KR100887185B1 - Colorable rapid prototyping apparatus using face level lamination - Google Patents

Abstract

A colorable rapid prototyping apparatus using a photo curable method of a surface unit is provided to use a prototyping substrate having at least two surfaces alternatively according to properties of a lamination direction and a lamination method, thereby largely improving a prototyping speed. A prototyping substrate(110) coats liquid photo curable resin on a bottom surface of a transparent glass board. A coating device(120) comprises one or more rolls coating the liquid photo curable resin on the bottom of the prototyping substrate properly. The first transfer apparatus(130) shuttles the prototyping substrate to a location of light application and a location of coating the liquid resin. The second transfer apparatus(140) transfers a printing head(170) so that a painting work is performed in an upper direction orthogonal to a transfer direction of the first transfer apparatus. A light application apparatus(150) photo cures the liquid resin coated onto the bottom surface of the prototyping substrate transferred to the location of light application by the first transfer apparatus. A prototyping stage(160) transfers a photo curable layer toward the bottom while laminating the photo curable layer having the same thickness.

Description

COLORABLE RAPID PROTOTYPING APPARATUS USING FACE LEVEL LAMINATION}

The present invention relates to a rapid prototyping apparatus that can produce a three-dimensional solid shape in a plane unit by a fast and efficient method. In addition, the present invention uses a surface unit photocuring lamination method that can effectively color various colors during the lamination process, and can greatly improve the molding speed by alternately using two or more molding substrates according to the lamination direction and method characteristics. It also relates to a colorable rapid forming apparatus.

Conventional rapid forming can be divided into a method of cutting and bonding a plate-shaped solid material into a desired shape and a method of welding and curing a liquid material or sintering and laminating a powder material. Among such rapid forming methods, a method of curing and laminating a liquid photocurable resin is SLA (StereoLithographic Apparatus) of the US 3D system, and various rapid forming apparatuses using this method have been developed.

Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-0018892 based on such a photocuring method discloses a technology for generating a negative mask using a liquid crystal panel device, thereby forming an arbitrary three-dimensional sculpture by a transfer method. However, the technique of this publication uses a projection method using a liquid crystal panel rather than a scanning method through a single beam irradiation based on the SLA technique, while the molding stage is immersed in the liquid resin and retracted by the molding thickness. Photocuring takes place. Therefore, this technique has a disadvantage in that it requires difficulty in handling the liquid and additional time in addition to the actual molding because the molding stage needs to select the liquid resin on the stage with the recorder after the retreat. In addition, this technique is a method to be immersed in a liquid resin to form a disadvantage that a separate multi-color coloring operation can not be performed.

Japanese Patent No. 3414858 discloses a three-dimensional molding method other than the method of being immersed in a liquid resin, and specifically, placing a molding plate on the top and using a roll to roll method to form a liquid resin on a film. The method of apply | coating and shape | molding it by attaching and photocuring to a shaping | molding plate is disclosed. In other words, this technique causes the cured molding monolayer to descend from top to bottom as light irradiation goes from bottom to top. Therefore, this technique is not only impossible to use a support material for the production of complex shapes, but also has a disadvantage in that the implementation of the technology is very difficult because the ink jet printing on the hardened cross section from the bottom up.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-42545 discloses a method for implementing coloring in an SLA type optical molding device for producing a multicolor three-dimensional sculpture. In other words, this technology adds a color dye to a sculpture by adding a process of adding a coloring dye to an existing SLA type photoforming apparatus. Specifically, the colored layer is mixed with the uncured layer formed by the hardening layer and the molding stage settled in the z-direction in the liquid resin, which is photocured after diffusion occurs in the uncured layer, or the colored dye is mixed with the photocurable. We are using the method of generating. However, this conventional coloring technology is a process of adding color in the liquid phase of the material in the photo-forming, it is difficult to implement a variety of colors in the same layer, and because the separate process of the photo-curing part is applied to the overall molding There is a disadvantage that the time is long. In addition, conventional coloring techniques have limitations in creating inherent colors and various colors of the data prototype.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, it is possible to proceed faster and more efficient molding of the surface unit of the transfer method, it is possible to clearly implement the coloring in the molding process more easily and primary colors It is an object of the present invention to provide a colorable rapid forming apparatus using a surface unit photocuring lamination method.

The present invention for achieving the above object comprises a singular or plural molding substrate that can be formed by applying the photocurable liquid resin to the lower surface, and a singular or plural rolls for applying the liquid resin to the lower surface of the molding substrate And a first conveying apparatus for reciprocating the molding substrate to the light irradiation position and the application position of the liquid resin, and a liquid resin applied to the lower surface of the molding substrate conveyed to the light irradiation position by the first conveying apparatus. Controlling the apparatus and the molding stage according to the photo-curing light irradiation device, the molding stage by continuously laminating the photo-curing layer cured by the light irradiation device to form a sculpture and transport in the vertical direction, and the CAD data of the sculpture And a system control unit.

The molding substrate of the present invention may be a glass plate of transparent material through which light passes.

The invention further comprises a printing head for performing a coloring operation on top of the cured photocurable layer, and a second conveying device for transferring the printing head to perform coloring operation on top of the first conveying apparatus, wherein the system control unit prints The head, the second transfer device, and the color data can be acquired to further supply the data necessary for manufacturing.

Each of the first and second transfer devices of the present invention may be a conveyor.

The first conveying apparatus of the present invention has a pair of guides for guiding the two molding substrates at intervals with a closed circuit, a plurality of sensors each attached to a position control point of the guide, and a pair of closed guides for the pair of guides. It may include a driving unit for circulating the three molding substrates.

The first conveying apparatus of the present invention is a conveyor for reciprocating from side to side, two molding substrates are arranged at intervals, and two coating apparatuses are installed between upper and lower ends of the conveyor, and one molding substrate is used for photocuring lamination. When the other molding substrate is applied to the material can minimize the time loss.

In addition, the first conveying apparatus of the present invention is a conveyor for conveying circulation, the two molding substrates are arranged at intervals to be fixed to the conveyor rotatably with respect to the conveyor so that even if the conveyor rotates, the bottom surface always faces downward in the form of a flat plate, One coating device is installed at one side of the lower side of the conveyor, so that when one molding substrate is photocured, the other molding substrate may apply material to minimize time loss.

In addition, the present invention further includes a storage container for receiving and storing the supporting material, wherein the molding stage is configured in the shape of a cylinder capable of holding the supporting material, and the system controller needs to support the supporting material according to the CAD data of the molding. When judged, it is possible to control the filling of the supporting material in the reservoir into the cylindrical molding stage.

The present invention adopts a method of stacking the cured layer from the lower end of the separate molding substrate in the upper direction, and can easily and efficiently perform coloring work by utilizing an existing printing head on the upper end of the cured laminate.

In addition, according to the diversification and combination of the driving method of the individual transfer device, it is possible to mold more than two layers of stacking with minimal time loss, thereby enabling more rapid molding.

In addition, the present invention takes advantage of the method of stacking in the upward direction, utilizing a temperature-sensitive resin or other magnetic field, or a fluid that reacts to an electric field, including a conventional support material other than the photocurable material as a support material more complex and various 3D sculptures can be produced.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of a colorable rapid forming apparatus using the surface unit photocurable lamination method according to the present invention will be described in detail.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the colorable rapid prototyping apparatus using the surface unit photocurable lamination method according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a module of the operation of the rapid prototyping apparatus shown in FIG. Detailed view shown separately.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rapid prototyping apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a molding substrate 110 capable of applying and molding a liquid photocurable resin on a lower surface of a transparent glass plate, and a molding substrate 110. Applicator 120 including a single or a plurality of rolls for evenly applying a suitable amount of liquid resin to the lower surface of the first transfer device for reciprocating transfer of the molding substrate 110 to the light irradiation position and the application position of the liquid resin 130, a second transfer device 140 for transferring the printing head 170 to perform a coloring operation in an upper direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the first transfer device 130, and a first transfer device 130. The light irradiation apparatus 150 for photocuring the liquid resin applied to the lower surface of the molding substrate 110 transferred to the light irradiation position by the light, and the molding to be transported in the downward direction while continuously laminating a photocuring layer of a predetermined thickness According to the stage 160 and the CAD data of the sculpture It is possible to control the molding substrate 110, the coating device 120, the first conveying device 130, the second conveying device 140, the light irradiation device 150, the molding stage 160 and the printing head 170. It consists of a system control unit.

The molding substrate 110 of this embodiment is a transparent material so that the light transmitted from the light irradiation device 150 can be sufficiently transmitted, the liquid resin of the appropriate viscosity is supplied to the lower surface by the coating device 120 at the application position. . At this time, the liquid resin material 111 is evenly applied by the appropriate adhesive force with the surface of the molding substrate 110. The molding substrate 110 is transferred by the first transfer device 130 to the upper position of the molding stage 160 and the lower position of the light irradiation apparatus 150 after the application of the material. That is, the molding substrate 110 reciprocates between the light irradiation position and the application position of the liquid resin by the first transfer device 130.

The applicator 120 applies the liquid resin contained in the applicator to the molding substrate 110 by a single roll or a plurality of rolls. That is, when the molding substrate 110 is transferred, the liquid resin is evenly applied to the entire lower surface of the molding substrate 110 by the roll of the coating device 120 in an amount equal to or greater than a desired lamination thickness.

The first transfer device 130 transfers the molding substrate 110 coated with the liquid resin to a light irradiation position for light irradiation and lamination. When the molding substrate 110 is transferred by the first transfer device 130 as described above, the molding stage 160 is vertically transferred upwardly with respect to the bottom surface of the molding substrate 110 by an interval of a desired stacking thickness. The irradiation apparatus 150 transfers the image according to the sequential cross-sectional shape data of the desired shape to the molding substrate 110. At this time, the liquid resin adhered to the lower surface of the molding substrate 110 is cured along the cross-sectional shape data and attached to the molding stage 160 or the molding intermediate shape 161 of the previous stage. Then, the first transfer device 130 re-transfers the molding substrate 110 to the material application position. In this process, the remaining uncured material on the lower surface of the molding substrate 110 is removed by being wiped and removed at the same time when the molding substrate 110 is transported back to its original position through a removal means positioned at an arbitrary position.

The second transfer device 140 reciprocates the printing head 170 to the initial position and the position of the molding intermediate shape 161. After the photocuring, the molding substrate 110 is transferred to the material application position by the first transfer device 130, and the upper part of the molding intermediate shape 161 on the molding stage 160 is colored by the printing head 170. It is fed vertically to the height that can be. Then, the printing head 170 is transferred to the position of the molding intermediate shape 161 by the second transfer device 140 to perform a coloring operation in accordance with the color data of the desired model. After performing this coloring operation, the printing head 170 returns to the initial position. In addition, after performing the coloring operation, the molding intermediate shape 161 is re-transferred by the molding stage 160 to the position where the initial material is applied.

This embodiment implements the overall multi-color three-dimensional shape by repeating the above process.

The molding stage 160 of this embodiment includes a supporting material so that a more complicated and various three-dimensional sculpture can be manufactured by using a temperature sensitive resin or other magnetic field or a fluid reacting to an electric field as a supporting material. It can be configured with a can. Further, this embodiment further includes a reservoir (not shown) for receiving and storing the support material, and when the system control judges that support through the support material is required according to the CAD data of the sculpture, It can be configured to be filled and supported in the molding stage 160 of the shape.

The following summarizes and supplements the working process according to this embodiment configured and operated as described above.

As shown in Figure 2, the molding process through the rapid molding apparatus 100 according to this embodiment consists of the following steps.

The first step is to input and analyze CAD data.

First, the desired three-dimensional CAD data and internal / external color data are input to the system control unit. Then, the system controller divides into a plurality of cross-sectional layers in consideration of photocuring and stacking thicknesses based on the input data, and sets bitmap data according to positions to be cured and positions to be uncured. In addition, printing data of each cross-sectional layer is set according to internal / external color data.

The second step is a step of supplying and photocuring the photocurable liquid resin.

When the liquid resin is applied to the lower surface of the molding substrate 110 through the coating device 120 is transferred to the light irradiation position. After the photocuring is performed according to the bitmap data set by the system control unit of the first stage at the proper position, the molding substrate 110 is returned to its original position, and in this process, the cured layer is attached on the lower molding intermediate shape 161. It is separated from the molding substrate (110). And the remaining material that is not cured in the lower portion of the molding substrate 110 is wiped and removed at the same time when transported back to the original position.

The third step is to perform a coloring operation on the shaped cross-sectional shape.

When the molding substrate 110 returns to its original position in the second step, the molding intermediate shape 161 is vertically transferred to the position for the printing head 170 to perform the coloring work by the molding stage 160. The printing head 170 performs coloring on the upper surface of the molding intermediate shape 161 due to the movement of the second transfer device 140 and the printing head itself. After performing such a coloring operation, the molding stage 160 is vertically transferred to the previous photocuring molding position, and the printing head 170 is also returned to its original position.

By repeating the above three steps, the overall multicolor three-dimensional sculpture is produced.

The rapid molding apparatus of the present invention can significantly shorten the production time of the molded object when the molding substrate is formed in plural. That is, by simultaneously performing photocuring lamination on one molding substrate and applying a liquid material on another molding substrate, the time required for forming the layers between layers can be minimized. The method is described with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D.

3A to 3D are detailed views illustrating various structures of the transfer apparatus constituting the rapid forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and a driving process thereof.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a method of independently forming and shaping the conveyor conveying apparatus and the material applying apparatus according to the number of molding substrates may be mentioned as an example. By configuring the transfer apparatus, the molding substrate and the coating apparatus vertically or horizontally, it is possible to minimize the operation interference that may occur in the simultaneous molding.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3B, instead of the conveyor, the position of the molding substrate 110 is controlled using a pair of guides 180 and a plurality of sensors 181 attached to the position control points of the guides 180, respectively. As a result, molding by the two molding substrates 110 may be performed. That is, the pair of guides 180 have a closed circuit and guide the two molding substrates 110 at intervals, and the driving unit follows the closed circuit of the guide 180 with the stepping motor and the servo motor. It is configured to move the circulation but the position is controlled by the sensor (181). Therefore, the guide 180 performs horizontal and slight vertical transfers, and each reciprocating transfer is alternately performed with respect to each molded substrate.

Therefore, by minimizing the distance between the light irradiation position to which the two molding substrates are transferred and the application position of the liquid resin, the round trip time of the molding substrate can be further reduced, and the required space of the overall apparatus can be reduced.

In addition, another example is a method in which a conveying apparatus for two molding substrates is configured and driven by one conveyor. This includes a method of reciprocating molding by placing two molding substrates at appropriate intervals on a conveyor belt, and a method of circulating molding.

As shown in FIG. 3C, in the case of the method of reciprocating molding, the photocuring laminate is carried out while the two molding substrates 110 reciprocate from side to side as the rolls 132 at both ends of the conveyor rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. And material application at the same time. That is, two molding substrates 110 are arranged on the conveyor at intervals, and two coating apparatuses 120 are installed between the upper and lower ends of the conveyor, and the other molding substrate is formed when one molding substrate is photocured. The material can be applied to minimize time loss. At this time, the length of the conveyor and the number of the coating device 120 according to the molding substrate 110 and the connection position of the molding substrate can be freely adjusted to an optimal state.

As shown in Fig. 3D, in the case of the method of circulating molding, the additional roll 131 is configured to make the model substrate transfer distance between the light irradiation position and the application position of the liquid resin the same. Through this, the conveyor continuously circulates and simultaneously performs coating and photocuring lamination of the liquid resin on each molding substrate 110. Here, the molding substrate 110 is rotatably fixed with respect to the conveyor, so that even when the conveyor rotates, the molding substrate 110 is always flat, and the lower surface thereof faces downward. In addition, one coating device 120 is installed at one side of the lower side of the conveyor, and when one molding substrate is photocured, the other molding substrate may apply material to minimize time loss. This configuration has the advantage of easy and simple equipment implementation and low equipment manufacturing cost by manufacturing through the control of only one conveyor.

A common feature of the several embodiments is that the transport and molding of each module according to the molding can be implemented simultaneously without loss of time. Taking advantage of this point, various applications other than the above embodiments are possible.

Although the technical details of the rapid prototyping apparatus using the surface unit photocuring lamination method of the present invention have been described together with the accompanying drawings, this is illustrative of the best embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention.

In addition, it is obvious that any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and imitations within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rapid forming apparatus using a surface-based light-curing lamination method according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing the operation process of the rapid prototyping apparatus shown in FIG. 1 for each module.

3A to 3D are detailed views illustrating various structures of the transfer apparatus constituting the rapid forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and a driving process thereof.

  ♠ Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawing ♠

110: molding substrate 120: material coating device

130: first transfer device 140: second transfer device

150: light irradiation device 160: molding stage

170: printing head

Claims (8)

A single or plural molding substrates which can be formed by applying a photocurable liquid resin to the lower surface; An applicator comprising a single or a plurality of rolls for applying the liquid resin to a lower surface of the molding substrate; A first transfer device for reciprocating the molding substrate to a light irradiation position and a coating position of the liquid resin; A light irradiation apparatus for photocuring the liquid resin applied to the lower surface of the molding substrate transferred to the light irradiation position by the first transfer apparatus; A molding stage capable of continuously stacking the photocured layer cured by the light irradiation apparatus to form a sculpture and transporting the upper and lower directions; And a system controller for controlling the apparatuses and the molding stage in accordance with the CAD data of the sculpture. The method according to claim 1, The molding substrate is a rapid molding apparatus, characterized in that the glass plate of transparent material through which light passes. The method according to claim 1 or 2, A printing head for performing coloring on top of the cured photocurable layer, and a second transfer device for transferring the printing head to perform the coloring on top of the first transfer device, And the system controller acquires the printing head, the second transfer device, and color data, and further supplies data necessary for manufacturing. The method according to claim 3, The first and second conveying apparatus is a rapid molding apparatus, characterized in that each conveyor. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The first conveying device has a closed circuit and a pair of guides for guiding the two molding substrates at intervals, a plurality of sensors respectively attached to the position control point of the guide, and along the closed circuit of the pair of guides Rapid forming apparatus comprising a drive unit for circulating the two molding substrates. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The first conveying apparatus is a conveyor for reciprocating from side to side, wherein the two molding substrates are arranged at intervals, and two coating devices are installed between upper and lower ends of the conveyor, and one molding substrate is photocured. When the other one of the molding substrate to apply the material to the rapid molding apparatus, characterized in that to minimize the time loss. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The first conveying apparatus is a conveyor for conveying circularly, and the conveyor is rotatably fixed with respect to the conveyor so that the two molding substrates are arranged at intervals with the lower surface always facing downward in a flat plate shape even when the conveyor rotates. The one side of the coating device is installed on the lower side of the rapid molding apparatus, characterized in that the other molding substrate is applied to the material to minimize the time loss when one molding substrate is photocured laminated. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Further comprising a reservoir for receiving and storing the support material, The molding stage is configured in a cylindrical shape that can hold the support material, And the system control unit controls to fill the support material in the reservoir into the cylindrical molding stage when it is determined that the support through the support material is necessary according to the CAD data of the sculpture.

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