Three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440248-B2
Application number	US-202016918174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 4, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

In a three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, when a unit is moved in a forward direction, powder is supplied from a first supply portion, a powder layer is formed by a first layer forming portion, a liquid is discharged to a shaping region from a head, and a shaping table is moved in a direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid is ended and before a second layer forming portion faces the shaping region, and when the unit is moved in a backward direction, the powder is supplied from a second supply portion, the powder layer is formed by the second layer forming portion, the liquid is discharged to the shaping region from the head, and the shaping table is moved in the direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the first layer forming portion faces the shaping region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, comprising:
a shaping table that includes a shaping surface of a three-dimensional shaped object, and the shaping table is configured to move the shaping surface in a shaping surface moving direction that intersects the shaping surface;
a unit configured to reciprocate in a reciprocating direction with respect to the shaping table and includes a first and second supply portion configured to supply powder, a first and second layer forming portion configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table using the powder, and at least one head configured to discharge a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object on the powder layer wherein,
the order of the components of the unit from a head side in a forward direction that is in the reciprocating direction is; the first supply portion, the first layer forming portion, the head, the second layer forming portion, and the second supply portion,
and an interval between the first layer forming portion and the head is greater than the length of the shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object and an interval between the second layer forming portion and the head is greater than the length of the shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object; and

a control unit configured to control the unit and the shaping table, wherein
the control unit is configured to performs control such that,
when moving the unit in the forward direction and when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, supply the powder from the first supply portion, form the powder layer on the shaping table using the powder with the first layer forming portion, discharge the liquid to the shaping region from the head, and move the shaping table in a direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the second layer forming portion faces the shaping region, and
when moving the unit in a backward direction in the reciprocating direction and when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, supply the powder from the second supply portion, form the powder layer on the shaping table using the powder with the second layer forming portion, discharge the liquid to the shaping region from the head, and move the shaping table in the direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the first layer forming portion faces the shaping region.

2. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the binder is a resin cured by applying energy, and
the unit includes at least one energy applying portion for curing the binder.

3. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 2 , wherein
the head includes a first head provided on a first layer forming portion side in the reciprocating direction and a second head provided on a second layer forming portion side in the reciprocating direction, and
the energy applying portion is provided between the first head and the second head in the reciprocating direction.

4. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 2 , wherein
the energy applying portion includes a first energy applying portion and a second energy applying portion.

5. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
when an (n+1)th powder layer is to be formed after an n-th powder layer is formed on the shaping table with n being a natural number, the control unit controls the shaping table to move by a layer thickness of the (n+1)th powder layer in the direction separating from the unit when shaping a three-dimensional shaped object of the n-th layer.

6. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
when an (n+1)th powder layer is to be formed after an n-th powder layer is formed on the shaping table with n being a natural number, the control unit controls the shaping table to move by more than a layer thickness of the (n+1)th powder layer in the direction separating from the unit when shaping a three-dimensional shaped object of the n-th layer.

7. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first layer forming portion and the second layer forming portion are rollers having rotation shafts in a direction intersecting the shaping surface moving direction and the reciprocating direction, and
the control unit performs control to,
when moving the unit in the forward direction when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, rotate the first layer forming portion such that a shaping table side of the first layer forming portion faces the head side in the forward direction, and
when moving the unit in the backward direction when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, rotate the second layer forming portion such that a shaping table side of the second layer forming portion faces a head side in the backward direction.

8. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the interval between the first layer forming portion and the head in the reciprocating direction and the interval between the second layer forming portion and the head in the reciprocating direction are adjustable.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okamoto Eiji
• Tsunoya Akihiko

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/236

  for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer · CPC title

• B29C64/321

  Feeding · CPC title

• B29C64/218

  Rollers · CPC title