KR101656948B1 - 3d printer of floating method using powder - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a floating type three-dimensional printer using powders capable of performing rapid fabrication and additional fabrication after fabrication by controlling the powder material to be located in an arbitrary space and curing through a plurality of lasers. Accordingly, the present invention is advantageous in that the powder material is controlled to be located in an arbitrary space and cured through a plurality of lasers, thereby enabling rapid manufacture and further manufacture after manufacture.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a three-

The present invention relates to a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder, and more particularly, it relates to a three-dimensional printer in which a powder material is controlled to be placed in an arbitrary space and cured through a plurality of lasers, The present invention relates to a three-dimensional (3D)

Generally, a printer means a device for printing characters, drawings, etc. on a print object. And a printer device which is connected to a computer and printed on the ground are widely used for business use and home use.

Conventional printers have been used for two-dimensional printing of fine ink droplets by moving paper or sheet material to be printed in a predetermined direction, but a three-dimensional printer capable of forming a three-dimensional shape recently has appeared.

A three-dimensional printer is an additive manufacturing machine that produces a three-dimensional object by stacking a material on a plate while continuously sputtering the plate. It is a device for producing a signal of a computer or a sensor as a three-dimensional object. , Expanding from manufacturing to medical equipment companies.

In particular, 3D technology can be used to increase cost efficiency, so it can be used as a device to inform the emergence of the third industrial revolution.

In the US and Japan, 3D printing technology is commercialized in earnest. Such a three-dimensional printer is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0038101 (published on April 17, 2013).

On the other hand, the addition method and the cutting method are mainly used for the product molding method of the 3D printer.

The addition method is a method of melt-adhering a three-dimensionally laminated object in a two-dimensional planar form. The addition method has a low failure rate in the printing process and grasps the progress of use and production in a direct manner However, there is a problem that partial reworking is not possible when additional work is required, so that the printing operation must be performed from the beginning, and the forming speed and precision are low.

1, the cutting method is a method of cutting a solid material 20 (x, y, z) by moving the laser 10 in x, y, and z axes, Is formed into a predetermined shape 21, but there is a problem that it is not possible to perform operations such as adding a new part after production.

Further, in the cutting method, in the case of a recoverable material, there is a problem that the material left after manufacturing must be reprocessed due to oxidation through contact with the outside air.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0038101

In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides a three-dimensional printer of floating type using powder which can perform rapid manufacturing and further manufacture after manufacture by controlling the powder material to be located in an arbitrary space and curing through a plurality of lasers The purpose is to provide.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a three-dimensional printer of floating type using powder, comprising: an input unit for detecting user setting information and shape information of an output; A material supply unit for receiving the supply signal output by the control unit according to the setting information and shape information detected by the input unit and supplying the powder; A position-tracking unit for detecting a position on a horizontal plane and a position on a vertical plane of the powder supplied from the material supply unit; And a controller for analyzing the setting information and the shape information detected by the input unit to determine the position of the powder so that the powder is sintered at an arbitrary position according to the supply signal of the powder and the position information of the powder provided by the position- A sintering position signal to be controlled and a sintering signal for sintering the powder; A position control module for outputting a position control signal to maintain the supplied powder at an arbitrary position in the x axis, the y axis and the z axis according to the sintering position signal output from the controller; And a laser module part for outputting at least one laser light for heating and sintering the supplied powder according to a sintering signal of the control part.

In addition, the powder according to the present invention is characterized by being either a metallic powder or a plastic resin powder.

The position tracking unit may further include: a first position tracking unit for detecting a position on a horizontal plane of the powder; And a second position locator for detecting a position on the vertical plane of the powder.

The first position tracking unit and the second position tracking unit according to the present invention are cameras.

The position control module according to the present invention may further include an x-axis control module for controlling the supplied powder to maintain an arbitrary position of the x-axis according to a position signal output from the controller; A y-axis control module for controlling the supplied powder to maintain an arbitrary position in the y-axis according to a position signal outputted from the controller; And a z axis control module for controlling the supplied powder to maintain an arbitrary position in the z axis according to a position signal output from the controller.

The x-axis control module according to the present invention may further include: an x-axis driving unit for providing a driving force to move the material supply unit in the x-axis direction; And at least one x-axis position setting unit for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to hold the powder at a predetermined position.

The y-axis control module according to the present invention may further include a y-axis driving unit for providing a driving force to move the material supply unit in the y-axis direction; And at least one y-axis positioning unit for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to keep the powder at a predetermined position.

The z-axis control module according to the present invention may further include: a z-axis driving unit for providing driving force to move the material supply unit in the z-axis direction; And at least one z-axis position setting unit for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to hold the powder at a predetermined position.

The present invention is advantageous in that the powder material is controlled to be located in an arbitrary space and cured through a plurality of lasers to enable rapid production.

Further, the present invention is advantageous in that the powder material is controlled to be located in an arbitrary space and is cured through a plurality of lasers to enable further manufacture after manufacture.

1 is a view illustrating an example of a 3D printing process using a cutting method according to the related art.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention. Fig.
3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an x-axis, y-axis, z-axis control module section of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a laser module part of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention.
5 is a sectional view showing the structure of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention.
6 is a view illustrating an operation process of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention;

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the construction of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the x-, y-, and z- 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a laser module part of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a floating type three- FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an operation of a floating type three-dimensional printer using powder according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the floating type three-dimensional printer 100 using the powder according to the present invention controls the powder material to be located in an arbitrary space and cures the powder material through a plurality of lasers, A positioning unit 130, a control unit 140, a position control module 150, and a laser module 150. The housing 101 includes a housing 101, an input unit 110, a material supply unit 120, a position tracking unit 130, (160).

The housing 101 is configured to form an outer shape of the 3D printer 100. The housing 101 has a storage space therein and includes the input unit 110, the material supply unit 120, the position tracking unit 130, A control unit 140, a position control module unit 150, and a laser module unit 160 are installed.

A base portion 102 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 101 so as to fix the output 200. The base portion 102 is divided into a predetermined region and a plurality of z axis positioning portions 153b ' Respectively.

The housing 101 includes an x-axis frame 103 for guiding a path of the material supply unit 120 in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions by the position control module unit 150, A frame (not shown), and a z-axis frame 104 are provided.

The input unit 110 is installed at one side of the housing 101 to detect operation setting information input by a user and shape information of an output 200 provided for output from an external terminal such as a PC and outputs the detected shape information to a control unit 140 And includes a keypad, a button switch, a touch pad, a data connection connector, and the like.

The material supply unit 120 is provided with a powder discharge hole 121 at a lower portion thereof and a flange portion 122 having a distal end bent downward along a periphery of the powder discharge hole 121 and extending to a predetermined length, A powdered powder 123 for manufacturing the output product 200 is contained in the upper portion of the powdered powder 123 so that the powdered powder 123 is supplied through the powdered discharge hole 121 in accordance with a supply signal output from the controller 140.

Also, the material supply unit 120 moves to a position where the powder 123 is discharged according to the operation of the position control module unit 150, which will be described later.

The powder 123 is a spherical powder having a predetermined size, and is preferably composed of either a metal powder or a plastic resin powder.

The position tracking unit 130 is configured to detect a position on a horizontal plane and a position on a vertical plane of the powder 123 discharged through the powder discharge hole 121 of the material supply unit 120. The position detection unit 130 includes a first position detection unit 131, And a second position detecting unit 132. [

The first position tracing unit 131 is disposed on the bottom surface of the flange portion 122 of the material supply unit 120 and detects the position on the horizontal plane of the powder 123 discharged to the powder discharge hole 121 of the material supply unit 120 .

That is, any position information on the x-y coordinate where the powder 123 is located.

The second position locating unit 132 detects the position on the vertical plane of the powder 123 that is installed inside the end of the bent flange portion 122 and discharged to the powder discharge hole 121 of the material supply unit 120 .

That is, any position information on the x-z coordinate or the y-z coordinate where the powder 123 is located.

The first position tracing unit 131 and the second position tracing unit 132 are cameras having a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor, or a photographable sensor.

The control unit 140 analyzes the operation setting information of the user and the shape information of the output 200 detected by the input unit 110 and analyzes the shape information of the output 200 according to the analysis result, And outputs a supply signal to the material supply unit 120 so that the powder 123 is discharged from the material supply unit 120.

The control unit 140 controls the position of the powder 123 so that the powder 123 is sintered at an arbitrary position according to the position information of the powder 123 provided by the position- And outputs a sintering position signal to the position control module unit 150. [

When the powder 123 is positioned at the sintering position, the control unit 140 outputs a sintering signal for heating and sintering the powder 123 to the laser module unit 160.

The position control module 150 outputs a position control signal so that the supplied powder 123 maintains an arbitrary position on the x axis, the y axis, and the z axis in accordance with the sintering position signal output from the controller 140 Axis control module unit 151, a y-axis control module unit 152, and a z-axis control module unit 153. The x-

The x-axis control module 151 is configured to control the supplied powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position on the x-axis according to a position signal output from the controller 140 and includes an x-axis driver 151a and an x- and an x-axis position setting unit 151b.

The x-axis driving unit 151a is configured to provide a driving force so that the material supplying unit 120 moves to an arbitrary position on the x-axis along the x-axis frame 103, preferably a DC motor, a stepping motor, It is a motor composed of either one.

The x-axis position setting unit 151b is provided in the flange portion 122 of the material supply unit 120 to control the powder 123 supplied from the material supply unit 120 to maintain a predetermined position.

The x-axis position setting unit 151b may be constituted by an electromagnet that supplies magnetic force so that position control using a magnetic force is possible when the powder 123 is made of a metal material. Alternatively, when the powder 123 is made of a non-metallic material, And at least one or more nozzles for supplying wind to enable position control. Preferably, a pair of x-axis positioning portions 151b and 151b 'are provided so as to face each other.

That is, a pair of the x-axis position setting units 151b and 151b 'provided opposite to each other are arranged in such a manner that the powder 123 is arranged on the x-axis through the magnetic field or air pressure provided between the x-axis position setting units 151b and 151b' So that the position can be maintained.

The y-axis control module 152 controls the y-axis driving unit 152a and the y-axis driving unit 152b to control the supplied powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position on the y-axis in accordance with a position signal output from the controller 140. [ and a y-axis position setting unit 152b.

The y-axis driving unit 152a is configured to provide a driving force so that the material supplying unit 120 moves to an arbitrary position on the y-axis along a y-axis frame (not shown), and preferably includes a DC motor, a stepping motor, Which is a motor.

The y-axis position setting unit 152b is provided in the flange portion 122 of the material supply unit 120 to control the powder 123 supplied from the material supply unit 120 to maintain a predetermined position.

The y-axis position setting unit 152b may be formed of an electromagnet that supplies magnetic force to allow position control using a magnetic force when the powder 123 is made of a metal material. Alternatively, when the powder 123 is made of a non-metallic material, And at least one or more nozzles for supplying wind to enable position control, and preferably a pair of y-axis positioning portions are provided facing each other.

That is, a pair of y-axis positioning portions 152b provided so as to face each other allow the powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position on the y-axis via a magnetic field or air pressure provided between the y-axis positioning portions 152b .

The z-axis control module 153 controls the supplied powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position on the z-axis in accordance with a position signal output from the controller 140, and includes a z-axis driver 153a and a z- and a z-axis position setting unit 153b.

The z-axis driving unit 153a is configured to provide a driving force to move the material supply unit 120 to an arbitrary position on the z-axis along the z-axis frame 104, preferably a DC motor, a stepping motor, a BLDC motor It is a motor composed of either one.

The z-axis position setting unit 153b is configured to control the powder 123 supplied from the material supply unit 120 to maintain a predetermined position and a part thereof is installed in the flange unit 122 of the material supply unit 120 And a plurality of z-axis positioning portions 153b are provided on the upper surface of the base portion 102 so as to face the z-axis positioning portion 153b provided on the flange portion 122. [

The z-axis position setting unit 153b may be constituted by an electromagnet that is magnetized in accordance with an on / off operation to supply a magnetic force so that position control using a magnetic force can be performed when the powder 123 is made of a metal, ) Is made of at least one or more nozzles for supplying wind so that the position control using the air pressure can be performed.

The z-axis position setting unit 153b 'is disposed opposite to the z-axis position setting unit 153b installed in the flange unit 122 so as to be capable of supplying wind by magnetic field or air pressure in the upward direction, 123 can maintain an arbitrary position on the z axis between the z-axis position setting units 153b, 153b '.

The z-axis position setting unit 153b 'may be provided at a position partitioned by a predetermined region in the base unit 102 and may be set to a z-axis position set in the flange unit 122 at various positions according to the shape of the output product 200 It is possible to provide the wind by the electric field or the pneumatic pressure in the directions opposite to each other.

That is, when the output 200 is formed at a predetermined position of the base part 102, if the z-axis positioning part 153b 'is positioned below the output 200, it is difficult to supply the wind by the upward magnetic field or pneumatic pressure A z-axis position setting unit 153b 'is provided for each predetermined area of the bay unit 102 so that the position of the powder 123 can be controlled irrespective of the position of the output product 200.

The laser module unit 160 is configured to heat and sinter the supplied powder 123 according to a sintering signal of the control unit 140. The laser module unit 160 preferably includes an x-axis laser module 161, a y-axis laser module 162 and the z-axis laser module 163 and installed at any position inside the housing 101 or installed in the flange portion 122 of the material supply portion 120 so that the powder 123 can be heated quickly .

In this embodiment, the number of the laser module units 160 is three. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of laser modules may be additionally provided for rapid heating.

The operation of the floating type three-dimensional printer using the powder according to the present invention will now be described.

When the input unit 110 receives the setting information of the user and the shape information of the output product 200 and outputs the information to the control unit 140, the control unit 140 analyzes the received information and starts printing the output product 200.

When the control unit 140 determines the supply position of the powder 123 for printing the output 200, the control unit 140 transmits a sintering position signal including the x, y, and z axis positions to the position control module unit 150.

The position control module unit 150 operates the x-axis driving unit 151a, the y-axis driving unit 152a and the z-axis driving unit 153a to control the material supplying unit 120 to move to a set arbitrary position.

When the movement of the material supply unit 120 is completed, the controller 140 outputs a supply signal to cause the powder 123 to be supplied from the material supply unit 120 through the powder discharge hole 121. At this time, Axis position setting unit 152b and the z-axis position setting units 153b and 153b 'are operated to maintain the state that the supplied powder 123 is arranged in a certain space.

When the powder 123 is located in a certain space, the first position tracing unit 131 and the second position tracing unit 132 of the position tracing unit 130 calculate the x, y, z axis coordinates of the powder 123 And transmits the detected position information to the control unit 140.

The control unit 140 analyzes the position information transmitted by the first and second position tracking units 131 and 132 to determine whether the powder 123 is disposed at the correct sintering position.

When the powder 123 is not disposed at the correct sintering position, the controller 140 controls the x-axis position setting units 151b and 151b ', the y-axis position setting unit 152b, the z-axis position setting units 153b, And the position information transmitted by the first and second position tracking units 131 and 132 is analyzed again to determine whether the powder 123 is disposed at the correct sintering position .

For example, in the case of a metal powder 123, the powder 123 is held at a predetermined position by a magnetic field formed by the x-axis and y-axis z-axis positioning units, and the x- and y- The position of the powder 123 on the x, y, and z-axis coordinates is controlled by controlling the power supplied to the axis position setting unit.

In addition, when air pressure is used, the powder 123 is maintained at a predetermined position by the wind supplied by the x-axis and y-axis z-axis position setting unit, and the wind supplied from the x- and y- So that the position of the powder 123 on the x, y, and z-axis coordinates can be varied.

The control unit 140 outputs a sintering signal to the laser module unit 160. When the powder 123 is sintered through heating, To be printed.

If an additional correction operation is required after the output item 200 is completed, the control unit 140 receives the additional position information for correction of the output item 200 through the input unit 110, And transmits the sintered position signal including the x, y, z axis position information analyzed and analyzed to the position control module unit 150.

The position control module unit 150 operates the x-axis driving unit 151a, the y-axis driving unit 152a and the z-axis driving unit 153a according to the received additional position information to move the material supplying unit 120 to the set position .

The control unit 140 outputs a supply signal to supply the powder 123 to the correction position and analyzes the position information transmitted by the first and second position tracking units 131 and 132 of the position tracking unit 130 Axis position setting section 152b and z-axis position setting section 153b and 153b 'so that the powder 123 is disposed at the correct correction position, The laser module unit 160 outputs a sintering signal to correct the output 200 when the laser module 123 is positioned at the correction position.

Accordingly, the powder material is controlled to be located in an arbitrary space and cured through a plurality of lasers, thereby making it possible to rapidly produce an output, and it is possible to perform modification or further manufacture of the output product.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It can be understood that

In the course of the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the thicknesses of the lines and the sizes of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation, , Which may vary depending on the intentions or customs of the user, the operator, and the interpretation of such terms should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

100: three-dimensional printer 101: housing
102: base portion 103: x-axis frame
104: z-axis frame 110: input section
120: Material supply unit 121: Powder discharge hole
122: flange portion 123: powder
130: position tracking unit 131: first position tracking unit
132: second position tracking unit 140:
150: Position control module part 151: x-axis control module part
151a: x-axis driving unit 151b: x-axis position setting unit
152: y-axis control module part 152a: y-
152b: y-axis position setting unit 153: z-axis control module unit
153a: z-axis driving unit 153b: z-axis position setting unit
160: laser module part 161: x-axis laser module
162: y-axis laser module 163: z-axis laser module
200: Output

Claims (8)

An input unit 110 for detecting user setting information and shape information of an output product;
A powder 123 for manufacturing the output product 200 is received and a supply signal received by the control unit 140 according to the setting information and the shape information detected by the input unit 110 is received to supply the powder 123 A supply unit 120;
A position tracking unit 130 for detecting a position on a horizontal plane and a position on a vertical plane of the powder 123 supplied from the material supply unit 120;
The powder 123 is analyzed according to the supply information of the powder 123 and the position information of the powder 123 provided by the position tracking unit 130 by analyzing the setting information and the shape information detected by the input unit 110, A sintering position signal for controlling the position of the powder 123 to be sintered at an arbitrary position and a sintering signal for sintering the powder 123;
A position control module 150 for outputting a position control signal to maintain the supplied powder 123 at an arbitrary position in the x axis, the y axis, and the z axis according to the sintering position signal output from the controller 140; And
And a laser module part (160) for outputting at least one laser light for heating and sintering the supplied powder (123) according to a sintering signal of the controller (140).
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the powder (123) is one of a metal powder and a plastic resin powder.
The method according to claim 1,
The position tracking unit 130 includes a first position tracking unit 131 for detecting a position on the horizontal plane of the powder 123; And
And a second position tracking unit (132) for detecting a position on the vertical plane of the powder (123).
The method of claim 3,
The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the first and second position tracking units (131, 132) are cameras.
The method according to claim 1,
The position control module 150 includes an x-axis control module 151 for controlling the supplied powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position in the x-axis according to a position signal output from the controller 140;
A y-axis control module 152 for controlling the supplied powder 123 to maintain an arbitrary position on the y-axis according to a position signal output from the controller 140; And
And a z-axis control module (153) for controlling the supplied powder (123) to maintain an arbitrary position in the z axis according to a position signal outputted from the controller (140) Three-dimensional printer.
6. The method of claim 5,
The x-axis control module unit 151 includes an x-axis driving unit 151a for providing driving force to move the material supply unit 120 in the x-axis direction; And
And at least one x-axis positioning unit (151b) for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to maintain the powder (123) at a predetermined position.
6. The method of claim 5,
The y-axis control module unit 152 includes a y-axis driving unit 152a for providing a driving force to move the material supply unit 120 in the y-axis direction; And
And at least one y-axis positioning unit (152b) for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to maintain the powder (123) at a predetermined position.
6. The method of claim 5,
The z-axis control module unit 153 includes a z-axis driving unit 153a for providing driving force to move the material supply unit 120 in the z-axis direction; And
And at least one z-axis positioning unit (153b) for outputting a magnetic force or a pneumatic pressure to maintain the powder (123) at a predetermined position.

Images