Modeling device, transparent ink replenishment amount input method and modeling method

Abstract

Provided are a molding device and a method for inputting a replenishment amount of transparent ink that can be used to form a molding object and can make the replenishment amount of transparent ink an appropriate amount. The molding device (1) includes a color inkjet head (25) for ejecting color ink and a transparent inkjet head (26) for ejecting transparent ink. The molding device (1) ejects color ink from the color inkjet head (25) and stacks the color ink to form a molding object (30) in a colored manner, and ejects transparent ink from the transparent inkjet head (26) to replenish the stacked amount of color ink. The molding device (1) includes an input device (40B) for inputting a replenishment amount of transparent ink in a manner that reduces the ink application frequency of transparent ink at a portion where the ink application frequency of color ink used to form the molding object is high, and increases the ink application frequency of transparent ink at a portion where the ink application frequency of color ink is low, for each layer forming the molding object (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a modeling device, a transparent ink replenishment amount input method and a modeling method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, molding devices for forming three-dimensional objects have become widely popular. As such molding devices, the following devices have been developed: an inkjet head is used to eject ink as a material of a molding object, the ejected ink is cured by ultraviolet rays or the like to form an ink layer, and the layer is flattened by a flattening roller, thereby repeatedly laminating to form a molding object.

[0003] Here, the amount of color ink ejected from the inkjet head (hereinafter referred to as "ink amount") varies according to the concentration of the color, so the stacking thickness varies according to the concentration of the color. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a molding device that ejects transparent ink to make up for the difference in the amount of ejected ink. In addition, generally speaking, the lighter the color (closer to white), the more transparent ink is used for replenishment, and the darker the color, the less transparent ink is used for replenishment.

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses a molding device for forming a molded object by a multi-pass method. The multi-pass method is, for example, a method of performing multiple main scanning operations for each position in the operation of forming an ink layer to eject ink droplets multiple times at each position. This can form a molded object with higher precision.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-64538

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-184009 Summary of the invention

[0009] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] In replenishing the clear ink as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is preferable to calculate the replenishment amount of the clear ink for each color ink ejected, but calculation of the replenishment amount of the clear ink takes time and the total time required to form the object increases, so this is not practical.

[0011] Therefore, currently, a predetermined amount of transparent ink is uniformly ejected together with the color inks to satisfy a predetermined stacking thickness regardless of the color ink concentration. However, depending on the color ink concentration, excessive ink stacking may occur. When excessive ink stacking occurs, when the object is flattened by the flattening roller, the excessive ink is dragged by the flattening roller and concentrated on the side of the object, or the excessive ink adheres to the flattening roller and then adheres to the object again from the flattening roller, which may cause the object to be contaminated.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a modeling device and a method for inputting a replenishment amount of clear ink, which can make the replenishment amount of clear ink used to form a modeled object an appropriate amount.

[0013] However, the earlier the ink dots are formed, the more they are repeatedly irradiated with ultraviolet rays, etc., and thus they may be over-cured. When the ink dots are over-cured, the object may be warped or the strength and color tone may be affected. In addition, there is a possibility that the over-cured chips will adhere to the object again during the flattening by the flattening roller, causing the object to be contaminated.

[0014] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a molding device and a molding method that can suppress excessive solidification of ink dots formed by ink droplets ejected first when forming a molded object by a multi-pass method.

[0015] Solutions for solving problems

[0016] The molding device of the present invention is a molding device, which includes a first ejection unit for ejecting colored ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink. The molding device forms a molded object in a colored manner by ejecting the colored ink from the first ejection unit and stacking the colored ink, and ejects the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to replenish the stacked amount of the colored ink. The molding device includes an input unit, which is used to input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for each layer forming the molded object in a manner that reduces the ink application frequency of the transparent ink at a portion where the colored ink is applied more frequently to form the molded object in a colored manner, and increases the ink application frequency of the transparent ink at a portion where the colored ink is applied less frequently.

[0017] According to this structure, the operator of the molding device can set the amount of the transparent ink for replenishment according to the ink application frequency of the color ink in each layer of the colored object. As a result, compared with the case where a predetermined amount of transparent ink is uniformly ejected for replenishment to the object, a more appropriate amount of transparent ink corresponding to the ink application frequency of the color ink can be ejected. In other words, according to this structure, the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for forming the object can be adjusted to an appropriate amount.

[0018] The molding device of the present invention may be configured such that the ink application frequency of the color ink corresponds to the color density of the color image used to color the molding object, and the replenishment amount of the clear ink is inputted through the input unit in such a manner that the ink application frequency of the clear ink is reduced at a portion having a high color density in the color image and the ink application frequency of the clear ink is increased at a portion having a low color density. According to this configuration, the operator can input the replenishment amount of the clear ink more appropriately.

[0019] The molding apparatus of the present invention may be configured such that the replenishment amount of the clear ink is inputted so that the thickness of each layer forming the molding object becomes constant. According to this configuration, the operator can set the replenishment amount of the clear ink without affecting the shape of the molding object.

[0020] The molding device of the present invention may be configured such that the input unit is provided in an information processing device having a display device, and the display device displays a color image for coloring the molding object. According to this configuration, the operator can more easily input the replenishment amount of the clear ink.

[0021] The molding device of the present invention may be configured to input the replenishment amount of the clear ink for each of a plurality of regions obtained by virtually dividing the molding object. According to this configuration, the operator can more appropriately input the replenishment amount of the clear ink.

[0022] The molding device of the present invention may also include a calculation unit that calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the transparent ink corresponding to the color density of the color image used to color the molding object, and the reference value calculated by the calculation unit is displayed on a display device. According to this structure, the operator can more appropriately input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink.

[0023] The molding device of the present invention is a molding device, comprising a first ejection unit for ejecting color ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink, the molding device forms a molding object by ejecting the color ink from the first ejection unit and stacking the color ink, and ejecting the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to replenish the stacked amount of the color ink, the molding device preliminarily determines the maximum value of the ejection amount of the transparent ink for each position of each layer forming the molding object, and the molding device comprises an input unit for inputting the replenishment amount of the transparent ink in such a manner that the ejection amount of the transparent ink at a portion where the color density of a color image for coloring the molding object is relatively low is closer to the maximum value. According to this structure, the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for forming the molding object can be set to an appropriate amount.

[0024] The transparent ink replenishment amount input method of the present invention is a transparent ink replenishment amount input method for a molding device, the molding device includes a first ejection unit for ejecting color ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink, the molding device forms a molding object in a colored manner by ejecting the color ink from the first ejection unit and stacking the color film, and ejects the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to replenish the stacking amount of the color ink, the transparent ink replenishment amount input method includes the following steps: a first step, displaying a color image for coloring the molding object on a display device; and a second step, for each layer forming the molding object, inputting the replenishment amount of the transparent ink in a manner such that the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is reduced at a portion where the ink application frequency of the color ink is high and the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is increased at a portion where the ink application frequency of the color ink is low.

[0025] The molding device of the present invention is a molding device comprising: an inkjet head that ejects ink droplets of curable ink that is cured by light of a specified wavelength; and a light source that irradiates the light to ink dots formed by the ink droplets after inking, the molding device forms a molding by stacking the ink dots, the inkjet head forms the molding by performing a plurality of main scanning actions for each position of a molding area where the molding is to be formed, and in the earlier of the plurality of main scanning actions performed for each position, the illumination of the light irradiated from the light source is reduced, wherein the main scanning action is the action of the inkjet head ejecting the ink droplets while moving in a specified main scanning direction.

[0026] According to this configuration, when forming an object by a multi-pass method, the accumulated light amount of light for curing ink dots formed by ink droplets ejected first can be suppressed, thereby suppressing excessive curing of ink dots formed first.

[0027] The molding device of the present invention may be configured such that the light source increases the illumination of each position in a stepwise manner so that the later the ink dot is formed at the position, the greater the illumination of the light initially irradiated to the ink dot. According to this configuration, over-curing of the ink dot formed earlier can be suppressed.

[0028] The molding device of the present invention may be such that, for each position, the light source sets the illuminance of the light irradiated to the ink dot formed last at the position to an illuminance that completely cures the ink dot, and sets the illuminance of the light irradiated to the ink dot formed earlier than last at the position to an illuminance that does not completely cure the ink dot by only this one irradiation. According to this structure, over-curing of the ink dot formed earlier can be suppressed.

[0029] According to the molding device of the present invention, the light source irradiates the light so that the accumulated light amount of the plurality of ink dots formed at the respective positions becomes the same. According to this configuration, the degree of curing of the plurality of ink dots formed at the respective positions of the molding table can be made the same.

[0030] The modeling method of the present invention includes the following steps: a first step, an inkjet head ejects ink droplets of curable ink that is cured according to light of a specified wavelength; and a second step, a light source irradiates the light to ink dots formed by the ink droplets after inking. In the modeling method, the ink dots are stacked by repeating the first step and the second step, thereby forming a modeled object. The inkjet head forms the modeled object by performing a plurality of main scanning actions for each position of the modeled area where the modeled object is to be formed, and the illumination of the light irradiated from the light source is made smaller in the earlier of the plurality of main scanning actions performed for the respective positions, wherein the main scanning action is the action of the inkjet head ejecting the ink droplets while moving in a specified main scanning direction.

[0031] Effects of the Invention

[0032] According to the present invention, the replenishment amount of the clear ink for forming an object can be adjusted to an appropriate amount.

[0033] According to the present invention, when forming a molded object by a multi-pass method, it is possible to suppress excessive solidification of ink dots formed by previously ejected ink droplets. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the modeling system according to the first embodiment.

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a replenishment state of clear ink.

[0036] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing a replenishment state of the clear ink according to the first embodiment.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram related to the clear ink replenishment input function of the first embodiment.

[0038] Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of the modeling process according to the first embodiment.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a functional block diagram related to the clear ink replenishment input function of the second embodiment.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a functional block diagram related to the clear ink replenishment input function of the third embodiment.

[0041] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a molding device according to an embodiment.

[0042] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the number of times ink droplets are ejected based on a multi-pass method, Fig. 9 (A) shows the two-pass situation, Fig. 9 (B) shows the case of four passes.

[0043] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing the accumulated light amount of each ink dot, Fig.10 (A) shows the accumulated light amount when the illumination in each of the two passes is the same. Fig.10 (B) shows the accumulated light amount when the illumination in each of the four passes is the same. Fig.10 (C) shows the accumulated light amount when the illuminance is made smaller in the earlier pass among the four passes.

[0044] Fig.11 It is a functional block diagram related to the multi-pass illumination control of the implementation mode.

[0045] Fig.12 It is a flowchart showing the flow of multi-pass illumination control processing of the molding device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The molding method and molding device according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] (First Embodiment)

[0048] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a modeling apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As an example, the modeling apparatus 1 is configured as a system including a 3D printer 10 , a user PC 40 , and a control PC 42 .

[0049] The 3D printer 10 of this embodiment includes a discharge unit 12, a scanning drive unit 14, a modeling table 16, a movable unit 17 and a control unit 18. It is an inkjet 3D printer that forms a three-dimensional modeled object 30 by curing and stacking ultraviolet curing resin discharged from the discharge unit 12 using ultraviolet rays.

[0050] The ejection unit 12 ejects the material of the object 30, and stacks the layers constituting the object 30 layer by layer to form the object 30 on the molding table 16. More specifically, the ejection unit 12 includes an inkjet head 20 that ejects various inks, an ultraviolet light source 22 that cures the ejected ink, and a flattening roller 24 that flattens the stacked surface of the curable resin formed during the molding of the object 30.

[0051] The inkjet head 20 of this embodiment includes: a color inkjet head 25 as a first ejection unit, which ejects color ink; a transparent inkjet head 26 as a second ejection unit, which ejects transparent ink; and a support material head 27, which ejects a support material. Figure 1 Although three color inkjet heads 25 are shown in FIG. 1 , the number of color inkjet heads 25 can be set to an appropriate number according to the number of types of inks used.

[0052] The ejection unit 12 ejects, for example, ink droplets of a curable resin that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation, and forms each layer constituting the object 30 by curing the ink droplets. Specifically, the ejection unit 12 ejects ink droplets according to the instruction of the control unit 18, for example, thereby repeating a layer forming action of forming a curable resin layer and a curing action of curing the curable resin layer formed by the layer forming action multiple times. Thus, the ejection unit 12 forms multiple layers of cured curable resin layers in an overlapping manner. In addition, the 3D printer 10 is not limited to using ultraviolet curable resins, and may also be a method of stacking thermoplastic curable resins that are ejected from the ejection unit 12 in a high temperature state and cooled to room temperature to be cured.

[0053] Furthermore, the molding device 1 forms the molding object 30 by coloring by ejecting color ink from the color inkjet head 25 and stacking the color ink, but the amount of color ink ejected from the color inkjet head 25 (hereinafter referred to as "color ink amount") varies according to the density of its color (hereinafter referred to as "color density"). Therefore, the molding device 1 ejects clear ink from the clear inkjet head 26 to supplement the stacked amount of color ink.

[0054] The scanning drive unit 14 is a drive unit that moves the ejection unit 12 relative to the object 30 (hereinafter referred to as "scanning operation"). The scanning drive unit 14 causes the ejection unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation (Y scanning) and a sub-scanning operation (X scanning) as scanning operations. Here, the main scanning operation is, for example, an operation in which the ejection unit 12 ejects ink droplets while moving in a preset main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure).

[0055] The scanning drive unit 14 includes a carriage 32 and a guide rail 34. The carriage 32 is a holding unit that holds the ejection unit 12 in a manner facing the molding table 16. That is, the carriage 32 holds the ejection unit 12 in a manner that the ejection direction of ink droplets is toward the molding table 16. In addition, when performing the main scanning operation, the carriage 32 moves along the guide rail 34 while holding the ejection unit 12. The guide rail 34 is a rail-shaped member that guides the movement of the carriage 32, and moves the carriage 32 according to the instruction of the control unit 18 when performing the main scanning operation.

[0056] The movement of the ejection unit 12 in the main scanning operation may be a relative movement with respect to the object 30. For example, the position of the ejection unit 12 may be fixed, and the object 30 may be moved by moving the formation stage 16.

[0057] The movable part 17 is a conveying mechanism for changing the distance between the ejection unit 12 and the molding table 16. The movable part 17 allows the upper surface of the molding table 16 of this embodiment to be moved in the up-down direction ( Figure 1 The upper surface of the molding table 16 is moved in accordance with the instruction of the control unit 18 to match the progress of molding of the molding object 30. Thus, the distance (gap) between the molding surface of the molding object 30 in the middle of molding and the ejection unit 12 is appropriately adjusted. Here, the molding surface of the molding object 30 is, for example, the surface on which the next layer is to be formed by the ejection unit 12. In addition, the distance between the ejection unit 12 and the molding table 16 can also be adjusted by moving the ejection unit 12 side up and down.

[0058] The control unit 18 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the 3D printer 10 , and controls each unit of the 3D printer 10 based on slice data indicating shape information and color image information of the object 30 to be formed, thereby controlling the forming operation of the object 30 .

[0059] The user PC 40 is an information processing device having a display device 40A and an input device 40B composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The user PC 40 of this embodiment sends 3D model data representing the modeled object 30 in a predetermined format to the control PC 42 as a modeling job. The 3D model data is data representing the shape of the modeled object 30 and its surface color, etc., and is produced based on, for example, 3D CAD data, data obtained by photographing the appearance of the modeled object 30 to be manufactured, etc.

[0060] In addition, the operator of the molding apparatus 1 inputs the replenishment amount of the clear ink via the input device 40B, and the replenishment amount of the clear ink will be described in detail later.

[0061] The control PC 42 is an information processing device that controls the 3D printer 10 and receives a modeling job from the user PC 40. The control PC 42 generates slice data corresponding to a cross section at each position of the modeling object 30 based on the modeling job (3D model data) received from the user PC 40. Then, the control PC 42 sends the slice data corresponding to each position to the 3D printer 10. Figure 1 In the example, one 3D printer 10 is connected to the control PC 42 , but this is just an example, and a plurality of 3D printers 10 may be connected to the control PC 42 .

[0062] In addition, the user PC 40 and the control PC 42 have storage devices such as a CPU for performing calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and various data are pre-stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area of ​​the CPU, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for storing various information, and receive and send various data between other information processing devices or the 3D printer 10.

[0063] Next, refer to Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the transparent ink is used to illustrate the replenishment of the transparent ink. Figure 2 In the figure, reference numeral 50 indicates a color ink layer, and reference numeral 52 indicates a transparent ink layer. Figure 2 The left side shows the proper replenishment status of the transparent ink. Figure 2 The right side of shows a state where the clear ink is excessively replenished.

[0064] When forming the object 30, the frequency of color ink application becomes relatively low for the layer with low color density. Therefore, for each layer forming the object 30, in order to set each layer to a predetermined reference thickness t, a predetermined amount of transparent ink is uniformly ejected for each layer formed by the color ink layer 50 to form the transparent ink layer 52. After each layer formed by the color ink layer 50 and the transparent ink layer 52 is cured by the ultraviolet light source 22, the stacking surface is flattened by the flattening roller 24.

[0065] Here, if Figure 2 As shown on the right side of FIG. 1 , when a predetermined amount of transparent ink is further ejected to a layer having a high color density and a thick color ink layer 50, the ink stacking thickness sometimes exceeds the reference thickness t and excessive stacking occurs. When excessive stacking of ink occurs, the excessive ink ( Figure 2 A portion of the ink (indicated by the shadow A) is not removed but is dragged by the flattening roller 24 and collected on the side of the object 30 ( Figure 2 The object 30 may be contaminated if too much ink is attached to the planarizing roller 24 and part of the ink is again attached to the object 30 from the planarizing roller 24.

[0066] Therefore, in the molding device 1 of the present embodiment, the operator uses the input device 40B of the user PC 40 to input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for each layer forming the molded object 30 in such a manner that the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is reduced in the parts where the ink application frequency of the colored ink for coloring the molded object 30 is high, and the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is increased in the parts where the ink application frequency of the colored ink is low.

[0067] The ink application frequency of the color ink corresponds to the color density of the color image used to color the modeled object 30. Therefore, in the modeling device 1 of the present embodiment, the operator uses the input device 40B to input the replenishment amount of the clear ink so that the ink application frequency of the clear ink is reduced at the portion with high color density in the color image and the ink application frequency of the clear ink is increased at the portion with low color density.

[0068] The user PC 40 of this embodiment displays the color image formed as the object 30 on the display device 40A. Thus, the operator of the 3D printer 10 can check the color image and input the replenishment amount of the clear ink so that the thickness of each layer forming the object 30 becomes constant.

[0069] With such a configuration, the operator of the 3D printer 10 can input an appropriate replenishment amount of the clear ink based on his / her own experience, thereby setting the replenishment amount of the clear ink for forming the object 30 to an appropriate amount.

[0070] Moreover, if Figure 3 As shown on the right side of the figure, the object 30 formed by the molding device 1 of this embodiment is formed in such a way that the transparent ink layer 52 becomes relatively thinner when the color ink layer 50 is thick, that is, the transparent ink layer 52 is formed in such a way that the ink frequency of the color ink is reduced in the part where the ink frequency of the color ink is high. Figure 3 As shown on the left side of FIG. 3 , the transparent ink layer 52 is relatively thicker when the color ink layer 50 is thin, that is, the transparent ink is more frequently applied to the portion where the color ink is less frequently applied. This prevents excessive stacking of ink and can also prevent contamination of the object 30.

[0071] That is, according to the molding device 1 of the present embodiment, the operator can set the amount of the transparent ink for replenishment according to the ink application frequency of the color ink in each layer of the molded object 30 formed by coloring. As a result, compared with the case where a predetermined amount of transparent ink is uniformly ejected for replenishment to the molded object 30, a more appropriate amount of transparent ink corresponding to the ink application frequency of the color ink can be ejected. That is, according to the molding device 1 of the present embodiment, the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for forming the molded object 30 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount. In addition, since the replenishment amount of the transparent ink is input by the operator, there is no need to calculate the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for each layer of the molded object 30, and the time required for molding the molded object 30 is suppressed from being increased.

[0072] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram related to the clear ink replenishment input function of the user PC 40 of this embodiment. The clear ink replenishment input function is executed by the CPU of the user PC 40.

[0073] The user PC 40 includes an image display control unit 60 , a replenishment amount input processing unit 62 , and a communication processing unit 64 .

[0074] The image display control unit 60 controls the display device 40A to display an image based on the image data. As an example, the user PC 40 of this embodiment causes the image display control unit 60 to display a color image representing the modeling object 30 and a predetermined image for inputting the replenishment amount of the transparent ink. In addition, the color image is generated based on the 3D model data representing the modeling object 30 formed by the 3D printer 10.

[0075] The replenishment amount input processing unit 62 receives the replenishment amount of the clear ink inputted via the input device 40B, and stores the input replenishment amount as a set value (hereinafter referred to as "replenishment amount set value") in a storage unit such as a RAM. In addition, as an example, an arbitrary numerical value may be inputted as the replenishment amount of the clear ink, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and one of the options obtained by dividing the state of the replenishment amount of the clear ink into a plurality of stages between a state of a small replenishment amount and a state of a large replenishment amount of the clear ink may be inputted. As the options obtained by dividing into a plurality of stages, for example, the replenishment amount of the clear ink may be associated with each numerical value from "1" to "5" in advance, and the replenishment amount of the clear ink may be increased as the numerical value is larger.

[0076] The replenishment amount of the clear ink may be set to one value for one object 30 , or may be input for each of a plurality of regions (hereinafter referred to as “virtual divided regions”) obtained by virtually dividing the object 30 .

[0077] The virtual segmented area can be specified, for example, by the operator selecting an arbitrary area for the color image displayed on the display device 40A, or can be derived by the supplementary amount input processing unit 62. In this case, the supplementary amount input processing unit 62 can derive the virtual segmented area by, for example, dividing the modeling object 30 represented by the color image from a predetermined direction at predetermined intervals, or can derive the virtual segmented area based on the lightness or darkness of the color concentration in the color image, or can derive the virtual segmented area based on the shape of the modeling object 30.

[0078] The communication processing unit 64 performs processing related to data transmission and reception with other information processing devices such as the control PC 42. The communication processing unit 64 of this embodiment performs processing for transmitting modeling work based on 3D model data and replenishment amount setting values ​​to the control PC 42.

[0079] Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of the modeling process executed by the modeling device 1 of the present embodiment. The modeling process is started when the user PC 40 starts up software (application) for executing the modeling process.

[0080] First, in step 100 , the operator selects 3D model data representing the object 30 to be produced by the 3D printer 10 , and a color image representing the object 30 is displayed on the display device 40A of the user PC 40 .

[0081] In the next step 102 , the operator inputs the replenishment amount of the clear ink via the input device 40B of the user PC 40 while referring to the color image, and the replenishment amount input processing unit 62 accepts the input.

[0082] In the next step 104, the replenishment amount input processing unit 62 determines whether the input of the replenishment amount of the clear ink is completed. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 106, and if the determination is negative, the process enters a waiting state. In addition, as an example, it is also possible to determine that the input of the replenishment amount of the clear ink is completed when a predetermined image (e.g., an image for instructing to send data to the control PC 42) displayed on the display device 40A is clicked.

[0083] In step 106 , the communication processing unit 64 performs processing for transmitting the 3D model data and the replenishment amount setting value to the control PC 42 as a modeling operation.

[0084] In the next step 108 , the control PC 42 generates slice data based on the 3D model data, and sends the replenishment amount setting value together with the slice data to the 3D printer 10 .

[0085] In the next step 110 , the 3D printer 10 forms the object 30 based on the slice data and the supplement amount setting value.

[0086] (Second Embodiment)

[0087] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 The structure of the molding device 1 shown is the same, so the description is omitted. Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram related to the transparent ink replenishment input function of the user PC 40 of this embodiment. Figure 6 in Figure 4 The same components are marked Figure 4 The same symbols are used and their descriptions are omitted.

[0088] The user PC 40 of the present embodiment includes an image display control unit 60 , a replenishment amount input processing unit 62 , and a communication processing unit 64 , and also includes a reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66 .

[0089] The reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66 calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the transparent ink corresponding to the color density of the color image used to color the modeled object 30. Specifically, the reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66 calculates the thickness of the color ink according to the color density, and calculates the reference value of the replenishment amount of the transparent ink by subtracting the thickness of the color ink from the reference thickness t. In addition, regarding the reference value, one value may be calculated for the entire modeled object 30, or a reference value may be calculated for each virtual divided area. In addition, the reference value is set to a value corresponding to the input method of the replenishment amount. For example, in the case of inputting the replenishment amount by selecting one of the options from "1" to "5", the reference value is also represented by one of "1" to "5".

[0090] The reference value calculated by the reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66 is displayed on the display device 40A by the image display control unit 60. This allows the operator to more easily input the replenishment amount of the clear ink so that the thickness of each layer forming the object 30 becomes constant.

[0091] Furthermore, when the operator inputs a replenishment amount that differs from the reference value by a predetermined value or more, a warning may be displayed, thereby preventing the replenishment amount of the clear ink from becoming excessively increased or decreased.

[0092] (Third Embodiment)

[0093] The third embodiment of the present invention is described below. Figure 1 The molding apparatus 1 shown in the figure has the same structure, so the description is omitted. The molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment determines the maximum value of the ejection amount of the clear ink for each layer forming the molding 30 in advance, and the operator inputs the replenishment amount of the clear ink so that the ejection amount of the clear ink at the portion with relatively lower color density of the color image for coloring the molding 30 is closer to the maximum value of the ejection amount of the clear ink.

[0094] More specifically, a maximum value is determined for the ejection amount of the clear ink, and the maximum value is the same as the maximum amount of the color ink ejected at one time. When the clear ink is ejected with the maximum value as the replenishment amount of the clear ink regardless of the color density of the color image, it is possible to prevent the replenishment amount of the clear ink from being insufficient even in the portion with the lowest color density. However, when the clear ink is always replenished with the same amount as the maximum amount of the color ink regardless of the color density, the replenishment amount of the clear ink may become excessive.

[0095] Therefore, in this embodiment, the maximum value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink is set to 100%, and the replenishment amount of the clear ink is inputted so as to be closer to 100% as the color density of the color image is lower. In other words, the maximum value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink, 100%, is used as a reference value, and the operator inputs a smaller replenishment amount of the clear ink as the color density is higher.

[0096] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram related to the transparent ink replenishment input function of the user PC 40 of this embodiment. Figure 7 in Figure 4 The same components are marked Figure 4 The same symbols are used and their descriptions are omitted.

[0097] The replenishment amount input processing unit 62' stores the replenishment amount setting value of the clear ink input via the input device 40B in a storage unit such as a RAM. In the present embodiment, the maximum value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink is set to 100%, and the input of the replenishment amount is accepted so that the replenishment amount is closer to 100% as the color concentration is lower.

[0098] More specifically, a color image showing the object 30 is displayed on the display device 40A of the user PC 40, and the operator inputs a numerical value between 100% and a predetermined lower limit value (e.g., 50%) as the replenishment amount of the transparent ink through the input device 40B of the user PC 40 while referring to the color image. In addition, the input value may not be a percentage, but a step-by-step value such as "more", "medium", or "less" may be selected and input. In addition, as an example, when "more" is selected, the replenishment amount setting value may be set to 100%, when "medium" is selected, the replenishment amount setting value may be set to 75%, and when "less" is selected, the replenishment amount setting value may be set to 50%.

[0099] The present invention has been described above using the above embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be applied to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the methods to which the changes or improvements are applied are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the above embodiments can also be appropriately combined.

[0100] In the above embodiment, a system in which the molding device 1 includes the 3D printer 10, the user PC 40, and the control PC 42 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, an information processing device having the functions of the user PC 40 and the control PC 42 may be connected to the 3D printer 10. In addition, the 3D printer 10 may include a display device 40A and an input device 40B, and a color image for coloring the molding object 30 may be displayed on the display device 40A, and an operator may input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink through the input device 40B.

[0101] (Effects of Embodiments)

[0102] (1) The molding apparatus 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments includes a color inkjet head 25 for ejecting color ink and a transparent inkjet head 26 for ejecting transparent ink. The molding apparatus 1 ejects color ink from the color inkjet head 25 and stacks the color inks to form the molding 30 in a colored manner, and ejects transparent ink from the transparent inkjet head 26 to replenish the stacked amount of the color inks. The molding apparatus 1 includes an input device 40B for the operator to input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink in such a manner that the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is reduced at the portion where the ink application frequency of the color ink for forming the molding 30 is high, and the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is increased at the portion where the ink application frequency of the color ink is low, with respect to each layer forming the molding 30.

[0103] According to this configuration, the operator of the molding device 1 can set the amount of the transparent ink for replenishment according to the ink application frequency of the color ink in each layer of the colored object 30. As a result, compared with the case where a predetermined amount of transparent ink is uniformly ejected for replenishment to the molded object 30, a more appropriate amount of transparent ink corresponding to the ink application frequency of the color ink can be ejected. That is, according to the above-mentioned embodiments, the replenishment amount of the transparent ink for forming the molded object 30 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount.

[0104] (2) In the molding apparatus 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the ink application frequency of the color ink corresponds to the color density of the color image used to color the molding object 30, and the operator uses the input device 40B to input the replenishment amount of the clear ink in such a manner that the ink application frequency of the clear ink is reduced at a portion with a high color density in the color image and the ink application frequency of the clear ink is increased at a portion with a low color density. According to each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the operator can input the replenishment amount of the clear ink more appropriately.

[0105] (3) In the molding apparatus 1 of the above embodiments, the operator inputs the replenishment amount of the clear ink so that the thickness of each layer forming the molded object 30 is constant. According to the above embodiments, the replenishment amount of the clear ink can be set without affecting the shape of the molded object 30.

[0106] (4) In the molding apparatus 1 of the above embodiments, the input device 40B is provided in the user PC 40 having the display device 40A that displays a color image for coloring the molding object 30. According to the above embodiments, the operator can easily input the replenishment amount of the clear ink.

[0107] (5) In the molding apparatus 1 of each of the above-described embodiments, the replenishment amount of the clear ink may be input for each of a plurality of regions obtained by virtually dividing the molding object 30. This allows the operator to more appropriately input the replenishment amount of the clear ink.

[0108] (6) The molding apparatus 1 of the second embodiment includes a reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66, which calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink corresponding to the color density of the color image used to color the molding object 30, and displays the reference value calculated by the reference replenishment amount calculation unit 66 on the display device 40A. According to the second embodiment, the operator can more appropriately input the replenishment amount of the clear ink.

[0109] (7) In the molding device 1 of the third embodiment, the molding device 1 predetermines the maximum value of the ejection amount of the transparent ink for each position of each layer forming the molding object 30, and the molding device 1 includes an input device 40B for the operator to input the replenishment amount of the transparent ink in such a manner that the ejection amount of the transparent ink at the portion where the color concentration of the color image used to color the molding object 30 is relatively low is closer to the above-mentioned maximum value.

[0110] The molding method and molding device according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 8 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a modeling apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment. As an example, the modeling apparatus 101 is configured as a system including a 3D printer 110 , a user PC 140 , and a control PC 142 .

[0111] The 3D printer 110 of this embodiment includes an ejection unit 112, a scanning drive unit 114, a modeling table 116, a movable unit 117 and a control device 118. The 3D printer 110 is an inkjet 3D printer that forms a three-dimensional modeled object 130 by solidifying and stacking the curable resin ejected from the ejection unit 112.

[0112] The ejection unit 112 ejects the material of the object 130 and stacks the layers constituting the object 130 layer by layer to form the object 130 on the molding table 116. More specifically, the ejection unit 112 has: an inkjet head 120 that ejects ink droplets containing various inks and supporting materials as the materials of the object 130 toward the molding table 116; a light source 122 on the left and a light source 122 on the right that irradiate the ink dots formed by the ink droplets after being inked on the molding table 116 with light of a specified wavelength to solidify them; and a flattening roller 124 that flattens the upper surface of the ink dots formed in the molding of the object 130 (hereinafter referred to as the "stacking surface"). Figure 8 In the example of FIG. 1 , three inkjet heads 120 are shown, but the number of inkjet heads 120 can be set to an appropriate number according to the number of types of inks used.

[0113] As an example, the light of a predetermined wavelength irradiated to the ink dots from the light source 122 is ultraviolet light. That is, the ink droplets ejected from the inkjet head 120 are curable ink (curable resin) that is cured by ultraviolet light.

[0114] In this way, the ejection unit 112 of the present embodiment ejects ink droplets of a curable resin that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation and cures the ink droplets, thereby forming each layer constituting the modeled object 130. Specifically, the ejection unit 112 ejects ink droplets according to the instruction of the control device 118, thereby repeating a layer forming operation of forming a curable resin layer and a curing operation of curing the curable resin layer formed by the layer forming operation a plurality of times, thereby forming the modeled object 130.

[0115] The scanning drive unit 114 is a drive unit that moves the ejection unit 112 relative to the object 130 (hereinafter referred to as "scanning operation"). The scanning drive unit 114 causes the ejection unit 112 to perform a main scanning operation (Y scanning) and a sub-scanning operation (X scanning) as scanning operations. Here, the main scanning operation is, for example, an operation in which the ejection unit 112 ejects ink droplets while reciprocating in a preset main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure).

[0116] The scanning drive unit 114 includes a carriage 132 and a guide rail 134. The carriage 132 is a holding unit that holds the ejection unit 112 in a manner facing the molding table 116. That is, the carriage 132 holds the ejection unit 112 in a manner that the ejection direction of ink droplets is toward the molding table 116. In addition, when performing the main scanning operation, the carriage 132 moves along the guide rail 134 while holding the ejection unit 112. The guide rail 134 is a rail-shaped member that guides the movement of the carriage 132, and moves the carriage 132 according to the instruction of the control device 118 when performing the main scanning operation.

[0117] The movement of the ejection unit 112 in the main scanning operation may be a relative movement with respect to the object 130. For example, the position of the ejection unit 112 may be fixed, and the object 130 may be moved by moving the formation stage 116.

[0118] The movable part 117 is a conveying mechanism for changing the distance between the ejection unit 112 and the molding table 116. The movable part 117 is used to move the upper surface of the molding table 116 in the present embodiment in the vertical direction ( Figure 8 The upper surface of the molding table 116 is moved in accordance with the instruction of the control device 118 to match the progress of molding of the molding object 130. Thus, the distance (gap) between the molding surface of the molding object 130 in the middle of molding and the ejection unit 112 is appropriately adjusted. Here, the molding surface of the molding object 130 is, for example, the surface on which the next layer is to be formed by the ejection unit 112. In addition, the distance between the ejection unit 112 and the molding table 116 can also be adjusted by moving the ejection unit 112 side up and down.

[0119] The control device 118 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the 3D printer 110 , and controls each unit of the 3D printer 110 based on slice data indicating shape information and color image information of the object 130 to be formed, thereby controlling the forming operation of the object 130 .

[0120] The user PC 140 is an information processing device having a display device 140A and an input device 140B composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The user PC 140 of this embodiment sends 3D model data representing the modeled object 130 in a predetermined format to the control PC 142 as a modeling job. The 3D model data is data representing the shape of the modeled object 130 and its surface color, etc., and is produced based on, for example, 3D CAD data, data obtained by photographing the appearance of the modeled object 130 to be manufactured, etc.

[0121] The control PC 142 is an information processing device that controls the 3D printer 110 and receives a modeling job from the user PC 140. The control PC 142 generates slice data corresponding to a cross section at each position of the modeling object 130 based on the modeling job (3D model data) received from the user PC 140. Then, the control PC 142 sends the slice data corresponding to each position to the 3D printer 110. Figure 8 In the example, one 3D printer 110 is connected to the control PC 142 , but this is just an example, and a plurality of 3D printers 110 may be connected to the control PC 142 .

[0122] In addition, the user PC 140 and the control PC 142 have storage devices such as a CPU for performing calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and various data are pre-stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area for the CPU, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for storing various information, and receive and send various data between other information processing devices or the 3D printer 110.

[0123] The inkjet head 120 of this embodiment forms the object 130 by performing a plurality of main scanning actions at each position of the area to be formed on the forming table 116 where the object 130 is to be formed. The main scanning action is an action of ejecting ink droplets while moving in the main scanning direction (Y direction). More specifically, the ejection of ink droplets in the outward movement of the inkjet head 120 by the main scanning action is set as the first pass (the first main scanning action), the ejection of ink droplets in the return movement is set as the second pass, and the subsequent outward movement and return movement are set as the third pass and the fourth pass, respectively.

[0124] In this way, the multi-pass method can form a finer object 130 by forming three or more ink dots at each position of the patterned area. In addition, as an example, the multi-pass method of this embodiment is four-pass printing in which four main scanning operations are performed to eject four ink drops at each position of the patterned area.

[0125] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the number of times ink droplets are ejected based on a multi-pass method, Fig. 9 (A) indicates the case of two passes. Fig. 9 (B) indicates the four-pass case. Fig. 9 The area C shown in FIG. 1 represents each position where ink droplets are ejected, and ink droplets corresponding to the number of passes are ejected to the area C multiple times to form ink dots. In addition, each rectangular area included in the area C represents the ejection position of the ink droplets, and the numerical value represents the number of passes of ejecting the ink droplets to the position represented by the rectangular area. That is, in Fig. 9 In the example of (B), at each position shown in area C, ink droplets are ejected in the order of the first pass, the second pass, the third pass, and the fourth pass from the left side of the paper. In addition, the order of ejecting ink droplets at each position is not limited to this. For example, ink droplets may be ejected in the order of the first pass, the third pass, the second pass, and the fourth pass from the left side of the paper at each position.

[0126] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing the accumulated light amount of each ink dot, Fig.10 (A) shows the accumulated light amount when the illumination in each of the two passes is the same. Fig.10 (B) shows the accumulated light amount when the illumination in each of the four passes is the same. Fig.10 (C) shows the accumulated light amount when the illumination is made smaller in the earlier pass among the four passes. Fig.10 The single-pass illuminance shown indicates the illuminance of ultraviolet rays emitted from light source 122 each time each dot is formed. The values ​​indicating illuminance (light quantity) do not indicate actual values, but illuminance "10" is a value that allows the dot to be completely cured.

[0127] Here, the ink dots formed in the previous pass are also irradiated with ultraviolet rays for the ink dots formed in the next pass. Therefore, compared with the ink dots formed later, the accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed earlier is larger. Fig.10 In (A), the accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed in the first pass is twice the accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed in the second pass.

[0128] In addition, Fig.10 In the example of (B), the accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed in the first pass is four times the accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed in the fourth pass. The accumulated light amount of the ink dots formed in the first pass is too large, resulting in over-curing of the ink dots formed in the first pass. When the ink dots are over-cured, the object 130 may be warped or the strength and color tone may be affected. In addition, there is a possibility that the over-cured chips in the flattening roller 124 may adhere to the object 130 again and become dirt on the object 130.

[0129] Therefore, the molding device 101 of this embodiment forms the molded object 130 in a multi-pass manner, and controls the illumination emitted from the light source 122 to be smaller in the earlier active scanning action among the multiple main scanning actions performed on each position (area C) (hereinafter referred to as "multi-pass illumination control").

[0130] Fig.10 (C) shows the accumulated light amount of each ink dot in the multi-pass illumination control. Fig.10 In the example of (C), the illumination of the first pass is "2", the illumination of the second pass is "3", the illumination of the third pass is "5", and the illumination of the fourth pass is "10". Therefore, the cumulative light amount of the ink dots formed in the first pass is "20", the cumulative light amount of the ink dots formed in the second pass is "18", the cumulative light amount of the ink dots formed in the third pass is "15", and the cumulative light amount of the ink dots formed in the fourth pass is "10".

[0131] like Fig.10 As shown in (C), by performing multi-pass illumination control, the accumulated light amount of the last fourth pass of the ink dots formed in the first pass is Fig.10In the example of two passes shown in (A), the accumulated light amount of the second pass is the same. As described above, according to the multi-pass illumination control of this embodiment, when the object 130 is formed by the multi-pass method, the accumulated light amount of light used to solidify the ink dots formed by the ink droplets ejected first can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the over-solidification of the ink dots formed first.

[0132] In addition, as described above, the light source 122 of the present embodiment increases the illumination of each region C in a stepwise manner such that the later the ink dot is formed in the region, the greater the illumination of the light initially irradiated to the ink dot. In the present embodiment, the illumination of the first pass is set to the first illumination, the illumination of the second pass is set to the second illumination, the illumination of the third pass is set to the third illumination, and the illumination of the fourth pass is set to the fourth illumination. Moreover, the relationship between the magnitudes of the illuminations is the first illumination < the second illumination < the third illumination < the fourth illumination. In addition, the magnitudes of the first illumination, the second illumination, the third illumination, and the fourth illumination are preset.

[0133] In addition, the light source 122 sets the illumination intensity of the ink dots formed last in each region C to the illumination intensity that completely cures the ink dots, and sets the illumination intensity of the light irradiated to the ink dots formed earlier than last in the region to the illumination intensity that does not completely cure the ink dots by only this one irradiation. That is, the fourth illumination intensity may be the intensity that completely cures the ink dots, while the first illumination intensity, the second illumination intensity, and the third illumination intensity may be the illumination intensity that semi-cures the ink dots. In this way, the over-curing of the ink dots formed earlier can be suppressed, and the ink dots formed last can be completely cured.

[0134] In addition, the first illumination, the second illumination, the third illumination, and the fourth illumination may not be different in magnitude, for example, the first illumination = the second illumination = the third illumination < the fourth illumination. In addition, the illumination for the last ink dot formed may not be the illumination for completely curing the ink dot. In this case, the last ink dot formed is completely cured by the ultraviolet rays irradiated to cure the ink dot stacked thereon.

[0135] In addition, the light source 122 may irradiate light in such a manner that the accumulated light amounts of the plurality of ink dots formed at each position are the same. In addition, as an example, the same here means that the difference between the ink dot with the largest accumulated light amount and the ink dot with the smallest accumulated light amount is less than 2 times. In this way, the curing degree of the plurality of ink dots formed at each position of the modeling table 116 can be made the same.

[0136] Fig.11 This is a functional block diagram related to the modeling process executed by the 3D printer 110 of this embodiment. The control device 118 provided in the 3D printer 110 includes a scanning control unit 150 , a pass determination unit 152 , an ink ejection control unit 154 , and a light source control unit 156 .

[0137] The scanning control unit 150 controls the driving of the scanning driving unit 114 and the movable unit 117 to move the ejection unit 112 in the main scanning direction (Y direction) and the sub-scanning direction (X direction) and to move the modeling table 116 in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0138] The pass determination unit 152 determines the movement state (forward movement or return movement) of the ejection unit 112 in the main scanning direction, in other words, determines the current pass number of the inkjet head 120 that performs the main scanning movement while ejecting ink droplets.

[0139] The ink ejection control unit 154 controls the inkjet head 120 to eject ink droplets based on the slice data sent from the control PC 142 .

[0140] The light source control unit 156 controls the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light source 122 based on the determination result of the pass determination unit 152. That is, the ink dots formed in the first pass are irradiated with ultraviolet rays at the first illuminance, the ink dots formed in the second pass are irradiated with ultraviolet rays at the second illuminance, the ink dots formed in the third pass are irradiated with ultraviolet rays at the third illuminance, and the ink dots formed in the fourth pass are irradiated with ultraviolet rays at the fourth illuminance.

[0141] Fig.12 : is a flowchart showing the flow of the multi-pass illumination control process of the molding device 101 of this embodiment. Fig.12 The multi-pass illumination control process shown is performed as part of the modeling process.

[0142] First, in step S100 , the pass determination unit 152 determines the current pass number.

[0143] In the next step S102 , the inkjet head 120 ejects ink droplets corresponding to the number of passes determined in step S100 toward the formation stage 116 .

[0144] In the next step S104 , the light source 122 irradiates the ink dots formed by the ink droplets landed on the formation table 116 with ultraviolet rays of an illuminance corresponding to the number of passes determined in step S100 .

[0145] In the next step S106, it is determined whether the formation of the modeling object 130 is completed. In the case of an affirmative determination, the modeling process is terminated. On the other hand, in the case of a negative determination, the process returns to step S100 and steps S100 to S104 are repeated to stack the ink dots, thereby forming the modeling object 130.

[0146] The present invention has been described above using the above embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be applied to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the methods to which the changes or improvements are applied are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the above embodiments can also be appropriately combined.

[0147] In the above embodiment, the multi-pass is described as four passes, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the multi-pass may be three or more passes.

[0148] In the above embodiment, the light source 122 irradiates light of a predetermined wavelength as ultraviolet rays, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The light source 122 may irradiate light of other wavelengths such as infrared rays as long as it can cure the photocurable ink (resin).

[0149] In the above embodiment, the modeling device 101 is described as a system having the 3D printer 110, the user PC 140, and the control PC 142, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, an information processing device having the functions of the user PC 140 and the control PC 142 may be connected to the 3D printer 110.

[0150] (Effects of Embodiments)

[0151] (1) The molding device 101 of the present embodiment comprises: an inkjet head 120 that ejects ink droplets of curable ink that is cured by light of a specified wavelength; and a light source 122 that irradiates light onto ink dots formed by the ink droplets after inking. The molding device 101 forms a molding 130 by stacking ink dots. The inkjet head 120 forms the molding 130 by performing a plurality of main scanning actions at each position of the molding area where the molding 130 is to be formed. The illumination of ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light source 122 is reduced in the earlier main scanning action among the plurality of main scanning actions performed at each position. The main scanning action is an action in which the inkjet head 120 ejects ink droplets while moving in a specified main scanning direction.

[0152] According to the present embodiment, when the object 130 is formed by the multi-pass method, the accumulated light amount of light for curing ink dots formed by previously ejected ink droplets can be suppressed, thereby suppressing excessive curing of previously formed ink dots.

[0153] (2) In the molding device 101 of this embodiment, the light source 122 gradually increases the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays initially irradiated to each position so that the later the ink dot is formed, the greater the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays initially irradiated to the ink dot. According to this embodiment, over-curing of the ink dot formed earlier can be suppressed.

[0154] (3) In the molding device 101 of this embodiment, the light source 122 sets the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays irradiated to the ink dot formed last at each position to an illuminance that completely cures the ink dot, and sets the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays irradiated to the ink dot formed earlier than the last at the position to an illuminance that does not completely cure the ink dot by only this irradiation. According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress over-curing of the ink dot formed earlier.

[0155] (4) In the molding apparatus 101 of this embodiment, the light source 122 may irradiate light so that the accumulated light amount of the plurality of ink dots formed at each position is the same. According to this embodiment, the degree of curing of the plurality of ink dots formed at each position of the molding table 116 can be made the same.

[0156] Industrial Applicability

[0157] The present invention relates to a molding device for forming a three-dimensional object by ejecting ink.

[0158] Description of Reference Numerals

[0159] 1: Modeling device; 10: 3D printer; 25: color inkjet head (first ejection unit); 26: transparent inkjet head (second ejection unit); 30: modeling object; 40: user PC (information processing device); 40A: display device; 40B: input device (input unit); 66: reference replenishment amount calculation unit (calculation unit); 101: modeling device; 116: modeling table; 120: inkjet head; 122: light source; 130: modeling object.

Claims

1. A molding device comprising a first ejection unit for ejecting color ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink, wherein the molding device ejects the color ink from the first ejection unit and stacks the color ink to form a molding object in a colored manner, and ejects the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to supplement the stacked amount of the color ink, The molding device includes an input unit for inputting a replenishment amount of the transparent ink in such a manner that the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is reduced at a portion where the color ink is applied more frequently to form the molding in a colored manner, and the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is increased at a portion where the color ink is applied less frequently, for each layer forming the molding. The molding device further includes a reference replenishment amount calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the color ink based on the color concentration that colors the molded object, and calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the transparent ink by subtracting the thickness of the color ink from the reference thickness of each layer.

2. The molding device according to claim 1, wherein: The ink application frequency of the color ink corresponds to the color density of the color image used to color the object. The replenishment amount of the clear ink is inputted through the input unit so that the ink application frequency of the clear ink is reduced at the portion with high color density in the color image and the ink application frequency of the clear ink is increased at the portion with low color density.

3. The molding device according to claim 1, wherein: The replenishment amount of the clear ink is input so that the thickness of each layer forming the object becomes constant.

4. The molding device according to claim 1, wherein: The input unit is provided in an information processing device having a display device, and the display device displays a color image for coloring the modeled object.

5. The molding device according to claim 1, wherein: The replenishment amount of the clear ink is input for each of a plurality of regions obtained by virtually dividing the object.

6. The molding device according to claim 1, wherein: The reference replenishment amount calculation unit calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink corresponding to the color density of the color image for coloring the object. The reference value calculated by the reference replenishment amount calculation unit is displayed on a display device.

7. A molding device comprising a first ejection unit for ejecting color ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink, wherein the molding device ejects the color ink from the first ejection unit and stacks the color ink to form a molding object in a colored manner, and ejects the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to supplement the stacked amount of the color ink, wherein: The molding device determines in advance a maximum value of the ejection amount of the transparent ink for each layer forming the molding, and the molding device includes an input unit for inputting a replenishment amount of the transparent ink in such a manner that the ejection amount of the transparent ink approaches the maximum value as the color density of a color image for coloring the molding is relatively lower. The molding device further includes a reference replenishment amount calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the color ink based on the color concentration that colors the molded object, and calculates a reference value of the replenishment amount of the transparent ink by subtracting the thickness of the color ink from the reference thickness of each layer.

8. A method for inputting a replenishment amount of transparent ink in a molding device, the molding device comprising a first ejection unit for ejecting color ink and a second ejection unit for ejecting transparent ink, the molding device ejecting the color ink from the first ejection unit and stacking the color ink to form a molding object in a colored manner, and ejecting the transparent ink from the second ejection unit to replenish the stacked amount of the color ink, the method comprising the following steps: The first step is to display a color image for coloring the modeled object on a display device; In a second step, for each layer forming the shaped object, the amount of the transparent ink replenished is inputted so that the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is reduced at the portion where the color ink is applied more frequently to form the shaped object in color, and the ink application frequency of the transparent ink is increased at the portion where the color ink is applied less frequently; and In a third step, the thickness of the color ink is calculated based on the color density of the object, and a reference value of the replenishment amount of the clear ink is calculated by subtracting the thickness of the color ink from the reference thickness of each layer.

Images