Three-dimensional shaped article production method, three-dimensional shaped article production apparatus, and three-dimensional shaped article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017252970-A1
Application number	US-201715441751-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Sep 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensional shaped article production method is a method for producing a three-dimensional shaped article by stacking layers and includes a layer formation step of forming each layer in a predetermined pattern by ejecting a liquid droplet of a composition containing particles and a solvent using a dispenser, a measurement step of determining the height of the layer, and a bonding step of subjecting a stacked body including a plurality of layers to a bonding treatment for bonding the particles, wherein when n represents an arbitrary integer of 1 or more, based on the information of the height of the layer in the n-th position (n-th layer) determined in the measurement step, the number of liquid droplets of the composition per unit area to be ejected onto the n-th layer from the dispenser is adjusted in the layer formation step of forming the layer in the (n+1)th position ((n+1)th layer).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensional shaped article production method, which is a method for producing a three-dimensional shaped article by stacking layers, comprising:
a layer formation step of forming each layer in a predetermined pattern by ejecting a liquid droplet of a composition containing particles and a solvent using a dispenser; a measurement step of determining the height of the layer; and a bonding step of subjecting a stacked body including a plurality of layers to a bonding treatment for bonding the particles, wherein when n represents an arbitrary integer of 1 or more, based on the information of the height of an n-th layer which is the layer in the n-th position determined in the measurement step, the number of liquid droplets of the composition per unit area to be ejected onto the n-th layer from the dispenser is adjusted in the layer formation step of forming an (n+1)th layer which is the layer in the (n+1)th position.

2 . The three-dimensional shaped article production method according to claim 1 , wherein in the measurement step, the height is determined in a plurality of places where the (n+1)th layer is to be stacked in the surface of the n-th layer, and the number of liquid droplets of the composition per unit area in the layer formation step of forming the (n+1)th layer is adjusted so that the film thickness becomes a desired film thickness with the n-th layer and the (n+1)th layer.

3 . The three-dimensional shaped article production method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the layer formation step of forming the n-th layer, the number of liquid droplets per unit area of the composition is set to a predetermined value, and in the layer formation step of forming the (n+1) th layer, the ejection amount of the composition per unit area is adjusted by selecting at least one of a value which is smaller than the predetermined value and a value which is larger than the predetermined value as the number of liquid droplets per unit area of the composition.

4 . The three-dimensional shaped article production method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement step for the n-th layer is performed after performing a solvent removal step of removing the solvent from the n-th layer.

5 . The three-dimensional shaped article production method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further contains a binder having a function to temporarily bond the particles in the layer in which the solvent has been removed in addition to the particles and the solvent.

6 . The three-dimensional shaped article production method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition contains particles constituted by a material containing at least one of a metal material and a ceramic material as the particles.

7 . A three-dimensional shaped article production apparatus, comprising:
a dispenser which ejects a liquid droplet of a composition containing particles and a solvent; a measurement unit which determines the height of a layer formed using the composition; and a control section which controls the ejection amount of the composition from the dispenser, wherein the control section is configured to adjust the number of liquid droplets of the composition per unit area onto the layer whose height has been measured from the dispenser based on the result of measurement made by the measurement unit.

8 . The three-dimensional shaped article production apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a bonding unit which applies energy for bonding the particles to a stacked body obtained by stacking the layers.

9 . A three-dimensional shaped article, which is produced using the three-dimensional shaped article production apparatus according to claim 7 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tsunoya Akihiko
• Okamoto Eiji

Classifications

• C04B35/6264

  Mixing media, e.g. organic solvents · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · 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

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title