Stereolithography device

Abstract

To provide a stereolithography device that does not cause defects in the moulding process, even in environments with inappropriate humidity.SOLUTION: The stereolithography device is divided into a blocked area including a tank 21 and another unblocked area, and then the blocked area is partitioned with a partition wall so that the inflow of outside air is blocked and stereolithography can be performed at a constant humidity regardless of the outside humidity to obtain high quality stereolithography objects.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a 3D printer that uses a method called vat photopolymerization or stereolithography. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stereolithography device that is equipped with a humidity control mechanism that aims to prevent the quality of a model from being affected by the humidity of the outside air when manufacturing a model. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a method of optically modeling a photopolymerization resin (a liquid photocurable resin composition) into a three-dimensional shape based on data input into a three-dimensional CAD system has come to be widely adopted, as this method can produce the desired three-dimensional object with good dimensional accuracy without the need to create a mold or the like. A typical example of a photopolymerization method is a method in which a liquid surface of a photopolymerization resin placed in a container is selectively irradiated with a computer-controlled ultraviolet laser to obtain a desired pattern, hardening the resin to a specified thickness, and then a layer of photopolymerization resin is supplied on top of the hardened layer, which is similarly hardened by irradiation with an ultraviolet laser. This lamination process is repeated to obtain successive hardened layers, and finally a photopolymerization object is obtained.

[0003] A blue laser may be used instead of the ultraviolet laser, or a device such as DLP or an optical mask may be used to directly irradiate a single layer pattern and harden it, a method known as surface exposure.

[0004] Acrylic resin has been used as a resin for stereolithography, but the large cure shrinkage of acrylic resin leads to deterioration of the dimensional accuracy of the stereolithography object obtained due to warping, etc. Therefore, epoxy-acrylic mixed resin (hybrid resin) that contains epoxy resin with low cure shrinkage has come to be used (for example, see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0005] However, in stereolithography resins containing epoxy resins that undergo cationic polymerization, the photocuring sensitivity is significantly reduced when the water content is high, resulting in poor modeling properties and poor properties of the resulting stereolithography object. On the other hand, it is known that photocuring sensitivity is reduced and stereolithography properties are poor even when no water is contained (see Non-Patent Document 2), and it is said that in order to maintain good photocuring sensitivity and stereolithography properties, stereolithography resins containing cationic polymerizable organic compounds must contain about 0.3 to 1 mass % (3000 to 10000 ppm) of water. In Japan, during the rainy season and humid summer seasons, water gradually dissolves into the resin from the air containing a large amount of moisture from the outside, and the moisture content may reach 1% by mass or more, causing a decrease in photocuring sensitivity and poor photomodeling properties. On the other hand, during dry seasons such as winter, the moisture content in the resin composition for photopolymerization is often 0.3% by mass or less. Therefore, in the case of a photopolymerization resin containing a cationic polymerizable organic compound, it is necessary to increase the amount of light irradiated in order to compensate for the decreased photocuring sensitivity during humid summer seasons, or to add water from the outside to the composition during dry seasons such as winter to adjust the moisture content of the photopolymerization resin to the above-mentioned 0.3 to 1% by mass before using it for photomodeling, which requires a lot of work to manage and adjust the moisture content of the photopolymerization resin.

[0006] Furthermore, even if water is added to the composition from the outside, if the humidity of the outside air is extremely low, the moisture content of the surface layer, for example, 1 mm of the photopolymerization resin, will be low even if the overall moisture content of the photopolymerization resin stored in the photopolymerization device is within an appropriate range. In fact, even if the moisture content is 0.5% when the photopolymerization resin stored in the photopolymerization device is thoroughly stirred and sampled, the moisture content when only the surface layer of the photopolymerization resin is sampled is 0.2%, causing problems in modeling.

[0007] One method to keep the moisture content of the resin for stereolithography constant is to keep the temperature and humidity of the room in which the stereolithography device is installed constant using an air conditioner. However, the room in which the stereolithography device is installed is often part of a factory, and it often shares a large space. Therefore, while it is possible to keep the temperature constant, it is difficult to keep the humidity constant, and the relative humidity is constantly over 80% in the summer and below 20% in the winter, making it extremely difficult to prepare a constant humidity environment.

[0008] Therefore, even when commercially available humidifiers and dehumidifiers were operated, their performance was insufficient to maintain a constant humidity level around the photopolymerization device, and the only thing they could do was to lengthen the time until the moisture content of the photopolymerization resin reduced its photocuring sensitivity and photopolymerization properties.

[0009] Also, in order to perform modeling while maintaining a constant moisture content, it is possible to sufficiently isolate the stereolithography device from the outside air and keep the humidity inside constant. However, a stereolithography device loaded with several hundred kilograms of stereolithography resin has a resin tank with casters that is stored inside the stereolithography device, and the space is open, especially at the bottom of the device. Therefore, the exterior cover only has enough sealing to prevent ultraviolet lasers and other light from leaking out, and is hardly airtight.

[0010] Furthermore, when a humidifier is installed inside the modeling machine, the make-up water is quickly consumed because the optical modeling device is hardly airtight, and when operating at night, the make-up water runs out in the middle of the night, making it difficult to operate continuously for long periods of time. [Prior art documents]

[0011] [Non-Patent Document 1] Tsuneo Hagiwara, "Sokeizai", Published by Sokeizai Center, Vol. 53, October 2012, p.51-57 [Non-Patent Document 2] "Polymer", 2002, Vol. 43, pp. 4243-4250 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In recent years, as the role of stereolithography devices in the industrial field has grown, the demand for the robustness of the stereolithography devices has also increased. Therefore, it is required that the moisture content of the stereolithography resin stored in the stereolithography device be kept constant without being affected by the outside air, and that the quality of the stereolithography object obtained by hardening is always good.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide an optical molding apparatus that is not affected by the external humidity and always maintains a constant humidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] According to the present invention, by dividing the interior of a photo-polymerization device into an area that is not blocked from the outside air (non-blocking area) and an area that is blocked from the outside air (blocking area), a photo-polymerization device is provided in which the humidity in the blocking area does not change even if the humidity of the outside air changes.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a photo-polymerization apparatus is provided in which a humidifier or a dehumidifier, or both, are installed in the blocking area of ​​the photo-polymerization apparatus, thereby preventing the humidity in the blocking area from gradually approaching the humidity of the outside air when the humidity of the outside air and the humidity of the blocking area are different.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention provides a device that controls a humidifier or a dehumidifier, or both (hereinafter referred to as a humidity control device), independently of a stereolithography device, i.e., the stereolithography device does not send a control signal to the humidity control device, even if the stereolithography device receives humidity information from the humidity control device.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention provides a device that controls the humidity control device in cooperation with the stereolithography device, that is, the stereolithography device receives humidity information from the humidity control device or a sensor installed inside the stereolithography device, and operates the humidity control device as necessary to keep the humidity within a desired range. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present invention can provide a stereolithography apparatus in which the internal humidity does not change even if the humidity of the outside air changes, and therefore the moisture content of the stereolithography resin is kept constant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The present invention provides a photo-lithography device in which the inside of the device is divided into a non-shielded area and a shielded area, the area being partitioned with a partition wall, and the shielded area is sealed from the outside air, thereby suppressing changes in the humidity of the shielded area even if the humidity of the outside air changes. Therefore, even if the humidity of the outside air changes, the humidity of the shielded area can be kept constant. Therefore, the humidity inside the photo-lithography device is less affected by the humidity of the installation environment of the photo-lithography device, the moisture content of the photo-lithography resin stored inside the photo-lithography device is kept within an appropriate range, and no problems occur with curing.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention provides a photo-lithography apparatus that is provided with a humidity control device in the blocking area of ​​the photo-lithography apparatus, and that can prevent the humidity in the blocking area from gradually approaching the humidity of the outside air when the humidity of the outside air and the humidity of the blocking area are different. This makes it possible to keep the humidity inside the modeling apparatus constant, and therefore the moisture content of the photo-lithography resin is kept within an appropriate range, further reducing the possibility of problems with curing.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a photo-lithography apparatus is provided in which the humidity control device is controlled independently of the photo-lithography apparatus. This makes it easy to replace the humidity control device. For example, the humidity control device can be replaced depending on the outdoor air conditions, such as a dehumidifier in summer and a humidifier in winter. This reduces the cost of the humidity control device and allows the device to be made more compact.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a photo-lithography device that controls a humidity control device as a part of the photo-lithography device. That is, the photo-lithography device receives humidity information from a humidity control device or a sensor installed inside the photo-lithography device, and operates the humidity control device as necessary to keep the humidity within a desired range. As a result, the control device can operate according to the external environment and the usage environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a conventional general optical modeling apparatus, showing an example of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 2 and shows an example of the processing form of the partition wall 54. In FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 2 and shows an example in which a flexible member 65 is used instead of the partition wall 54. In FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 corresponds to FIG. 2 and shows a state in which humidity-controlled air 75 generated from humidity control device 71 is immediately sucked into humidity control device 71 through intake port 73. In FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, and shows a state in which humidity-controlled air 75 generated from humidity control device 71 spreads around tank 21 through duct 76. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 2 and shows the state in which humidity-conditioned air 75 generated from humidity control device 71 is guided to duct 76, spreads around tank 21 from supply port 77, and then returns to conditioning device 21 through duct and intake port 73. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings accompanying this specification, the scale and aspect ratios have been appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual objects for the convenience of illustration and understanding.

[0025] First, a conventional three-dimensional modeling apparatus will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the optical shaping apparatus 10 has a controller 15 and a device section 20. The controller 15 controls the operation of each component of the device section 20. The controller 15 is connected to input / output devices such as a keyboard 17 through which an operator or the like inputs commands to manage the optical shaping apparatus 10, and a display 18 that visualizes and displays the operating status of the optical shaping apparatus 10. The controller 15 is also capable of accessing a recording medium 16 on which a program or the like for implementing the processing executed by the optical shaping apparatus 10 is recorded. The recording medium 16 may be composed of a known program recording medium, such as a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, a hard disk, a disk-shaped recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a flexible disk.

[0027] The device portion 20 produces a three-dimensional object by stacking unit layers ul formed by solidifying a material in a predetermined solidification pattern based on a control signal from the controller 15. The device portion 20 of the stereolithography device 10 is configured as an apparatus for performing layered modeling using a liquid vat photopolymerization method, so-called stereolithography. That is, the device portion 20 produces a three-dimensional object by sequentially stacking unit layers ul made of resin cured by irradiating a surface layer of a liquid photocurable resin composition rc with laser light in a predetermined pattern to impart energy thereto. Note that instead of using laser light, a method known as surface exposure (irradiating a surface with light using a lamp that generates light in the ultraviolet range) may also be used.

[0028] 1, the device portion 20 has a frame (not shown), an exterior 50 connected to the frame, and a tank 21 disposed within the exterior 50. The tank 21 can be moved using wheels 28, but is fixed to the frame using stoppers 29 when it does not need to be moved.

[0029] The beam diameter and focus of the laser emitted from the laser oscillator 22 are adjusted by an optical system 23 consisting of mirrors, movable lenses, fixed lenses, an aperture, etc., and the direction of the laser is changed by an X / Y mirror 24, so that it reaches the surface of the liquid photocurable resin composition rc and cures it.

[0030] Furthermore, there are provided a lift table 25 that can move up and down within the tank 21, an elevator 26 that raises and lowers the lift table 25, and an operating mechanism 27 that operates the elevator 26. The elevator 26 and the operating mechanism 27 are formed of, for example, a ball screw and a motor.

[0031] The tank 21 contains a liquid photocurable resin composition (hereinafter, simply referred to as "stereolithography resin") rc.

[0032] The lifting platform 25 supports the three-dimensional object 1 during modeling. As described above, the lifting platform 25 is capable of moving up and down within the tank 21. The lifting platform 25 can be immersed in the liquid resin composition rc stored in the tank 21 by descending.

[0033] The stereolithography device 20 has a recoater device 30, and after drawing one layer and causing a curing reaction of the stereolithography resin rc, the elevator 26 is lowered by the height of ul. Because the surface tension of the stereolithography resin rc prevents rc from being placed on top of the cured product, the recoater device 30 is moved above the liquid surface to coat ul. The coated resin is irradiated again by the laser oscillator 22, and the process is repeated to form a three-dimensional model.

[0034] The photopolymerization device 20 also includes a counterweight for keeping the liquid level in the tank 21 constant, a sensor for detecting the height of the liquid level in the tank 21, a heater for heating the photopolymerization resin rc, and a replenishment resin tank for replenishing resin consumed during operation.

[0035] To operate the stereolithography device 20, the controller 15 does not issue commands directly to the elevator or laser, but operates them via relays and PLC. Some of these devices require large currents, and therefore require a large number of constant voltage power supplies and transformers. These are all housed together in the power supply system 40.

[0036] Many of the devices installed in the power supply system 40 generate heat, requiring constant operation of a cooling fan. For this reason, in the case of a conventional stereolithography device, an air current is generated by the fan, and the air around the tank 21 is gradually exhausted to the outside.

[0037] Therefore, exterior 50 has almost no airtightness, and as long as the laser beam and electrically or mechanically dangerous parts can be isolated to ensure safety, outside air can freely flow in and out of the molding machine. The solid line parts of exterior 50 are parts that can be sealed to prevent outside air from flowing into the device, and the dashed line parts are parts that are structured to allow outside air to flow freely into the device.

[0038] The present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6.

[0039] The optical molding apparatus of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2. In the optical molding apparatus of Fig. 2, the inside of vat 21, optical system 23 and X / Y mirror 24 through which the laser light passes, recoater 30 and elevator 26 are structured to be sealed from the outside air. Specifically, the dotted portion of Fig. 2, which is partitioned by exterior 51 around the optical system, exterior 52 around vat 21 where molding is performed, partition 53 around the elevator, partition 54 around the top of vat 21, and vat 21, is structured to be sealed from the outside air. This dotted portion is called a blocking area.

[0040] The degree of hermeticity required for the optical molding apparatus of the present invention is sufficient to prevent outside air from entering during operation and causing changes in humidity. It is not necessarily required that the apparatus be airtight.

[0041] The exterior 51 surrounding the optical system will now be described. In conventional optical shaping devices, the exterior is installed to the extent that the laser light does not leak out even if the light path is unexpectedly changed for some reason, but in the present invention, it is necessary to improve the degree of sealing by improving the machining accuracy and inserting rubber at the joints.

[0042] The exterior 52 surrounding the tank 21 will now be described. In order to retrieve the modeled object when modeling is complete, the stereolithography apparatus is provided with a door on at least one of the three sides on which the elevator 26 is not located. Where the door and the exterior 52 meet, airtightness is improved by using a flexible material that does not allow air to pass through. It is preferable that the material be chemically resistant to the stereolithography resin, and fluororubber, nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, EPDM, etc. are used.

[0043] The partition wall 53 around the elevator will now be described. The elevator 26 is raised and lowered by the operating mechanism 27. Since the operating mechanism 27 and the power supply system 40 connected thereto must be in a non-interrupted area, the elevator 26 is installed in the interrupted area and the operating mechanism 27 is installed in the non-interrupted area by using a bellows or the like.

[0044] The partition wall 54 will now be described. The tank 21 can be removed from the device portion 20 as necessary. The photopolymerization resin rc loaded in the tank 21 weighs several hundred kg, so it must be removed when cleaning the tank 21, performing various maintenance, or replacing the photopolymerization resin rc. For this reason, the tank 21 is equipped with wheels 28, allowing it to be moved freely. When the tank 21 is attached to the device portion 20, a stopper 29 is used to prevent it from moving, thereby maintaining precision.

[0045] In this way, since the tank 21 can be removed and can roll thanks to the wheels 28, the partition 54 needs to follow the movement of the tank 21. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the partition 54 is made of a folded plate, and after the tank 21 is installed, it is fixed to the exterior 51 and the tank 21 with screws 61. The partition 54 is lined with a flexible material such as rubber (not shown) to improve its airtightness.

[0046] As another example, as shown in FIG. 4, the exterior 50 is assembled so as to keep the tank airtight around it, and the tank is airtight even under the elevator 26. When the tank 21 is attached to the device part 20, the tank 21 is stored in the back of the device part 20 while keeping the right angle by using the guide 64. Here, a flexible member 65 is arranged above the guide 64. The flexible member is designed to be slightly larger than the dimension between the exterior 50 and the tank 21. When the tank 21 is moved along the guide 64, a compressive force acts on the flexible member 65, and the flexible member is airtight. The flexible member may be made of rubber or urethane, but preferably, nitrile rubber, fluororubber, silicone rubber, or EPDM, which are chemically resistant to the photopolymer resin, may be used. The flexible member 65 plays the same role as the partition wall 54 in FIG. 2.

[0047] On the other hand, the power supply system 40, the rear of the laser oscillator 22, and the operating mechanism 27 are in communication with the outside air. These devices generate heat, so they require a ventilation system to take in outside air. The areas of the stereolithography device that are not included in the blocked area are called non-blocked areas.

[0048] What has been explained so far is merely one example, and so long as the resin inside the tank 21 is used as the blocking region, the blocking region can be enlarged or reduced by designing the optical molding apparatus.

[0049] For example, a window made of, for example, quartz that is transparent to ultraviolet light is attached on the path through which the laser passes. Then, the window blocks the air flow, so the optical system 23 and the X / Y mirror 24 can be in the non-blocking area, making it easier to design the housing. Since the refractive indexes of the window and air are different, refraction occurs, and the target position of the laser differs from the actual position, which may result in poor dimensions of the optically modeled object. However, the window can be made thin enough to reduce the effect of refraction, or the window can be shaped so as not to optically refract, or even if refraction does occur, the dimensional accuracy can be maintained by comparing and correcting the amount of rotation of the mirror and the position of the laser.

[0050] Also, for example, the power supply system can be changed to one that generates less heat, or a Peltier element or the like can be used for heat exchange, so that the entire device can be made into a cutoff region.

[0051] Furthermore, the present invention can also provide a humidifier or dehumidifier, or both (hereinafter referred to as a humidity control device), in the blocking area of ​​the device. The humidity in the blocking area is not easily affected by the outside air, but when the outside air is extremely high or low humidity, it gradually becomes difficult to maintain an appropriate humidity. By operating the humidity control device, the moisture content of the stereolithography resin is kept within an appropriate range, further reducing the possibility of problems with curing.

[0052] The humidity control device may be designed as a part of the stereolithography device, or may be installed in a space where a commercially available humidifier or dehumidifier can be installed appropriately depending on the humidity conditions. By using a commercially available device, costs can be reduced and an appropriate humidity control device can be used according to the environment of the device.

[0053] The dehumidifier may be a compressor device that passes the air through a cooler similar to that used in a normal air conditioner to recover water by lowering the temperature below the dew point, and then exchanges heat in a radiator to obtain dry air; or a desiccant system that passes the outside air through a desiccant such as zeolite or silica gel to dehumidify it, dries the moist desiccant with a heater, and then recovers the water from the resulting hot, humid air by lowering the temperature below the dew point through heat exchange; or a combination of these.

[0054] The dehumidifier may be of the ultrasonic type, which generates ultrasonic waves from a device submerged in water to generate a fine mist from the surface of the water, although ultrasonic devices may vaporize fine particles of inorganic salts contained in the water, which may have a detrimental effect on the optical system.

[0055] Another example of a dehumidifier is the steam type, which uses a heater to heat and vaporize water. However, the steam type can increase the temperature inside the blocked area of ​​the stereolithography device, and the vaporized water vapor can cause condensation inside the device, or when the steam overlaps with the laser light path, it can cause refraction, resulting in poor modeling quality.

[0056] Another example of a dehumidifier is an evaporation type that uses a fan to blow air through a filter soaked in water to evaporate the water. The heat of vaporization generated when the water evaporates can lower the temperature inside the blocked area of ​​the stereolithography device.

[0057] In addition, a combination of the above three methods may be used. The operating principle of the dehumidifier can be freely selected when designing the stereolithography apparatus.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a device is provided that controls the humidity control device independently of the stereolithography device. In this case, it becomes easy to replace the humidity control device. For example, the humidity control device can be replaced depending on the outdoor air condition, such as a dehumidifier in summer and a humidifier in winter. This reduces the cost of the humidity control device and allows the device to be made more compact.

[0059] 5, if the humidity sensor 74 of the humidity control device 71 is located close to the air outlet 72 of the humidity control device 71, the conditioned air 75 will be detected by the humidity sensor 74 as it is drawn into the air inlet 73 before it reaches the blocked area 70. As a result, even though the air around the tub 21 is not sufficiently conditioned, the humidity sensor 74 will detect that the humidity has been sufficiently conditioned, and operation will be stopped.

[0060] In order to avoid the above problems, for example, as shown in Fig. 6, a duct 76 may be connected to the air outlet 72 so that humidity-conditioned air 75 is sufficiently distributed throughout the tank 21 and supplied to the air inlet 73. When the humidity conditioning device is a humidifier, even if condensation does occur, it will occur in a duct of sufficient length and will not cause any problems with the stereolithography apparatus.

[0061] 7, an example is also conceivable in which air leaving air outlet 72 of humidity control device 71 passes through duct 76, humidity-controlled air 75 is supplied from supply port 76 installed sufficiently close to tank 21, and passes through duct 76 again to return to humidity control device 71 from air inlet 73. In this case, since humidity-controlled air 75 circulates near tank 21, when designing the blocked area, the humidity around tank 21 can be maintained within a desired range even if the amount of outside air flowing in from the non-blocked area becomes relatively large.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a humidity control device receives a control signal from a stereolithography device and adjusts the humidity inside the device. That is, the stereolithography device receives humidity information from the humidity control device or a sensor installed inside the stereolithography device, and operates the humidity control device as necessary to keep the humidity within a desired range. As a result, the control device can operate according to the external environment and the usage environment.

[0063] For example, the controller 15 can be provided with a device for recording changes in humidity and a function for monitoring the capacity of the water tank for refilling and discharging, to prompt the operator to replace the tank, especially before operating at night, or to perform appropriate degenerate operation if the tank capacity is insufficient on weekends or holidays.

[0064] In addition, if the controller 15 is connected to a network, the humidity and the current amount of water in the water tank can be known from a remote location. In addition, by recording the change in humidity over time, this information can be used to identify the cause of any malfunctions. It is possible to provide a device that records the change in humidity, a function that monitors the capacity of the water tank to be replenished or discharged, and a function that urges the operator to replace the tank, especially before operating at night, and a function that performs appropriate degenerate operation when the tank capacity is insufficient on weekends or holidays.

[0065] Although the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, it is of course possible to appropriately combine a plurality of examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 Sculpture 10 Stereolithography equipment 20 Equipment part 21 tanks 22 Laser Oscillator 23 Optical system 24 X / Y mirror 25 Lifting table 26 Elevator 27 Operating mechanism 28 wheels 29 Stopper 30 Recoater device 40 Power system 50 Exterior 61 Screw 64 Guide 65 Flexible Materials 70 Blocking Area 71 Humidity Control Device 72 Air outlet 73 Air Intake 74 Humidity Sensor 75 Humidified air 76 Duct 77 Supply Inlet

Claims

1. A photolithography device in which the components are divided into a non-blocking area and a blocking area, and the non-blocking area and the blocking area are separated by a partition wall, and the blocking area is sealed off from the outside air, so that the humidity of the blocking area is suppressed from changing even if the humidity of the outside air changes.

2. 2. The optical molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a humidity control device is provided in the blocking area, thereby preventing the humidity in the blocking area from approaching the humidity of the outside air.

3. 3. The optical molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the humidity control device is controlled independently of the optical molding apparatus.

4. 3. The optical molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the humidity control device is controlled as a part of the optical molding apparatus.

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