JPWO2020065657A5

JPWO2020065657A5 -

Info

Publication number: JPWO2020065657A5
Application number: JP2021512521A
Authority: JP
Publication date: 2022-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-27

Description

加えて、本出願の任意の優先権文書はその全体が本明細書において参照により組み込まれる。なお、本発明は次の態様も有する。
［態様２０］
付加製造のためのシステムであって、
構築材料を分配するための分配ヘッドと、
前記構築材料を硬化させるための硬化システムと、
熱を前記構築材料から除去するためのファンを有する冷却システムと、
前記分配ヘッドを前記構築材料を層の形で分配するよう制御し、前記硬化システムが前記構築材料を硬化させるよう前記硬化システムを制御し、前記冷却システムが前記層から熱を除去するように前記冷却システムを制御するための回路を有するコンピュータ化コントローラであって、前記回路が前記ファンの回転速度をそれぞれの層の面積の減少関数として変更するように構成されている、前記コンピュータ化コントローラと
を備える前記システム。
［態様２１］
前記層のうちの少なくとも１つのために、前記分配ヘッドが、受容面の上の１回を超えるパスにおいて前記構築材料を分配し、前記回路が、前記パスの数に基づいて前記ファンの前記回転速度を選択するように構成されている、態様２０に記載のシステム。
［態様２２］
前記層のうちの少なくとも１つのために、前記回路が、前記硬化システムを、前記層の部分を、前記部分を形成するための１つの種類の構築材料を分配した後にであるが、前記層の別の部分を形成するための別の種類の構築材料を分配する前に、硬化させるよう制御するように構成されている、態様２０および２１のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様２３］
前記回路が、構築材料のグループを記憶したコンピュータ可読媒体にアクセスし、それぞれの構築材料を前記グループのうちの１つに関連付け、前記関連付けにも基づいて前記回転速度を選択するように構成されている、態様２０～２２のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様２４］
前記層のうちの少なくとも１つの温度を感知するように構成された熱感知システムを備え、前記回路が、前記感知システムからの温度感知信号を受信し、前記温度感知信号に基づいて前記回転速度を選択するように構成されている、態様２０～２３のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様２５］
付加製造のためのシステムであって、
それぞれの複数の構築材料を分配するための複数の分配ヘッドと、
前記構築材料を硬化させるための硬化システムと、
前記分配ヘッドを前記構築材料を層の形で分配するよう制御し、前記硬化システムが前記構築材料を硬化させるよう前記硬化システムを制御するための回路を有するコンピュータ化コントローラであって、前記層のうちの少なくとも１つのために、前記回路は、前記硬化システムが、前記第１の部分を形成するための１つの種類の構築材料を分配した後であるが、前記層の第２の部分を形成するための別の種類の構築材料を分配する前に、前記層の第１の部分を硬化させるよう前記硬化システムを制御するように構成されている、前記コンピュータ化コントローラと
を備える、前記システム。
［態様２６］
前記第１の部分の前記硬化が第１の温度におけるものであり、前記回路が、前記硬化システムを、前記第１の温度とは異なる第２の温度で前記第２の部分を硬化させるよう制御するように構成されている、態様２５に記載のシステム。
［態様２７］
前記第２の温度が前記第１の温度よりも高い、態様２６に記載のシステム。
［態様２８］
前記回路が、構築材料のグループを記憶したコンピュータ可読媒体にアクセスし、それぞれの構築材料を前記グループのうちの１つに関連付け、前記関連付けに基づいてそれぞれの硬化温度を選択するように構成されている、態様２５～２７のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様２９］
前記回路が、パルス状動作信号を前記分配ヘッドへ、異なる幅のパルスが異なる分配ヘッドへ伝送される様態で伝送するように構成されている、態様２０～２８のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様３０］
前記回路が、構築材料のグループを記憶したコンピュータ可読媒体にアクセスし、それぞれの構築材料を前記グループのうちの１つに関連付け、前記関連付けに基づいてそれぞれのパルス幅を選択するように構成されている、態様２９に記載のシステム。
［態様３１］
前記層を包囲する環境を加熱するための加熱システムを備え、
前記回路は、構築材料のグループを記憶したコンピュータ可読媒体にアクセスし、それぞれの構築材料を前記グループのうちの１つに関連付け、前記関連付けに基づいて前記加熱システムの電力および動作継続時間のうちの少なくとも１つの制御を選択するように構成されている、態様２０～３０のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様３２］
前記加熱システムが、加熱放射線を発生する加熱放射線源を含む、態様３１に記載のシステム。
［態様３３］
前記放射線が赤外放射線である、態様３１に記載のシステム。
［態様３４］
前記回路が、前記加熱システムの動作を前記硬化システムの動作と同期させるように構成されている、態様３１～３３のいずれか一項に記載のシステム。
［態様３５］
前記同期が、前記加熱システムの前記動作が終了された後に、前記硬化システムの前記動作が開始されるというものである、態様３４に記載のシステム。
［態様３６］
オブジェクトの付加製造の方法であって、前記方法は、
前記オブジェクトの形状を規定するコンピュータオブジェクトデータを受信するステップと、
前記コンピュータオブジェクトデータに従って前記オブジェクトを製造するように、態様２０～３５のいずれか一項に記載の付加製造システムを動作させるステップと、
を含む前記方法。 In addition, any priority document of this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The present invention also has the following aspects.
[Aspect 20]
A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:
a dispensing head for dispensing building material;
a curing system for curing the build material;
a cooling system having a fan for removing heat from the build material;
controlling the dispensing head to dispense the build material in a layer; controlling the curing system to cure the building material; and controlling the cooling system to remove heat from the layer. a computerized controller having circuitry for controlling a cooling system, said circuitry configured to vary the rotational speed of said fan as a decreasing function of the area of each layer;
The system comprising:
[Aspect 21]
For at least one of said layers, said dispensing head dispenses said build material in more than one pass over a receiving surface, said circuit controlling said rotation of said fan based on said number of passes. 21. The system of aspect 20, configured to select a speed.
[Aspect 22]
For at least one of the layers, the circuit dispenses the curing system, portions of the layers, a type of build material for forming the portions, but after dispensing the layers. 22. The system of any one of aspects 20 and 21, wherein the system is configured to control curing prior to dispensing another type of build material for forming another portion.
[Aspect 23]
The circuitry is configured to access a computer readable medium storing groups of build materials, associate each build material with one of the groups, and select the rotational speed also based on the association. 23. The system of any one of aspects 20-22, wherein the system comprises:
[Aspect 24]
a thermal sensing system configured to sense a temperature of at least one of said layers, said circuit receiving a temperature sensing signal from said sensing system and determining said rotational speed based on said temperature sensing signal; 24. The system of any one of aspects 20-23, wherein the system is configured to select.
[Aspect 25]
A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:
a plurality of dispensing heads for dispensing respective plurality of building materials;
a curing system for curing the build material;
a computerized controller having circuitry for controlling said dispensing head to dispense said build material in layers and for controlling said curing system so that said curing system cures said build material; for at least one of the circuits form a second portion of the layer after the curing system dispenses one type of build material to form the first portion; said computerized controller configured to control said curing system to cure a first portion of said layer prior to dispensing another type of build material for
The system, comprising:
[Aspect 26]
wherein said curing of said first portion is at a first temperature and said circuitry controls said curing system to cure said second portion at a second temperature different from said first temperature; 26. The system of aspect 25, wherein the system is configured to:
[Aspect 27]
27. The system of aspect 26, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.
[Aspect 28]
The circuitry is configured to access a computer readable medium storing groups of build materials, associate each build material with one of the groups, and select a respective curing temperature based on the association. 28. The system of any one of aspects 25-27, wherein the system comprises:
[Aspect 29]
29. The system of any one of aspects 20-28, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit a pulsed operating signal to the dispensing head, such that pulses of different widths are transmitted to different dispensing heads. .
[Aspect 30]
The circuitry is configured to access a computer readable medium storing groups of build materials, associate each build material with one of the groups, and select a respective pulse width based on the association. 30. The system of aspect 29.
[Aspect 31]
a heating system for heating an environment surrounding said layer;
The circuitry accesses a computer readable medium storing groups of build materials, associates each build material with one of the groups, and adjusts power and duration of operation of the heating system based on the association. 31. The system of any one of aspects 20-30, configured to select at least one control.
[Aspect 32]
32. The system of aspect 31, wherein the heating system comprises a heating radiation source that generates heating radiation.
[Aspect 33]
32. The system of aspect 31, wherein the radiation is infrared radiation.
[Aspect 34]
34. The system of any one of aspects 31-33, wherein the circuitry is configured to synchronize operation of the heating system with operation of the curing system.
[Aspect 35]
35. The system of aspect 34, wherein said synchronization is such that said operation of said curing system is initiated after said operation of said heating system is terminated.
[Aspect 36]
A method of additive manufacturing of objects, the method comprising:
receiving computer object data defining the shape of the object;
operating an additive manufacturing system according to any one of aspects 20-35 to manufacture the object according to the computer object data;
The above method comprising

Claims

A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:
a dispensing head for dispensing build material onto a work surface;
a curing system for curing the build material;
a cooling system for removing heat from the build material;
mounted above the work surface in a manner to permit relative movement between the sensing system and the work surface, and configured to thereby generate a sensing signal in response to sensed thermal energy; a heat sensing system comprising:
circuitry for controlling said dispensing head to dispense said build material in layers, producing said sensing signal only when said sensing system is above said build material at the time said sensing system is cured; and a computerized controller having circuitry for controlling the heat removal rate of the cooling system in response to the sensed signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensing system comprises at least one pixilated sensor, and wherein the sensing signals constitute a temperature map of the cured build material.

The circuit for controlling the heat removal rate identifies a higher temperature first pixel group and a lower temperature second pixel group within the temperature map; 3. The system of claim 2, configured to control the heat removal rate based on population.

3. The circuit for controlling the heat removal rate is configured to control the heat removal rate to maintain the first population of pixels at a temperature below a first predetermined threshold. 3. The system according to 3.

3. The circuitry for controlling the heat removal rate is configured to control the heat removal rate to maintain the second population of pixels at a temperature above a second predetermined threshold. 5. The system according to 4.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing head is located between said curing system and said sensing system.

The dispensing head has a length and includes an array of nozzles arranged along an indexing direction, and the sensing system extends from the working surface to above the working surface along the indexing direction. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the field of view is positioned at a distance selected to match said length.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry for controlling said sensing system is configured to adapt a sampling rate of said signal to a rate of said relative motion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling system includes a fan, and the circuit for controlling the heat removal rate is configured to vary the rotational speed of the fan.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said rotational speed of said fan is varied according to a function of a temperature difference between a temperature sensed by said sensing system and a predetermined temperature, said function comprising a quadratic function of said temperature difference. .

A method of additive manufacturing comprising:
dispensing a build material onto a receiving surface;
curing the build material to form a cured material;
sensing thermal energy emitted by at least the cured build material;
removing heat from the building material in response to thermal energy emitted by the hardened building material but not in response to thermal energy emitted by other objects;
repeating said dispensing, said curing, said sensing and said removing multiple times so as to form a three-dimensional object in the form of layers corresponding to slices of said object;
The above method comprising

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensing is by at least one pixilated sensor for providing a temperature map of said cured build material.

The step of removing heat comprises identifying a first higher temperature pixel population and a lower temperature second pixel population within the temperature map, wherein the step of removing heat comprises: 13. The method of claim 12 at a rate selected based on a population of .

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said speed is selected to maintain said first pixel population at a temperature below a first predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said speed is selected to maintain said second population of pixels at a temperature above a second predetermined threshold.

Said dispensing is by means of a dispensing head comprising a nozzle array having a length and arranged along an index direction, and said sensing is characterized by a field of view above said curable material corresponding to said length. A method according to claim 11.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising adapting the sampling rate of sensing to the rate of relative motion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said removal is by a fan, said method comprising varying the rotational speed of said fan.

19. The rotational speed of the fan as claimed in claim 18, wherein the rotational speed of the fan is varied according to a function of a temperature difference between the temperature corresponding to the sensed thermal energy and a predetermined temperature, the function comprising a quadratic function of the temperature difference. the method of.