KR20160010776A - A material supply apparatus for 3D manufacturing, a rapid 3D printer therewith, and 3D manufacturing method using it. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a modeling material used for 3D modeling, and to a 3D printer applied with the same. A modeling unit includes: a modeling stage in which a 3D-shaped product is stacked and modeled on the top, a modeling stage driving unit equipped with functions of ascending and descending the modeling stage; and a casing equipped with a cover plate on the upper side, for storing the modeling stage and the modeling stage driving unit. An apparatus for supplying a 3D modeling material comprises: a supply unit equipped with functions of supplying a modeling material to the inside of the modeling unit; a controller unit for functioning interlocked control of operation of the modeling stage driving unit and the supply unit in accordance with the predetermined data so as to model the shape of the determined 3D-shaped product. The cover plate is formed of a transparent material which can penetrate modeling rays in the fixed wavelength band.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a stereolithography material supply apparatus, a rapid stereolithography apparatus, and a stereolithography method using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a molding material supply device used in 3D molding and a 3D printer using the same. More specifically, the present invention can be applied to both SLS and SLA molding, A molding material supply device and a stereolithography device capable of easily performing planarization and stabilization of a material, and a stereolithography method using the same are provided.

3D printing is one of the methods of manufacturing products. Since it uses a lamination method, the loss of material is smaller than that of conventional cutting, and relatively low manufacturing cost is required. In recent years, technology in this field has been recognized as a next generation production technology beyond prototype production. It is possible to increase the speed of production, increase the completeness of output (resolution), diversify usable materials, This is because accessibility has improved.

There are various schemes of 3D printing such as SLA (Stereo Lithography Apparatus), SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) and FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling).

United States Patent No. 7690909 (hereinafter referred to as " RAPID PROTOTYPING AND MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND METHOD ", hereinafter referred to as prior art 1) corresponds to SLA type stereolithography, A housing which is housed in a chamber and contains a molding material, an energy source which supplies energy to the molding material contained in the container to cure a predetermined selected area, a function of supporting the cured layer immersed under the surface of the molding material An elevator for driving the molding platform up and down, and a recoater capable of moving vertically horizontally on the surface of the molding material.

US 7690909 B2

Prior art 1 describes a method in which a molding material is contained in a water tank and its surface is open so that the thickness of the molding material is set and the molding process is continued until the stabilization step in which ripples on the surface of the molding material disappear before the molding light is incident It takes time. Also, when the molding material is viscous, the recoater has to perform a planarization operation through a separate component having a complicated configuration. The recoater has a problem that the manufacturing cost of equipment such as precision control is increased.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention proposed is characterized in that it comprises a molding stage in which the three-dimensional object is laminated and formed thereon, a molding stage driving section having a function of raising and lowering the molding stage and a cover plate on the upper face side, A shaping section including a shaping stage and a casing functioning to store the shaping stage driving section; a supply section having a function of supplying a shaping material to the inside of the shaping section; a preliminarily set data for shaping a shape of a predetermined three- Wherein the cover plate is made of a transparent material capable of transmitting a shaping light beam of a predetermined wavelength band, and wherein the cover plate is made of a transparent material capable of transmitting a shaping light beam of a predetermined wavelength band, Lt; / RTI >

The inner side surface of the casing may be sealed with a gap between the side surface of the molding stage and the entire periphery to form a closed molding space together with the molding stage and the cover plate .

The first effect is that the present invention can be applied to both the SLS and SLA molding methods. The second effect is that a residual material removing element is unnecessary by precisely supplying the molding material at a supply part separated from the molding part, A third effect that a separate component required for the planarization and stabilization process can be omitted, and a fourth effect that the molding time can be reduced. Further, the fifth effect that the required energy of the molding light beam to be used can be reduced through the use of the closed molding space is obtained.

With respect to the first effect, it is possible to use a liquid photopolymer or a metal / polymer powder as a molding material so that it can be utilized as a kind of general-purpose apparatus. In relation to the second effect, It is possible to omit the constitution and the process of eliminating the remaining part by controlling the amount of the molding material to be supplied and precisely removing the remaining part. In relation to the third effect, in particular, by the cover plate included in the closed molding space and the casing, The planarization process of the surface can be completed, so that the process can be simplified. With respect to the fifth effect, it is advantageous to reduce the output of the laser beam used by accelerating the reaction process of hardening or sintering of the molding material by additionally applying pressure or heat to the space for molding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a stereolithography material feeding device of the present invention. Fig.
2 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a rapid prototyping apparatus of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a detailed configuration of a supply part of the present invention;
4 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a pattern of a molding material conveying path of a supply part of the present invention;
5 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the light source unit of the present invention.
6 is a schematic view for explaining a shaping layer or the like of the present invention.

The present invention provides a stereolithographic material supply apparatus mainly for providing a space for molding a stereolithography product, and a molding unit in which a laminate molding is actually formed, a supply unit for storing and supplying the stereolithography material, And a controller unit for controlling the shaping unit and the supply unit in accordance with predetermined data in order to control them.

Among the above-mentioned molding layers, a molding layer in which hardening / sintering has occurred is called a molding completion layer, and the most recent molding completion layer sequentially generated in the molding process is called an immediate molding completion layer. A forming layer which is formed on the previous molding completion layer and has not undergone the hardening / sintering process is called a molding preparation layer. In principle, the thicknesses of the shaping layers, that is, the shape completion layer and the shaping preparation layer are the same. This is described with reference to the explanatory diagram shown in Fig.

The molding section includes a molding stage, a molding stage driving section, and a casing.

The molding stage is an element in which the stereoscopic molding starts to be molded thereon, and the stereoscopic molding is stuck on it during the molding process and after the molding is finished. Thus, the upper surface of the molding stage should be treated with a material capable of maintaining a certain degree of adhesion before and after the molding material placed thereon is hardened or sintered by molding light. Furthermore, it should be noted that the quality of the stereoscopic molding should be ensured unless the molding is separated from the molding stage in spite of the vibration and shock generated when the molding stage moves up and down during the molding process.

Since the shaping stage driving unit has a function of moving the shaping stage described above up and down, it is composed of elements that can transmit power to the shaping stage. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a bar-shaped power transmission member is used that receives power from an external power source (not shown) such as a servo motor and causes up and down displacement of the molding stage. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various mechanical configurations may be considered. However, when a high-resolution molding operation is scheduled, for example, the thickness of one shaping layer is set to several tens to several hundreds of micrometers, the scale of the upper and lower displacements of the shaping stage must be determined in such a range. You should also choose a higher one. In addition, the upward and downward movement of the shaping stage is directly related to the thickness of the shaping layer as described later, which is related to the resolution of the stereolithography, so that the shaping stage driving unit must be interlocked with the operation of the supply unit by the controller unit as described later. It may be necessary to separate the molding stage from the molding stage driving section in a state that the molding stage is attached thereon for post-processing after the molding process. In this case, the molding stage and the molding stage driving section may be separated It should be designed so that it can be combined.

The casing serves as a body of the molded part and is provided with a cover plate having a special function on its upper surface. In the casing, the inner wall surface of the side portion serves as a guide for up-and-down movement of the above-described molding stage, or serves as a base for installation of a separate guide member-rail, etc., Unlike the surface of the molding stage, the inner surface of the casing is not separated from the side surface of the molding layer when the molding stage is moved up and down, so that the molding layer is partially or entirely broken .

Further, at least one molding material inlet is formed in the casing, as described later, in which the molding material conveying path is mounted. The number and size of molding material inlets should be determined as appropriate, depending on the type of molding material used - such as liquid photocurable resin, powder, powders loaded on a liquid vehicle. The shape of the molding material inlets is related to the cross-sectional shape of the corresponding shaped material conveying path, for example, it can be a long rectangular slot or a circular opening, under molding material conveying conditions operated with the same power The cross sectional area of the molding material inlet and the molding material conveying path to be described below should be determined in consideration of the fact that the flow rate of the molding material to the molding portion decreases as the sectional area of the molding material inlet is larger and the manufacturing cost of the molding material conveying passage is taken into consideration. The molding material inlet may be selectively provided with a structure such as a shutter or a valve for preventing the molding material from flowing back to the molding material conveying path by the pressure in the molding space. Needless to say, it must be controlled in conjunction with the elements.

The cover plate is provided on the upper surface of the casing and has a first function of transmitting a shaping light beam from a light source portion to be described later to irradiate the shaping preparation layer formed in the shaping space, A second function for flattening or stabilizing the first molding material, and a third function for blocking disturbance around the molding. The material of the cover plate is problematic in relation to the first function. When the stereolithography material feeding device and the stereolithography device of the present invention adopt the SLA type molding method, the UV region for curing the photopolymer (light curable polymer) It is preferable to select a material capable of transmitting at least 90% of light with a wavelength, and in the case of adopting the SLS type molding method, light of a wavelength range in which metal or polymer particles can be sintered, It should be a material which can sufficiently transmit the light of 900 to 1100 nm wavelength used. Particularly, the silane-based resin widely used as an optical material has a small change in transparency and has a high melting point even when the ambient temperature is higher than several hundred degrees centigrade so that the material of the cover plate of the present invention, But is not limited thereto. Regarding the third function to be formed, if the present invention is to supply a liquid photo-curing resin and there is no cover plate, ripples or the like may be formed on the surface of the mold preparation layer surface due to the influence of the ambient air flow If the molding is performed in such a situation, the adhesion to the next molding layer is lowered, and the quality of the stereolithography is deteriorated as a whole.

With respect to the second function, when the lower surface of the cover plate is brought into contact with the upper surface of the shaping preparation layer formed by supplying the shaping material, when the shaping material is a liquid phase curing resin, The ripple formed as a cause can be removed immediately. Further, even if the molding material contains powder, since the cover plate is immediately subjected to planarization, it is possible to omit additional components such as rollers for planarization. Also, the surface tension of the liquid may cause the cover plate to correct the convexity or concavity of the mold preparation layer surface of the upper portion of the previously cured / sintered portion. In this case, a uniform molding thickness can be ensured for the entire area, so that the quality of the stereoscopic molding is increased. However, when the cover plate is used for planarization and surface stabilization as described above, it is preferable that the surface of the cover plate is surface-treated or coated so that the molding material does not adhere thereto. If the cover plate is to be subjected to molding material, It is difficult to transmit the molding light of the cover plate in relation to the function, or the molding light is refracted by the embossed molding material, so that the precise hardening / sintering process becomes difficult.

The supplying section has a first function of supplying one molding material to the molding section side for forming each molding preparation layer under the control of the controller section, and a second function of temporarily storing the molding material supplied from the outside. More specifically, the first function is divided into a function (1-1 function) for separately supplying the molding material by a predetermined amount and a function (1-2 function) for feeding the separately supplied molding material to the molding part.

The structure of the embodiment for performing the function 1-1 is shown in FIG. 3. The piston driving unit receives a control signal from the controller unit and converts the signal into an electric signal for driving the built-in servo motor (not shown). Since the rotational angular displacement of the servomotor thus operated can be precisely controlled, it is possible to precisely control the displacement of the piston plate, for example, if a mechanical element such as a rack and a pinion is appropriately used And as a result, the shaping material can be supplied in an accurate volume. Also, since the force required to extrude the molding material into the molding part increases according to the viscousity of the molding material used, the piston driving part should be designed in consideration of this. In particular, in the case of supplying a metal or polymer powder used in the case of a stereolithography of the SLS system, the powder phase itself may not be fluid and it may be difficult to supply through the supply unit having the above- A method in which powder is mixed with a liquid vehicle as described later to impart fluidity to the molding material, and the like can be considered.

A shaping material conveying path must be provided to perform the 1-2 function, and one embodiment of this shaping material conveying path pattern is shown in FIG. The shaping material conveying path is formed corresponding to the number and positions of the molding material inlets formed in the casing of the molding part, and the diameter and material thereof should be determined according to the characteristics such as viscosity of the molding material used. Considering that the diameter or cross-sectional area of the molding material transfer path becomes larger, it is difficult to utilize the capillary phenomenon, and therefore, a considerably high pressure must be applied to the inside of the tube for transferring. 4C, when a plurality of molding material transfer paths are provided corresponding to a plurality of molding material inlets, the molding material can flow into the molding space from various directions to form a molding preparation layer, It is obvious that the speed can be increased. Further, in connection with the second function, the supply part may optionally further comprise an interface through which the molding material may be charged from a separate reservoir before the molding material is exhausted. The molding material conveying path may optionally include a structure such as a shutter or a valve for preventing the molding material from flowing back due to the pressure in the molding space. The operation of this structure may also be interlocked with other components Needless to say, it must be controlled.

The controller unit controls the driving of the shaping stage driving unit and the supply unit in accordance with predetermined data in order to shape the shape of the determined three-dimensional object. Specifically, after completing the shaping of each shaping layer, So that the shaping material corresponding to the volume is supplied to the shaping section by the supply section. In this case, in order to generate the drive signal for driving the shaping stage and the supply unit, the order of the generated signals is also meaningful. For example, if the shaping material is supplied from the supply unit before the downward movement of the shaping stage, There is not enough space to inject the molding material, or the molding material may flow back or leak. More details regarding this will be described later. The controller unit determines a control pattern by using an input unit for inputting information such as a desired thickness of a forming layer and a type and viscosity of a molding material used, a desired resolution of a stereoscopic molding or resolution, and mapping data And a signal generator for generating an electric control signal for driving each element of the shaping material supply device according to the determined control pattern. These controller units may be implemented in a circuit or in a combination of circuit and software.

Considering that the stereolithographic material supply device and the rapid prototyping device of the present invention can be applied to both the SLA and SLS type 3D printing methods, the liquid phase photo-curing resin (photopolymer) used in the SLA method, the SLS A powder metal or a polymer used in the method can be applied.

Liquid-phase photopolymerization is a polymer compound that changes from a monomer to a polymer structure through a crosslinking reaction when exposed to light in the UV region. A diazo system, an azide system, an acrylic acid system, a polyester system, an epoxy system and the like, and those having physical properties corresponding to the required strength of the stereolithography product should be selected. In the case of forming a molding material using a liquid photocurable resin, it may be considered to add a sensitizer, a photoinitiator, and the like in order to increase the speed of photo-curing.

The powdery polymer or the powdery metal is used as a molding material in a state where it is mounted on a liquid vehicle that functions to form and fix the molding preparation layer on the molding stage or on the surface of the molding completion layer to a uniform thickness . A liquid vehicle is prepared by mixing a predetermined polymer resin with an organic solvent, and the liquid vehicle as such a polymer solution imparts fluidity and adhesion to powder metals and the like. The compounding ratio of the organic solvent and the polymer resin in the liquid vehicle determines the compounding ratio of the liquid vehicle and the metal powder together with the physical properties such as the final viscosity of the molding material. If the viscosity of the molding material finally formed through the mixing of the liquid vehicle and the powder material is too high, the fluidity is deteriorated and the transfer and supply from the supply portion to the molding portion becomes difficult, and after the molding is completed, If the viscosity is too low, the content of the powder material is low, and the composition ratio is determined considering that the strength of the final molding may be low.

The polymer resin serves as a binder for the powder to be added. Through this element, it is possible to produce a shaping layer of uniform thickness, and the adhesion between the shaping stage and each shaping layer is ensured. The polymer resin may be selected to include at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose (EC), nitrocellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxy cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic acid ester, methacrylic acid ester and polyvinyl butyral ethyl cellulose But is not limited thereto. The organic solvent has a first function of dissolving the polymer resin in the powder state, a basic viscosity of the polymer resin, and a second function of imparting to the molding material.

The polymer powder or the metal powder and the liquid vehicle may be uniformly stirred and mixed from the outside, and then supplied to the inside of the supply part. Alternatively, the liquid vehicle and the metal powder may be mixed and stirred into the supply part, Configuration may be considered. On the other hand, the supply portion supplies the molding material in the form of powder to the inside of the molding portion, and the molding portion further includes a liquid vehicle supply portion for supplying the liquid vehicle to the inside of the molding space. In the liquid vehicle supply portion, The liquid vehicle is coated on the surface of the molding stage or on the surface of the immediately finished molding layer to a predetermined thickness so that the polymer powder or the metal powder supplied thereafter is uniformly dispersed to form a molding preparation layer. At this time, it is possible to consider adding a dispersing agent or a dispersing agent to the liquid vehicle to accelerate the diffusion or dispersion of the powder. However, since it takes a longer time to disperse or diffuse than to use the stirrer described above, Considering that the molding time will be longer.

Next, the molding space comprising the inner wall surface of the casing side surface portion, the molding stage, and the cover plate will be described as a closed molding space. In the case of the closed molding space, there is a problem in sealing the clearance between the casing side surface portion and the cover plate and the clearance between the inner wall surface of the casing side surface and the side surface of the molding stage in the configuration of the molding space. Especially when the cover plate is used for planarization and stabilization of the mold preparation layer surface, the volume of the mold preparation layer must be equal to or more than the volume of the mold space, The effect of the planarization and stabilization, which is the second function of the cover plate described above, can be obtained, but in this case the molding material is pressed into the above-mentioned gap due to the pressure acting on the faces forming the molding space, There is a possibility of leakage. In order to prevent this, in particular, the inner surface of the casing is sealed with a gap around the entire periphery between the side surface of the molding stage and the molding stage and the cover plate to form an airtight molding space. Such sealing may be implemented using a gasket, but is not limited thereto. Further, such a gasket must satisfy the pressure resistance / heat resistance capable of withstanding such pressure and temperature conditions in consideration that there is a case where the gasket is pressurized / heated in the closed molding space as described later. Also, the side plates of the cover plate and the casing must be assembled so as to maintain the molding space hermeticity. Also, in the sealing assembly between the cover plate and the casing, the sealing property must be secured by various methods in order to cope with the operating pressure and temperature.

Further, when a predetermined pressure or heat is applied to the closed molding space, the output value required for the molding light beam can be remarkably reduced. This is due to the fact that the reaction can be carried out using a relatively low energy when the photo-curing and sintering reactions are carried out in an environment of high ambient temperature or pressure. Such a heating and pressurizing apparatus can be generally used a heating and pressurizing apparatus which is widely used. However, depending on the molding material to be used, there is a difference in pressure and temperature to be applied. Therefore, desirable.

Hereinafter, the rapid prototyping apparatus of the present invention will be described. This has the function of forming a molding completion layer by sintering or curing a shaping light beam in a predetermined pattern on a predetermined portion of the shaping preparation layer formed on the shaping stage, above the above stereolithography material feeding device And a light source unit.

In this case, the light source unit must be driven by the controller unit in conjunction with the driving of the shaping stage and the supplying unit among the stereolithography material supplying apparatuses. For example, the irradiation of the molding light in the light source should be performed after the downward movement of the molding stage and the molding material in the supply part are completed and the process of flattening or stabilization is completed. Since the controller unit of the rapid stereoscopic molding apparatus must reflect the shape of the stereoscopic molding object to the object to be controlled by the controller unit in the stereoscopic molding material supply apparatus, it is possible to use predetermined data relating to the stereoscopic molding shape, that is, 3D CAD information- AMF, OBJ, and the like, a processing unit for reconstructing the input 3D modeling information into two-dimensional sectional information, and extracting tool path information and the like. Specific implementations thereof may be implemented in a circuit or a combination of software and circuitry.

Further, the controller unit at this time must further control the driving of the molding light source and the driving of the internal components for irradiating the molding light beam to the desired position of the molding preparation layer. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the light source unit includes a shaping light source, a first reflector for determining an irradiation pattern of the shaping light beam, and a second reflector. The first reflector and the second reflector each have a prismatic shape of different sizes and types and are rotatable around a central axis. The shaped beams are sequentially incident on and reflected by the first reflector and the second reflector, And the scanning pattern of the shaping light beam is determined by the rotational angular displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector. 5, the first reflector rotates in a certain direction, and the direction of the incoming shaping beam is fixed. As a result, the incidence angle of the shaping beam with respect to the first reflector changes, and thus the reflection angle also changes. It means that the ray forms one scanning line. After one scan line is completed, new scan lines can be spaced apart from the previous scan lines by rotating the second reflectors around the central axis by a predetermined angle while intercepting the shaping light for a short time, A new scanning line can be formed by incidence on the first reflector rotating the molding beam. At the time of actual molding, it is possible to distinguish between a portion to be hardened / sintered and a portion to be not to be formed while locally forming a shaping beam on / off. The rotational speeds of the first and second reflectors are related to the speed of the curing / sintering process, and are proportional to the shaping speed of the entire three-dimensional object, but when the crude fluorescence is irradiated for an insufficient time, the curing / It may not occur and, as a result, the strength of the sculpture may be reduced. In addition, since the installation angles of the rotation axes of the first and second reflectors and the second reflectors and their sizes are consequently related to the scannable area, these parameters must be set to meet the required conditions. If the molding material is a liquid photopolymer resin, an LED, a laser or a bulb which can generally irradiate ultraviolet wavelength light is used, and the molding material is a metal and a polymer powder. If so, it is possible to use a laser having a predetermined wavelength band so as to melt or sinter it, in which case the liquid vehicle contained in the molding material is evaporated. However, the energy density of the laser should be carefully controlled so that the shaping beam does not affect the already formed finished layer of the sintered lower layer.

Next, a stereolithography method using the rapid prototyping apparatus of the present invention will be described.

The first embodiment relates to a case in which a molding space is not formed in a closed form and the cover plate is not used for planarization and stabilization of a molding preparation layer. First, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the volume of one molding material to be supplied to the molding portion is determined according to the thickness of one molding layer. Second, the molding stage is arranged at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage and the lower surface of the cover plate is larger than the thickness of one predetermined molding layer. This means that the cover plate does not contact the shaping preparation layer. Third, the supply part supplies the molding material to the shaping part by the volume of one time determined in the first step. Fourth, the ripples and the like of the surface of the shaping preparation layer formed in the previous stage disappear and wait for a predetermined time until they are stabilized. Fifth, the light source irradiates molding light to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer, and sinter or cures the molded portion to further mold one molding completion layer. Sixth, the shaping stage driving unit moves the shaping stage down by one thickness of the shaping layer determined in the first step. The third to sixth steps of this step are repeated until the three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape is completed.

The second embodiment of the stereolithography method using the rapid prototyping apparatus of the present invention,

And a cover plate is used for planarization and stabilization of a molding preparation layer. First, the thickness of one shaping layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the total volume of one molding material to be supplied to the shaping section according to the thickness of one shaping layer is determined. Second, the shaping stage is located at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the shaping stage or the lower surface of the finished finished layer and the lower surface of the cover plate is greater than the thickness of one shaping layer determined in the previous step. Third, the supplying part supplies the molding material to the shaping part by the volume of one time determined in the first step. Fourth, the shaping stage driving unit moves the shaping stage upward so that the distance between the top surface of the shaping stage or the bottom surface of the cover plate and the previous shaping completion layer is equal to the thickness of one shaping layer. At this stage, the contact between the lower surface of the cover plate and the surface of the mold preparation layer is performed, and consequently, the surface of the mold preparation layer is leveled or stabilized. Fifth, the light source irradiates molding light to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer, and sinter or cures the molded portion to further mold one molding completion layer. Thereafter, the second to fifth steps are repeated in order until the three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape is completed. Particularly, in the case where it is desired to additionally pressurize / heat the sealed molding space to reduce the energy used in the photocuring or sintering reaction as described above, the step of pressurizing / heating the sealed molding space before the full molding process is started You can do two.

The third embodiment of the stereolithography method using the rapid prototyping apparatus of the present invention,

The same as in the case of the second embodiment in that it relates to the case where the molding space is formed in a closed form and the cover plate is used for planarization and stabilization of the molding preparation layer, There is a difference in. First, the thickness of one shaping layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object. Second, the shaping stage is located at a predetermined position so that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage or the surface of the finished finished layer and the lower surface of the cover plate is equal to the thickness of one determined shaping layer. Third, the molding material is supplied until the supply part completely fills the closed molding space. Fourth, the light source irradiates molding light to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer, and sinter or cures the molded portion to further mold one molding completion layer. Finally, the second to fourth steps are repeated in order until the three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape is completed.

Particularly, in the case where it is desired to additionally pressurize / heat the sealed molding space to reduce the energy used in the photocuring or sintering reaction as described above, the step of pressurizing / heating the sealed molding space before the full molding process is started You can do two.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas which fall within the scope of equivalence by alteration, substitution, substitution and the like within the scope of the present invention, Range. In addition, it should be clarified that some configurations of the drawings are intended to explain the configuration more clearly and are provided in an exaggerated or reduced size than the actual configuration.

100: stereolithography material supply device
110:
111: Molding space
112: molding stage
113: Molding stage driving part
114: casing
115: Inside of casing
116: Cover plate
117: molding material inlet
118: Molding material conveying path
120:
121: Piston rod
122: piston plate
123: molding material
124: Supply housing
125: Piston driving part
129: Liquid vehicle supply part
130:
200: light source
210: plastic beam
220: molding light source
230: first reflector
240: second reflector
Shaping layer
510: Molding completion layer
510a: hardening / sintering site
510b: Uncured / sintered region
511: Final molding completion layer
520: Mold preparation layer

Claims (20)

A molding stage in which a three-dimensional object is laminated and formed thereon,
A shaping stage driving unit having a function of lifting and lowering the shaping stage,
A casing having a cover plate on the upper surface side and serving to store the shaping stage and the shaping stage driving unit therein,
A shaping portion including the shaping portion;
A supply unit having a function of supplying a molding material into the molding unit;
A controller unit for interlocking and controlling driving of the shaping stage driving unit and the supplying unit according to predetermined data for shaping the shape of the determined three-dimensional object;
Wherein the forming material supplying device comprises:
Wherein the cover plate is made of a transparent material capable of transmitting a shaping light beam having a predetermined wavelength band.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the casing is provided with one or more molding material inlets through which the molding material flows from the supply portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the molding material comprises a liquid photocurable polymer. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the shaping material comprises a powdery polymer or a powdered metal.
The method of claim 4,
Wherein the powdery polymer or powder metal is contained in a liquid vehicle that functions to cause a shaping preparation layer to be formed and fixed to a uniform thickness on the shaping stage or on the surface of the finished finished layer immediately before the shaping stage. Molding material supply device. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the polymer powder or the metal powder and the liquid vehicle are uniformly stirred and then supplied to the shaping portion. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the shaping section further comprises a liquid vehicle supply section for supplying the liquid vehicle onto the shaping stage,
Wherein the liquid vehicle supply portion applies the liquid vehicle at a predetermined thickness on the molding stage surface or on the surface of the immediately preceding molding finished layer before the polymer powder or the metal powder flows into the molding portion, Wherein the polymer powder or the metal powder is uniformly dispersed. A stereolithography material supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7;
A light source unit located above the stereolithographic material supply device and irradiating molding light in a predetermined pattern on a predetermined region of a molding preparation layer formed on the molding stage to sinter or cure the molding region to form a molding completion layer;
, ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the light source unit is driven by the controller unit in association with driving of the molding stage and the supply unit. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the light source portion includes a first reflector and a second reflector that are prismatic in shape and are rotatable about a central axis, the shaped light rays are sequentially incident on and reflected from the first reflector and the second reflector, Is irradiated to a predetermined position of the preparation layer,
Wherein the scanning pattern of the shaping light beam is determined by the rotational angular displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector.

In the stereolithography method using the rapid prototyping apparatus of claim 8,
(i) determining the thickness of one shaping layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and determining a volume of a molding material to be supplied to the shaping section by the supplying section in accordance with the thickness of the shaping layer (s10);
(ii) a step of arranging the shaping stage at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the shaping stage and the lower surface of the cover plate is greater than the thickness of the shaping layer determined in step (i) )
(iii) supplying (S30) the shaping material to the shaping section by the supply volume determined by the step (i);
(iv) a step (s40) of waiting for a predetermined time until the ripple of the surface of the shaping preparation layer formed in the step (iii) is extinguished and becomes stable;
(v) a step (s50) of forming one shaping completion layer by sintering or curing the light source part by irradiating shaping light to a predetermined part of the shaping preparation layer;
(vi) the shaping stage driving unit moves the shaping stage down by one thickness of the shaping layer determined in the step (i) (s60);
(vii) repeating the steps (iii) to (vi) in order (s70) until the three-dimensional object having the predetermined shape is completed;
And a second molding step for molding the three-dimensional molding. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an inner side surface of the casing is sealed with a gap between the side surface of the molding stage and its entire periphery to form an airtight molding space together with the molding stage and the cover plate, Supply device. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the gap between the inner surface of the casing and the side surface of the molding stage is sealed with a gasket. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the surface of the cover plate is surface-treated or coated so that the molding material does not adhere thereto. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the stereolithographic material supply device further comprises a pressure heating unit capable of applying pressure or heat to the closed molding space. A stereolithography material supply device according to any one of claims 11 to 14;
A light source unit located above the stereolithographic material supply device and irradiating molding light in a predetermined pattern on a predetermined region of a molding preparation layer formed on the molding stage to sinter or cure the molding region to form a molding completion layer;
, ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the light source unit is driven by the controller unit in association with driving of the molding stage and the supply unit. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the light source portion includes a first reflector and a second reflector that are prismatic in shape and are rotatable about a central axis, the shaped light rays are sequentially incident on and reflected from the first reflector and the second reflector, Is irradiated to a predetermined position of the preparation layer,
Wherein the scanning pattern of the shaping light beam is determined by the rotational angular displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector. The method of forming a solid using the rapid prototyping apparatus according to claim 15,
(A) determining the thickness of one shaping layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and determining a total volume of a molding material to be supplied to the shaping section by the supplying section in accordance with the thickness of the shaping layer, ;
(B) at a predetermined position such that the distance between the top surface of the molding stage or the bottom surface of the cover plate is greater than the thickness of the molding completion layer determined in the step (a) (S200);
(C) a step (s300) of supplying the shaping material to the shaping portion by the supply volume determined by the supplying portion in the step (a);
(D) the shaping stage driving unit moves the shaping stage upward so that the distance between the upper surface of the shaping stage or the lower surface of the immediately preceding shaping completion layer and the cover plate is equal to the thickness of one shaping layer determined in the step (a) (S400);
(S500) a step (S500) of forming one shaping completion layer by irradiating shaping light to a predetermined part of the shaping preparation layer and sintering or curing the light source part;
(S600) repeating the step (b) to the step (s6) until the three-dimensional object having the predetermined shape is completed;
And a second molding step for molding the three-dimensional molding. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein step (s150) of applying pressure or heat to the closed molding space is added between the step (a) and the step (b) in order to reduce the use output of the irradiation light. The method of forming a solid using the rapid prototyping apparatus according to claim 15,
(a) determining a thickness of one shaping layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object (S1000);
(b) the shaping stage is positioned at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the shaping stage or the surface of the finished finished layer and the lower surface of the cover plate is equal to the thickness of one shaping layer determined in the step (a) (S2000);
(c) supplying (S3000) the molding material until the supplying portion completely fills the closed molding space;
(d) a step (s4000) of forming one shaping completion layer by sintering or hardening the light source part by irradiating shaping light to a predetermined part of the shaping preparation layer;
(e) repeating the steps (b) to (d) in order (s5000) until the three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape is completed;
And a second molding step for molding the three-dimensional molding. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the step (s1500) of applying pressure or heat to the closed molding space is added between the steps (a) and (b) in order to reduce the use power of the irradiation light.

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