Sintering and shaping method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183332-B2
Application number	US-201515108388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a three-dimensional shaped article with relatively high strength and relatively high accuracy.
A sintering and shaping method includes: a shaping layer forming process of forming a shaping layer ( 5 ) by using a sintering and shaping material in which inorganic particles ( 2 a ) are included; a process of applying a liquid binding agent ( 8 ), in which inorganic particles ( 8 a ) are included, to a desired region of the shaping layer ( 5 ); a process of curing the liquid binding agent ( 8 ), which is applied, to form a shaping cross-sectional layer (shaping portion ( 5 a )); a process of removing a region (non-shaping portion ( 5 b )) of the shaping layer ( 5 ) to which the liquid binding agent ( 8 ) is not applied; and a process of heating the shaping cross-sectional layer that is laminated for a sintering treatment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sintering and shaping method, comprising:
a shaping layer forming process of forming a shaping layer by using a sintering and shaping material including first inorganic particles and a thermoplastic binder that binds the first inorganic particles to each other;
a process of applying a liquid binding agent, in which second inorganic particles are included, to a desired region of the shaping layer, the second inorganic particles having a lower sintering initiation temperature, at which sintering is initiated, than the first inorganic particles;
a process of curing the liquid binding agent, which is applied, to form a shaping cross-sectional layer;
a process of removing a region of the shaping layer to which the liquid binding agent is not applied; and
a process of heating the shaping cross-sectional layer for a sintering treatment by performing a degreasing process of heating and decomposing the thermoplastic binder and the liquid binding agent, that has been applied and cured, so that a sintering process of heating and fusing the first inorganic particles and the second inorganic particles is initiated during the degreasing process at a temperature lower than the sintering initiation temperature of the first inorganic particles.

2. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sintering process of heating and fusing the first inorganic particles and the second inorganic particles is performed at a temperature that is lower than a sintering initiation temperature at which the first inorganic particles initiate sintering.

3. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the shaping layer forming process is performed by heating the sintering and shaping material to a temperature that is equal to or higher than a melting point of the thermoplastic binder.

4. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a ratio between the weight of the first inorganic particles which are included in the shaping cross-sectional layer and the weight of the second inorganic particles which are included in the shaping cross-sectional layer is in a range of 400:1 to 3:1.

5. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a ratio between an average particle size of the first inorganic particles and an average particle size of the second inorganic particles is in a range of 50000:1 to 10:1.

6. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the average particle size of the second inorganic particles is 0.001 micrometers to 10 micrometers.

7. The sintering and shaping method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first inorganic particles and the second inorganic particles are ceramic particles or metal particles.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hirata Koki
• Kato Shinichi
• Fukumoto Hiroshi
• Sato Chigusa

Classifications

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B29C64/165 Primary

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B22F3/16 Primary

  in successive or repeated steps · CPC title

• B28B1/001

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title