Molding device and molding method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207829-B2
Application number	US-201716095944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A molding device that molds a stereoscopic molding object through a layered molding method, where after molding of at least one molding object is started and before the molding of the at least one molding object is completed, molding of another molding object is started. The molding device 10, for example, includes an ejection head, and a molding object supporter, the molding object supporter includes, for example, a plurality of molding tables, at least an opposing surface of each molding table is independently movable, an ejection head ejects a material toward the opposing surface of at least one molding table to mold the molding object on the molding table, and at least the opposing surface of the molding table on which the molding object is molded is moved in a perpendicular direction to move the molding object in the perpendicular direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A molding device that molds stereoscopic molding objects through a layered molding method, wherein the molding device comprises an ejection head that ejects material to form the molding objects, a molding object supporter comprising independently movable molding tables, and a controller configured to:
start molding a first of the molding objects on a first of the molding tables by scanning the ejection head within a plane parallel to the first molding table while ejecting the material according to slice data for the first object;
select a second of the molding tables to start molding a second of the molding objects based on which of the molding tables is available for molding the second object and provides the shortest scanning distance for the ejection head to travel;
assign molding data for the second object to the selected second table; and
before completing the molding of the first molding object, start molding the second molding object on the second molding table by scanning the ejection head within the plane while ejecting the material according to slice data for the second object, wherein the ejection head is movable in X and Y directions, which are perpendicular with each other, within the plane, and wherein each of the molding tables is movable in a layering direction perpendicular to the plane.

2. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , comprising:
an ejection scanning driver that causes the ejection head to carry out an ejection scanning operation of relatively moving with respect to the molding objects in a first direction within the plane while ejecting the material; and
a perpendicular direction driver that moves the molding objects being molded in the layering direction perpendicular to the plane;
wherein:
each of the molding tables is movable in the layering direction independently from one another; and
the perpendicular direction driver moves the molding tables on which respective ones of the molding objects are being molded in the layering direction to move the respective molding objects mounted thereon in the layering direction while the molding objects are being formed.

3. The molding device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
the molding object supporter includes a plurality of the molding tables lined in the first direction;
the molding device is configured to carry out molding of the molding objects on respective ones of the molding tables lined in the first direction;
when molding the molding objects, the ejection scanning driver causes the ejection head to carry out the ejection scanning operation so that the ejection head passes above the molding tables on which the molding objects are being molded; and
the perpendicular direction driver moves each of the molding tables according to an advancement in an operation of molding respective ones of the objects on each of the molding tables.

4. The molding device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
in a middle of molding the first molding object on the first table, the molding device starts molding of the second molding object on the second table; and
for starting the molding of the second molding object, the controller selects the second table so that a scanning width for the ejection head in the first direction between the first and second tables is minimized.

5. The molding device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein
the controller is further configured to:
set a scanning width for the ejection head during the ejection scanning operation according to the width in the first direction of the first table on which the first molding object is being molded; and

reset the scanning width for the ejection head according to the width in the first direction of the second table on which the second molding object is being molded.

6. The molding device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
the molding of the molding objects is carried out on respective ones of the molding tables;
each of the molding tables is movable independently from each other also in a second direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the layering direction;
the molding device further includes a second direction driver that moves each of molding tables in the second direction; and
when the molding of the first molding object is completed, the second direction driver moves the first table on which the first molding object is formed in the second direction.

7. The molding device as set forth in claim 6 , further comprising:
a flattening roller that flattens a layer of a material of the first molding object;
wherein:
when moving the first molding table in the second direction:
the perpendicular direction driver moves the first molding table in a direction away from the ejection head so that an upper layer surface of the first molding object and the flattening roller are not brought into contact with one another; and
the second direction driver moves the first molding table in the second direction to a position where the first molding object and the ejection head are not in an up and down relationship in the layering direction.

8. The molding device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein
the perpendicular direction driver is configured to move a plurality of the molding tables to be aligned in the layering direction for molding at least one of the molding objects over the plurality of aligned molding tables.

9. The molding device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein
the molding object supporter includes a plurality of the molding tables lined in a second direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the layering direction.

10. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the ejection head is an inkjet head including a nozzle row in which nozzles for ejecting the material are lined.

11. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of molding tables is detachable independently from one another.

12. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the first molding table comprises a detachable tray installed on a surface of the first molding table opposing the ejection head.

13. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
when the molding of the first molding object is completed on the first molding table, the molding object is detached from the first molding table, and the controller prepares the first molding table for molding a new one of the molding objects.

14. The molding device as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising:
a completed molding object mover that detaches and moves the first molding object, after said molding is completed, from the first molding table.

15. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the slice data for the first and second objects is data indicating a cross-sectional shape of the first and second objects being molded, and
when molding the first and second molding objects on the first and second molding tables, the controller controls the operation of molding based on data in which a plurality of pieces of the slice data corresponding to each of the first and second molding objects are synthesized.

16. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
one or more of the molding tables have different sizes of opposing surfaces thereof facing the ejection head.

17. The molding device as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional molding table, which is a table-shaped member distinct from and installed on the first molding table; wherein
the ejection head molds another molding object on the additional molding tabl

Assignees

• Mimaki Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hakkaku Kunio
• Ohi Hiroyoshi

Classifications

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/182 Primary

  in parallel batches · CPC title

• B29C64/171

  specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title