JPH07125081A - Optical shaping device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove simply a solid shaped product from a base plate without damaging the formed solid shaped product automatically without the necessity of human hands. CONSTITUTION:In an optical shaping device in which a liquid ultraviolet curing resin material 10 is cured step by step to form a solid shaped product 6 of an optional shape, at least two vibration means 16a and 16b or more are mounted on a base plate 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical molding apparatus for hierarchically curing a liquid ultraviolet-curable resin material to form a three-dimensional object having an arbitrary shape, and more particularly to easily removing the three-dimensional object from a base plate. To obtain an optical modeling apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a technology prior to the present invention, an optical modeling apparatus described in pages 80 to 81 of the monthly magazine "Matsugi", Vol. 7, No. 7 (July 1989) is known. In this apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, contour data obtained by slicing the three-dimensional object 1 is created from graphic data of the three-dimensional object 1 designed by CAD, and an ultraviolet laser beam 2 is generated based on the contour data. By irradiating the surface layer portion of the liquid photocurable resin material 3 and lowering the base plate 4 step by step alternately with the irradiation of the ultraviolet laser beam 2, the photocurable resin material 3 is placed on the base plate 4. Are cured one by one to form the three-dimensional model 1.

However, in this optical modeling apparatus,
Since the three-dimensional model 1 is formed so as to adhere to the upper surface of the base plate 4 very firmly, there is a problem in that a sharp blade must be brought into contact with the surface of the base plate 4 to be scraped off by force. Therefore, there is a problem in that the obtained three-dimensional object 1 is damaged and the work for removing the three-dimensional object 1 is performed in a narrow area around the base plate 4, which is dangerous. Further, since the work is performed near the resin material which is not harmless to the human body, there is a problem that it is not preferable in terms of safety and health.

In this regard, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 341826/1992
In the publication, a flexible plate is detachably attached to the upper surface of the base plate, the three-dimensional object is removed together with the flexible plate, and the three-dimensional object can be peeled off by bending the flexible plate in a wide working place. Proposed.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-168036 proposes to use a synthetic resin plate which can be dissolved in a solvent, instead of the flexible plate.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned conventional device has the following problems. In the technique using the flexible plate, there is a manual work such as attachment and detachment work of the flexible plate and the device body, and there is a problem that labor saving and rationalization cannot be sufficiently achieved. In addition, in the technique of dissolving the separation layer with a solvent using a synthetic resin plate, there is the complexity of forming the separation layer each time, and since it is necessary to provide a solvent tank for dissolving the separation layer in the device, the entire device There was a problem that it would become large and complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is possible to easily remove a three-dimensional object from a base plate automatically without manpower and without damaging the obtained three-dimensional object. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical modeling apparatus that can be used.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, in an optical modeling apparatus of the present invention, an ultraviolet laser beam is used as a surface layer of a liquid photocurable resin material based on sectional shape data obtained by slicing a three-dimensional object. The base plate is alternated with the irradiation of the ultraviolet laser beam, and the photo-curable resin material is cured layer by layer on the upper part of the base plate to form the three-dimensional object. In the modeling apparatus, at least 2 is provided on the upper surface of the base plate.
The feature is that more than one vibrating means are attached.

In this case, a piezoelectric element, an electrostrictive element, an electromagnetic coil or the like can be used as the vibrating means.
The vibration frequency applied to the vibrating means is 10 k to 200.
The optimum value is selected according to the shape and arrangement of the vibrating means using the range of kHz.

[0010]

In the optical modeling apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, the vibrating means are vibrated alternately in opposite directions after the three-dimensional model is formed. Then, the adhesion strength between the three-dimensional object and the base plate is lowered, and the three-dimensional object is easily separated.

[0011]

Embodiments of the optical modeling apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an optical modeling apparatus S. In the figure, reference numeral 5 is a control computer, which creates cross-sectional data by slicing the graphic data of the three-dimensional object 6 designed using CAD in the Z direction, and controls each device described later based on this cross-sectional data. Is. Reference numeral 7 denotes an XY-direction moving device connected to the output of the control computer, which causes the projector 9 which emits the ultraviolet laser beam 8 to scan and move in the horizontal direction based on the cross-sectional data, whereby a liquid photocurable resin is obtained. The surface of the material 10 is irradiated with the ultraviolet laser beam 8. Reference numeral 11 denotes an optical filter, which is an ultraviolet laser light source 1
The laser light emitted from 3 is adjusted based on the control information from the control computer 5. An optical fiber 12 guides laser light from the ultraviolet laser light source 13 to the projector 9 via the optical filter 11.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a base plate, which alternates with the irradiation of the ultraviolet laser beam 8 at a predetermined interval to form a three-dimensional object 6
Descend to the depth at which the is formed. Reference numeral 15 denotes a moving device for moving the base plate 14 up and down (Z), which is controlled by the control computer 5. Reference numeral 16 is a piezoelectric element as a vibrating means, and two piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b are adjacently fixed to the surface of the base plate 14, and the three-dimensional object 6 is solidified and formed on this surface. Then, the obtained three-dimensional model 6 is peeled off by vibrating the piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b in opposite directions. Reference numeral 17 denotes a high frequency amplifier that applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element 16, and is connected to the piezoelectric element 16 via a wiring embedded in the base plate 14 or attached to the base plate 14. Reference numeral 18 is a function generator (oscillator) connected to the high frequency amplifier 17, and 19 is a photocurable resin material 1.
It is a tank that stores 0.

When using the optical modeling apparatus of the embodiment configured as described above, contour data obtained by slicing the figure data of the three-dimensional model 6 designed by CAD is created, and based on this data. UV laser beam 8
Is irradiated to the surface layer portion of the liquid photocurable resin material 10, and the base plate 14 is lowered step by step alternately with this irradiation. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the three-dimensional model 6 in which the photo-curable resin material 10 is cured layer by layer is formed on the surfaces of the piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b.

In this state, the obtained three-dimensional object 6 is firmly fixed to the surfaces of the piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b and cannot be easily peeled off. Therefore, the piezoelectric elements 16a, 1
A voltage is applied from the high frequency amplifier 17 and the function generator 18 so that 6b alternately expands and contracts in the opposite directions. That is, when the piezoelectric element 16a expands, the piezoelectric element 16b contracts, and conversely, the piezoelectric element 16b expands.
When is expanded, the piezoelectric element 16a is driven so as to contract.

Then, the three-dimensional object 6 and the piezoelectric element 16a,
At the interface with 16b, as shown in FIG.
A peeling force acts on the surface of 16b when a is extended, and conversely, a peeling force acts on the surface of 16a when the piezoelectric element 16b is extended. Moreover, this is repeated at the driving frequency (high frequency) of the piezoelectric element. As a result, the three-dimensional object 6
Is gradually peeled off and finally completely peeled off. As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily remove the three-dimensional object from the base plate automatically without manpower and without damaging the obtained three-dimensional object.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but may be implemented as follows, for example. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the vibrating means is formed by adjoining substantially rectangular piezoelectric elements, but this is a relatively easy construction of the device,
It is suitable for peeling solid shaped objects with simple shapes, and has limited application to weak or complex solid shaped objects. (1) In such a case, it is advisable to provide a vibrating means having a shape that matches the shape of the three-dimensional object. For example, in the case where the bottom surface of the three-dimensional model is a relatively thin cylinder, if the piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b are arranged in an annular shape as shown in FIG. 4, the peeling force acts in the normal direction and the centripetal direction. It is also effective for peeling off fragile cylindrical solid objects. (2) Further, if the piezoelectric elements 16a and 16b are arranged in parallel at a fine interval as shown in FIG. 5, the configuration becomes slightly complicated, but it can be used universally regardless of the shape of the three-dimensional object, and the peeling action Also, a good optical modeling apparatus can be obtained.

[0017]

As described above, according to the optical modeling apparatus of the present invention, the three-dimensional object can be easily formed from the base plate automatically without any manual operation and without damaging the obtained three-dimensional object. It can be removed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a basic configuration of an optical modeling apparatus of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vibrating means of the optical modeling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the optical modeling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the vibrating means used in the optical modeling apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another modification of the vibrating means used in the optical modeling apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a conventional optical modeling apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Control Computer 6 Three-dimensional Model 7 XY Direction Moving Device 8 Ultraviolet Laser Beam 9 Projector 10 Photocurable Resin Material 11 Optical Filter 12 Optical Fiber 13 Ultraviolet Laser Light Source 14 Base Plate 15 Moving Device 16 Piezoelectric Element (Exciting Means) 17 High Frequency Amplifier 18 Function generator 19 Tank

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A surface layer portion of a liquid photocurable resin material is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser beam based on sectional shape data obtained by slicing a three-dimensional object, and the base plate is lowered alternately with the irradiation of the ultraviolet laser beam. Thus, in the optical modeling apparatus that cures the photo-curable resin material layer by layer on the upper part of the base plate to form the three-dimensional model, at least two vibrating means are attached to the upper surface of the base plate. An optical modeling apparatus characterized by that.