JPH058309A - Forming method of three dimensional object and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the mass production of products to be achieved when the three dimensional object with complicated shape is formed by the photocuring of photopolymer. CONSTITUTION:A tank 1 is filled with photopolymer 2, and a plurality of laser beam-sources 14 are provided above the tank 1. The laser beam-sources 14 are fitted onto a XY table 13, and simultaneously the surface 2a of the photopolymer 2 is scanned by the same pattern, whereby a plurality of three dimensional objects with the same shape are formed simultaneously.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention applies a photopolymer to a predetermined shape by irradiating it with a laser beam to cure it.
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a molding method for molding a three-dimensional object and an apparatus therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various methods such as injection molding, reaction injection molding, blow molding, etc. for plastic molded articles, and all of these methods are carried out using a mold having a molding surface having an inverted shape of the molded article. ing. JP-A-2-292013 describes molding using a photopolymerization type photopolymer among them. In this molding, a photopolymer is injected into a mold partly formed of a translucent material, and then light for polymer polymerization is irradiated from the translucent material to be cured. However, although these methods are excellent in mass productivity, it is difficult to mold a molded product having a complicated shape having an undercut, a hollow portion, etc., and the shape of the moldable molded product is limited.

On the other hand, in recent years, a method has been developed in which a photopolymer is directly irradiated with a laser beam without using a mold to form a molded article having a complicated shape. The prior art of this method is the publication "O plus E" No.
133 (issued in December 1990), "3D molding with photopolymer". According to such a method, the first layer is cured by irradiating the photopolymer while scanning the laser beam on the basis of the shape data of the horizontal cross-section of the target three-dimensional object, and then the cured portion is irradiated with the laser beam irradiation direction. By moving a predetermined amount in the opposite direction to expose the uncured photopolymer to the laser beam, and in this state, irradiate the laser beam of the next stage to cure the second layer, and then successively cure each layer. It is designed to mold three-dimensional objects.

[0004]

However, although the above-mentioned molding method is capable of molding a complicated shape, it has a problem of poor mass productivity because it is a single process. The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a molding method capable of mass-producing molded products having a three-dimensionally complicated shape, and a molding apparatus suitable therefor.

[0005]

According to the molding method of the present invention, a step of curing a photopolymer by scanning according to the shape of a desired three-dimensional object while focusing a laser beam on the surface of the photopolymer is performed. In a molding method in which the polymer is sequentially repeated in the thickness direction, a plurality of laser beams are simultaneously scanned in the same pattern.

Further, the molding apparatus of the present invention follows a tank filled with a photopolymer, a laser beam generating means for generating a plurality of laser beams for irradiating the photopolymer, and a shape of a desired three-dimensional object. Control means for outputting a control signal, a scanning means for simultaneously scanning a plurality of laser beams on the photopolymer in the same pattern based on the control signal, and a photopolymer cured by irradiation of the laser beam is moved in the thickness direction. And a means for moving in the thickness direction.

1 to 5 show the molding method of the present invention, in which a tank 1 is filled with a photopolymer 2 in an uncured state. Reference numeral 4 is an elevator as a thickness direction moving means provided in the tank 1 so as to move in the vertical direction.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the elevator 4 descends in the tank 1 to form a photopolymer layer having a thickness t that can be cured by one irradiation of an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam.
Then, a plurality of laser beams 3a, 3b, 3c are generated by the laser beam generating means to generate the photopolymer 2
The laser beam is focused on the surface 2a of the laser beam, and the scanning means operates in this state to generate a plurality of laser beams 3a, 3b, 3 as shown in FIG.
Scan c simultaneously in the same pattern. As a result of this scanning, the photopolymer in the portion corresponding to each laser beam 3a, 3b, 3c is cured, and as shown in FIG.
The cured product 5 of the layer is formed. Next, elevator 1
As shown in FIG. 4 after descending the layers, the first layer cured body 5
A photopolymer layer for one layer is formed on the photopolymer layer, and a plurality of laser beams 3a, 3b, 3c are simultaneously scanned in the same pattern on the photopolymer layer to cure the photopolymer. Hereinafter, by repeating these operations for each layer, it is possible to simultaneously form a plurality of three-dimensional objects 6 having the same shape as shown in FIG.

[0008]

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows a molding apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and the same elements in FIGS. 1 to 5 are designated by the same reference numerals. The tank 1 filled with the photopolymer 2 is set in the main body 11, and the elevator 4 is moved to Z
A Z-direction motor 12 that moves in the vertical direction (vertical direction) is attached to the inner surface of the main body above the tank. In addition, an X that moves in the XY directions (front and rear and left and right) is provided on the upper portion of the main body 11.
The Y table 13 is attached to the XY table 13
A plurality of UV laser light sources 14 are attached to the lower surface. Each laser light source 14 has a laser beam 3a, 3b,
It has a condensing optical system 15 for condensing 3c on the surface 2a of the photopolymer 2. Here, the XY table 13 is X
The directional motor 16 and the Y-direction motor 17 are sequentially connected to move in the XY directions, whereby the laser beam 3 is moved.
The scanning of a, 3b and 3c is performed. These X-direction motor 16, Y-direction motor 17 and Z-direction motor 1
2 are connected to the driver 18, respectively. Further, each driver 18 is connected to a computer 19 as a control means, and drives the motors 16, 17, 12 respectively based on a control signal from the computer 19. Reference numeral 20 is a three-dimensional CAD that sends the shape data of the target three-dimensional object to the computer 19.

Next, a molding method using the molding apparatus having this structure will be described. First, the elevator 4 descends from the surface 2a of the photopolymer 2 by the thickness of one layer, and in this state, the graphic data of the first layer is transferred from the three-dimensional CAD 20 to the computer 19. Based on this graphic data, the computer 19 outputs a control signal to the X-direction driver and the Y-direction driver to drive the XY table 13. This X
Since a plurality of UV laser light sources 14 are attached to the Y table 13, by driving the XY table 13, a plurality of laser beams 3a, 3b, 3c can be simultaneously scanned on the surface 2a of the photopolymer 2 in the same pattern. You can As a result, a number of first layer hardened bodies corresponding to the UV laser beam are formed in the same shape. Next, the computer 19 outputs a control signal to the Z-direction driver to lower the elevator 4 by one layer, whereby a photopolymer layer having a new thickness of one layer is formed above the cured body. Then, the computer 19 drives the XY table 13 in the same manner as described above, scans the laser beam, and thereafter repeats the same process in sequence to form a plurality of three-dimensional objects at the same time. As a result, it becomes possible to mass-produce a three-dimensional object having a complicated shape.

[0010]

Second Embodiment FIG. 7 shows a molding apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same elements as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, a single laser light source 14 is used, and an optical system 21 having a separator lens (not shown) is attached to the laser light source 14 to generate a plurality of laser beams.
An X-direction mirror 22 attached to the rotary shaft 16a of the X-direction motor 16 is provided below the optical system 21, and the X-direction mirrors 23, 24, 25 are arranged in the reflection direction of the X-direction mirror 22. Is provided. The Y-direction mirrors 23, 24 and 25 are respectively rotatable shafts 23a and 24.
a and 25a, and these rotary shafts 23
Belts 26 and 27 are stretched around a, 24a and 25a. The belt 26 is stretched around the rotary shafts 23a and 24a, while the belt 27 is stretched around the rotary shafts 24a and 25a, and the rotation of one of the rotary shafts is transmitted to the rotation of the other rotary shaft in a one-to-one manner. You can do it. The central rotating shaft 24a is connected to the Y-direction motor 17, and when the Y-direction motor 17 is driven, each Y-direction mirror 2 is moved.
3, 24 and 25 rotate in the same direction and at the same angle.

In such a structure, since a plurality of laser beams are emitted from the single laser light source 14, the scanning system and the optical system can be simplified.

[0012]

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
The same elements as are designated by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, tanks 31, 32, 33 are provided for each of the plurality of laser beams 3a, 3b, 3c. The tanks 31, 32, 33 are independent of each other, and each is filled with the photopolymer 2, and the Z-direction motor 1 is used.
An elevator 4 driven by 2 is inserted. In such a configuration, since the respective tanks 31, 32, and 33 are provided corresponding to each laser beam, the composition is not affected by the composition unevenness of the photopolymer, and
The photopolymer in each tank can be adjusted to have an optimum composition. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the shape deviation of the three-dimensional object formed by each laser beam.

[0013]

According to the present invention, a photopolymer is simultaneously scanned with a plurality of laser beams in the same pattern, so that even a three-dimensional object having a complicated shape can be mass-produced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a molding method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a molding method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a molding method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a molding method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a molding method of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the molding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a molding apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a molding apparatus of Example 3 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Photopolymer 3a, 3b, 3c laser beam 4 elevator 5 cured products 6 three-dimensional object

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A molding method, wherein a step of scanning a photopolymer according to the shape of an intended three-dimensional object to cure the photopolymer while converging the laser beam on the surface of the photopolymer is sequentially repeated in the thickness direction of the photopolymer. A method for forming a three-dimensional object, which comprises simultaneously scanning a plurality of beams in the same pattern. 2. A tank filled with a photopolymer, a laser beam generating means for generating a plurality of laser beams for irradiating the photopolymer, and a control for outputting a control signal according to the shape of a desired three-dimensional object. Means, scanning means for simultaneously scanning a plurality of laser beams on the photopolymer in the same pattern based on the control signal, and means for moving the photopolymer cured by the irradiation of the laser beams in the thickness direction in the thickness direction. A molding device for a three-dimensional object characterized by being.