material 20 melts. As a result, the cavity 33 can be sufficiently evacuated, and voids can be prevented from remaining in the molded resin article 1 to be molded.

In addition, in the arrangement step S104, when the shape of the resin molded product 1 to be molded is complicated, a plurality of types of preforms are placed in the mold 3 along the shape of each part of the cavity 33 of the mold 3. Body 2 may be placed. In addition, in the placing step S104 , a thermoplastic resin powder material having the same component as the thermoplastic resin forming the preformed body 2 may be placed in the cavity 33 together with the preformed body 2 . This powder material is used, for example, for the purpose of supplementing the gap formed between the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 and the surface 201 of the preform 2 to partially compensate for the shape of the resin molded product 1 to be molded. can do.

Next, in the filling step S105, the electromagnetic wave generator 42 generates a microwave, which is an electromagnetic wave E including a wavelength range of 0.01 to 1 m, and the mold 3 is irradiated with this microwave. At this time, since the dielectric power factor of the rubber material forming the mold 3 is lower than the dielectric power factor of the resin material 20 forming the preform 2, the preform 2 is more sensitive to microwaves than the mold 3. absorb more. As a result, the microwaves transmitted through the mold 3 heat the preform 2 to a higher temperature and melt it.

When the preform 2 melts, the pressure inside the cavity 33 is lower than the pressure outside the molding die 3, so that the molding die 3 is elastically deformed so as to be slightly crushed inward. Then, the molten resin material 20 flows into the gap S1 between the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 and the surface 201 of the preform 2 and the gap S2 between the particles 211 forming the preform 2 . As a result, the particles 211 forming the combined particles are eliminated, and the gaps S1 and S2 in the cavity 33 are filled, and the cavity 33 is filled with the melted resin material 20 . In addition, in the filling step S105, the vacuum pump 41 can continue to evacuate the cavity 33 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, in the case of using a mold 3 having a slide structure in which a pair of mold parts 31 and 32 are slidable, when the preform 2 in the cavity 33 melts, the cavity Since the pressure inside 33 is lower than the pressure outside the mold 3 , the pair of mold parts 31 and 32 approach each other, and the reduced cavity 33 is filled with the molten resin material 20 . In this case, the gaps S 1 and S 2 in the cavity 33 are more effectively filled with the molten resin material 20 , and the molten resin material 20 is effectively pressed against the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 .

Further, when the preform 2 and the powder material are arranged in the cavity 33, when the preform 2 and the powder material are melted by the microwave, the three-dimensional shape of the preform 2 is complemented by the powder material. will be Further, when a plurality of types of preforms 2 are arranged in the cavity 33, the plurality of types of preforms 2 are heated and melted by the microwaves, and the boundary portions (interface portions) between the preforms 2 ). The boundary portion between the preforms 2 means the portion where the preforms 2 face each other in the cavity 33 .

Next, in the cooling step S106, the generation of the electromagnetic wave E by the electromagnetic wave generator 42 is stopped, and the evacuation of the cavity 33 by the vacuum pump 41 is continued. Since the pressure outside the mold 3 is higher than the pressure inside the cavity 33, the mold clamping force acts on the pair of mold portions 31 and 32 to maintain the state. In the cooling step S106, the molding die 3 with the cavity 33 filled with the resin material 20 is left in the air, and the resin material in the molding die 3 and the cavity 33 is cooled by natural cooling or forced cooling. 20 is cooled. Then, the molten resin material 20 is cooled and solidified within the mold 3 .

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, when the filling step S105 and the cooling step S106 are performed, the gaps S2 between the particles 211 in the preform 2 and the gaps S2 between the particles 211 in the preform 2 and A resin molded product 1 is molded in which the resin material 20 is integrated so that the surface 201 has no irregularities. Further, when the filling step S105 and the cooling step S106 are performed, the resin molded product 1 having a surface on which the shape of the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 is smoothly transferred is molded. Further, in the case where the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 is formed with a shape such as texturing, unevenness processing, etc., this shape can be transferred to the surface of the resin molded product 1 . Also, the surface of the resin molded product 1 can be mirror-finished by transferring the molding surface 331 of the cavity 33 .

As shown in FIG. 15, when the dielectric heater 44 is used instead of the electromagnetic wave generator 42 in the filling step S105, a high-frequency alternating electric field is applied to the mold 3 from the pair of electrodes 441 of the dielectric heater 44. At least one of the mold 3 and the preform 2 (resin material 20) in the cavity 33 generates heat due to the dielectric loss caused by this alternating electric field. When the mold 3 generates heat, the heat transfer from the mold 3 heats the preform 2 in the cavity 33 . Further, when the molding surface layer is formed on the molding die 3, the molding surface layer may generate heat due to the alternating electric field, and the preform 2 in the cavity 33 may be heated by heat transfer from the molding surface layer.

(Action and effect of preforming device 5 and preforming method)
The preforming apparatus 5 and the preforming method of this embodiment are for forming the preform 2 used for forming the resin molded product 1 . The preformed body 2 is used as a resin material 20 for final molding of the resin molded product 1, and the surface shape of the preformed body 2 is not required to be precise. On the other hand, the preformed body 2 is required to be easily molded and to have few restrictions on the type of resin that can be molded. The preforming method and preforming apparatus 5 are similar to the apparatus used for the powder sintering layered manufacturing method: SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) and the powder sintering layered manufacturing method, but the powder sintering layered manufacturing method is a molding object and The molding principle is different.

The preforming device 5 includes a stage frame 51 , a stage 52 , a light irradiation source 53 and a control device 6 . Irradiation of the convergent light G is repeated and alternately performed. Adjacent particles 211 irradiated with the convergent light G in the particle layer 21 are melted and combined with each other. At this time, the particles 211 in the particle layer 21 and the particles 211 in the adjacent particle layer 21 are also melted and bonded to each other.

Since the purpose of the preforming apparatus 5 and the preforming method is to form the preform 2, the granular material 211 is not completely melted. Specifically, the control device 6 controls the irradiation state of the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 so that only the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 in the granular material layer 21 irradiated with the convergent light G is melted. I have to. Then, the interfaces 214 where the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 are in contact with each other adhere to each other, and the combined particles as the preform 2 are formed.

An apparatus and method for forming such a composite of granular materials was discovered for the first time by the preforming device 5 and the preforming method. Only the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 in the particle layer 21 are melted and bonded to each other. The hardness of the granular material 211 is appropriate even when the granular material 211 melts when molding the preform 2 such as a brittle resin, a soft resin having a low hardness, or a resin reinforced with fibers such as glass fibers. kept in Therefore, restrictions on the type of resin that can be molded can be reduced. On the other hand, in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method, there is no concept of melting only the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 .

In addition, in order to form a combined granular material in which only the surface portion 212 is melted and fixed, it is a prerequisite to use the granular material 211 with a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm. Since the preform 2 is formed by using the particles 211 having such a large maximum outer shape, the preform 2 can be formed without using fine particles smaller than pellets or the like. Easy to mold.

On the other hand, in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method, fine particles having a particle size of about 50 μm are used. Therefore, sufficient energy is given to the fine particles by a CO ₂ laser or the like, and the whole fine particles are melted and the fine particles are sintered to each other. In other words, the resin material 20 used in the preforming device 5 is completely different from the resin material used in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method.

In addition, the surface of the preform 2 has large unevenness due to the granular material 211 . The preform 2 is melted to form the resin molded article 1 when the main molding is performed, and precision of the surface shape of the preform 2 is not required. On the other hand, when molding the resin molded product 1 using the preformed body 2, the irregularities on the surface of the preformed body 2 and the gaps between the particles 211 of the preformed body 2 are the electromagnetic wave E and the mold. It is effective for molding the resin molded product 1 using 3.

According to the preforming apparatus 5 and the preforming method of this embodiment, the preform 2 can be easily formed, and restrictions on the type of resin that can be formed can be reduced.

(Effects of resin molding system 10 and resin molding method)
The molding die 3 used in the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of this embodiment is manufactured using a nonmetallic material such as a rubber material, a curable resin material, a cement material, or a gypsum material. In contrast to manufacturing the mold 3 made of a metal material, which requires cutting work, etc., manufacturing the mold 3 using a non-metal material does not require cutting work, etc., and is easy. Moreover, since the molding die 3 can be easily manufactured, the resin molding method of this embodiment is also suitable for small-lot production.

Further, in the resin molding system 10 using the preform 2 and the resin molded article 1 obtained by the resin molding method, it is possible to obtain characteristics that cannot be obtained in the resin molded article obtained by the laminate molding method or the like. Specifically, according to the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of the present embodiment, there is a problem that the strength in the lamination direction is low due to the presence of the lamination interface, which is a problem in the resin molded product formed by the lamination molding method or the like. , the problem that the density of the resin molded product is low, the problem that the surface of the resin molded product has steps or unevenness, etc. can be solved.

In a molded body formed by the laminate molding method, a lamination interface where surfaces of the resin materials meet is formed between the laminated resin materials according to the number of laminated layers. When the molded body is pulled in the lamination direction of the resin material, peeling is likely to occur at the lamination interface. Therefore, the strength of the molded body in the lamination direction is lower than the strength of the molded body in other directions.

Regarding this strength issue, in the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method, the resin material 20 is integrated so that the irregularities on the surface 201 of the preform 2 and the gaps S2 between the particles 211 are eliminated. Therefore, in the resin molded product 1, almost no trace of the use of the combined granular material can be seen. In addition, in the resin molded product 1, it is possible to eliminate uneven strength, such as low strength against a force applied from a specific direction.

On the other hand, in a molded body molded by lamination molding or the like, gaps are formed between laminated resin materials. This gap exists as a void in the compact. The density of the compact becomes lower and the strength of the compact becomes lower as much as the gap exists.

Regarding this density issue, in the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method, the gaps S2 between the particles 211 in the preform 2 are filled. Then, the density of the resin material 20 constituting the resin molded product 1 is increased, and the strength of the resin molded product 1 is increased.

In addition, on the surface of a molded article molded by a layered manufacturing method or the like, steps or irregularities are formed due to the presence of a layer interface in the molded article. Due to the presence of this step or unevenness, the surface of the molded product does not have excellent design appearance.

Regarding this design appearance problem, in the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method, the resin material 20 is integrated so that the unevenness on the surface 201 of the preform 2 is eliminated. Thereby, the design appearance of the surface of the resin molded product 1 can be improved.

In addition, in the conventional method of molding the resin molded product 1 by melting the powdered resin material placed in the molding die 3 by the electromagnetic wave E, resin molding in a shape such as a cylindrical shape (hollow shape), a deep vertical wall, a rib, etc. When molding the article 1, it is difficult to fill the powder resin material up to the end of the cavity 33 of the molding die 3. In addition, it is also difficult to mold a portion having a complicated shape in which the powder resin material is difficult to spread.

In the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of the present embodiment, electromagnetic wave molding using the preform 2 is performed, so that it is possible to mold a shape that is difficult by electromagnetic wave molding using a powder resin material. Also, the electromagnetic wave molding using the preform 2 makes it possible to accurately mold the resin molded product 1 having a thick shape, which is difficult to fill with the powdered resin material.

Further, in the conventional method of molding a resin molded product by melting the powdered resin material placed in the molding die 3 by electromagnetic waves E, when pellets are used as the powdered resin material, the corners of the pellets and the pellets are formed. The molding surface 331 of the molding die 3 may be damaged by projections such as thorns. On the other hand, on the surface of the preform 2 used in the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of the present embodiment, a surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 that has been once melted and then solidified is arranged. Further, when the surface portion 212 of the granular material 211 melts, sharp corners, projections, and the like formed in the pellet as the granular material 211 disappear. Therefore, projections or the like are less likely to exist on the surface of the preform 2, and there is almost no possibility that the molding surface 331 of the mold 3 will be damaged when the preform 2 is placed in the mold 3.

In addition, the preform 2 is also used for resin materials 20 that are difficult to produce micropellets, such as thermoplastic resins with low hardness and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) that have intermediate properties between rubber and resin. By carrying out electromagnetic wave molding using the above method, it is possible to obtain a resin molded product 1 having excellent design appearance and strength.

As described above, according to the resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of the present embodiment, the preform 2 can be used to obtain the resin molded product 1 having excellent design appearance and excellent mechanical properties such as strength. .

<Embodiment 2>
This embodiment shows a preforming apparatus 5 and a preforming method, which are different from the first embodiment in the way of irradiation with the convergent light G. FIG.

(Preforming device 5 of this embodiment)
As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 of this embodiment is irradiated along the contour shape K of the preform 2 to be formed in the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52. be. In other words, in this embodiment, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is irradiated hollowly to the target shape in the granular material layer 21 formed on the stage 52 . More specifically, the control device 6 irradiates the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 with the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 along the outline shape K of the preform 2 to be molded, thereby forming the granular material 211. The surface portions 212 are configured to form a ring fixing portion 220 in which the surface portions 212 are fixed to each other in a ring shape, and to form a granular object combination in which the granular substances 211 are included inside the ring fixing portion 220 .

In this embodiment, when the particle layer 21 formed on the stage 52 is irradiated with the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53, the ring-shaped ring as the slice portion 22 along the contour shape K of the preform 2 is applied. A fixed portion 220 is formed. In the ring fixing portion 220, the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 existing at positions along the contour K of the preform 2 are fixed to each other, while the positions along the contour K of the preform 2 are fixed to each other. The particulate matter 211 present in the inner region R is not adhered to the particulate matter 211 present in the inner region R.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the current ring fixing portion 220 is formed on the ring fixing portion 220 formed last time on the stage 52, the particles 211 forming the respective ring fixing portions 220 are The surface portions 212 are adhered together. Then, as shown in FIG. 22, the combined granular material as the preformed body 2 to be molded is such that the surface portions 212 of the granular materials 211 are fixed to each other along the three-dimensional outline shape K of the combined granular material. It has an outer shell portion 23 and an encapsulated particulate material 24 that is arranged in an inner region R of the outer shell portion 23 and that is not adhered to each other. The thickness of the outer shell portion 23 is set to a thickness that ensures the rigidity to maintain the shape of the combined granular material.

In the slice portion 22, the width of the granules 211 to which the surface portions 212 are adhered to each other forming the annular fixation portion 220 may be of a predetermined size. In other words, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 may be irradiated with a predetermined width in the planar direction of the particulate matter layer 21 . The irradiation width of the convergent light G is determined in consideration of the particle size of the granular material 211 and the three-dimensional shape of the preform 2 to be formed. The irradiation width of the convergent light G determines the thickness of the outer shell portion 23 of the combined granular material.

(Light irradiation step S102 of the present embodiment)
In the light irradiation step S102 of the preforming method of the present embodiment, the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is irradiated onto the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 along the contour shape K of the preform 2 to be formed. Then, in the granular material layer 21, a ring fixed portion 220 is formed as a slice portion 22 in which the surface portions 212 of the granular substances 211 are fixed to each other in a ring shape, and the surface portions 212 of the granular substances 211 in the ring fixed portion 220 are It is fixed to the surface portion 212 of the grain 211 in another ring fixing portion 220 . In addition, when the lamination of the particulate layer 21 in the particulate layer forming step S101 and the irradiation of the convergent light G in the light irradiation step S102 are repeated, the granular material 211 enclosed inside the ring fixing portion 220 is formed. An object combination is molded.

The resin molding system 10 and the resin molding method of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Other configurations, functions and effects of the preforming apparatus 5 and the preforming method of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Also, in this embodiment, the constituent elements indicated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

<Embodiment 3>
This embodiment shows a case where the leveling member 56 used in the preforming device 5 and the preforming method is further devised.

(Leveling sheet 560)
As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the preforming apparatus 5 of the present embodiment levels the granular material 211 placed on the stage 52 or on the surface of the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 to form the granular material layer 21. A flexible leveling sheet 560 is provided as the leveling member 56 for forming the . When the leveling sheet 560 is arranged to cover the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51, the granular material layer 21 within the specified thickness is formed. More specifically, the particulate matter layer 21 is deposited in the space formed between the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 and the leveling sheet 560 and the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 or the surface of the particulate matter layer 21 . By filling with 211, it is formed within the specified thickness range.

By using the leveling sheet 560, it is possible to form the granular material layer 21 within the specified thickness range with a simple configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 , the leveling sheet 560 is applied to the stage frame 51 when the granular material 211 is placed on the upper surface 525 of the stage 52 surrounded by the stage frame 51 or the surface of the granular material layer 21 . It is used to flatten the granular material 211 while being guided by the upper end surface 511 of the . The leveling sheet 560 is in a state of being wound in a roll and waits at a standby position around the stage frame 51 , spreads from the state of being wound into a flat plate, and spreads over the upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 . is deployed to the deployment position of

The base end of the leveling sheet 560 is fixed to the stage frame 51, and the front end of the leveling sheet 560 is provided with a movable core member 561 for winding and unfolding the leveling sheet 560. there is The core member 561 can be moved and rotated for winding and unfolding using a device such as a robot.

The leveling sheet 560 has the property of allowing the convergent light G to pass therethrough. The leveling sheet 560 of this embodiment is made of a silicone rubber sheet having a property of transmitting near-infrared light as the convergent light G. As shown in FIG. The leveling sheet 560 closes the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 to form a closed space 50 surrounded by the leveling sheet 560, the stage frame 51, and the stage 52, in which the granular material layer 21 is arranged. is configured to An upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 is formed so as to be surrounded by a frame-shaped upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 .

The leveling sheet 560 has the function of leveling the particles 211 to form the particle layer 21 , as well as the function of forming the closed space 50 and the function of maintaining the particle layer 21 within the closed space 50 . Further, since the leveling sheet 560 has the property of transmitting the convergent light G, the convergent light G emitted from the light irradiation source 53 is transmitted and absorbed by the granular material 211 while the closed space 50 is formed. be able to.

(Decompression pump 57)
As shown in FIG. 24 , the preforming device 5 of this embodiment includes a decompression pump 57 that decompresses the closed space 50 formed by the leveling sheet 560 . The decompression pump 57 uses the gaps formed between the particles 211 and the gaps formed between the particles 211 and the stage 52 , the stage frame 51 and the leveling sheet 560 to reduce the pressure in the closed space 50 . Reduce pressure inside. The decompression pump 57 is configured to repeatedly decompress the inside of the closed space 50 each time the granular material layer 21 and the closed space 50 are formed by the leveling sheet 560 .

The preforming apparatus 5 is configured such that the convergent light G from the light irradiation source 53 is applied to the granular material layer 21 through the leveling sheet 560 in a state where the pressure in the closed space 50 is reduced by the pressure reducing pump 57 . there is By reducing the pressure in the closed space 50 formed by the leveling sheet 560, the convergent light G can be applied to the granular material layer 21 which is in a state of being hardly in contact with air. Therefore, the particulate matter 211 irradiated with the convergent light G can be prevented from being deteriorated by oxidation.

Also, the air in the closed space 50 may be replaced with nitrogen. In this case, it is possible to effectively prevent the particulate matter 211 from being oxidized and deteriorated when the convergent light G is irradiated. On the other hand, in the powder sintering additive manufacturing method, fine particles are melted by a CO ₂ laser or the like in the air, so there is a high possibility that the fine particles are oxidized and deteriorated.

(Preforming method of this embodiment)
In the granular material layer forming step S101 of the preforming method of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the leveling sheet 560 retracted from the stage 52 and the stage frame 51 is arranged to cover the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51, as shown in FIG. At this time, the leveling sheet 560 is flattened from the rolled state and placed on the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 .

When the leveling sheet 560 is flattened, the grains 211 placed on the stage 52 are flattened by the leveling sheet 560 . Further, when the leveling sheet 560 is arranged so as to cover the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51, the granular material layer 21 is formed. When the leveling sheet 560 is placed in the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51, the upper end opening 512 is closed, and the granular material layer 21 is placed inside the leveling sheet 560, the stage frame 51, and the stage 52. An enclosed closed space 50 is formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 25, after the particulate matter layer forming step S101 is performed and before the light irradiation step S102 is performed, the pressure in the closed space 50 is reduced in step S101A. is done. In the decompression step S101A, the decompression pump 57 evacuates the closed space 50 in which the granular material layer 21 is arranged. At this time, the leveling sheet 560 is attracted to the upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 by receiving the suction force of the vacuum, and the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 is sealed, and the pressure inside the closed space 50 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. becomes a low pressure state (vacuum state). Since the leveling sheet 560 has flexibility, the leveling sheet 560 can easily come into close contact with the upper end surface 511 of the stage frame 51 under the suction force of the vacuum suction.

Next, in the light irradiation step S<b>102 , convergent light G is irradiated onto the granular material layer 21 on the stage 52 through the leveling sheet 560 . At this time, the near-infrared rays as the convergent light G pass through the leveling sheet 560 and are irradiated onto the granular material layer 21 , and the energy of the near-infrared rays is absorbed by the granular materials 211 . Then, as in the first embodiment, the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 irradiated with the convergent light G are melted, and the surface portions 212 of the particles 211 are fixed together.

Then, after the granular material layer forming step S101 is performed again, the decompression step S101A and the light irradiation step S102 are performed again. The closed space 50 is evacuated by the decompression pump 57 each time the leveling sheet 560 closes the upper end opening 512 of the stage frame 51 and the granular material layer 21 is formed. In this way, the granular material layer forming step S101, the decompression step S101A and the light irradiation step S102 are repeatedly performed, and the granular material combined body as the preform 2 is formed.

The electromagnetic wave molding device 4 and resin molding method of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Other configurations, functions and effects of the preforming apparatus 5 and the preforming method of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Also, in this embodiment, the constituent elements indicated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to only each embodiment, and further different embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the present invention includes various modifications, modifications within the equivalent range, and the like. Furthermore, the technical idea of the present invention also includes combinations, forms, and the like of various components assumed from the present invention.

1 Resin Molded Product 10 Resin Molding System 2 Preformed Body (Particulate Matter Combined Body)
21 granule layer 211 granule 22 slice part 3 mold 31, 32 pair of mold parts 33 cavity 4 electromagnetic wave molding device 41 vacuum pump 42 electromagnetic wave generator 44 dielectric heater 5 preforming device 50 closed space 51 stage frame 52 stage 53 Light irradiation source 55 granular material supplier 56 leveling member 560 leveling sheet 6 control device

Claims (16)

A preforming apparatus for forming a preform used for molding a resin molded product,
a stage frame formed in a frame shape having an opening vertically upward;
Granules containing a resin that are arranged inside the stage frame, move up and down relative to the stage frame along the vertical direction, and have a maximum outer shape within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm. , a stage that is repeatedly spread in layers within a specified thickness range as a granular material layer;
a granular material supplier that supplies the granular material onto the stage surrounded by the stage frame;
a leveling member composed of a flexible leveling sheet for leveling the granular material placed on the stage to form the granular material layer;
a light irradiation source that irradiates the particulate matter layer on the stage with the convergent light while moving the convergent light relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; ,
a control device for controlling the stacking of the particulate material layer on the stage and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation source so as to be repeatedly and alternately performed;
the granular material layer is formed when the leveling sheet is arranged to cover the upper end opening of the stage frame;
The control device melts the surface portions of the granules in the granule layer so that the interfaces where the surface portions are in contact with each other adhere to each other to form the combined granules as the preform. A preforming device configured to control an irradiation state of the convergent light onto the particulate matter layer. The leveling sheet has a property of transmitting the converged light, closes an upper end opening of the stage frame, and includes the granular material layer disposed therein, the leveling sheet, the stage frame, and the It is configured to form a closed space surrounded by stages,
2. The preforming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the convergent light from the light irradiation source is applied to the granular material layer through the leveling sheet while the closed space is decompressed. A preforming apparatus for forming a preform used for molding a resin molded product,
a stage frame formed in a frame shape having an opening vertically upward;
Granules containing a resin that are arranged inside the stage frame, move up and down relative to the stage frame along the vertical direction, and have a maximum outer shape within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm. , a stage that is repeatedly spread in layers within a specified thickness range as a granular material layer;
a light irradiation source that irradiates the particulate matter layer on the stage with the convergent light while moving the convergent light relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; ,
a control device for controlling the stacking of the particulate material layer on the stage and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation source so as to be repeatedly and alternately performed;
The light irradiation source irradiates near-infrared rays including a wavelength region of 0.78 to 2 μm as the convergent light as spot light having a diameter of 1 to 10 mm to the particles of the particle layer. is composed of
The control device melts the surface portions of the granules in the granule layer so that the interfaces where the surface portions are in contact with each other adhere to each other to form the combined granules as the preform. A preforming device configured to control an irradiation state of the convergent light onto the particulate matter layer. 4. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device controls the energy applied to the particulate material layer by the convergent light of the light irradiation source so that only surface portions of the particulate material are melted. 2. A preforming apparatus according to claim 1 . The control device irradiates the convergent light of the light irradiation source onto the granular material layer on the stage along the contour shape of the preform to be molded, and the surface portions of the granular material are formed in a ring shape. 5. Any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is configured to form a ring fixing portion fixed to the ring fixing portion, and to mold the particulate matter combined body in which the particulate matter is enclosed inside the ring fixing portion A preforming apparatus as described in . A preforming device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
an insulating mold having a cavity in which the resin molded product is molded from the preform;
and an electromagnetic wave generator that heats and melts the preform in the cavity through the mold by electromagnetic waves irradiated or applied to the mold. A preforming apparatus for forming a preform used for molding a resin molded product,
a stage frame formed in a frame shape having an opening vertically upward;
Granules containing a resin that are arranged inside the stage frame, move up and down relative to the stage frame along the vertical direction, and have a maximum outer shape within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm. , a stage that is repeatedly spread in layers within a specified thickness range as a granular material layer;
a light irradiation source that irradiates the particulate matter layer on the stage with the convergent light while moving the convergent light relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; ,
The stacking of the particulate material layer on the stage and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation source are controlled to be repeated and alternately performed, and the surface portion of the particulate material in the particulate material layer is melted, and the surface of the particulate material is melted. a control device configured to control the state of irradiation of the convergent light onto the granular material layer so that the interfaces where the parts are in contact with each other adhere to each other and the granular material combined body as the preformed body is formed; a preforming device comprising a
an insulating mold having a cavity in which the resin molded product is molded from the preform;
and an electromagnetic wave generator that heats and melts the preform in the cavity through the mold by electromagnetic waves irradiated or applied to the mold. A preforming method for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product,
On the stage arranged inside the stage frame, a granule layer is formed in which granules containing resin and having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. a particulate matter layer forming step;
a light irradiation step of irradiating the particulate matter layer on the stage with the converged light while the converged light from the light irradiation source moves relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape;
In the granular material layer forming step, the granular material placed on the stage or on the surface of the granular material layer on the stage is leveled by a flexible leveling sheet, and the leveling sheet is leveled by the leveling sheet. The granular material layer is formed when arranged to cover the upper end opening of the stage frame,
The stacking of the particulate layer in the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light in the light irradiation step are repeated, and the surface portions of the particulate matter in the particulate matter layer are melted, and the surface portions of the particulate matter are melted. are fixed to each other at their interfaces to form a combined particulate material as the preform. The leveling sheet has a property of transmitting the converged light,
9. The preforming method according to claim 8 , wherein in said light irradiation step, said convergent light is irradiated onto said granular material layer on said stage through said leveling sheet. In the granular material layer forming step, the leveling sheet is arranged to close the upper end opening of the stage frame, and the granular material layer is arranged inside the leveling sheet, the stage frame, and A closed space surrounded by the stage is formed,
After the granular material layer forming step and before the light irradiation step, the closed space is evacuated, so that the leveling sheet is attracted to the upper end surface of the stage frame and the pressure is reduced. 10. The preforming method according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein a depressurization step is performed in which the closed space in a state is formed. A preforming method for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product,
On the stage arranged inside the stage frame, a granule layer is formed in which granules containing resin and having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. a particulate matter layer forming step;
a light irradiation step of irradiating the particulate matter layer on the stage with the converged light while the converged light from the light irradiation source moves relative to the stage so as to draw a planar shape;
In the light irradiation step, the convergent light from the light irradiation source is a spot light having a diameter within the range of 1 to 10 mm, which is composed of near-infrared rays including a wavelength range of 0.78 to 2 μm. irradiating the grains of the layer;
The stacking of the particulate layer in the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light in the light irradiation step are repeated, and the surface portions of the particulate matter in the particulate matter layer are melted, and the surface portions of the particulate matter are melted. are fixed to each other at their interfaces to form a combined particulate material as the preform. 12. The light irradiation step according to any one of claims 8 to 11 , wherein the energy applied to the granular material by the convergent light of the light irradiation source is set to a magnitude that melts only the surface portion of the granular material. The preforming method according to item 1 . In the light irradiation step, the convergent light from the light irradiation source is irradiated onto the granular material layer on the stage along the contour shape of the preform to be molded, and the surface portions of the granular material are aligned. a ring-shaped fixed portion is formed, and
When the lamination of the particulate layer by the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light by the light irradiation step are repeated, the particulate matter in which the particulate matter is enclosed inside the ring fixing portion. A preforming method according to any one of claims 8 to 12 , wherein the combined body is formed. 14. The preforming method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 , wherein the granular material is composed of a crystalline resin having a melting point. A preforming method according to any one of claims 8 to 14 ,
a placement step of placing the preform in a mold;
The preform is heated and melted by an electromagnetic wave transmitted through the mold or an alternating electric field as an electromagnetic wave applied by a pair of electrodes, and formed in the mold by the granules constituting the preform. a filling step in which the molten material is filled into the mold so that the gaps formed are eliminated;
a cooling step in which the molten material is cooled and solidified in the molding die, and a resin molded article in which the material is integrated is molded in the molding die. A preforming method for forming a preform used for forming a resin molded product,
On the stage arranged inside the stage frame, a granule layer is formed in which granules containing resin and having a maximum outer diameter within the range of 0.5 to 5 mm are spread in layers within the range of a specified thickness. a particulate matter layer forming step;
a light irradiation step of irradiating the particulate matter layer on the stage with the converged light while moving relative to the stage so that the converged light from the light irradiation source draws a planar shape;
The stacking of the particulate layer in the particulate layer forming step and the irradiation of the convergent light in the light irradiation step are repeated, and the surface portions of the particulate matter in the particulate matter layer are melted, and the surface portions of the particulate matter are melted. a preforming method in which interfaces where the contacting are fixed to each other to form a combined granular material as the preform,
a placement step of placing the preform in a mold;
The preform is heated and melted by an electromagnetic wave transmitted through the mold or an alternating electric field as an electromagnetic wave applied by a pair of electrodes, and formed in the mold by the granules constituting the preform. a filling step in which the molten material is filled into the mold so that the gaps formed are eliminated;
a cooling step in which the molten material is cooled and solidified in the molding die, and a resin molded article in which the material is integrated is molded in the molding die.

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