JPH04103339A - Method for forming three-dimensional objects - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to form a three-dimensional matter with smooth surfaces in a short time by making only the laminating density of a surface section of the three-dimensional matter comprising laminated photo-cure resin higher than that of a solid section of said matter. CONSTITUTION:A three-dimensional matter 11 is formed in such a manner that a slice piece S1 to be formed into a solid section 11b is formed on a table and subslice pieces S11, S12, S13 to be formed into a surface section 11a are successively fixed to the periphery of the piece S1. Next, a slice piece S2 to be formed into the solid section 11b is superposed on the piece S1, while subslice pieces S21, S22, S23 to be formed into the surface section 11a are successively fixed to the periphery of the slice piece. As a photo-cure resin, radiation curing epoxy resin is employed, while laser ray 14 containing light having wave length of 325 nanometer in ultraviolet region is used to effect curing when it is applied to resin. Therefore, the laminating density of the surface section composed of laminated subslice pieces is made higher and that of the central section composed of laminated slice pieces is made lower to form the three-dimensional matter.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A method for forming a three-dimensional object in which a three-dimensional object is formed by laminating photocurable resins in layers, the object of which is to form a three-dimensional object with a smooth surface in a short time. The aim is to develop a method for forming three-dimensional objects that enables the formation of three-dimensional objects, by depositing an uncured liquid photocurable resin on the surface of a cured photocurable resin, and by exposing the uncured photocurable resin to light. In a method for forming a three-dimensional object in which a three-dimensional object is formed by laminating photocurable resin in layers, the lamination density of the surface layer region of the three-dimensional object is equal to that of the solid area. The stacking density is higher than that of .

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a method for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating layers of photocurable resin to form a three-dimensional object, and particularly to a method for forming a three-dimensional object by which a three-dimensional object having a smooth surface can be formed in a short time.

2. Description of the Related Art Due to recent demands for shortening product development periods, diversifying product designs, etc., it has become increasingly important to create a large number of product models in a short period of time at the product development stage.

As a method for forming such a product model, for example, 0.1 to 0.5
Deposition of uncured liquid photocurable resin with a thickness of approximately 1.0 mm, and photocuring of uncured resin using a beam of light, such as a laser beam, with a cross-sectional diameter of approximately 0.1 to 5 mm perpendicular to the optical axis. There is a method for forming a three-dimensional object in which the process of irradiating and curing a photocurable resin is alternately repeated multiple times, for example, hundreds of times, and hundreds of layers of photocurable resin are laminated to form a three-dimensional object.

The irradiation area of the laser beam on the uncured photocurable resin is as follows:
Three-dimensional CAD (computer-aided design)
When slicing the product model of the three-dimensional coordinate data obtained by ``sign'' in the height direction at predetermined intervals, for example, at a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm, the product model within the contour line of each slice, that is, the product This corresponds to the solid part of the model.

[Prior Art] Next, a conventional method for forming a three-dimensional object will be explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method for forming a three-dimensional object.
-B sectional view, the same figure (c) and the same figure (e) are partial side sectional views of the three-dimensional object whose side profile line of the side cross section is a straight line, the same figure (
d) is a partial side sectional view of a three-dimensional object in which the three lines of the side wheels in the side section are curved.

Note that the same symbols are given to the same parts and materials throughout the drawings.

As shown in the same figure (a), slice pieces Sl and S made of photocurable resin are made by the conventional ``method of forming three-dimensional objects''.
2. . . . As if Sn were laminated (thus, three-dimensional object 1
1, first, as shown in (a) of FIG. A table 13 is placed in the stored uncured liquid photocurable resin 10.
Slowly sink.

Then, when the distance between the surface of the table 13 and the liquid level 10a of the photocurable resin 10 reaches ΔZ, for example, 0.5 mm, the thrusting of the plunger 15 is temporarily stopped.

Next, ultraviolet HM cures the photocurable resin 10 in a short time.
A laser beam 14 generated by a He-Cd laser oscillator (not shown) containing light in the SN range, for example, light with a wavelength of 325 nanometers, is shown in area A by the dotted line in FIG.
When the inside is irradiated thoroughly, the photocurable resin 1 in this area A
0 is cured, and a slice piece S having a thickness of Δ2 made of photocurable resin 10° is formed on the table 13.

After this, the plunger 15 is further projected vertically downward by ΔZ again, and the laser beam 14 is
When the photocurable resin 10 is cured by
A slice piece S2 having a thickness of ΔZ is stacked thereon.

The three-dimensional object 11 is formed by alternately repeating the vertical downward protrusion of the plunger 15 by ΔZ units and the irradiation of the laser beam 14 onto the photocurable resin 10 n times.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 2(c) and 2(d), the side profile of the original side cross section of the three-dimensional object 11 is smooth.

However, the three-dimensional object 11 is
As shown in , the slice piece Sl+ S2. has a thickness of Δ2 and has a vertical end face. ..., formed by laminating Sn.

Therefore, the side profile of the side cross section of the three-dimensional object 11 becomes step-like, as shown in FIGS. It was very different from that.

In order to bring the step-like side profile of the side cross section of the three-dimensional object 11 closer to the side profile of the original side cross section of the three-dimensional object 11, the slices shown in FIGS. Single SI
+S2. ..., slice piece thinner than Sn TI+T
t,..., Tw (slice pieces Sl, St,..., Sn
The thickness of each layer is ΔY, and it is obvious that ΔY×ΔZ) can be laminated with a high lamination density.

However, forming the three-dimensional object 11 using such a method has a problem in that it takes a very long time to form.

The present invention has been made to solve this problem, and its purpose is to provide a method for forming a three-dimensional object that makes it possible to form a three-dimensional object with a smooth surface in a short time.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The object is to deposit an uncured liquid photocurable resin on the surface of a cured photocurable resin as shown in FIG. In the method for forming a three-dimensional object in which a three-dimensional object is formed by laminating photo-curable resin in layers by repeating alternately curing the photo-curable resin by irradiation with light, the lamination density of the surface region 11a of the three-dimensional object 11 is as follows: This is achieved by a method for forming a three-dimensional object characterized by making the stacking density higher than that of the solid region 11b.

[For production]

In the method for forming a three-dimensional object of the present invention, only the layer density of the surface layer region 11a of the three-dimensional object 11 is made higher than the layer density of the solid region 11b.

Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to form a three-dimensional object with a smooth surface in a short time.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a method for forming a three-dimensional object according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for forming a three-dimensional object according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. (b) is a schematic side sectional view of a three-dimensional object.

In the method for forming a three-dimensional object according to an embodiment of the present invention, an epoxy-based photocurable resin is used as the photocurable resin, and light in the ultraviolet region is used as the light for exposing and curing the photocurable resin. For example, by using a laser beam 14 containing light with a wavelength of 325 nanometers, as shown in FIG.
The structure is such that a three-dimensional object 11 in which the stacking density of a is higher than the stacking density of the solid region 11b can be formed more efficiently in a shorter time than with conventional methods.

That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, after forming the slice piece S that will become the solid region 11b on the table 13, the sub-slice piece SII+Sl□ that will become the surface layer region 11a.

StS is formed by fixing it to the outer periphery of the slice piece SL in this order, and then the slice piece S is formed with the slice piece S2 which becomes the solid region 11b stacked thereon, and then the sub-slice piece which becomes the surface layer region 11a is formed. Sz+, Szz, St
are fixed to the outer periphery of the sliced piece S2 in this order to complete a three-dimensional object laminated with photocurable resin as shown in FIG. 2(b).

Next, the method for forming a three-dimensional object according to the present invention will be explained in the same figure (
This will be explained in detail with reference to a) and FIG.

First, a slice S of the three-dimensional object 11 is placed on the table 13.
Table 1 housed in container 12 to form I
The plunger 15 with its lower end fixed to the surface of the table 13 and the container 12 are projected vertically in the direction of the arrow.
When the distance between the liquid surface 10a of the photocurable resin 10 and the liquid surface 10a becomes ΔZ1, which corresponds to the thickness of the slice piece S, for example, 0.4 mm, the thrusting of the plunger 15 is temporarily stopped (( b) See figure)).

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1(b), a laser beam 14 is irradiated onto the surface of the photocurable resin lO, which will become the slice piece S, to form a slice piece S+.

Next, the plunger 15 is pulled in the direction opposite to the arrow mark, that is, in the direction of the arrow D', until the distance between the surface of the table 13 and the liquid level 10a of the photocurable resin 10 is ΔY, for example, ΔY=0.
．． When it reaches 1 mm, the retraction of the plunger 15 is temporarily stopped (see figure (b))).

Thereafter, as described above, a laser beam 1 is applied to the surface of the photocurable resin lO corresponding to the area corresponding to the Sth sub-slice piece constituting the surface area 11a of the three-dimensional object 11 shown in FIG.
4 to form a sub-slice piece Sll fixed around the slice piece Sl.

By repeatedly performing this method, the sub-slice piece S fixed around the slice piece S1, 1° SIl+
Sl! will be formed (see figures (c) and (d)).

Next, in order to form the slice piece S2, the plunger 15 is again projected perpendicularly in the direction of the arrow, and when the distance between the surface of the slice piece SI and the liquid level 10a of the photocurable resin 10 becomes ΔZ, The protrusion of the plunger 15 is temporarily stopped, and a slice S2 is formed according to the procedure described above for forming the slice S1 (see (e)).

Thereafter, by the above procedure for forming the sub-slice piece 5IIJIL 513, a sub-slice piece Sz++ S! is formed around the slice piece S2. ! , the same figure (
The three-dimensional object 11 of b) is completed.

As mentioned above, the method for forming a three-dimensional object of the present invention increases the lamination density of the surface layer region formed by laminating subslice pieces,
The stacking density of the solid region formed by stacking slice pieces is made low to form a three-dimensional object.

Therefore, the method for forming a three-dimensional object of the present invention makes it possible to form a three-dimensional object with a smooth surface in a short time.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to form a three-dimensional object having a smooth surface in a short time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for forming a three-dimensional object according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method for forming a three-dimensional object. In the figure, 10 is an uncured photocurable resin, lO' is a photocurable resin in a curing method, 11 is a three-dimensional object, 11a is a surface region of the three-dimensional object, 11b is a solid region of the three-dimensional object, 12 13 is a container, 14 is a laser beam, and 15 is a plunger.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Alternately repeating the deposition of an uncured liquid photocurable resin on the surface of the cured photocurable resin and the curing of the uncured photocurable resin by irradiation with light, A method for forming a three-dimensional object in which a three-dimensional object is formed by laminating photocurable resin in layers, characterized in that the lamination density of the surface region of the three-dimensional object is higher than the lamination density of the solid region thereof. A method for forming three-dimensional objects.