Three-dimensional printing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931828-B2
Application number	US-201514928225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing device includes an optical device and a controller that controls the optical device. The controller includes a dividing section that divides an area of a vat that is irradiated with light of a projector into a plurality of blocks, a counting section that counts a number of times of irradiation with light of the projector, a first determination section that determines whether or not the number of times counted by the counting section has reached a predetermined threshold value, a light output section that changes when it is determined by the first determination section that the number of times has reached the predetermined threshold value from a first energy to a second energy lower than the first energy an energy of light to be output from the projector to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional printing device for printing a three-dimensional printed object by preparing cross-sectional shapes of the three-dimensional printed object and curing a photo-curable resin so as to successively deposit resin layers of the cross-sectional shapes, the three-dimensional printing device comprising:
a vat made of a resin material and containing the photo-curable resin therein;
an optical device disposed below the vat and including at least alight source that outputs light to irradiate the photo-curable resin contained in the vat with light from the light source; and
a controller that controls the optical device and is configured or programmed to include:
a dividing section that divides an area of the vat that is irradiated with light from the light source into a plurality of blocks;
a counting section that counts a number of times each of the blocks divided by the dividing section has been irradiated with light from the light source;
a first determination section that determines whether or not the number of times counted by the counting section has reached a predetermined threshold value; and
a light output section that, when it is determined by the first determination section that the number of times has not reached the threshold value, sets to a first energy an energy of light to be output from the light source to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made, and when it is determined by the first determination section that the number of times has reached the predetermined threshold value, the light output section changes, from the first energy to a second energy lower than the first energy, the energy of light to be output from the light source to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made.

2. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to include a calculating section that calculates a total number of times each of the blocks divided by the dividing section is irradiated with light from the light source, and a second determination section that determines whether or not a percentage of the number of times counted by the counting section with respect to the calculated total number of times has reached a predetermined percentage; and
the light output section changes, from the first energy to the second energy, the energy of light to be output from the light source to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made at whichever is a later point in time between when it is determined by the first determination section that the number of times has reached the predetermined threshold value and when it is determined by the second determination section that the percentage has reached the predetermined percentage.

3. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1 , wherein after changing from the first energy to the second energy the energy of light to be output from the light source to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made, the light output section lowers the energy of light from the light source in a stepwise manner from the second energy as the number of times the block for which determination has been made has been irradiated with light from the light source increases.

4. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1 , wherein after the energy of light to be output from the light source to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made is changed from the first energy to the second energy by the light output section, the light source irradiates the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made only with light having the second energy.

5. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of blocks include a first block, and a second block that is irradiated with light from the light source for a larger number of times than the first block;
the first block is irradiated only with light having the first energy; and
the second block is irradiated at least with light having the first energy and light having the second energy.

6. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of blocks include a first block, and a second block that is irradiated with light from the light source for a larger number of times than the first block;
the first block and the second block are irradiated with light having the first energy and light having the second energy; and
a timing at which light to irradiate the first block is changed from light having the first energy to light having the second energy is earlier than a timing at which light to irradiate the second block is changed from light having the first energy to light having the second energy.

Assignees

• Roland Dg Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Kouichi

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C67/0066

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C67/0088

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic