WO2017170475A1

WO2017170475A1 - Method and device for shaping composite material

Info

Publication number: WO2017170475A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/012520
Authority: WO
Inventors: 岩出　卓; 潤稲垣
Original assignee: 東レエンジニアリング株式会社
Priority date: 2016-03-31
Filing date: 2017-03-28
Publication date: 2017-10-05
Also published as: JPWO2017170475A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a device for three-dimensionally shaping a composite material, which enables continuous and uniform dispersion of a reinforcement material at an interface of the composite material being three-dimensionally shaped. Specifically provided are a method and a device for three-dimensionally shaping a composite material which are characterized in that: a reinforcement material dispersion liquid, which is obtained by dispersing a reinforcement material in a liquid-phase material that is curable by irradiation with an active energy ray, is locally irradiated with the active energy ray, so as to generate a cured region in the reinforcement material dispersion liquid; and the generation of said cured region is continued so as to form a three-dimensionally shaped object.

Description

Composite material forming method and apparatus

The present invention relates to a so-called 3D printer whose performance has been improved in recent years, or a three-dimensional modeling method and apparatus represented by an optical modeling technique that has been put into practical use before that, and particularly contains a reinforcing material. Also involved in 3D modeling technology for composite materials

A so-called 3D printer calculates the cross-sectional shape of a modeled object with a computer based on three-dimensional CAD data, divides the modeled object into thin, round-shaped cross-sectional components, and forms the cross-sectional components using various methods. Then, it is a three-dimensional modeling method for obtaining the desired shape by laminating them. In general, the name of the 3D printer is widely used. However, internationally, it is often referred to as additive manufacturing technology, or directly translated as additive manufacturing technology. In this specification, the term “3D printer” is mainly used, but expressions are appropriately used according to the intended use.

The additive manufacturing technology is roughly classified into seven methods as shown below depending on the type of modeling material and the lamination method.
(1) Vat photopolymerization
(2) Material extrusion method (Material extrusion)
(3) Powder bed fusion method
(4) Binder Jetting
(5) Sheet lamination method
(6) Material jetting method (Material Jetting)
(7) Directed Energy Deposition (Directed Energy Deposition).

(1) The liquid tank polymerization method was put into practical use at the earliest time among these, and has been used for rapid prototyping under the name of stereolithography before the name of 3D printers became common. . In many cases, an ultraviolet curable resin is used, and an ultraviolet curable resin 41 is held in the tank 3 as shown in FIG. 42 is formed (FIGS. 7A to 7C). The cured area 41 of the first layer is supported by a suitable support member 4. Next, the cured region 41 of the first layer together with the support member 4 is submerged in the liquid (FIG. 7 (d)), or the cured region 41 of the first layer is fixed to a certain depth by raising the liquid level. Just submerge in the liquid. Next, the surface of the liquid 7 is selectively irradiated again with the ultraviolet ray 7 so that the second layer cured region 42 is formed continuously with the first layer cured region 41 above the first layer cured region 41. (FIG. 7 (e)). By repeating this, a three-dimensional model is obtained.

In recent years, 3D printers marketed as personal uses are generally (2) material extrusion method and (6) material injection method.

(2) In many cases, the material extrusion method is a method in which a modeling material made of a thermoplastic resin is heated to a molten fluid state and laminated while being extruded from a nozzle (see FIG. 8).

(6) The material injection method has a much lower viscosity of the modeling material than that of the (2) material extrusion method, so to speak, it is a method of modeling while ejecting the modeling material instead of ink of the ink jet printer It is.

(3) Powder bed fusion bonding method and (4) binder injection method are characterized by using powdery and granular materials as modeling materials.

(3) What is the powder bed fusion bonding method? As shown in FIG. 9, the modeling material powder 61 is placed in a suitable tank 60. This is often referred to as the material bed 62. As a modeling material, it is a feature that a wide range of modeling materials can be selected as long as it can be melted by an energy ray, such as an inorganic material such as a metal, a resin, or a ceramic. In many cases, the surface of the material bed 62 is selectively irradiated with a laser beam 66 to melt and combine the modeling material powder 61 to form a first modeling layer 67. In FIG. 9, an infrared laser 63 is used as the energy beam source, and the surface of the material bed 82 can be arbitrarily scanned using the galvano

optical systems

64 and 65. Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, after a certain amount of modeling material powder 62 has been added, the table 69 is lowered by a certain amount, and the squeegee 68 is moved in the direction of arrow A in the figure, thereby equalizing the modeling material content. And flatten. Thus, the material saving 62 is formed again. Next, a laser beam 66 is scanned to form a second modeling layer. By repeating this, a desired three-dimensional model is obtained.

(4) The binder injection method uses a material bed made of modeling material powder as in the case of (3) powder bed fusion bonding method, but it has a function of an adhesive that binds the molding material powder to the material bed. This is a method in which modeling material powders are bound to each other by selectively ejecting a dressing material from an inkjet head or the like.

(5) As the name suggests, the sheet lamination method is a method of three-dimensional modeling by cutting sheet-like materials such as paper and plastic film into laminated cross-sectional shapes, and sequentially laminating and bonding them.

The last (7) directional energy deposition method has a typical configuration shown in FIG. 10, and is a method of laminating modeling materials while supplying modeling materials and selectively applying energy simultaneously. The laser beam 71 is transmitted through the inner nozzle 73 of the double rod nozzle 72, and the laser beam 71 is collected on the surface of the base 75 by the condenser lens 74. From the outer nozzle 76, a shielding gas and modeling material powder (indicated by an arrow 78 in the figure) are sprayed toward the condensing point of the laser beam 71. The sprayed modeling material powder 78 is heated and melted by the laser beam 71 at the condensing point of the laser beam 71, and a molten pool 77 in which the modeling material powder 78 is melted and aggregated is formed on the surface of the base 75. This is a method in which the modeling material is placed and stacked on the base while the relative position of the base 75 and the double rod nozzle 72 is moved and the molten pool 72 is swallowed on the base material. This method is a typical example of a 3D printer using a metal material. From a different point of view, it can be said that this method has been developed as a modeling method by refining and automating the arc welding method that has been known for a long time.

JP 56-144478 A US Pat. No. 4,863,538 US Pat. No. 5,121,329

Now, there is a movement to apply such a 3D printer to modeling composite materials. The composite material referred to here is a material in which a matrix, matrix, or powder, granular, acicular or fibrous reinforcing material is contained, and the material properties (thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity) of the matrix. In many cases, these reinforcing materials are incorporated with the intention of improving the mechanical properties (such as rigidity, strength, and fatigue properties). In particular, when the reinforcing material is in a fibrous form, a large effect is often obtained in improving the mechanical properties as compared with the case of using only the base material by causing the reinforcing material to bear the deformation caused by the load.

The reinforcement in the mother is to be dispersed as uniformly and isotropic as possible in the mother when the material properties and mechanical properties after molding are required to be isotropic (uniform dispersion). Is preferred. Uniform here means that the distribution density of the reinforcing material is uniform, and isotropic means that the orientation direction is random in the acicular and fibrous reinforcing materials.

In recent years, various 3D printers that can form composite materials have been announced, but these composite material 3D printers have problems related to the fundamental 3D printer modeling method. The seven main methods of the 3D printer (additional manufacturing technology) have been described above. However, in any of the methods, the shaped object is divided into thin ring-shaped cross-sectional components, and the cross-sectional components are stacked. The principle of forming a modeled object is the same.

In the additive manufacturing method, since the cross-sectional components are laminated in one layer, two layers,..., A modeling interface is always formed between the cross-sectional components as viewed in the stacking direction of the modeled product. In the composite material, it is almost always preferable that the reinforcing material is uniformly dispersed in the base material. However, when such a modeling interface exists, the continuity of the uniform dispersion of the reinforcing material is impaired at the interface. There is a big problem.

An example of a composite 3D printer according to the prior art will be described in a little more detail by taking a typical example of (2) material extrusion as an additive manufacturing technique. In FIG. 11A, the long fiber pellet 22 is filled in the chamber 21. The long fiber pellet 22 is a granular thermoplastic resin pellet in which reinforcing fibers 23 are dispersed. The inside of the chamber 21 is heated by a heating mechanism (not shown), and the long fiber pellets 22 are melted. The long fiber pellet 22 that has been melted and fluidized is referred to herein as a molten composite material 25. The molten composite material 25 is pushed out from the nozzle 27 by the pressure P applied by the pressure member 26. The extruded molten composite material 25 is placed on the modeling table 28. The modeling table 28 has a translational degree of freedom in the in-plane direction indicated by arrows X and Y in the figure, a degree of freedom in the vertical direction of the modeling table 28 indicated by arrow Z, and a degree of freedom of rotation around the support shaft 29 (arrows in the figure). θ).

As the molten composite material 25 is pushed out from the nozzle 27, the modeling table 28 is driven in the directions of the arrows X, Y, and θ, and the molten composite material 25 is placed in an arbitrary planar shape on the surface of the modeling table 28. It will be done. The molten composite material layer first placed on the surface of the modeling table 28 corresponds to the first layer as the cross-sectional component described above.

After completion of the molding of the first layer 30, the second layer 31 is stacked and placed on the first layer 30 with the modeling table 8 lowered as shown in FIG. 11 (b). By repeating this, a three-dimensional shape is formed.

11, the magnitude relationship between the inner diameter of the nozzle 27 and the size of the reinforcing material (here, the average length of the reinforcing fibers 23) is preferably about the average length of the nozzle inner diameter> the reinforcing fiber length. Naturally, if the nozzle inner diameter is smaller than the size of the reinforcing material, the reinforcing material cannot pass through the nozzle. Even in the case of reinforcing fibers, if the inner diameter of the nozzle is not equal to or greater than the average length, the reinforcing fibers 23 are bent or rounded, which is not preferable as a reinforcing material.

However, what is important regarding the effect of the present invention is not the relative size of the nozzle inner diameter and the reinforcing material. In the surface of the molten composite material 25 extruded on the table 28, it is unlikely that the reinforcing fibers 23 inside the reinforcing fibers 23 protrude from the surface indicated by reference numeral 37 in FIG.

That is, in the layer as each cross-sectional component, the interface between the melted composite materials 25 arranged adjacent to each other, and the interface between each layer laminated with the first layer 30 and the second layer 31, It is unlikely that the reinforcing fibers will exist across.

These problems are the same in (1) liquid tank polymerization method and (3) material bed melt bonding method. (1) An example in which the liquid layer polymerization method is applied to modeling of a composite material is shown in FIG. Even if the reinforcing material dispersion 92 composed of the base material 91 such as an ultraviolet curable resin in which the reinforcing material 90 is dispersed is left in the tank 93, the reinforcing material 90 protrudes from the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion 92. I can't think of doing that. When the specific gravity of the reinforcing material 90 and the base material 91 is close, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), there is a possibility that a part of the reinforcing material 90 protrudes from the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion 92. However, most reinforcing materials are usually “sleeped” in the vicinity of the liquid surface as shown in FIG.

Therefore, even if the first layer is formed by irradiating the ultraviolet ray 7 on the liquid surface in a dispersed state as shown in FIG. 12 (b), and then the second layer is formed thereon, it is still at the modeling interface. The problem of splitting the reinforcing material or the dispersed state of the reinforcing material comes around.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, the active energy rays are locally irradiated to a reinforcing material dispersion in which a reinforcing material is dispersed in a liquid phase material that can be cured by irradiation with active energy rays. Thus, a composite three-dimensional modeling method is provided, in which a three-dimensional object is formed by generating a hardened region in the reinforcing material dispersion and continuously generating the hardened region.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the lowermost layer curing that forms the first cured region by irradiating the active energy ray on a support member that supports the cured region provided in the reinforcing material dispersion. A region forming step, a support member lowering step for lowering the support member, and a recuring region for irradiating the active energy ray on the cured region to form a new cured region on the cured region formed in the previous step The composite material three-dimensional modeling according to claim 1, wherein a three-dimensional object is formed on the support member by repeating a forming step, the support member lowering step, and the re-hardening region forming step in this order. A method is provided.

According to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the active energy ray is composed of any one of an electromagnetic wave, an electron beam, an elementary particle beam, a vibration wave in a wavelength range of 1 mm to 0.1 pm, or any combination thereof. A featured composite three-dimensional modeling method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite three-dimensional modeling method characterized in that the reinforcing material is fibrous.

According to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite three-dimensional modeling method characterized in that the distance of the cured region from the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion is approximately equal to or greater than the average length of the reinforcing material. Is done.

According to another preferable aspect of the present invention, the liquid phase material curable by irradiation with the active energy ray has a threshold value in the spatial energy density of the active energy ray necessary for initiating the curing. The composite three-dimensional modeling method is characterized by irradiating the active energy ray so that the space energy density of the active energy ray is equal to or higher than the threshold value in the cured region.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite three-dimensional modeling method characterized by irradiating the active energy rays from at least two directions.

According to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, after the formation of the three-dimensional structure by irradiation with the active energy rays, the formation of the three-dimensional structure is further imparted with active energy to further promote the curing. A composite three-dimensional modeling method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a reinforcing material dispersion tank containing a reinforcing material dispersion in which a reinforcing material is uniformly and isotropically dispersed in a liquid phase material curable by irradiation with active energy rays, An active energy ray source for generating an active energy ray; and at least an active energy induction member for locally inducing the active energy ray from the active energy ray source into the reinforcing material dispersion; The active energy ray from the active energy ray source is locally irradiated into the reinforcing material dispersion by the active energy induction member to generate a hardened region in the reinforcing material dispersion, and the hardened region is continuously formed. Thus, a composite three-dimensional modeling apparatus characterized by forming a three-dimensional modeled object is provided.

The gist of the present invention will be further described with reference to FIG. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 is an additive manufacturing method or apparatus similar to a liquid tank photopolymerization method, and unlike a conventional technique, curing by irradiation with an active energy ray such as ultraviolet rays is performed as a reinforcing material dispersion. It is characterized in that it is carried out in the liquid instead of the liquid surface. It is relatively easy to disperse the reinforcing material uniformly and isotropically in the liquid, and even if the specific gravity of the liquid phase of the base material and the reinforcing material is slightly different, temporary, simulated It is easy to realize a uniform and isotropic dispersed state.

In this state, if the active energy rays are locally irradiated in the liquid instead of the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion to generate a cured region in the liquid, the reinforcing material before hardening is uniform and isotropic. The liquid phase material as the base material can be cured without disturbing the dispersion state. That is, as shown schematically in FIG. 4, a state in which the reinforcing material 2 protrudes from the surface of the hardened region 10 can be realized, and after forming the first layer, the second layer is formed so as to be continuous therewith. It becomes possible to make the reinforcing material cross and exist at the modeling interface of the first layer and the second layer. Therefore, it becomes possible to solve the problem in the prior art of dividing the reinforcing material or the dispersed state of the reinforcing material at the modeling interface.

In addition, the term “curing” as used in the present specification does not simply mean that the liquid as a substance state transitions to a solid state, but the liquid phase material that can be flowed and deformed can maintain its shape. It changes to the state which has the rigidity of.

Furthermore, if the distance from the liquid surface of the hardened region is longer than the average length of the reinforcing material (Claim 4), the reinforcing material that may exist near the liquid surface is uniformly and isotropically dispersed. This is preferable because it is possible to avoid hardening of a region that has not been formed (for example, a region in which a large amount of the reinforcing material 94 is present as shown in FIG. The liquid surface referred to here includes not only the free surface of the liquid but also the interface with the tank.

When the active energy rays such as ultraviolet rays are irradiated into the liquid, the entire gist of the active energy rays is hardened, and the gist of the present invention is difficult to achieve. Therefore, if the curable liquid phase material typified by ultraviolet curable resin has a threshold value for the spatial energy density of the active energy ray necessary for the curing, the irradiation intensity of the active energy ray to be irradiated is desired. If the threshold value is exceeded only in the cured region, it is preferable that the cured region can be formed in the liquid (Claim 5).

This increases the spatial energy density by condensing active energy rays such as ultraviolet rays with an appropriate optical system (FIGS. 1 and 2), and a plurality of active energy rays having an energy density equal to or lower than a threshold value in a plurality of directions. In some cases, it can be realized by a method such as concentrating at approximately one place (Claim 6, Second Embodiment, FIG. 5).

It should be noted that an ultraviolet curable resin or the like has a threshold value for the energy density of an active energy ray (here, ultraviolet light) necessary for the curing, and such characteristics are not particularly unique characteristics.

There is no problem as long as the reinforcing material can substantially transmit the active energy ray, but when the reinforcing material has a low transmittance of the active energy ray, in the so-called shadow portion of the reinforcing material, the liquid phase material It is also conceivable that curing is inhibited. In such a case, if the active energy rays are irradiated from a plurality of directions, an effect of reducing the influence of the shaded portion can be expected (claim 6, second embodiment, FIG. 5).

Furthermore, the curing by irradiation with active energy rays may be a curing that can maintain the shape even when the shaped article is taken out from the liquid phase material. In such a case, the active energy rays are first cured by curing to such an extent that the shape can be maintained even in the state of being taken out from the liquid phase material, and after taking out from the liquid phase material, the same active energy rays are applied again. Curing may be further promoted to a necessary and sufficient strength as a modeling material by irradiating the entire modeled object or applying another energy to the entire model by heating or the like (Claim 7). )

It is a figure which shows the 1st embodiment of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the 1st embodiment of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by this invention. It is the figure which looked at a part of operation | movement of the 1st embodiment of the three-dimensional model | molding apparatus by this invention from the upper surface. It is a figure which shows the ultraviolet curable resin formed by the 1st embodiment of the three-dimensional model | molding apparatus by this invention. It is a figure which shows the 2nd embodiment of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by this invention. It is a figure which shows the 3rd embodiment of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by this invention. It is a figure which shows the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by a liquid phase polymerization method. It is a figure which shows the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by a material extrusion method. It is a figure which shows the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by a powder bed fusion | bonding method. It is a principle diagram of the directional energy deposition method It is a conceptual diagram at the time of applying a composite material to the 3D printer by a material extrusion method by a prior art. It is a conceptual diagram at the time of applying a composite material to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus by a liquid phase polymerization method by a prior art.

An embodiment of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to the present invention. A reinforcing material dispersion 1 in which reinforcing fibers 2 that are reinforcing materials are uniformly dispersed in an ultraviolet curable resin 1 a that is a liquid phase material that can be cured by ultraviolet rays is held in a dispersion tank 3. A support member 4 is provided in the dispersion tank 3 to support a cured region 10 to be formed later. The ultraviolet curable resin 1a is a resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light 7, which is an active energy ray, and is in a liquid (liquid phase) state at room temperature and normal pressure. As the reinforcing fiber 2, glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like can be used.

As the ultraviolet source 5, a mercury lamp, an ultraviolet LED, or the like can be used. In general, the ultraviolet curable resin 1a has a threshold value for the energy required for the curing, and is not cured with energy below the threshold value.

The ultraviolet light 7 from the ultraviolet light source 5 is converted into parallel light by the collimating lens 8 of the introducing optical system 6, bent vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 18, and the reinforcing material dispersion 1 in the dispersion liquid tank 3 by the condenser lens 9. The liquid is irradiated from above the liquid surface into the liquid (FIG. 1). The emission intensity of the ultraviolet light source 5, the aperture of the condenser lens 9, the focal length, and the like are selected so that the energy intensity of the ultraviolet light 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold only near the condensing point (that is, the focal position). A region where the energy intensity is greater than or equal to the threshold value in the vicinity of the condensing point is a cured region 10. The distance l from the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion 1 in the cured region 10 is equal to or greater than the average length of the reinforcing fibers 2. The distance l means the shortest distance between the cured region 10 and the surface of the reinforcing material dispersion 1.

The ultraviolet light source 5 and the introduction optical system 6 can be freely moved in an in-plane direction parallel to the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion 1, and the focal position of the condenser lens 9 can be freely scanned in the liquid within this surface. I can do it. Therefore, the hardened region 10 can be formed at an arbitrary position at a depth distance l from the liquid surface.

First, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the ultraviolet light source 5 and the introduction optical system 6 are viewed from above while irradiating the ultraviolet light 7, and are moved while being appropriately controlled in the directions of arrows A and B in the figure. In the reinforcing material dispersion 1, a first layer cured region 10a is formed in parallel with the liquid surface (FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B) (lowermost layer cured) Region forming step). It is also possible to form the curing region 10a while moving the dispersion tank 3 in the directions of arrows A and B instead of moving the ultraviolet light source 5 and the introduction optical system 6. In FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the hardened region 10a of the first layer is formed while performing a zigzag folded scan, but it is of course possible to take an arbitrary scan path such as a spiral. It is.

The hardened area 10a of the first layer is supported by the support member 4. The support member 4 includes a base material 4a and a plurality of base members 4a. The support member 4 includes a needle-like support 4b that slightly bites the distal end of the hardened region 10a of the first layer and fixes it. When the formation of the first layer cured region 10a is completed (FIG. 3B), the irradiation of the ultraviolet light 7 is stopped, and the support member 4 moves in the direction of the arrow Z in the drawing, that is, the first layer cured region 10a. A predetermined amount is lowered in the direction of submerging in the liquid (FIG. 2C) (support member lowering step).

Next, while irradiating the ultraviolet light 7 again, the ultraviolet light source 5 and the introduction optical system 6 are scanned in a direction parallel to the liquid surface so that the cured region 10b of the second layer is continuous with the cured region 10a of the first layer in the depth direction. (FIGS. 2D and 2E) (recured region forming step).

When the formation of the cured region 10b of the second layer is completed, the support member 4 is lowered again by a predetermined amount, and the third layer is cured. Thereafter, the entire molding is performed by repeating this procedure.

After the formation of each layer, instead of lowering the support member 4 by a predetermined amount, the reinforcing material dispersion 1 may be supplemented to the dispersion liquid tank 3 to relatively raise the liquid level by a predetermined amount.

As described above, when the cured region by the ultraviolet ray 7 is formed in the liquid, the ultraviolet curable resin 1a is cured while maintaining the dispersion state of the reinforcing fiber 2 before being cured. As schematically shown in FIG. The cured region 10 can be formed with the fibers 2 protruding from the surface.

Therefore, by forming the second cured region 10b so as to be continuous with the first cured region 10a in a state where the reinforcing fiber 2 protrudes from the surface, the reinforcing fiber 2 can be present across the interface between the two. It becomes possible.

Further, in each layer, the reinforcing fiber 2 can be present across the interface also between the adjacent scan paths in the cured region 10.
Next, FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a composite three-dimensional modeling apparatus 15 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

It is the same that the reinforcing material dispersion liquid 1 composed of an ultraviolet curable resin and a reinforcing material is held in the dispersing material tank 3. Note that the reinforcing material is not shown because the figure becomes complicated. The material of the dispersion material tank 3 is preferably a material having a sufficient transmittance for ultraviolet laser light, which is an active energy ray, such as quartz glass.

In this embodiment, two ultraviolet lasers 11 are used as the ultraviolet light source. The ultraviolet laser beams 12 from the respective ultraviolet lasers 11 are arranged so as to intersect at one point in the reinforcing material dispersion 1. The intensity of each ultraviolet laser beam 12 is less than the energy threshold necessary for curing the ultraviolet curable resin 1a, and the ultraviolet rays so that the sum of the two exceeds the threshold value at the portion where each ultraviolet laser beam 12 intersects. Sets the output of laser 11. If the strength is set in this way, only the intersecting region of each ultraviolet laser beam 12 in the reinforcing material dispersion 1 can be set as the cured region 10.

In this embodiment, two ultraviolet lasers 11 are used, but it is also possible to use a configuration in which three or more ultraviolet lasers 11 are used and the ultraviolet laser beams 12 from the plurality of ultraviolet lasers 11 intersect at one point. The number of ultraviolet lasers 11 is not limited to two. Even in the case of three or more units, the intensity of the ultraviolet laser beam 12 from each ultraviolet laser 11 is below the threshold value of the energy required for curing the ultraviolet curable resin 1a, and the portion where each ultraviolet laser beam 12 intersects. What is necessary is just to set the output of each ultraviolet laser 11 so that the sum total exceeds this threshold value.

Similarly to the first embodiment, if the crossing positions of the plurality of laser beams 11 are appropriately scanned in the reinforcing material dispersion 1 by a known scanning technique, the ultraviolet curable resin is maintained while maintaining the dispersion state of the reinforcing fibers 2 before curing. Curing of 1a is performed, and it becomes possible to form the cured region 10 with the reinforcing fibers 2 protruding from the surface, similar to FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a third aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light 7 is introduced into the dispersion 1 by the ultraviolet optical fiber 16. If the outer diameter of the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 is sufficiently smaller than the size and distribution density of the reinforcing material 1 in the dispersion (in this embodiment, the reinforcing fiber 2), the reinforcing material 2 in the dispersion 1 It is suitable without disturbing the dispersion state. In this embodiment, the vicinity of the tip position of the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 is the cured region 10. The first layer 10a may be formed by scanning the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 in a direction parallel to the liquid surface while irradiating the ultraviolet light 7 while the tip of the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 is inserted into the dispersion 1. After the ultraviolet light 7 is irradiated, the ultraviolet light fiber 16 is once pulled out of the dispersion liquid 1 and moved in an in-plane direction. After that, the ultraviolet light fiber 16 is inserted into the dispersion liquid 1 again and the ultraviolet light 7 is irradiated. The layer 10a may be formed. After the first layer 10a is formed, as in the first embodiment, the first layer 10a is lowered by a predetermined amount by the support member 4, and the second layer 10b is formed so as to be continuous with the first layer 10a. . As another embodiment, if the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 is inserted into the dispersion liquid and then the ultraviolet optical fiber 16 is extracted from the dispersion liquid 1 while being irradiated with the ultraviolet light 7, the ultraviolet fiber 16 is continuously extracted in the extraction direction. It is also possible in principle to form the hardened region 10.

As described above, in the composite material three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to the three aspects of the present invention, all the hardened regions are formed in the liquid instead of the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion. As a result, it is possible to form a cured region in which the reinforcing material protrudes from the cured region. Therefore, by continuously forming such cured regions so as to be adjacent to each other, it becomes possible to make the reinforcing material cross across the interface of each cured region.

Therefore, it is possible to realize a three-dimensional modeling method and apparatus that can solve the problem of splitting the reinforcing material at the modeling interface, which was a problem in the conventional three-dimensional modeling method of composite materials.

In the above three embodiments, ultraviolet rays are used as active energy rays, and a combination of ultraviolet curable resins is used as a liquid phase material that can be cured by irradiation thereof. Electromagnetic waves in the wavelength range of 0.1 mm to 1 pm, that is, electromagnetic waves in the far infrared, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet, and X-ray regions, electron beams, particle beams such as α rays and neutron rays, and the like are cured. Combinations of possible liquid phase materials can be used.

In general, many active energy ray curable resins represented by ultraviolet curable resins contain at least monomers, oligomers, and polymerization initiators as components. Of these, the polymerization initiator absorbs active energy rays and is activated (excited) to generate reaction initiators such as radical molecules and hydrogen ions, so that the monomers and oligomers are often polymerized and cured. .

As an application form of the mechanism, the polymerization initiator and the reaction initiator are sealed in a microcapsule made of a material that is decomposed or destroyed by active energy rays, and the microcapsule is combined with a reinforcing material in a liquid phase material. It is also possible to have a form in which it is dispersed. In this case, the microcapsules are destroyed by local irradiation with active energy rays, and the polymerization initiator and the reaction initiator are released into the liquid phase material to cure the liquid phase material. In this application mode, there is a possibility of applying physical energy waves such as ultrasonic waves and shock waves as active energy rays. For example, a mode in which an ultrasonic wave or shock wave source is placed at one focal position of the spheroid mirror and the other focal position is set as a hardening region is conceivable.

Furthermore, in the composite three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to the three aspects of the present invention, the reinforcing material is shown as a reinforcing material. However, the reinforcing material is not limited to a fibrous material, but is in the form of powder or granular. The effect of the present invention can be expected even for needle-shaped objects. In particular, the effect can be expected for reinforcing materials having an irregular shape typified by an oval shape, an elliptical shape, a needle shape, a flat shape, and a star shape.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reinforcement material dispersion liquid 1a UV curable resin 2 Reinforcing fiber 3 Dispersion liquid tank 4 Support member 4a Base material 4b Needle-like support 5 Ultraviolet source 6 Introduction optical system 7 Ultraviolet light 8 Collimating lens 9 Condensing lens
10 Curing area
10a First layer hardened area
10b Second layer hardened area
11 UV laser
12 UV laser light
15 Composite 3D modeling equipment
16 UV optical fiber
17 Fiber introduction optical system
18 Reflector
21 chamber
22 Long fiber pellets
23 Reinforcing fiber
twenty four
25 Molten composite
26 Pressure member
27 nozzles
28 Modeling table
29 Spindle
30 Layer 1
31 2nd layer
41 UV curable resin
42 Hardened area of the first layer
43 Hardened area of the second layer
60 tanks
61 Molding material powder
62 Material floor
63 infrared laser
64,65 Galvano optics
66 Laser light
67 First modeling layer
68 Squeegee
69 tables
71 laser light
72 Double spear nozzle
73 Inner nozzle
74 Condensing lens
75 base
76 Outer nozzle
77 molten pool
90 reinforcement
91 Base material
92 Reinforcement dispersion
93 tanks
94 Sleeping reinforcement

Claims

A cured region is generated in the reinforcing material dispersion by locally irradiating the active energy rays in a reinforcing material dispersion in which a reinforcing material is dispersed in a liquid phase material that can be cured by irradiation with active energy rays. A composite material three-dimensional modeling method characterized by forming a three-dimensional object by caulking and continuously generating the cured region.
A lowermost layer cured region forming step of irradiating the active energy ray on a support member supporting the cured region provided in the reinforcing material dispersion to form the first cured region;
A support member lowering step for lowering the support member;
A re-curing region forming step of forming a new curing region on the curing region formed in the previous step by irradiating the active energy ray on the curing region;
2. The composite three-dimensional modeling method according to claim 1, wherein a three-dimensional model is formed on the support member by repeating the support member lowering step and the re-curing region forming step in this order.
The active energy ray is made of any one of an electromagnetic wave, an electron beam, an elementary particle beam, a vibration wave having a wavelength in the range of 1 mm to 0.1 pm, or any combination thereof. Composite material three-dimensional modeling method.
The composite material three-dimensional modeling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reinforcing material is fibrous.
5. The composite three-dimensional modeling method according to claim 4, wherein a distance from the liquid surface of the reinforcing material dispersion in the cured region is approximately equal to or greater than an average length of the reinforcing material.
The liquid phase material curable by irradiation with the active energy ray has a threshold value in the space energy density of the active energy ray necessary for initiating the hardening, and the space of the active energy ray in the hardening region. The composite material three-dimensional modeling method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the active energy ray is irradiated so that an energy density is equal to or higher than the threshold value.
The composite three-dimensional modeling method according to claim 6, wherein the active energy rays are irradiated from at least two directions.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the formation of the three-dimensional structure by irradiation of the active energy ray, active energy is further imparted to the formed three-dimensional structure to further accelerate the curing. The composite three-dimensional modeling method of description.
Reinforcing material dispersion tank containing a reinforcing material dispersion liquid in which a reinforcing material is randomly and isotropically dispersed in a liquid phase material curable by irradiation with active energy rays, and an active energy ray source for generating the active energy rays At least an active energy induction member that locally induces the active energy ray from the active energy ray source in the reinforcing material dispersion, and the activity from the active energy ray source in the reinforcing material dispersion. By irradiating the reinforcing material dispersion liquid locally with energy rays by the active energy induction member, generating a cured region in the reinforcing material dispersion solution, and continuously generating the cured region, Composite material three-dimensional modeling apparatus characterized by forming