Three-dimensional forming apparatus and three-dimensional forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10376957-B2
Application number	US-201615183585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A three-dimensional forming apparatus includes: a stage; a material supply mechanism that supplies a sintered material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded to a stage; a drying mechanism that dries the sintered material supplied from the material supply mechanism to the stage to form a dry sintered material; an energy radiation mechanism that supplies energy capable of sintering the dry sintered material; and a driving mechanism that is able to three-dimensionally move the material supply mechanism, the drying mechanism, and the energy radiation mechanism relative to the stage. The material supply mechanism includes a material ejection unit supplying a predetermined amount of the sintered material in a gravity direction. The energy radiation mechanism includes an energy radiation unit outputting the energy. The material ejection unit and the energy radiation unit are held in one holding mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional forming apparatus comprising:
a stage;
a material supply mechanism that supplies a sintered material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded to a stage;
a drying mechanism that dries the sintered material supplied from the material supply mechanism to the stage to form a dry sintered material;
an energy radiation mechanism that supplies energy capable of sintering the dry sintered material; and
a driving mechanism that is able to three-dimensionally move the material supply mechanism, the drying mechanism, and the energy radiation mechanism relative to the stage,
wherein the material supply mechanism includes a material ejection unit supplying a predetermined amount of the sintered material in a gravity direction,
wherein the energy radiation mechanism includes an energy radiation unit outputting the energy, and
wherein the material ejection unit and the energy radiation unit are held in one holding mechanism.

2. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the energy radiation mechanism radiates the energy in a direction intersecting the gravity direction.

3. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the material ejection unit ejects the sintered material in a liquid droplet form.

4. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of the energy radiation units are included.

5. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the material supply mechanism includes a material supply unit supplying the sintered material up to the material ejection unit including at least a material ejection port facing the stage, and
wherein a plurality of the material supply units are included and supply at least two kinds of the sintered materials with different compositions.

6. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the energy radiation mechanism is a laser radiation mechanism.

7. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drying mechanism includes a temperature detection mechanism detecting temperature of the dry sintered material.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kamakura Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B22F7/06 Primary

  of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F12/33

  translatory in the deposition plane · CPC title