Manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure and manufacturing apparatus therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129012-A1
Application number	US-201615341616-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 6, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure has a layer forming step of supplying a flowable composition containing a powder and an organic material to form a unit layer, an organic material removing step of performing a treatment of removing the organic material on the unit layer, and an energy applying step of applying energy to the unit layer after the organic material removing step to form a molten layer or sintered layer, wherein the layer forming step, the organic material removing step, and the energy applying step are repeated with respect to the molten layer or sintered layer in a stacking direction as appropriate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure comprising:
a layer forming step of supplying a flowable composition containing a powder and an organic material to form a unit layer; an organic material removing step of performing a treatment of removing the organic material on the unit layer; and an energy applying step of applying energy to the unit layer after the organic material removing step to form a molten layer or sintered layer, wherein the layer forming step, the organic material removing step, and the energy applying step are repeated with respect to the molten layer or sintered layer in a stacking direction as appropriate.

2 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material in the flowable composition is a solvent, and
the organic material removing step has a step of gasifying the solvent for removal.

3 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material in the flowable composition contains a solvent and a binder, and
the organic material removing step has a step of applying energy that can remove the binder for removal.

4 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 3 , wherein the energy that can remove the binder is applied at multiple stages, and the first applied energy is at a lower level than that of the subsequently applied energy.

5 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 3 , wherein the organic material removing step and the energy applying step are executed by irradiating the same area of the unit layer with a laser beam at least twice and moving from a removing treatment of the organic material to a forming treatment of the molten layer or sintered layer in a stepwise manner.

6 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the organic material removing step and the energy applying step is performed under a reduced-pressure atmosphere.

7 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the organic material removing step and the energy applying step is performed under an inert gas atmosphere.

8 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein fume generated at the energy applying step is suctioned.

9 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein the layer forming step is performed under a reduced-pressure atmosphere.

10 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein the layer forming step and the organic material removing step are performed in different areas.

11 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 1 , wherein the layer forming step has:
a first material layer forming step of forming a first material layer corresponding to a three-dimensional structure; and a supporting layer forming step of forming a supporting layer that supports the first material layer.

12 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 11 , wherein the first material layer includes at least one of magnesium, iron, copper, cobalt, titanium, chromium, nickel, maraging steel, stainless, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, titanium alloy, nickel alloy, aluminum alloy, cobalt alloy, and cobalt-chromium alloy as powder.

13 . The manufacturing method for three-dimensional structure according to claim 11 , wherein the supporting layer includes at least one of alumina and ceramics as powder.

14 . A manufacturing apparatus for three-dimensional structure comprising:
a layer forming unit that supplies a flowable composition containing a powder and an organic material to form a unit layer; an organic material removing unit that performs a treatment of removing the organic material on the unit layer; and an energy applying unit that applies energy to the unit layer after the treatment of removing the organic material is performed to form a molten layer or sintered layer.

15 . The manufacturing apparatus for three-dimensional structure according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a first chamber that houses the layer forming unit; and a second chamber that houses the organic material removing unit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Ishida Masaya
• Kamakura Tomoyuki
• Miyashita Takeshi
• Okamoto Eiji

Classifications

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F12/47

  parallel to the deposition plane · CPC title

• B22F12/13

  to preheat the material · CPC title

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• B22F12/22

  Driving means · CPC title