Three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus and method of manufacturing three-dimensionally formed object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018085997-A1
Application number	US-201715701895-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus includes: an ejector ejecting a fluid material including particles, which form a constituent material of a three-dimensionally formed object, and a solvent; a stage on which a layer formed of the fluid material, which is ejected from the ejector, is laminated; an obtainer obtaining an image of the layer formed of the fluid material formed on the stage; a dryer volatilizing the solvent included in the fluid material on the stage; and a determiner determining whether a predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized based on the image obtained by the obtainer, in which a next layer formed of the fluid material is laminated after the determiner determines that the predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized per predetermined layer formation in a laminating direction of the layer formed of the fluid material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus comprising:
an ejecting portion that ejects a fluid material including particles, which form a constituent material of a three-dimensionally formed object, and a solvent; a stage on which a layer formed of the fluid material, which is ejected from the ejecting portion, is laminated; an obtaining portion that obtains an image of the layer formed of the fluid material formed on the stage; a drying portion that volatilizes the solvent included in the fluid material of the stage; and a determination portion that determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized based on the image obtained by the obtaining portion, wherein a next layer formed of the fluid material is laminated after the determination portion determines that the predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized per formation of a predetermined layer in a laminating direction of the layer formed of the fluid material.

2 . The three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage portion that stores a corresponding parameter between a volatilization rate of the solvent and a viscosity of the fluid material, wherein the determination portion determines whether or not the predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized based on a volatilization rate corresponding to a predetermined viscosity of the fluid material which is calculated using the corresponding parameter.

3 . The three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drying portion includes at least one of a heating portion or a blowing portion.

4 . The three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an output of the drying portion is variable depending on the volatilization rate of the solvent.

5 . The three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the output of the drying portion is partially variable depending on a volatilization rate of the solvent in a part of the layer formed of the fluid material based on the image obtained by the obtaining portion.

6 . The three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination portion determines whether or not the predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized based on a change in a color of the image obtained by the obtaining portion.

7 . A method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object by laminating layers, the method comprising:
ejecting a layer formed of a fluid material including particles, which form a constituent material of a three-dimensionally formed object, and a solvent to a stage until a predetermined layer is formed in a laminating direction of the layer formed of the fluid material; volatilizing the solvent included in the fluid material of the stage; obtaining an image of the layer formed of the fluid material formed on the stage; determining whether or not a predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized based on the obtained image; and laminating a next layer formed of the fluid material after it is determined that the predetermined amount or more of the solvent is volatilized per formation of the predetermined layer.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tsunoya Akihiko

Classifications

• B29C64/364 Primary

  Conditioning of environment · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F10/16

  by embedding the binder within the powder bed · CPC title