WO2016010189A1

WO2016010189A1 - Three-dimensional modeling material supply device and rapid three-dimensional modeling device, and three-dimensional modeling method using same

Info

Publication number: WO2016010189A1
Application number: PCT/KR2014/008861
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김승택; 조영준; 이덕근; 박문수; 김형태; 김종석
Original assignee: 한국생산기술연구원
Priority date: 2014-07-18
Filing date: 2014-09-24
Publication date: 2016-01-21
Also published as: KR20160010776A; KR101665939B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modeling material supply device to be used in 3D modeling, and a 3D printer applying the same, and the present invention provides a three-dimensional modeling material supply device comprising: a modeling part (110) provided with a modeling stage (112) on which a three-dimensionally shaped object is stacked and modeled, and provided with a modeling stage driving part (113) having a function of raising and lowering the modeling stage (112) and a cover plate (116) formed on the upper surface side thereof, and including a casing (114) performing a function of receiving the modeling stage (112) and the modeling stage driving part (113) therein; a supply part (120) having a function of supplying a modeling material to the inside of the modeling part (110); and a controller part (130) performing a function of link-controlling the driving of the modeling stage driving part (113) and the supply part (120) according to predetermined data so as to model the form of a determined three-dimensionally shaped object, wherein the cover plate (116) is made from a transparent material capable of transmitting modeling rays of a predetermined wavelength band.

Description

Three-dimensional molding material supply device and rapid three-dimensional molding device and three-dimensional molding method using the same

The present invention relates to a molding material supply apparatus used for 3D molding and a 3D printer to which the same is applied. More specifically, the present invention can be applied to both SLS and SLA molding, and the molding space is enclosed to be molded with a minimum configuration. Provided are a molding material supply apparatus and a three-dimensional molding apparatus capable of easily performing flattening and stabilization of a material, and a three-dimensional molding method using the same.

3D printing is one of the methods of manufacturing a product, and since it uses a lamination method, it has been mainly used for prototyping because the loss of materials is small and relatively low manufacturing cost is required as compared with the conventional cutting process. Recently, technology in this field has been recognized as a next-generation production technology beyond prototyping.Increasing production speed, increasing the completeness of the output (resolution), increasing the available materials, and miniaturizing the device can be used by individuals. This is because accessibility has increased.

As the method of 3D printing, there are largely methods such as Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

U.S. Pat. An energy source that is housed in a housing, a chamber, contains a molding material, supplies energy to the molding material contained in the container, and cures a selected part, and is immersed below the surface of the molding material, and supports a cured layer. It consists of a molding platform, an elevator for driving the molding platform up and down, and comprises a recorder capable of vertically movable on the surface of the molding material.

In the prior art 1, the molding material is contained in the water tank, the surface of the molding material is open, and the thickness of the molding material is set, and it is not short until the stabilization stage where the ripple of the surface of the molding material disappears before the molding light is incident. It takes time. In addition, when the molding material is viscous, the planarization work must be performed through a separate component having a complicated configuration, such as a recorder. Such a recorder has a problem that the manufacturing cost of equipment increases due to the need for precise control.

The present invention proposed in order to solve the above problems, and to supply the appropriate amount of the molding material supply unit and the required molding material for each layer is formed separately from the molding space, and to provide a separate flattening and stabilization The cover plate is provided in the molding space so that the structure is unnecessary, so that the molding material can be reached within a short time until the stabilization stage of the molding material.

The present invention includes a molding stage 112 on which a three-dimensional object is laminated and molded, a molding stage driving unit 113 having a function of lifting and lowering the molding stage 112, and a cover plate 116 on an upper surface side thereof. A molding part 110 including a molding stage 112 and a casing 114 for accommodating the molding stage 112 and a function of supplying molding material to the interior of the molding part 110. It comprises a supply unit 120 having, a molding stage driving unit 113 according to a predetermined data in order to mold the shape of a predetermined three-dimensional object, and a controller unit 130 for controlling the drive of the supply unit 120 interlocked control In addition, the cover plate 116 proposes a three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus, characterized in that the transparent material that can transmit the molding beam of a predetermined wavelength band.

In addition, the casing side portion inner wall surface 115 is sealed with a gap over the entire circumference between the side surfaces of the molding stage 112, together with the molding stage 112 and the cover plate 116. It may be characterized by forming a closed molding space (111).

The present invention provides a first effect that the present invention is applicable to both SLS and SLA molding methods, and a second residual material removal element is unnecessary by supplying the molding material precisely from the supply part 120 configured separately from the molding part 110. After forming the molding material surface, it has 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. In addition, through the use of the enclosed molding space 111, the fifth effect that the required energy of the molding beam to be used can be reduced.

Regarding the first effect, the liquid photopolymer or the metal / polymer powder can be used as a molding material, so that it can be used as a kind of general purpose device. With regard to the second effect, the molding material required for each molding layer is By controlling and supplying a precise amount, it is possible to omit the configuration and the process of removing the residue, and in particular with respect to the third effect to the cover plate 116 included in the closed molding space 111 and the casing 114 As a result, the planarization of the surface of the molding preparation layer 520 can be completed immediately after supplying the molding material, thereby simplifying the process. In relation to the fifth effect, by additionally applying pressure or heat to the closed molding space 111, it is advantageous to accelerate the reaction process of curing or sintering the molding material, thereby reducing the output of the laser light used.

1 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment configuration of a rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a detailed configuration of the supply unit 120 of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the pattern of the molding material conveying path 118 of the supply unit 120 of the present invention.

5 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the light source unit 200 of the present invention.

6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a molding layer and the like of the present invention.

In addition, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and according to the thickness of the one molding layer, the volume of the one-time molding material to be supplied by the supply unit 120 to the molding unit 110 is determined. The preparation stage 112 is positioned and prepared at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is greater than the thickness of one of the molding layers. 120 supplies the molding material with the volume of the batch determined in the step (i) to the molding unit 110, and predetermined until the ripple on the surface of the formed molding preparation layer 520 disappears and is stabilized. After waiting for a time, the light source unit 200 sinters or hardens by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 to form one more molding completed layer, and then drives the molding stage. (113) comprises moving the molding stage 112 downward by the thickness of the molding layer determined in step (i), and repeating the steps in order until the three-dimensional object of a predetermined shape is completed It provides a three-dimensional shaping method characterized in that.

In addition, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the total volume of the one-time molding material to be supplied by the supply part 120 to the molding part 110 is determined according to the thickness of the molding layer. And a distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the immediately preceding molding layer and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is greater than the thickness of one of the molding layers determined in step (a). The molding stage 112 is positioned and prepared, and the supply unit 120 supplies the molding material with the volume of the batch determined in step (a) to the molding unit 110, and the upper surface of the molding stage 112. Or the molding stage such that the distance between the immediately preceding molding completion layer 511 and the bottom surface of the cover plate 116 is equal to the thickness of one of the molding layers determined in the previous step. The eastern side 113 moves the molding stage 112 upwards, and the light source unit 200 sinters or hardens a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 to sinter or cure the molding layer to form one more molding layer. After that, the present invention provides a three-dimensional shaping method comprising the steps of repeating the steps in order until a predetermined three-dimensional object is completed.

In addition, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the lower surface of the previous molding completion layer 511 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is a previous step. The molding stage 112 is positioned and prepared at a predetermined position such that the thickness of the molding layer is determined by 1, and the molding material is completely filled until the supply part 120 completely fills the sealed molding space 111. Supplying, and the light source unit 200 is sintered or cured by irradiating a molding beam to a predetermined portion of the mold preparation layer 520 to further mold one molding layer, until a three-dimensional object of a predetermined shape is completed It provides a three-dimensional shaping method comprising the step of repeating the previous steps in order.

Referring to the symbols used in the drawings showing an embodiment of an embodiment of the present invention are as follows.

100: three-dimensional molding material supply device

110: molding

111: Modeling space

112: Modeling Stage

113: molding stage driving unit

114 casing

115: casing side portion inner wall surface

116: cover plate

117: molding material inlet

118: molding material conveying path

120: supply unit

121: piston rod

122: piston plate

123: molding material

124: Supply housing

125: piston driving part

129: liquid vehicle supply unit

130: controller

200: light source

210: shaping ray

220: molding light source

230: first reflector

240: second reflector

Molding Layer

510: Modeling completed layer

510a: hardened / sintered part

510b: non-hardened / sintered part

511: last molding completed layer

520: Modeling preparation layer

The three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus of the present invention provides a space in which a three-dimensional molding is largely formed, and a molding unit 110 in which a laminated molding is actually made therein, a supply unit 120 having a function of storing and supplying a three-dimensional molding material, and a predetermined one. In order to mold the shape of the three-dimensional object, the controller 130 has a function of controlling the molding part 110 and the supply part 120 according to predetermined data as main components.

Among the molding layers mentioned, a molding layer in which hardening / sintering is performed is called a molding completion layer, and the most recent molding completion layer sequentially generated in this molding process is called a previous molding completion layer 511. In addition, a molding layer formed on the immediately preceding molding completion layer 511 and not undergoing hardening / sintering crystallization is referred to as a molding preparation layer 520. The thickness of the molding layer, that is, the molding completion layer and the molding preparation layer 520 becomes the same in principle. This will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

The molding unit 110 includes a molding stage 112, a molding stage driving unit 113, and a casing 114.

The molding stage 112 is an element in which the three-dimensional sculpture is started to be molded thereon, and the three-dimensional sculpture is attached thereon during the molding process and after the molding is finished. Therefore, the upper surface of the molding stage 112 should be treated with a material capable of maintaining adhesion to a certain degree before and after the molding material placed thereon is cured or sintered by the molding beam. Moreover, it should be noted that the quality of the three-dimensional sculpture is ensured not to be separated from the molding stage 112 despite the vibration and shock generated when the molding stage 112 moves up and down in the molding process.

The molding stage driving unit 113 functions to move the above-described molding stage 112 in the up and down direction, and is composed of elements capable of transmitting power to the molding stage 112. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 receives a power from an external power source (not shown), such as a servo motor, and applies a bar-type power transmission member causing a vertical displacement of the molding stage 112, such a The present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various mechanical configurations can be considered. However, when a high-resolution molding work such as a thickness of one molding layer is set from several tens to hundreds of micrometers, the scale of the vertical displacement of the molding stage 112 should also be determined in such a range. The precision of the element should also be chosen. In addition, the vertical movement of the molding stage 112 is directly related to the thickness of the molding layer as described later, and again related to the resolution of the three-dimensional object, the molding stage driving unit 113 is connected to the controller unit 130 as described later. It should be linked with the operation of the supply unit 120 by. Since the molding stage 112 may need to be separated from the molding stage driver 113 in a state in which a three-dimensional object is attached thereto for the post-processing after the molding process is completed, in this case, the molding stage 112 and the molding stage The driving unit 113 should be designed to have a predetermined connection structure and to be detachable.

The casing 114 functions as a body of the molding unit 110, and has a cover plate 116 having a special function on its upper surface. The casing side portion inner wall surface 115 acts as a direct guide to the vertical motion of the above-described molding stage 112 or serves as a base for installing a separate guide member-a rail, etc., and thus should be processed with high precision. Unlike the surface of the molding stage 112 described above, the surface of the molding stage 112 has to be surface treated so that the adhesion between the molding material is low and the casing side portion inner wall surface 115 is formed on the side of the molding layer. It can be prevented from breaking part or the entirety of the molding layer because it is not separated.

In addition, as described later, at least one molding material inlet 117 to which the molding material conveying path 118 is mounted is formed in the casing 114. The number and size of the molding material inlet 117 should be appropriately determined depending on the type of molding material used-liquid photocurable resin, powder, powder mounted on the liquid vehicle, and the like. The shape of the molding material inlet 117 is related to the cross-sectional shape of the corresponding molding material transport path 118. For example, it may be a long rectangular slot or a circular opening. In consideration of the fact that the inflow rate of the molding material into the molding unit 110 decreases as the cross-sectional area of the molding material inlet 117 increases under the molding material conveying path 118, and the manufacturing cost of the molding material conveying path 118 is determined. The cross-sectional area of the inlet 117 and the molding material transport path 118 to be described later should be determined. The molding material inlet 117 may be selectively provided with a structure such as a shutter or a valve so that the molding material does not flow back into the molding material transport path 118 due to the pressure in the molding space 111. Of course, the controller unit 130 to be described later to be interlocked with the other components of course.

The cover plate 116 is provided on the upper surface of the casing 114, and transmits the molding light from the light source unit 200 to be described later to irradiate the molding preparation layer 520 formed in the molding space 111, which will be described later. When the molding space 111 is configured to be a closed type, it performs a second function of flattening or stabilizing the surface of the molding preparation layer 520, and a third function of blocking disturbance in the surroundings during molding. In relation to the first function, the material of the cover plate 116 is a problem. When the three-dimensional molding material supply device and the three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention adopt the SLA type molding method, the curing of the photopolymer (photocuring polymer) For light having a wavelength in the UV region, preferably, a material that can transmit 90% or more should be selected, and in the case of adopting the SLS molding method, it is possible to use a light-example of a wavelength band capable of sintering metal or polymer particles. It should be made of a material that can sufficiently transmit light of 900 to 1100 nanometer wavelengths used in the processing laser. In particular, the silane-based resin widely used as an optical material has a small change in transparency and a high melting point even when the ambient temperature is higher than several hundred degrees Celsius, so that the cover plate 116 of the present invention directly receives the laser light. Preferred as a material of, but is not limited thereto. In addition, with respect to the third function to be formed, if the present invention is for supplying a liquid photocurable resin, but there is no cover plate 116, the ripple on the surface of the surface of the mold preparation layer 520 under the influence of ambient air flow ( ripple) and the like, and if the molding is made in such a situation, the adhesiveness with the next molding layer is lowered and the quality of the three-dimensional molded product is lowered as a whole.

In relation to the second function, when the bottom surface of the cover plate 116 is brought into contact with the top surface of the molding preparation layer 520 formed by supplying the molding material, the cover plate 116 is used when the molding material is a liquid photocurable resin. It is possible to immediately remove the ripple (ripple) formed by various causes by restraining the surface of the mold ready layer (520). In addition, even when the molding material includes powder, since the cover plate 116 is to be flattened immediately, it is possible to omit additional components such as a roller for flattening. In addition, the cover plate 116 may correct the phenomenon that the surface of the mold preparation layer 520 of the upper portion of the previously cured / sintered portion is convex or concave due to the surface tension of the liquid. In this case, a uniform molding thickness can be secured for the entire area, thereby increasing the quality of the three-dimensional sculpture. However, when the cover plate 116 is used for planarization and surface stabilization as described above, the surface of the cover plate 116 is preferably surface-treated or coated so that the molding material does not adhere to the cover plate 116. This is because if the molding material is buried, the molding ray transmission of the cover plate 116 becomes difficult in relation to the first function, or the molding ray is refracted by the buried molding material, which makes it difficult to precisely cure / sinter the crystal. .

The supply unit 120 has a first function of supplying a molding material for forming a molding preparation layer 520 each time under the control of the controller unit 130 to the molding unit 110, and a molding material supplied from the outside. It has a second function of temporarily storing. More specifically, the first function is divided into a function of separating and supplying the molding material by a predetermined amount (1-1 function) and a function of transferring the supplied supplying molding material to the molding unit 110 (1-2 function). Lose.

The configuration of an embodiment for performing the function 1-1 is shown in Figure 3, the piston drive unit receives the control signal from the controller unit 130 is converted into an electrical signal for driving the built-in servo motor (not shown) do. Since the rotation angle displacement of the servomotor operated in this way can be precisely controlled, for example, if the mechanical elements such as rack and pinion are properly used, the displacement of the piston plate can be precisely controlled. As a result, the molding material can be supplied in the correct volume. In addition, according to the viscosity (viscousity) of the molding material used, the force required for extruding the molding material to the molding unit 110 is increased, so the piston driving unit should be designed in consideration of this. In particular, in the case of supplying the metal or polymer powder used in the case of the three-dimensional molding of the SLS method, the powder phase (phase) itself may be difficult to supply through the supply unit 120 having the configuration as described above because there is no fluidity Thus, a method of imparting fluidity to the molding material by mixing and mixing powder in a liquid vehicle as described below may be considered.

In order to perform the 1-2 function, the molding material transport path 118 should be provided, and one embodiment of such a molding material transport path 118 pattern is shown in FIG. 4. The molding material conveying path 118 is formed corresponding to the number and position of the molding material inlet 117 formed in the casing 114 of the molding part 110, and its diameter or material according to characteristics such as viscosity of the molding material used. And so on. When the diameter or cross-sectional area of the molding material conveying path 118 becomes large, it is difficult to utilize a capillary phenomenon, etc., and therefore consider that a considerably high pressure must be applied to the inside of the pipe for conveying. When the plurality of modeling material transport paths 118 are provided corresponding to the plurality of modeling material inlets 117 as in the embodiment of FIG. 4C, the modeling material is introduced into the modeling space 111 from various directions. Since the preparation layer 520 can be formed, it is obvious that the molding speed can be increased. In addition, in relation to the second function, the supply unit 120 may further include an interface for receiving the molding material from a separate reservoir before the molding material is exhausted therein. The molding material conveying path 118 may be selectively provided with a structure such as a shutter or a valve which prevents the molding material from flowing backward due to the pressure in the molding space 111, and the operation of the structure may also be performed later. Of course, it should be interlocked with other components.

The controller unit 130 functions to control the driving of the molding stage driving unit 113 and the supply unit 120 according to predetermined data in order to mold the shape of a predetermined three-dimensional object. After the completion of the molding, the molding stage 112 is moved downward by the thickness of the molding layer, and the supplying material as much as the volume to the supply unit 120 to supply to the molding unit 110 side. At this time, in the generation of a drive signal for driving the modeling stage 112 and the supply unit 120, there is a meaning of the preceding and subsequent order of the generated signal, for example, in the supply unit 120 before moving the molding stage 112 downwardly. This is because when the molding material is supplied, there may be a problem such that the molding material flows backward or leaks because there is no or insufficient space for injecting the molding material supplied to the molding space 111. More details in this regard will be described later. The controller 130 controls the input unit to receive information such as the desired thickness of the molding layer that determines the desired resolution or resolution of the three-dimensional object, the type and viscosity of the molding material used, and the received information by using the stored mapping data. And a processing unit for determining a pattern and a signal generation unit for generating an electric control signal for driving each element of the modeling material supply apparatus according to the determined control pattern. The controller 130 may be implemented in a circuit or a combination of circuit and software.

Considering that the molding material supply apparatus and the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention can be applied to both SLA and SLS type 3D printing methods, the liquid photocurable resin (photopolymer) and SLS used in the SLA method Powdered metals or polymers used in the process can be applied.

The liquid photocurable resin is a polymer compound that changes from a monomer to a polymer structure through a crosslinking reaction when mainly irradiated with light in the UV region. There are diazo, azide, acrylic acid, polyester, epoxy, etc., and the one having physical properties suitable for the three-dimensional molded product should be selected. When forming the molding material using the liquid photocurable resin, it may be considered to add a separate sensitizer, photoinitiator and the like to enhance the speed of photocuring.

The powdered polymer or powdered metal is a liquid vehicle that functions to form and fix the forming preparation layer 520 in a uniform thickness on the forming stage 112 or on the surface of the forming mold layer 511 immediately before. It can be used as a molding material in the state mounted on the. The liquid vehicle is prepared by mixing an organic solvent with a predetermined polymer resin, and the liquid vehicle as the polymer solution imparts fluidity and adhesion to powder metal and the like. The mixing ratio of the organic solvent and the polymer resin in the liquid vehicle together with the mixing ratio of the liquid vehicle and the metal powder determines the physical properties such as the final viscosity of the molding material. If the viscosity is too high in the molding material finally formed through the mixing of the liquid vehicle and the powdered material, the fluidity is poor and the transfer and supply from the supply unit 120 to the molding unit 110 become difficult, and after the molding is completed, While the process of removing the hardened / sintered material may not be smooth, if the viscosity is too low, the content of the powder material is low, which determines the composition ratio, taking into account that the strength of the final molding may be low. do.

The polymer resin acts as a binder for the powder to be added. Through this element, a molding layer having a uniform thickness can be generated, and the adhesive strength between the molding stage 112 and each molding layer is Secured. The polymer resin may be 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 it is not limited thereto. The organic solvent has a first function of dissolving the powdered polymer resin and a second function of imparting the basic viscosity and the like 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 into the supply unit 120 to be used. The liquid vehicle and the metal powder may be stirred with a separate stirring means in the supply unit 120. After that, a configuration of supplying the molding unit 110 may be considered. On the other hand, the supply unit 120 supplies the molding material in the form of powder into the molding unit 110, the molding unit 110 further includes a liquid vehicle supply unit 129 for supplying the liquid vehicle into the molding space 111 The liquid vehicle supply unit 129 may apply the liquid vehicle to a predetermined thickness on the surface of the molding stage or on the surface of the molding layer 511 immediately before the polymer powder or the metal powder is introduced into the molding unit 110. After that, the polymer powder or the metal powder to be supplied thereafter is uniformly dispersed to form a mold preparation layer 520. At this time, it may be considered to add a dispersing agent or a dispersing agent to promote the diffusion or dispersion of the powder to the liquid vehicle, but since it takes a relatively longer time to disperse or diffuse than when using the above-described stirrer, the overall three-dimensional object Considering that the molding time becomes longer.

Next, the molding space 111 composed of the casing side inner wall surface 115, the molding stage 112, and the cover plate 116 will be described in detail as a closed molding space 111. When the closed molding space 111 is configured as described above, the gap between the casing side portion and the cover plate 116 and the gap between the casing side portion inner wall surface 115 and the molding stage 112 side of the molding space 111 are sealed. This is a problem. The configuration of the closed molding space 111 is particularly necessary when the cover plate 116 described above is used for flattening and stabilizing the surface of the molding preparation layer 520, and the volume of the molding preparation layer 520 is the molding space 111. ), The surface of the mold preparation layer 520 is in close contact with the bottom surface of the cover plate 116 to obtain the effect of the flattening and stabilization, which is the second function of the cover plate 116 described above. In this case, the molding material may leak into the aforementioned gap due to the pressure acting on the surfaces of the molding space 111. In order to prevent this, in particular, the casing side surface inner wall surface 115 is sealed with a gap over the entire circumference between the side of the molding stage 112, the molding stage 112 and the cover plate 116 It is to form a closed molding space 111 with. Such a seal may be implemented using a gasket, but is not limited thereto. In addition, such a gasket should satisfy the pressure / heat resistance that can withstand such pressure and temperature conditions in consideration of being pressurized / heated in the closed molding space 111 as described below. In addition, the side of the cover plate 116 and the casing should be assembled to maintain the sealing space of the molding space (111). In addition, in sealing assembly between the cover plate 116 and the casing, the sealing property must be secured in various ways so as to correspond to the operating pressure and temperature.

In addition, when a predetermined pressure or heat is applied to the sealed molding space 111, the output value required for the molding beam may be significantly lowered. This is due to the fact that in the photocuring and sintering reactions, when the ambient temperature or pressure is made in a high environment, the reaction can be performed using relatively low energy. The apparatus for heating and pressurizing can generally use a widely used heating and pressurizing apparatus, but since the pressure and temperature to be applied are different according to the molding materials used, it is possible to control these values. desirable.

Hereinafter, the rapid three-dimensional shaping | molding apparatus of this invention is demonstrated. This is the above-described three-dimensional modeling material supply device, located above, and irradiated the molding light in a predetermined pattern to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 formed on the molding stage 112 to sinter or harden the molding completion layer It is configured to include a light source unit 200 that functions to mold.

At this time, the light source unit 200 should be driven by the controller unit 130 in conjunction with the driving of the molding stage 112 and the supply unit 120 of the three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus. For example, the irradiation of the molding beam in the light source unit 200 is to be performed after the downward movement of the molding stage 112 and the molding material in the supply unit 120 are supplied and the process of planarization or stabilization is completed. Since the controller unit 130 of the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus must further reflect the shape of the three-dimensional sculpture with respect to the control object of the controller unit 130 in the three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus, the predetermined data related to the three-dimensional sculpture shape That is, it further includes an input unit for receiving 3D CAD information-STL, AMF, OBJ, etc., a processing unit for reconstructing the input 3D modeling information into 2D cross-sectional information, and extracting tool path information. Need to be. Specific implementation thereof may be performed by a circuit or a combination of software and circuit.

At this time, the controller unit 130 must further control the driving of the modeling light source and the driving of internal components for irradiating the modeling light beam to the desired position of the modeling preparation layer 520. The light source unit 200 according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a shaped light source, a first reflector and a second reflector for determining an irradiation pattern of the shaped light. The first reflector and the second reflector each have a prismatic shape having a different size and type, and are rotatable about a central axis. The shaping ray is incident on and reflected from the first reflector and the second reflector, and then a modeling preparation layer A mechanism for irradiating a predetermined position at 520, and the scanning pattern of the shaping ray is determined by the rotation angle displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector. In FIG. 5, the first reflector rotates in a predetermined direction, and since the direction of the incident light beam is fixed, the angle of incidence of the light beam to the first reflector is changed, and thus the reflection angle also changes. It means that the light rays form one scanning line. Once one scan line is completed, the new scan line can be spaced with respect to the immediately preceding scan line by rotating the second reflector about the central axis by a predetermined angle while intermitting the shaping ray for a short time. When the incident light is incident on the rotating first reflector, new scan lines can be formed. In the actual molding, it is possible to separately form the part to be cured / sintered and the part not to be made while locally turning the shaping ray on. The rotational speed of the first reflector and the second reflector is related to the speed of hardening / sintering, which is proportional to the molding speed of the entire three-dimensional object, but when the molding light is irradiated for an insufficient time, the hardening / sintering is completely It should be taken into account that this may not occur, and as a result, the strength of the sculpture may be reduced. In addition, since the installation angles of the rotating shafts of the first reflector, the second reflector and the size thereof are consequently related to the scannable area, these parameters should be set according to the required conditions. The modeling light source should be selected according to the modeling material. When the modeling material is a liquid photocurable resin, an LED, a laser, or a bulb which can irradiate light in the ultraviolet wavelength range is generally used. If included, a laser having a predetermined wavelength band may be used to melt or sinter it, wherein 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 ray does not affect the shaping completed layer of the already sintered lower layer.

Next, the three-dimensional shaping | molding method using the rapid three-dimensional shaping | molding apparatus of this invention mentioned above is demonstrated.

The first embodiment is related to the case where the cover plate 116 is not used to planarize and stabilize the mold preparation layer 520 without forming the mold space 111 in a sealed type. First, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the volume of the one-time molding material to be supplied to the molding unit 110 by the supply unit 120 is determined according to the thickness of one molding layer. Second, the molding stage 112 is positioned and prepared at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is greater than the predetermined thickness of one molding layer. This means that the cover plate 116 does not contact the mold preparation layer 520. Third, the supply unit 120 supplies the molding material with the volume of the first batch determined in the first step to the molding unit 110. Fourth, wait for a predetermined time until the ripple (etc.) of the surface of the mold preparation layer 520 formed in the previous step disappears and stabilizes. Fifth, the light source unit 200 sinters or hardens by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 to further mold one molding layer. Sixth, the molding stage driving unit 113 moves the molding stage 112 downward by the thickness of one molding layer determined in the first step. The third to sixth of these steps are repeated until the three-dimensional shape of the predetermined shape is completed.

The second embodiment of the three-dimensional molding method using the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention,

It is related to the case where the molding space 111 is formed in a closed type, and the cover plate 116 is used to planarize and stabilize the molding preparation layer 520. First, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object, and the total volume of the first molding material to be supplied to the molding unit 110 is determined by the supply unit 120 according to the thickness of one molding layer. Second, the molding stage 112 at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the previous molding completion layer 511 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is greater than the thickness of one molding layer determined in the previous step. Ready to be located. Third, the supply unit 120 supplies the molding material with the batch volume determined in the first step to the molding unit 110. Fourth, the molding stage 113 is formed by the molding stage driving unit 113 such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the lower surface of the molding completion layer 511 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is equal to the thickness of the molding layer. Move upwards. At this stage, the bottom surface of the cover plate 116 is brought into contact with the surface of the modeling preparation layer 520, and as a result, the surface of the modeling layer 520 is planarized or stabilized. Fifth, the light source unit 200 sinters or hardens by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 to further mold one molding layer. Thereafter, the second to fifth steps are repeated in order until a three-dimensional object of a predetermined shape is completed. In particular, in the case of reducing energy used in the photocuring or sintering reaction by additionally pressing / heating the closed molding space 111 as described above, the closed molding space 111 may be closed before starting the full molding process. Pressurizing / heating may be carried out in place.

The third embodiment of the three-dimensional molding method using the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention,

The cover plate 116 is the same as that of the second embodiment in that the molding space 111 is hermetically formed and the cover plate 116 is used for flattening and stabilizing the molding preparation layer 520. Is different in the before and after process for use in connection with planarization or stabilization. First, the thickness of one molding layer is determined in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object. Second, the molding stage 112 is positioned at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the surface of the previous molding completion layer 511 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is equal to the thickness of the determined molding layer. Position and prepare. Third, the molding material is supplied until the supply part 120 completely fills the sealed molding space 111. Fourth, the light source unit 200 is sintered or cured by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 to further mold one molding layer. Finally, the second to fourth steps are repeated in order until the three-dimensional shape object is completed.

In particular, in the case of reducing energy used in the photocuring or sintering reaction by additionally pressing / heating the closed molding space 111 as described above, the closed molding space 111 may be closed before starting the full molding process. Pressurizing / heating may be carried out in place.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is merely one example of various embodiments including the gist of the present invention, which can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art. It is clear that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment only. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent to the change, substitution, substitution, etc. within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention shall be the right of the present invention. It will be included in the scope. In addition, some of the components of the drawings are intended to more clearly describe the configuration, and it is clear that the exaggerated or reduced size is provided.

Claims

In the three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus,
A molding stage 112 in which a three-dimensional object is laminated and molded thereon,
A modeling stage driving unit 113 having a function of lifting and lowering the modeling stage 112, and
A casing 114 having a cover plate 116 at an upper surface side and having a function of accommodating the molding stage 112 and the molding stage driving unit 113 therein,
Molding unit 110 comprising a;
A supply unit 120 having a function of supplying a molding material into the molding unit 110;
A controller unit 130 functioning to control driving of the molding stage driving unit 113 and the supply unit 120 according to predetermined data in order to mold a shape of a predetermined three-dimensional object;
It is made, including
The cover plate 116 is a three-dimensional molding material supply device, characterized in that the transparent material which can transmit the molding light of a predetermined wavelength band.
The method according to claim 1,
The casing 114, the three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus characterized in that it comprises at least one molding material inlet 117 for receiving the molding material from the supply unit (120).
The method according to claim 1,
The modeling material is a three-dimensional modeling material supply device characterized in that it comprises a liquid photocurable polymer.
The method according to claim 1,
A three-dimensional modeling material supply device, characterized in that the molding material comprises a powdery polymer or powdery metal.
The method according to claim 4,
The powdered polymer or powdered metal is a liquid vehicle (vehicle) that functions to form and fix the forming preparation layer 520 in a uniform thickness on the surface of the molding stage 112 or immediately before the molding completion layer (511) Three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus characterized in that it is included.
The method according to claim 5,
The polymer powder or the metal powder and the liquid vehicle are uniformly stirred and mixed, and then supplied to the molding unit 110, a three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus.
The method according to claim 5,
The molding unit 110 further includes a liquid vehicle supply unit 129 for supplying the liquid vehicle on the molding stage 112.
The liquid vehicle supply unit 129 may be configured to provide the liquid vehicle on the surface of the molding stage or on the surface of the previous molding completion layer 511 before the polymer powder or the metal powder is introduced into the molding unit 110. Applied to a thickness, the three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus characterized in that the polymer powder or the metal powder to be supplied after the uniform distribution.
The three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7.
A light source unit which is located above the three-dimensional molding material supplying device and irradiates molding light beams in a predetermined pattern on a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 formed on the molding stage 112 to sinter or harden it to form a molding completion layer. 200;
It is made, including
The light source unit 200 is driven by the controller unit 130, the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus, characterized in that driven in conjunction with the drive of the molding stage 112 and the supply unit (120).
The method according to claim 8,
The light source unit 200 includes a first reflector and a second reflector having a prismatic shape and rotatable about a central axis, and the modeling light is incident and reflected on the first reflector and the second reflector in order. Then irradiated to a predetermined position of the mold preparation layer 520,
The scanning pattern of the shaping ray is determined by the rotation angle displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector, rapid stereoscopic molding apparatus.
In the three-dimensional molding method using the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of claim 8,
(i) Determine the thickness of one molding layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional shape, and determine the volume of the one-time molding material to be supplied by the supply part 120 to the molding part 110 according to the thickness of the molding layer. Step (s10);
(ii) the molding stage 112 at a predetermined position such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is larger than the thickness of one of the molding layers determined in step (i). Step is prepared to position (s20)
(s) the supply unit 120 supplying the molding material with the volume of the batch determined in the step (i) to the molding unit (s30);
(iv) waiting for a predetermined time until the ripple of the surface of the molding preparation layer 520 formed in step (iii) disappears and stabilizes (s40);
(v) forming, by the light source unit 200, one of the molding completed layers by sintering or curing by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520;
(vi) the molding stage driving unit 113 moving the molding stage 112 downward by one thickness of the molding layer determined in step (i);
(vii) repeating steps (iii) to (vi) in order until a solid shape of a predetermined shape is completed (s70);
Three-dimensional shaping method comprising a.
The method according to claim 1,
The casing side portion inner wall surface 115 is sealed with a gap over the entire circumference between the side surfaces of the molding stage 112 and sealed together with the molding stage 112 and the cover plate 116. Three-dimensional molding material supply device characterized in that to form a molding space (111).
The method according to claim 11,
And a gap between the casing side portion inner wall surface 115 and the side surface of the molding stage 112 is sealed with a gasket.
The method according to claim 11,
Surface of the cover plate 116 is a three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus characterized in that the surface treatment or coating so that the molding material does not adhere.
The method according to claim 11,
The three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus, the three-dimensional modeling material supply apparatus further comprises a pressurized heating unit that can add pressure or heat to the closed molding space (111).
The three-dimensional molding material supply apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 14;
A light source unit which is located above the three-dimensional molding material supplying device and irradiates molding light beams in a predetermined pattern on a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 formed on the molding stage 112 to sinter or harden it to form a molding completion layer. 200;
It is made, including
The light source unit 200 is driven by the controller unit 130, the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus, characterized in that driven in conjunction with the drive of the molding stage 112 and the supply unit (120).
The method according to claim 15,
The light source unit 200 includes a first reflector and a second reflector having a prismatic shape and rotatable about a central axis, and the modeling light is incident and reflected on the first reflector and the second reflector in order. Then irradiated to a predetermined position of the mold preparation layer 520,
The scanning pattern of the shaping ray is determined by the rotation angle displacement of each of the first reflector and the second reflector, rapid stereoscopic molding apparatus.
In the three-dimensional molding method using the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of claim 15,
(A) determine the thickness of one molding layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional shape, and determine the total volume of the one-time molding material to be supplied by the supply part 120 to the molding part 110 according to the thickness of the molding layer. Determining (s100);
(B) a predetermined distance such that the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the immediately preceding molding completed layer and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is larger than the thickness of one of the molding completed layers determined in step (a). Preparing and positioning the molding stage 112 at a position (s200);
(C) the supply unit 120 supplying the molding material with the volume of the batch determined in the step (a) to the molding unit 110 (s300);
(D) the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the lower surface of the immediately preceding molding completion layer 511 and the cover plate 116 is equal to the thickness of one of the molding layers determined in step (a). A molding stage driving unit 113 moving the molding stage 112 upward (s400);
(S500) the step of sintering or curing one of the molding completed layer by further sintering or curing the predetermined light beam to a predetermined portion of the mold preparation layer (520) (s500);
(Iii) repeating steps (b) to (ㅁ) in order until a three-dimensional object of a predetermined shape is completed (s600);
Three-dimensional shaping method comprising a.
The method according to claim 17,
Between the step (a) and the step (b), to add a pressure or heat to the closed molding space 111 to reduce the use output of the irradiation beam (s150) characterized in that the addition Molding method.
In the three-dimensional molding method using the rapid three-dimensional molding apparatus of claim 15,
(a) determining a thickness of one molding layer in consideration of the vertical resolution of the three-dimensional object (s1000);
(b) the distance between the upper surface of the molding stage 112 or the surface of the previous molding completion layer 511 and the lower surface of the cover plate 116 is equal to the thickness of the molding layer determined in step (a). Preparing and positioning the molding stage 112 at a predetermined position (s2000);
(c) supplying the molding material until the supply part 120 completely fills the closed molding space 111 (s3000);
(d) forming, by the light source unit 200, one of the molding completed layers by sintering or curing by irradiating molding rays to a predetermined portion of the molding preparation layer 520 (S4000);
(e) repeating steps (b) to (d) in order until a three-dimensional object of a predetermined shape is completed (s5000);
Three-dimensional shaping method comprising a.
The method according to claim 19,
Between the step (a) and the step (b), to apply a pressure or heat to the closed molding space 111 to reduce the use output of the irradiation light (s1500); characterized in that it further comprises Three-dimensional molding method to do.