Three-dimensional forming apparatus and three-dimensional forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101470-A1
Application number	US-201514877641-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensional forming apparatus includes: a material supply unit that arranges a green sheet obtained by forming a sintering material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded into a sheet shape on a stage; a first heating unit that supplies first energy transpiring a part of the green sheet; a second heating unit that supplies second energy capable of sintering a part of the green sheet; and a driving unit that is able to move the first heating unit and the second heating unit three-dimensionally relative to the stage, wherein the first energy is supplied from the first heating unit to the green sheet so that a sintering region to be sintered with the second energy supplied from the second heating unit in the green sheet supplied to the stage by the material supply unit is surrounded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensional forming apparatus comprising:
a material supply unit that arranges a green sheet obtained by forming a sintering material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded into a sheet shape on a stage; a first heating unit that supplies first energy transpiring a part of the green sheet; a second heating unit that supplies second energy capable of sintering a part of the green sheet; and a driving unit that is able to move the first heating unit and the second heating unit three-dimensionally relative to the stage, wherein the first energy is supplied from the first heating unit to the green sheet so that a sintering region to be sintered with the second energy supplied from the second heating unit in the green sheet supplied to the stage by the material supply unit is surrounded.

2 . The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an output of the first energy is different from an output of the second energy.

3 . The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating unit and the second heating unit are laser radiation units.

4 . A three-dimensional forming method comprising:
supplying a green sheet obtained by forming a sintering material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded into a sheet shape; forming a single layer by transpiring and removing a part of the green sheet through radiation of first energy to the green sheet to form a removed portion and by radiating second energy toward the green sheet and sintering a part of the green sheet to form a sintered portion; stacking the single layer formed in the forming of the single layer as a first single layer and stacking the single layer as a second single layer in the forming of the single layer; and removing an unsintered portion from a stacked body including a three-dimensional fabricated object in which the sintered portions are stacked by repeating the stacking of the single layer a predetermined number of times.

5 . The three-dimensional forming method according to claim 4 , wherein in the removing of the part of the green sheet, the removed portion is formed so that a region in which the sintered portion is formed in the sintering of the part of the green sheet is surrounded.

6 . The three-dimensional forming method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first energy and the second energy are lasers, and wherein the first energy and the second energy are different in a laser output or a laser wavelength.

7 . The three-dimensional forming method according to claim 4 , wherein the removing of the part of the green sheet includes forming a splitting portion that splits the unsintered portion to be removed in the removing of the unsintered portion into a plurality of pieces.

8 . A three-dimensional forming apparatus comprising:
a material supply device serving as a material supply unit that arranges a green sheet obtained by forming a sintering material in which metal powder and a binder are kneaded into a sheet shape on a stage, the material supply device including
a sheet holding unit holding the green sheet placed on a supply table and
a supply driving unit moving the sheet holding unit relative to the supply table,
wherein a sintering device serving as a first heating unit that supplies first energy transpiring a part of the green sheet and a second heating unit that supplies second energy capable of sintering apart of the green sheet includes a base, a stage movable three-dimensionally relative to the base, and a heating device heating the green sheet transferred to the stage to be stacked, and wherein the first energy is supplied from the first heating unit to the green sheet so that a sintering region to be sintered with the second energy supplied from the second heating unit in the green sheet supplied to the stage by the material supply unit is surrounded.

9 . The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sintering device includes a laser oscillator, a galvano device by which a laser beam from the laser oscillator is radiated to a predetermined radiation position, and a plurality of laser controllers controlling output energy of the laser beam with respect to the green sheet, and wherein the galvano device includes a galvano mirror reflecting the laser beam and a mirror driving unit driving the galvano mirror to reflect the laser beam from the laser oscillator in a predetermined direction.

10 . A three-dimensional forming apparatus comprising:
a control unit that serves as a control mechanism controlling a stage, a laser oscillator, a galvano device, a laser controller, and a material supply device.

11 . The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit includes a controller operating in cooperation with a driving controller of the stage, a driving controller of the laser oscillator, a driving controller of the galvano device, a driving controller of the laser controller, and a driving controller of the material supply device.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kamakura Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B22F10/385

  Overhang structures · CPC title

• B22F12/50

  Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title