KR102476579B1 - Printer for manufacturing three-dimensional object - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printer for producing a three-dimensional sculpture.
The 3D printer according to the present invention not only properly maintains the temperature of the metal powders accommodated in the worktable, but also can adjust the temperature gradient from the surface of the worktable to the inside, so that the crystallinity of the metal solids produced can be controlled. This has the effect of improving the quality of molded products.

Description

3D printer {PRINTER FOR MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT}

The invention relates to a three-dimensional printer for producing three-dimensional sculptures.

In general, a 3D printer refers to a device that makes a physical model as if printing three-dimensional mechanical parts from a computer file designed with a CAD program. Recently, the development and spread of 3D printers has emerged as a hot topic in the manufacturing industry.

In the 3D printer method, SLA (Stereo Lithographic Apparatus) uses the principle that a laser beam is injected into a photocurable resin and the scanned part is hardened, and a functional polymer or metal powder is used instead of the photocurable resin used in SLA, and a laser beam is used. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), which uses the principle of forming by scanning and consolidating, and LOM (Laminated Object Manufacturing), which cuts paper with adhesive to a desired cross section using laser beams and laminates them one by one. and BPM (Ballistic Particle Manufacturing) using ink-jet printer technology, and EBM (Electron Beam Melting) using the principle of molding by scanning and solidifying electron laser beams.

Laser-based methods were developed in the early 1980's/early 1990's at the University of Texas, Austin, USA, and are known as 3D printing or selective laser sintering. Selective laser sintering has been commercialized by DTM Corporation. Selective laser sintering involves spreading a thin layer of powder onto a flat surface.

Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology has made it possible to directly manufacture three-dimensional objects with high resolution and dimensional accuracy from various powder materials including conventional polymer powders.

The powder is spread on a workbench using a tool developed for use in selective laser sintering, known in the art as a counter-rolling mechanism or counter-roller. Successive powder layers are spread on the already formed layer using a counter-roller and then sintered or melted with an electronic laser. After spreading the powder layer on the surface using a powder feeding device, laser energy is applied onto the powder in a predetermined two-dimensional pattern using an electronic laser. The powder may be plastic, metal, polymeric, ceramic or composite.

EBM (Electron Beam Melting) technology applies metal powder on a work table, preheats the metal powder, irradiates an electron beam to a specific location to melt the metal powder to form a layer, applies the metal powder on the layer, and preheats and melts the metal powder. A three-dimensional shape is manufactured by forming the next layer through electron beam irradiation. The electron laser sinters or melts the powder together in the area where the laser beam energy collides.

Conventionally, in such a 3D printer, whenever a powder material is laminated on a work table through an electronic laser, the powder material must be melted and stacked according to the mold while maintaining a high temperature. As a supporting device, there was a difficult problem in that the powder material could not be melted and laminated according to the temperature maintenance and molding mold of the powder material.

Therefore, the present invention, in order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, when the powder material is laminated and molded in the workbench, maintains the temperature of the powder material while precisely controlling to control the crystalline state of the sintered metal molded product. It is an object of the present invention to provide a 3D printer with a new structure that can melt the powder material while improving the quality of manufactured printing products.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a vibration chamber forming a work space; Devices that generate electron beams or lasers; a powder material device for storing powder material; a powder supply device supplying the powder material to a work table; A work table on which the powder material supplied from the powder supply device is stacked on top for molding work; a support for supporting the work table; and a heating device installed inside the support to apply heat to the powder material stacked on the work table.

In the 3D printer according to the present invention, the heating device is characterized in that it is formed in one or a plurality of pieces separated from the surface of the work table in an inward direction.

The 3D printer according to the present invention further includes a control unit connected to the plurality of heating devices, and heating temperatures of the plurality of heating devices are individually controlled by the control unit.

In the 3D printer according to the present invention, it is characterized in that the heating temperature of the plurality of heating devices is individually adjusted to exhibit a temperature gradient in which the temperature decreases from the top of the work table toward the inside.

The 3D printer according to the present invention may further include a lifting and lowering device for lifting and lowering the worktable.

The 3D printer according to the present invention not only properly maintains the temperature of the metal powder accommodated in the worktable, but also can adjust the temperature gradient from the surface of the worktable to the inside, so that the crystalline state of the produced metal solid can be controlled. Accordingly, the quality of the molded product is improved.

1 is a view showing a three-dimensional printer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a view showing a heating device in the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1;
3 is a view showing another embodiment of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1;
4 is a view showing a cross section of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1;
5 is a view from above of the heating device of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a heating device of another embodiment of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, based on the accompanying drawings, the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

In addition, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to ordinary or dictionary meanings, and the inventor appropriately defines the concept of terms in order to best describe his/her invention. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be done.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram showing a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a heating device in the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is another view of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 4 is a view showing a cross section of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a view from above of the heating device of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a view showing an embodiment. It is a view from above of the heating device of another embodiment of the 3D printer shown in .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the 3D printer according to the present invention includes a chamber 100, an electron beam or laser generating device 200, a powder material storage device 300 for storing a powder material, and , It includes a work table 400, a support part 500, and a heating device 600 installed inside the support part.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the chamber 100 forms a work space.

The 3D printer device according to the present invention includes an electron beam (200) generating an electron beam or laser as a means for dissolving powder.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the laser generator generates a high-power electron laser to melt the powder material. Various embodiments of the mounting structure for fixing the laser generator are possible. The laser generator is connected to a cable to receive external power, and the cable is housed in a flexible cable guide. For the laser scan, a galvano scan method laser marking system may be used.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the powder material storage device 300 stores the powder material for the molding operation, and the stored powder material is dropped or stored separately according to the amount required for the molding operation. It can be supplied to the workbench by means of a powder feeding device.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, in the work table 400, the powder material falling from the powder material device 300 is stacked on top of the work table 400 for molding work.

In addition, in the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the work table 400 may further include an elevating device 410 for lifting and lowering the work table 400 . This elevating device 410 is installed to be vertically movable using a piston. In addition, when the powder material placed on the upper surface of the work table 400 is sintered by the beam device 200, the piston moves vertically downward so that a new powder material can be laminated to a certain thickness on the sintered powder material.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the support device 500 is installed on the periphery of the work table 400 and supports the work table that is raised and lowered.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the heating device 600, as shown in FIG. 4, is installed to be recessed inside the support 500 formed around the work table, and heats the powder material to be molded on the work table. apply In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the heating device 600 is installed on the inner wall of the support part 500, and as the work table descends, it surrounds the powder material to be laminated while the molding operation is in progress, and heats the powder material. do.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the heating device 600 is characterized in that it is formed in one or a plurality of pieces separated from the surface of the work table in an inward direction.

As an embodiment, the first heating unit and the second heating unit may be formed of a hot wire separated into two layers, wherein the first heating unit may be installed on the upper part and the second heating unit may be installed on the lower part of the first heating unit.

The 3D printer apparatus according to the present invention further includes a controller (not shown) including a computer connected to the plurality of heating devices, and the heating temperature of the plurality of heating devices is individually controlled by the controller. to be characterized

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the heating temperature of the plurality of heating devices is individually controlled to exhibit a temperature gradient in which the temperature decreases from the top of the work table toward the inside. . The 3D printer device according to the invention enables individual control of the temperature of the powder stacked on the workbench where the work is performed so as to show a gradual gradient from the surface to the inside, so that the crystal state of the stacked metal powder can be freely adjusted. It becomes possible.

As described above, according to the 3D printer according to the present invention, when molding, the temperature required to appropriately melt the outputs accommodated in the work table 400 is maintained and melted according to the mold, so that the three-dimensional It has the effect of improving quality.

In the 3D printer device according to the present invention, the shape of the work table and the shape of the heating device embedded in the support around the work table are not particularly limited, and as shown in FIG. 5 or 6, it is possible to form a circular or rectangular shape. do.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention will have to be determined by the technical spirit of the appended patent registration claims.

100: chamber
200: beam device
300: powder material device
400: work table
410: lifting device
500: support device
600: heating device

Claims (5)

A chamber 100 forming a work space;
a device 200 that generates electron beams or lasers;
A powder material storage device 300 for storing powder material;
A work table 400 on which a powder material is stacked on top for a molding operation and is moved up and down;
a powder supply device supplying the powder material to the work table 400;
A support 500 installed around the work table 400 to support the work table 400;
A heating device 600 installed inside the support part 500 to apply heat to the powder material stacked on the work table 400; and
A controller connected to the heating device 600; includes,
The heating device 600 is provided in plurality and is separated vertically in a form surrounding the powder material, and the heating device 600 is individually heated by the control unit to form a temperature gradient that gradually decreases from top to bottom. Characterized in that the controlled, 3D printer.
delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The three-dimensional printer further comprises a lifting and lowering device 410 connected to the work table 400 to raise and lower the work table 400.

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