Three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11766827-B2
Application number	US-202016916475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device includes a shaping table, layer forming portions configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table, a head 3 configured to discharge, from a nozzle, a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region of a three-dimensional shaped object in the powder layer, and a control unit configured to control a movement of the head with respect to the shaping table and a drive of the head by applying a voltage, in which the control unit performs control to, after the liquid is discharged to the shaping region, execute a flushing operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzle to a flushing position different from the shaping region, and set an applied voltage during the flushing operation higher than an applied voltage when the liquid is discharged to the shaping region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, comprising:
a shaping table;
a layer forming portion configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table;
a head configured to discharge, from a nozzle, a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region of a three-dimensional shaped object in the powder layer; and
a control unit configured to control a movement of the head with respect to the shaping table and a drive of the head by applying a voltage, wherein
the control unit is configured to:
execute, after the liquid is discharged to the shaping region, a flushing operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzle to a flushing position different from the shaping region,
set an applied voltage during the flushing operation higher than an applied voltage when the liquid is discharged to the shaping region, and
change a flushing operation time at the flushing position to be longer as an interval between the shaping region and the flushing position increases according to a change in a size of a structure formed in the shaping region.

2. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to omit, when the interval is equal to or less than a predetermined length, executing the flushing operation by stopping the head at the flushing position.

3. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to execute, before the liquid is discharged to the shaping region, a pre-shaping flushing operation at an applied voltage lower than the applied voltage when the liquid is discharged to the shaping region.

4. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to move the head at different moving speeds with respect to the shaping table when the liquid is discharged to the shaping region, and controls the flushing operation time at the flushing position to be longer as a moving speed of the head increases.

5. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the nozzle, wherein
the control unit is configured to stop the head at the flushing position without executing the flushing operation until the temperature of the nozzle after executing the flushing operation is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature.

6. The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the nozzle, wherein
the control unit is configured to execute the flushing operation until the temperature of the nozzle is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okamoto Eiji
• Tsunoya Akihiko

Classifications

• 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

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/236

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

• B29C64/35 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title