Lamination molding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994332-B2
Application number	US-201916678118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A lamination molding apparatus includes an irradiator, a processing unit, and a cooling device. The irradiator irradiates a material layer with a beam to form a solidified layer. The processing unit includes a processing head having a tool that performs processing on the solidified layer, and a processing head driver moving the processing head at least in a horizontal direction. The cooling device is provided in the processing head and cools at least a part of a solidified body including an upper surface to a predetermined cooling temperature, and the solidified body is formed by laminating the solidified layer. The cooling device includes a cooling plate having a cooling surface being cooled to the cooling temperature, and the cooling surface is in close contact with the upper surface of the solidified body in a recumbent state with the cooling surface along the horizontal direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lamination molding apparatus, comprising:
an irradiator irradiating a material layer with a beam to form a solidified layer, the material layer being formed for each of a plurality of divided layers obtained by dividing a desired three-dimensional molded object at a predetermined height;
a processing unit including a processing head having a tool that performs processing on the solidified layer, and a processing head driver moving the processing head at least in a horizontal direction; and
a cooling device provided in the processing head and cooling at least a part of a solidified body including an upper surface to a predetermined cooling temperature, the solidified body being formed by laminating the solidified layer;
wherein the cooling device includes a cooling plate having a cooling surface being cooled to the cooling temperature, the cooling surface being in close contact with the upper surface of the solidified body in a recumbent state with the cooling surface along the horizontal direction.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate has a conduit through which a refrigerant flows.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a chiller being connected to the conduit, the chiller adjusting a temperature of the refrigerant to the cooling temperature and circulating the refrigerant through the conduit.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling temperature is equal to or lower than a martensitic transformation start temperature of the solidified layer.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the cooling temperature is equal to or lower than a martensitic transformation finish temperature of the solidified layer.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a chamber covering the solidified body, the processing head and the cooling plate; and
an inert gas supplier supplying inert gas to the chamber, the inert gas having a predetermined concentration and a dew point temperature lower than the cooling temperature.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device further includes a cooling plate elevator moving the cooling plate in the recumbent state in a vertical direction.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device further includes a rotary actuator rotating the cooling plate between a position in a standing state with the cooling surface along a vertical direction and a position in the recumbent state.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a lock mechanism configured to fix the cooling plate in the standing state not to rotate to the position in the recumbent state.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking member having a locking portion provided on one of the cooling plate and the processing head, and a cylinder provided on the other of the cooling plate and the processing head,
the cylinder has a piston having a tip engaged with the locking portion when the cooling plate is in the standing state, a cylinder tube through which the piston is inserted, and an elastic member constantly energizing the piston in a direction so that the piston engages with the locking portion, and
the piston is configured to be moved in a direction so that the engagement with the locking portion is released, when the cooling plate is rotated from the position in the standing state to the position in the recumbent state.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature measurement unit provided on the processing head and including a temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the solidified body.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is a contact temperature sensor measuring the temperature in contact with the upper surface of the solidified body, and
the temperature measurement unit further includes a temperature sensor elevator moving the temperature sensor in a vertical direction.

Assignees

• Sodick Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saito Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B29C64/364 Primary

  Conditioning of environment · CPC title

• B22F3/1028 Primary

  Controlled cooling · CPC title

• B22F10/77

  of gas · CPC title

• B22F12/90

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

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title