Stacked modeling device and method for manufacturing stacked modeling object

Abstract

The present invention provides a stacking molding device and a method for manufacturing a stacking molding object. A stacking molding device is provided, comprising a chamber, a molding table, a shooting device, an image processing device, and a control device, wherein the stacking molding device comprises a bottom plate in a molding area arranged on the molding table, comprising a first side and a second side constituting an outer edge when viewed from above, a first camera of the shooting device shoots a first area at a position after moving along the first side from an initial position where a part of the first side and one of its end points and a part of the second side and one of its end points are included in a field of view to obtain a first image, and shoots a second area at a position after moving along the second side from the initial position to obtain a second image, an image processing device analyzes the first image and the second image to obtain position information of each side, and a control device calculates the coordinates of the intersection of the first side and the second side or the intersection on the extension line of the first side and the second side as a detection object point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a stacking modeling device and a method for manufacturing a stacking modeling object. Background Art

[0002] Various methods are known for the stacking modeling of three-dimensional objects. For example, in a chamber filled with inert gas, metal material powder is supplied to the upper surface of a base plate in a modeling area arranged on a modeling table to form a material layer. Then, a laser or electron beam is irradiated at a predetermined position of the material layer using an irradiation device, thereby sintering or melting the material layer to form a solidified layer. By repeatedly forming such material layers and solidified layers, the solidified layers are stacked to produce the desired three-dimensional object.

[0003] The base plate is used to protect the modeling table and facilitate the fixation of the solidified layer. After the modeling is completed, the modeled object is removed from the modeling table in a state of being integrated with the base plate, and the base plate is completely separated from the modeled object, or the whole or part of the base plate remains to become a product. Patent document 1 discloses a manufacturing method for improving the shape accuracy of a three-dimensional modeled object having a structure with a sintered body formed on a base plate.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6564111 Summary of the invention

[0007] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In order to irradiate the laser or electron beam to the specified position of the material layer on the base plate with high precision, it is necessary to accurately grasp the position of the base plate in the molding area and appropriately set the coordinate system of the irradiation device. For example, when any corner of the base plate when viewed from above is set as the reference point in the setting of the coordinate system, it is necessary to grasp the position of the corner. In the position detection of the reference point, in addition to the use of contact measuring equipment such as touch probes, pick testers, and power-on detectors, it is also possible to use a non-contact method that obtains an image containing the reference point through a shooting device including a charge coupled device (CCD) camera and performs image processing to obtain position information.

[0009] In non-contact position detection based on image acquisition, the smaller the distance between the camera and the object being photographed, and the more information contained in the camera's field of view, the higher the detection accuracy. However, generally speaking, there is a trade-off between the distance to the object being photographed and the amount of information contained in the field of view. For example, if the camera is close to the base plate, the range of the base plate contained in the field of view is further limited, and the information in the field of view is reduced. On the contrary, if a wider range of the base plate is to be included in the field of view, the camera needs to be moved away from the base plate.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a stacked molding device and a method for manufacturing a stacked molded object that can suppress a decrease in accuracy in detecting a position of a base plate.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] According to the present invention, a stacking modeling device can be provided, including a chamber, a modeling table, a material layer forming device, an irradiation device, a shooting device, an image processing device, and a control device. In the stacking modeling device, a modeling area is provided on the modeling table, the chamber covers the modeling area, a base plate is arranged in the modeling area, the base plate includes a first side and a second side that constitute the outer edge of the base plate when viewed from above, the material layer forming device forms a material layer on the upper surface of the base plate by supplying material powder, the irradiation device forms a solidified layer by irradiating the material layer with a laser or an electron beam, and the shooting device includes a first camera arranged to be movable in the chamber, the first camera is in a position between a portion of the first side and one of its endpoints and a portion of the second side and its middle An initial position set in a manner that one endpoint is included in the field of view of a first camera is located at a position after the other endpoint of the first side moves along the first side, and a first area including at least a portion of the first side is photographed to obtain a first image. A second area including at least a portion of the second side is photographed to obtain a second image at a position after the other endpoint of the second side moves along the second side from the initial position. The image processing device analyzes the first image to obtain position information of the first side, and analyzes the second image to obtain position information of the second side. The control device uses the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side to calculate the coordinates of the intersection of the first side and the second side or the intersection on the extension line of the first side and the second side as the detection object point.

[0013] [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the stacked modeling device of the present invention, a movable first camera is used to acquire a first image and a second image at a position after moving from an initial position in such a manner that the lengths of the first side and the second side included in the field of view become larger. The longer the length of the side included in the field of view, the higher the accuracy of the position information of the side acquired from the image. Therefore, compared with the case where the position information of the first side and the second side is acquired from the image captured at the initial position, it is possible to acquire position information with higher accuracy, and accordingly the accuracy of the coordinates of the detection object point calculated based on the position information can be improved. In addition, during the movement from the initial position, the distance between the first camera and the base plate is constant, so that more information can be included in the field of view without changing the distance to the photographed object.

[0015] Various embodiments of the present invention are described below. The embodiments described below can be combined with each other.

[0016] Preferably, the first camera changes the moving distance from the initial position to photograph the first area to obtain multiple first images, changes the moving distance from the initial position to photograph the second area to obtain multiple second images, the image processing device analyzes the multiple first images respectively to obtain the position information of the first side, and analyzes the multiple second images respectively to obtain the position information of the second side.

[0017] Preferably, the image processing device detects the length of the first side included in the multiple first images, and detects the length of the second side included in the multiple second images, and the control device uses the position information of the first side obtained from the first image in which the length of the detected first side is the largest, and the position information of the second side obtained from the second image in which the length of the detected second side is the largest, to calculate the coordinates of the detection object point.

[0018] Preferably, the control device calculates the coordinates of the detection target point using a result of statistical processing of the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side.

[0019] Preferably, the first camera acquires a first image by photographing the first area at a position after moving a prescribed distance from the initial position parallel to the first side, and the prescribed distance is equal to half of the maximum length of the field of view in the direction parallel to the first side; the first camera acquires a second image by photographing the second area at a position after moving a prescribed distance from the initial position parallel to the second side, and the prescribed distance is equal to half of the maximum length of the field of view in the direction parallel to the second side.

[0020] Preferably, the stacked modeling device includes a camera moving device, the shooting device includes a second camera fixed in the chamber, the second camera shoots an area including the entire modeling area to obtain an overall image, the image processing device analyzes the overall image to obtain position information of the base plate in the modeling area, the control device uses the position information of the base plate to generate a movement instruction for the first camera, and the camera moving device moves the first camera according to the movement instruction.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a stacked modeling object can be provided, including a material layer forming step, a curing step, a first image acquiring step and a second image acquiring step, a first image analyzing step and a second image analyzing step, and a calculation step. In the manufacturing method, in the material layer forming step, in a chamber covering a modeling area arranged on a modeling table, material powder is supplied to an upper surface of a base plate arranged in the modeling area to form a material layer. In the curing step, a cured layer is formed by irradiating the material layer with a laser or an electron beam. The base plate includes a first side and a second side that constitute the outer edge of the base plate when viewed from above. In the first image acquiring step, a camera that is arranged to be movable in the chamber is used to obtain a first image from a portion of the first side and one of its endpoints and a portion of the second side and one of its endpoints included in the first phase. In a second image acquisition process, the camera is used to capture a first area including at least a portion of the first side at a position after moving along the first side from the initial position toward the other end point of the second side, thereby acquiring a second image; in a first image analysis process, the first image is analyzed to acquire position information of the first side; in a second image analysis process, the second image is analyzed to acquire position information of the second side; and in the calculation process, the coordinates of the intersection of the first side and the second side or the intersection on the extension line of the first side and the second side are calculated as the detection object point using the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a stacking molding device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the material layer forming device 3 .

[0024] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the coating head 11 as viewed from above.

[0025] Figure 4This is a perspective view of the coating head 11 as viewed from below.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the irradiation device 13.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a plan view showing a state where the bottom plate 81 is arranged in the shaping region R.

[0028] Figure 7 1 is a plan view showing a state where a bottom plate 81 having one corner chamfered is arranged in the shaping region R. FIG.

[0029] Figure 8 is another schematic structural diagram of the stacking molding device 100, and is a diagram showing the stacking molding device 100 viewed from the right side. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a stacking molding device 100 .

[0030] Fig. 9 Yes means Figure 6 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the imaging area or field of view of the overall imaging camera 61 and the local imaging camera 62 in the configuration of the base plate 81 .

[0031] Fig.10 1 is a diagram showing the field of view of the partial imaging camera 62 when imaging the vicinity of the corner C2 of the bottom plate 81 .

[0032] Fig.11 For illustration Fig.10 A diagram showing the changes in the lengths of the edges included in the field of view of the local imaging camera 62.

[0033] Fig.12 1 is a diagram showing the field of view of the partial imaging camera 62 when imaging the vicinity of the corner portion C4 of the bottom plate 81 .

[0034] Fig.13 Yes means Figure 7 FIG. 8 is a diagram of the field of view of the local photography camera 62 in the configuration of the base plate 81 .

[0035] Fig.14 Yes Fig.10 The second region V C2,2 A diagram of a second image obtained by photographing.

[0036] Fig.15 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the control device 9.

[0037] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the coordinate system for modeling.

[0038] Fig.17 It is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object using the stacking molding apparatus 100 .

[0039] Fig.18 It is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object using the stacking molding apparatus 100 .

[0040] Fig.19 It is a diagram showing the field of view of the local imaging camera 62 in the second embodiment.

[0041] Fig. 20 It is a diagram showing the field of view of the local imaging camera 62 in the second embodiment.

[0042] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1: Chamber

[0044] 1a: Window

[0045] 3: Material layer forming device

[0046] 4: Base

[0047] 5: Modeling table

[0048] 7: Camera moving device

[0049] 9: Control device

[0050] 11: Coating head

[0051] 11a: Material Storage Department

[0052] 11b: Material supply port

[0053] 11c: Material discharge port

[0054] 11fb, 11rb: Blade

[0055] 12: Coating head drive device

[0056] 13: Irradiation device

[0057] 17: Pollution prevention device

[0058] 17a: Frame

[0059] 17b: Opening

[0060] 17c: Diffuser

[0061] 17d: Inert gas supply space

[0062] 17e: fine pores

[0063] 17f: Cleaning room

[0064] 31: Light Source

[0065] 33: Collimator

[0066] 35: Focus control unit

[0067] 37: Scanning device

[0068] 37a: First galvanometer mirror

[0069] 37b: Second galvanometer mirror

[0070] 41: CAD device

[0071] 42: CAM device

[0072] 43: Image processing device

[0073] 51: Framework

[0074] 61: Overall Shooting Camera

[0075] 62: Local shooting camera

[0076] 71: First drive mechanism

[0077] 72: Second drive mechanism

[0078] 73: The third drive mechanism

[0079] 81: Bottom plate

[0080] 85: Material layer

[0081] 86: Curing layer

[0082] 91: Numerical control unit

[0083] 91a: Calculation Department

[0084] 91b: Operation unit

[0085] 91c: Storage

[0086] 95: Display unit

[0087] 96: Irradiation control department

[0088] 97: Machining Control Department

[0089] 98: Mobile device control unit

[0090] 100: Cascading Modeling Device

[0091] Ar: Overall area

[0092] B: Laser

[0093] C1, C2, C3, C4, C7, C8: Corners

[0094] C5: Point

[0095] C6, C9: Endpoints

[0096] E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6: Edge

[0097] G: Center

[0098] H1, H2, H 3,1 , H 3,2 , H 4,1 , H 4,2 :distance

[0099] L V,1 , L V,2 :length

[0100] Od: origin

[0101] R: Modeling area

[0102] S1~S13: Steps

[0103] T1, T2, T3, T4, TE 3,1 TE 3,2 TE 3,3 TE 4,1 TE 4,2 :length

[0104] V C2,0 、V C4,0 、V C5,0 : Initial area

[0105] V C2,1 、V C4,1 、V C5,1 、V E3,1 、V E3,2 、V E3,3 : First area

[0106] V C2,2 、V C4,2 、V C5,2 、V E4,1 、V E4,2 : Second area DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0107] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The respective characteristic matters shown in the embodiments shown below can be combined with each other. In addition, the invention is established independently for each characteristic matter.

[0108] 1. Stacking modeling device 100

[0109] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a stacking molding device 100 according to the first embodiment. The stacking molding device 100 includes a chamber 1, a material layer forming device 3, and an irradiation device 13. In a molding area R provided on a molding table 5 disposed in the chamber 1, a desired three-dimensional molding object can be formed by repeatedly forming a material layer 85 and a solidified layer 86. In the following description, the direction Figure 1 The direction in front of the stacking molding device 100 is defined as the "front" direction. Figure 1 The inner side of the stacking molding device 100 is defined as the "rear" side. Figure 1 The up-down direction is defined as the up-down direction (vertical direction) of the stacking molding device 100. Figure 1 The left-right direction is defined as the left-right direction of the stacking molding device 100.

[0110] 1.1. Chamber 1

[0111] The chamber 1 covers a molding region R which is a region for forming a three-dimensional molded object. The interior of the chamber 1 is filled with an inert gas of a specified concentration supplied by an inert gas supply device (not shown). The inert gas referred to in this specification is a gas that does not substantially react with the material layer 85 or the solidified layer 86, and is selected according to the type of material. For example, nitrogen, argon, and helium can be used. The inert gas containing smoke generated when the solidified layer 86 is formed is discharged from the chamber 1, and after the smoke is removed in the smoke collector, it is supplied to the chamber 1 for reuse. The smoke collector is, for example, an electric dust collector or a filter.

[0112] A window 1a is provided on the upper surface of the chamber 1 as a transmission window for the laser light B. The window 1a is formed of a material that can transmit the laser light B. Specifically, the material of the window 1a is selected from quartz glass, borosilicate glass, or crystals of germanium, silicon, zinc selenide, or potassium bromide, etc., according to the type of the laser light B. For example, when the laser light B is a fiber laser or a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser, the window 1a can include quartz glass.

[0113] In addition, a pollution prevention device 17 is provided on the upper surface of the chamber 1 in such a manner as to cover the window 1a. The pollution prevention device 17 includes a cylindrical frame 17a and a cylindrical diffusion member 17c disposed in the frame 17a. An inert gas supply space 17d is provided between the frame 17a and the diffusion member 17c. In addition, an opening 17b is provided on the bottom surface of the frame 17a, inside the diffusion member 17c. The diffusion member 17c is provided with a number of fine holes 17e, and the clean inert gas supplied to the inert gas supply space 17d fills the clean chamber 17f through the fine holes 17e. Then, the clean inert gas filling the clean chamber 17f is ejected toward the bottom of the pollution prevention device 17 through the opening 17b. With this structure, smoke can be prevented from adhering to the window 1a, thereby removing smoke from the irradiation path of the laser B.

[0114] 1.2. Material layer forming device 3

[0115] The material layer forming device 3 is arranged inside the chamber 1. Figure 2 As shown, the material layer forming device 3 includes a base 4 and a recoater head 11 disposed on the base 4. The recoater head 11 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in a horizontal uniaxial direction by a recoater head driving device 12.

[0116] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the coating head 11 includes a material receiving portion 11a, a material supply port 11b, and a material discharge port 11c. The material supply port 11b is provided on the upper surface of the material receiving portion 11a, and serves as a receiving port for the material powder supplied from the material supply unit (not shown) to the material receiving portion 11a. The material discharge port 11c is provided on the bottom surface of the material receiving portion 11a, and discharges the material powder in the material receiving portion 11a. The material discharge port 11c has a slit shape extending along the long side direction of the material receiving portion 11a. Flat blades 11fb and 11rb are provided on both side surfaces of the coating head 11. The blades 11fb and 11rb flatten the material powder discharged from the material discharge port 11c, thereby forming a material layer 85.

[0117] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the molding area R is located on the molding table 5, and a desired three-dimensional molding is formed in the molding area R. The molding table 5 can be driven by the molding table driving device to move in the vertical direction. During molding, a bottom plate 81 is arranged in the molding area R, and material powder is supplied to the upper surface of the bottom plate 81 to form a material layer 85.

[0118] 1.3. Irradiation device 13

[0119] like Figure 1As shown, the irradiation device 13 is disposed above the chamber 1. The irradiation device 13 irradiates the irradiation region of the material layer 85 formed in the molding region R with the laser B to melt or sinter and solidify the material powder, thereby forming a solidified layer 86.

[0120] like Figure 5 As shown, the irradiation device 13 includes a light source 31, a collimator 33, a focus control unit 35, and a scanning device 37, and is controlled by an irradiation control unit 96 described later. The light source 31 generates a laser B. The laser B can be any laser as long as it can sinter or melt the material powder, for example, a fiber laser, a CO2 laser, or a YAG laser. In this embodiment, a fiber laser is used as the laser B.

[0121] The collimator 33 includes a collimating lens, which converts the laser light B output from the light source 31 into parallel light. The focus control unit 35 includes a focus control lens and a motor that moves the focus control lens back and forth along the optical axis direction, and adjusts the beam diameter of the laser light B on the surface of the material layer 85 by adjusting the focus position of the laser light B converted into parallel light by the collimator 33.

[0122] The scanning device 37 is, for example, a galvano scanner, and includes a first galvano mirror 37a and a second galvano mirror 37b, and a first actuator and a second actuator for rotating the first galvano mirror 37a and the second galvano mirror 37b to a desired angle, respectively. The laser light B after passing through the focus control unit 35 is two-dimensionally scanned on the upper surface of the material layer 85 in the molding area R by the first galvano mirror 37a and the second galvano mirror 37b. Specifically, the laser light B is reflected by the first galvano mirror 37a according to the molding coordinate system described later, and is reflected by the second galvano mirror 37b in the X-axis direction, which is a horizontal uniaxial direction in the molding area R, and is scanned in the Y-axis direction, which is another horizontal uniaxial direction in the molding area R and is orthogonal to the X-axis direction.

[0123] The laser light B reflected by the first galvanometer mirror 37a and the second galvanometer mirror 37b is transmitted through the window 1a and irradiated to the material layer 85 in the molding area R, thereby forming a solidified layer 86. In addition, the irradiation device 13 is not limited to the above-mentioned method. For example, an fθ lens can be provided instead of the focus control unit 35. In addition, the irradiation device 13 can also be configured to irradiate an electron beam instead of the laser light B to solidify the material layer 85. Specifically, the irradiation device 13 can be configured to include a cathode electrode that emits electrons, an anode electrode that converges and accelerates the electrons, a solenoid that forms a magnetic field and converges the direction of the electron beam in one direction, a collector electrode electrically connected to the material layer 85 as the irradiated body, and a high-voltage power supply that applies a voltage pulse between the cathode electrode and the collector electrode.

[0124] In addition to the above-mentioned structure, the stacked molding device 100 may also include a mechanical processing device (not shown) in the chamber 1 for performing mechanical processing such as cutting processing on the solidified layer 86 and the molded object as needed. The mechanical processing device is, for example, a tool for mechanical processing such as cutting (for example, an end mill) mounted on a processing head, so that the processing head is appropriately moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction to perform mechanical processing on the solidified layer 86 or the molded object. In addition, the tool may be configured to be rotatable by being mounted on the main shaft of the processing head.

[0125] 2. Setting of coordinate system for modeling

[0126] A mechanical coordinate system for specifying a position within the molding area R is pre-set in the stacking molding device 100. The mechanical coordinate system is a system inherently set in the stacking molding device 100, and does not change regardless of the molding conditions. On the other hand, in order to use the irradiation device 13 to irradiate the laser B to the desired position of the material layer 85 on the base plate 81, or to perform mechanical processing on the solidified layer 86 or the molded object on the base plate 81, it is necessary to set a molding coordinate system based on the base plate 81 configured in the molding area R before molding. The molding coordinate system is set each time the base plate 81 is replaced or the configuration is changed, and an action instruction for the irradiation device 13 or the machining device is generated based on the molding coordinate system. In addition, the molding coordinate system can also be set for each device constituting the stacking molding device 100, such as the irradiation device 13 or the machining device.

[0127] In order to set the coordinate system for modeling, in the present embodiment, the coordinates of the point (reference point) that serves as the reference in the setting of the coordinate system for modeling are determined in the mechanical coordinate system. Specifically, an image of the base plate 81 arranged in the modeling area R is acquired by a photographing device, and the coordinates of at least one detection object point in the mechanical coordinate system are acquired by image analysis. The so-called detection object point in the present invention refers to a point that is photographed by a photographing device and the position is detected in the image analysis in order to determine the coordinates of the reference point in the mechanical coordinate system. The coordinates of the reference point are obtained according to the coordinates of the detection object point, for example, the coordinate system for modeling is set with the reference point as the origin. As the reference point of the modeling coordinate system, for example, the corner or center of the base plate 81 when viewed from above can be selected. In addition, as the detection object point, a point that can be detected by image analysis can be appropriately set to determine the reference point. In the case where the reference point itself can be detected by image analysis, the reference point can be set as the detection object point. As described later, in terms of detecting the detection point by image analysis such as edge detection, the detection point is preferably set on a side constituting the outer edge of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above, and more preferably set at a corner of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above.

[0128] As an example, Figure 6The determination of the coordinates of the reference points when the rectangular bottom plate 81 is arranged in the shaping region R will be described. Figure 6 The downward direction, upward direction, left direction, and right direction of the stacking molding device 100 correspond to the forward direction, rearward direction, left direction, and right direction of the stacking molding device 100, respectively. Figure 6 In the example of , the mechanical coordinate system is set such that the corner of the intersection of the front end and the left end of the molding region R located on the inner side of the frame 51 when viewed from above is set as the origin Od, the front end of the molding region R is set as the Xd axis, and the left end is set as the Yd axis. When the corner C2 of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above is set as the reference point of the molding coordinate system, since the corner C2 is relatively easy to detect by image analysis, the corner C2 can be set as the detection target point. The coordinates of the corner C2 as the detection target point are obtained by image analysis, thereby determining the coordinates of the corner C2 as the reference point.

[0129] As another example, the center G of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above can also be set as the reference point of the coordinate system for modeling. In the case where it is difficult to directly detect the center G by image analysis, a point that is easier to detect can be set as the detection object point. For example, when the two corners C2 and C4 located at both ends of one of the diagonals of the rectangle are set as the detection object points, the coordinates of the corners C2 and C4 are obtained by image analysis, and the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment connecting the corners C2 and C4 are obtained, thereby determining the coordinates of the center G as the reference point. In addition, the two corners C1 and C3 located at both ends of the other diagonal of the rectangle can be replaced by the two corners C2 and C4, and the same operation can be performed to determine the coordinates of the center G. Alternatively, the four corners C1, C2, C3, and C4 can also be set as the detection object points, and the coordinates of these points can be obtained by image analysis, and the coordinates of the center G can be determined as the intersection of the line segment connecting the corners C1 and C3 and the line segment connecting the corners C2 and C4.

[0130] As another example, Figure 7 The determination of the coordinates of the reference point when the bottom plate 81 having one corner of a rectangle chamfered is arranged in the shaping region R will be described. Figure 7 In the example, Figure 6 The mechanical coordinate system is set in the same manner. When the intersection point C5 of the extension lines of the two sides E1 and E2 of the bottom plate 81 extending from the chamfered portion is set as the reference point of the modeling coordinate system and the target point is detected, the coordinates of the sides E1 and E2 are obtained by image analysis. Furthermore, by obtaining the coordinates of the intersection point of the extension lines of the sides E1 and E2, the reference point can be determined and the coordinates of the target point C5 can be detected.

[0131] 3. Shooting device

[0132] Figure 8Another schematic structural diagram of the stacking molding device 100 is shown as viewed from the right side. Figure 1 The stacking molding device 100 of this embodiment includes a photographing device for photographing the molding area R from above. The photographing device is, for example, a CCD camera or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera. Figure 8 As shown, the imaging device of this embodiment includes two cameras, namely, an overall imaging camera 61 (an example of a second camera) and a local imaging camera 62 (an example of a first camera) which are CCD cameras. Each camera is controlled by an image processing device 43 described later to perform imaging. Fig. 9 Yes means Figure 6 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the imaging area or field of view of the overall imaging camera 61 and the local imaging camera 62 in the configuration of the base plate 81 .

[0133] 3.1. Overall camera 61

[0134] The overall shooting camera 61 is arranged in the chamber 1, and shoots the overall area Ar including the entire molding area R to obtain an overall image. In order to include the entire molding area R in the shooting area, the overall shooting camera 61 needs to be separated from the molding area R to a certain extent and arranged above the molding area R. In this embodiment, the overall shooting camera 61 is fixed to the top of the chamber 1. The overall image is analyzed by the image processing device 43 to obtain the position information of the bottom plate 81 in the molding area R.

[0135] 3.2. Local shooting camera 62

[0136] The local imaging camera 62 is provided to be movable at least in the horizontal direction in the chamber 1 to capture an image of a part of the entire area Ar, that is, an area near the detection target point. The local imaging camera 62 of this embodiment can be moved horizontally by the camera moving device 7 .

[0137] like Figure 8As shown, a local photographing camera 62 is installed at one end of the camera moving device 7. The camera moving device 7 includes: a first driving mechanism 71 that can reciprocate in a horizontal uniaxial direction in the molding area R; and a second driving mechanism 72 that is installed with the first driving mechanism 71 and can reciprocate in another horizontal uniaxial direction orthogonal to the horizontal uniaxial direction, and is controlled by the moving device control unit 98 described later. The local photographing camera 62 of this embodiment is moved in the front-back direction of the stacking molding device 100 by the first driving mechanism 71, and is moved in the left-right direction of the stacking molding device 100 by the second driving mechanism 72. As a result, the local photographing camera 62 can be freely moved in the horizontal direction above the molding area R and arranged at an arbitrary position. In addition, the camera moving device 7 can also be configured to move the local photographing camera 62 in the vertical direction. The camera moving device 7 of this embodiment includes a third driving mechanism 73 that reciprocates the local photographing camera 62 in the up-down direction. As a result, the distance from the molding area R in the vertical direction can be appropriately adjusted. The first drive mechanism 71 , the second drive mechanism 72 , and the third drive mechanism 73 can be respectively configured using, for example, a linear motor, a cylinder, a ball screw, or a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0138] The control device 9 generates a movement command for the partial photography camera 62 using the position information of the bottom plate 81 and outputs it to the movement device control unit 98. The movement device control unit 98 operates the camera movement device 7 according to the movement command, thereby moving the partial photography camera 62 and placing it at a predetermined position.

[0139] When shooting, the local shooting camera 62 is first configured at an initial position near the top of the detection object point. Fig. 9 In the case where the corner C2 is set as the reference point and the detection target point in the configuration of the bottom plate 81, the local shooting camera 62 is configured at an initial position so that the corner C2 and a part of the side E3 and side E4 of the bottom plate 81 with the corner C2 as one of the end points are included in the field of view. Here, the side E3 and the side E4 are the sides that constitute the outer edge of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above. Fig. 9 In the example, the field of view can be made into the initial area V C2,0 Such a position of the local imaging camera 62 is set as an initial position.

[0140] Next, the local photographing camera 62 is moved from the initial position along the edge E3 toward the other end point of the edge E3, that is, the corner C1, by the camera moving device 7. Fig.10 As shown, the local shooting camera 62 is moved toward the corner C1 by a distance H1 in a direction parallel to the side E3, so that the field of view after the movement becomes the first area V C2,1 In the first region V C2,1The local camera 62 captures a portion of the first area V at the moved position. C2,1 Photographing is performed to acquire a first image.

[0141] Next, the local photography camera 62 is returned to the initial position by the camera moving device 7. As a result, the field of view of the local photography camera 62 becomes the initial area V again. C2,0 Then, the local shooting camera 62 is moved from the initial position along the edge E4 toward the other end point of the edge E4, that is, the corner C3, by the camera moving device 7. Specifically, Fig.10 As shown, the local shooting camera 62 is moved toward the corner C3 by a distance H2 in a direction parallel to the side E4, so that the field of view after the movement becomes the second area V C2,2 In the second region V C2,2 The local camera 62 captures a portion of the second area V at the moved position. C2,2 The second image is captured.

[0142] In this way, the local shooting camera 62 takes the two sides (the first side and the second side) constituting the outer edge of the bottom plate when viewed from above as the object for shooting. The two sides are set for each detection object point, and the detection object point is set as the intersection of the two sides, or the intersection on the extension line of the two sides. After the local shooting camera 62 is temporarily configured in an initial position set in a manner that a part of the first side and one of the endpoints, and a part of the second side and one of the endpoints are all in the field of view, it moves along each side toward the other endpoint of each side, and shoots the first area including at least a part of the first side and the second area including at least a part of the second side at the moved position, and obtains the first image and the second image respectively.

[0143] When the local imaging camera 62 is moved in this way, the length of the first side included in the first area and the length of the second side included in the second area are greater than the lengths of the first side and the second side included in the field of view at the initial position. Fig.11 As shown, the first region V C2,1 The length T2 of the side E3 included in the initial area V C2,0 The length T1 of the side E3 included in the second region V is large. C2,2 The length T4 of the side E4 included in the initial area V C2,0 The length T3 of the side E4 included in is larger.

[0144] As described later, the first image and the second image are subjected to image analysis such as edge detection to detect the outline of the bottom plate 81, in other words, the outer edge of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above. In such image analysis, when the position information of the edge constituting the outer edge is detected, the longer the length of the edge contained in the image is, the higher the detection accuracy is. Therefore, compared with the case where detection is performed based on the image captured at the initial position, the position information of the first edge and the second edge obtained by analyzing the first image and the second image has higher accuracy. In addition, during the movement along each edge, the distance between the local shooting camera 62 and the bottom plate 81 in the vertical direction is constant, so it is possible to increase the information within the field of view without increasing the distance to the object being shot.

[0145] When moving the local imaging camera 62 along each side, it is preferable to move the local imaging camera 62 parallel to each side. This can increase the length of the side included in the field of view with the minimum movement amount, and can achieve efficient imaging.

[0146] The moving distance of the local shooting camera 62 along each side can be appropriately set according to the shape or size of the bottom plate 81. Fig.10 The first region V shown C2,1 With the initial area V C2,0 , the moving distance is set so that the visual field after the movement does not overlap with the visual field at the initial position. Fig.10 The second region V shown C2,2 With the initial area V C2,0 , the moving distance is set so that the field of view after the movement overlaps with the field of view at the initial position.

[0147] In addition, the moving distance may be set according to the size of the field of view of the local photography camera 62. For example, the moving distance along the first side and the second side may be set to be equal to half of the maximum length of the field of view of the local photography camera 62 in the direction parallel to the first side and the second side. Fig. 9 The initial area V of the field of view of the local imaging camera 62 at the initial position is C2,0 The length of the direction parallel to the edge E3 is L V,1 , the length in the direction parallel to the side E4 is L V,2 In this case, the moving distance of the local shooting camera along the edge E3 can be set to L V,1 / 2, set the moving distance along edge E4 to L V,2 / 2. When the shape of the bottom plate 81 is relatively simple, by fixing the moving distance along each side in the above manner, it is possible to shorten the time required to set the moving distance while ensuring the detection accuracy to a certain extent.

[0148] exist Figure 6 In the configuration of , when the center G is set as the reference point and the two corners C2 and C4 are set as the detection target points, the same operation is performed for each detection target point. That is, for the corner C2 as one of the detection target points, the above operation is performed to obtain the first image and the second image. In addition, for the corner C4 as the other detection target point, the first image and the second image are also obtained. Specifically, Fig.12 As shown, the local shooting camera 62 is arranged at an initial position such that the corner C4 and a part of the side E5 and side E6 of the bottom plate 81 with the corner C4 as one of the end points are included in the field of view. Here, the side E5 and the side E6 are the sides constituting the outer edge of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above. In this case, the field of view may be made into the initial area V C4,0 Such a position of the local imaging camera 62 is set as an initial position.

[0149] Next, the local imaging camera 62 moves from the initial position in a direction parallel to the side E5 toward the other end point of the side E5, that is, the corner C3. The field of view after the movement becomes the first area V C4,1 , in the first region V C4,1 The local camera 62 captures a portion of the first area V C4,1 Photographing is performed to acquire a first image.

[0150] Next, the local photographing camera 62 is returned to the initial position by the camera moving device 7, and the field of view of the local photographing camera 62 becomes the initial area V again. C4,0 Then, the local imaging camera 62 moves from the initial position in a direction parallel to the side E6 toward the other end point of the side E6, that is, the corner C1. The field of view after the movement becomes the second area V C4,2 , in the second region V C4,2 The local camera 62 captures a portion of the second area V C4,2 In this way, when a plurality of detection target points are set, an initial position is set for each detection target point, thereby acquiring the first image and the second image.

[0151] right Figure 7 The following describes the shooting of the local shooting camera 62 in the configuration of the bottom plate 81 shown. In this configuration, when point C5 is set as the reference point and the object point is detected, the local shooting camera 62 is configured at an initial position so that the end point C6 on the point C5 side of the edge E1, a part of the edge E1 extending from the end point C6, the end point C9 on the point C5 side of the edge E2, and a part of the edge E2 extending from the end point C9 are included in the field of view. Here, the edge E1 and the edge E2 are the edges that constitute the outer edge of the bottom plate 81 when viewed from above. Fig.13 As shown, the visual field can be made into the initial area V C5,0Such a position of the local imaging camera 62 is set as an initial position.

[0152] Next, the local imaging camera 62 moves from the initial position in a direction parallel to the side E1 toward the other end point of the side E1, that is, the corner C7. The field of view after the movement becomes the first area V C5,1 , in the first region V C5,1 The local camera 62 captures a portion of the first area V C5,1 Photographing is performed to acquire a first image.

[0153] Next, the local photographing camera 62 is returned to the initial position by the camera moving device 7, and the field of view of the local photographing camera 62 becomes the initial area V again. C5,0 Then, the local imaging camera 62 moves from the initial position in a direction parallel to the side E2 toward the other end point of the side E2, that is, the corner C8. The field of view after the movement becomes the second area V C5,2 , in the second region V C5,2 The local camera 62 captures a portion of the second area V C5,2 The second image is captured.

[0154] In addition, the structure of the photographing device is not limited to the above structure. For example, it is also possible to configure a camera to be provided in the photographing device, and the camera has the functions of both the overall photographing camera 61 and the partial photographing camera 62. In the above case, the camera is configured to be horizontally and vertically movable by the camera moving device 7.

[0155] 4. Image processing device 43

[0156] The stacking molding apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an image processing device 43. The image processing device 43 is used to control the operation of the imaging device and process the entire image, the first image, and the second image acquired by the imaging device.

[0157] The image processing device 43 can be implemented by software or by hardware. In the case of implementation by software, various functions can be implemented by executing a computer program by a central processing unit (CPU). The program can be stored in a built-in storage unit or in a non-temporary recording medium readable by a computer. In addition, the program stored in an external storage unit can also be read out and implemented by so-called cloud computing. In the case of implementation by hardware, it can be implemented by various circuits such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a dynamically reconfigurable processor (DRP).

[0158] 4.1. Overall image analysis

[0159] The image processing device 43 causes the overall imaging camera 61 to capture the overall area Ar based on an operation command from the control device 9 described later, and analyzes the overall image to obtain position information of the bottom plate 81 in the molding area R. The position information of the bottom plate 81 in the present invention refers to information required for determining the position of the detection target point in the mechanical coordinate system.

[0160] Specifically, the image processing device 43 first performs a filtering process as a preprocessing on the entire image, and the preprocessing is used to facilitate the detection of the contour of the bottom plate 81. The edge detection is performed on the entire image that has been subjected to the filtering process, thereby detecting the contour of the bottom plate 81. Existing methods and algorithms can be applied to the filtering process and edge detection.

[0161] The image processing device 43 obtains the position of the corner on the detected contour as the position information of the bottom plate 81. The image processing device 43 of this embodiment has a function of calibrating the coordinate system, calibration, and rotation inherent in the overall shooting camera 61 fixed on the top. In this embodiment, the position of the corner determined in the coordinate system inherent in the overall shooting camera 61 is converted into a mechanical coordinate system using the calibration function, and the result is used as the position information of the bottom plate 81. In addition, the position information of the bottom plate 81 is not limited to the above example, for example, the position and length of each side constituting the detected contour can also be used as the position information of the bottom plate 81. The position information of the bottom plate 81 obtained in the above manner is sent to the control device 9.

[0162] 4.2. Analysis of the First and Second Images

[0163] The image processing device 43 causes the local shooting camera 62 to shoot based on the action command from the control device 9, analyzes the first image and the second image, and obtains the position information of the first edge and the position information of the second edge, respectively. Specifically, the image processing device 43 performs filtering processing and edge detection on the first image and the second image in the same manner as the processing of the entire image, thereby detecting the outline of the bottom plate 81. In the first image and the second image, the first edge and the second edge as the outline of the bottom plate 81 are included in a state further enlarged than the entire image. For example, in the processing of Fig.10 The second region V shown C2,2 When shooting, you can get Fig.14 The second image is shown.

[0164] The image processing device 43 obtains the position of the first edge in the first image and the position of the second edge in the second image as position information of each edge. Fig.14 In the analysis of the second image, the position of the edge E4 in the second image is obtained. In this embodiment, the positions of the first edge and the second edge determined in the coordinate system inherent in the local shooting camera 62 are used as the position information of each edge. The position information of the first edge and the second edge obtained in the above manner is sent to the control device 9.

[0165] 5. Control device 9

[0166] Next, the control device 9 for controlling the stacking molding device 100 will be described. Fig.15 As shown, the control device 9 includes a numerical control unit 91 , a display unit 95 , and control units 96 , 97 , and 98 for each device constituting the stacking molding apparatus 100 .

[0167] The so-called "unit" of the control device 9 refers to, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in a broad sense and information processing of software that can be specifically implemented by these hardware resources. In addition, although various information is processed in this embodiment, this information can be represented by the high and low signal values ​​as a bit set of binary numbers composed of 0 or 1, and communication and calculation can be performed on a circuit in a broad sense. In addition, the so-called circuit in a broad sense refers to a circuit implemented by at least appropriately combining circuits (Circuit), circuit types (Circuitry), processors (Processor), and memories (Memory). That is, it includes application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLD), complex programmable logic devices (CLPD), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), etc. Furthermore, the program can be stored in a built-in storage unit or in a non-temporary recording medium readable by a computer. In addition, the program stored in an external storage unit can also be read out and realized through so-called cloud computing.

[0168] A computer aided design (CAD) device 41 and a computer aided manufacturing (CAM) device 42 are provided outside the control device 9. The CAD device 41 is used to generate three-dimensional shape data (CAD data) representing the shape and size of a stacked object to be molded. The generated CAD data is output to the CAM device 42.

[0169] The CAM device 42 is used to generate the operation sequence data (CAM data) of each device constituting the stacking molding device 100 when molding the stacked molding object based on the CAD data. The CAM data includes, for example, data on the irradiation position of the laser B in each material layer 85 and data on the laser irradiation conditions of the laser B. The generated CAM data is output to the numerical control unit 91.

[0170] The numerical control unit 91 controls the image processing device 43 provided outside the control device 9, and uses the information sent from the image processing device 43 to calculate the coordinates of the detection target point, determine the reference point, and set the modeling coordinate system. The numerical control unit 91 also appropriately uses the modeling coordinate system to perform calculations based on the numerical control program on the CAM data, and issues an action command for the stacking modeling device 100.

[0171] The numerical control unit 91 includes a calculation unit 91a, a calculation unit 91b, and a storage unit 91c. The calculation unit 91b outputs an action command for acquiring and analyzing the entire image to the image processing device 43. Then, the calculation unit 91a calculates the coordinates of the detection object point in the mechanical coordinate system as the first calculated coordinates based on the position information of the bottom plate 81 sent from the image processing device 43. In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the position of the corner is acquired in the image processing device 43, and the result after conversion into the mechanical coordinate system is sent to the control device 9 as the position information of the bottom plate 81. Therefore, when the corner is set as the detection object point, the coordinates of the detection object point sent from the image processing device 43 can be directly used as the first calculated coordinates.

[0172] The first calculated coordinates are sent to the operation unit 91b. The operation unit 91b generates a movement command for the local shooting camera 62 using the position information of the bottom plate 81 and the first calculated coordinates, and outputs it to the moving device control unit 98 that controls the camera moving device 7. The moving device control unit 98 controls the operation of the camera moving device 7 based on the movement command. Specifically, the moving device control unit 98 operates the first drive mechanism 71, the second drive mechanism 72, and the third drive mechanism 73 according to the movement command, so that the local shooting camera 62 moves in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction. As a result, the local shooting camera 62 is configured at an initial position near the top of the detection object point, and then moves along the first side and the second side to a position where the first area and the second area can be photographed.

[0173] The calculation unit 91a also calculates the coordinates of the detection object point in the mechanical coordinate system as the second calculated coordinates based on the position information of the first side and the second side sent from the image processing device 43. In this embodiment, the position of the local shooting camera 62 when shooting the first image and the second image is considered, and the position of the first side and the second side determined in the coordinate system inherent in the local shooting camera 62 is converted into the mechanical coordinate system. Then, the coordinates of the intersection of the first side and the second side or the intersection on the extension line of the first side and the second side as the detection object point are calculated as the second calculated coordinates. Furthermore, the coordinates of the reference point in the mechanical coordinate system are determined based on the second calculated coordinates, for example, the reference point is set as the origin, and the coordinate system for modeling is set. The second calculated coordinates, the coordinates of the reference point, and the information of the set modeling coordinate system are sent to the calculation unit 91b. The calculation unit 91b is suitable for using the modeling coordinate system to perform calculations based on the numerical control program on the CAM data, and outputs the action command to the control unit of each device constituting the stacking modeling device 100 in the form of a signal or action command value data.

[0174] The storage unit 91c stores CAM data, numerical control programs, position information of the base plate 81, position information of the first side and the second side, first calculated coordinates and second calculated coordinates, coordinates of reference points, and information of the coordinate system for modeling, etc. The display unit 95 displays the position information of the base plate 81, the position information of the first side and the second side, and the motion instructions output by the calculation unit 91b of the numerical control unit 91, etc.

[0175] The irradiation control unit 96 controls the operation of the irradiation device 13 based on the operation command. Specifically, the irradiation control unit 96 controls the light source 31 to output the laser light B at a specified laser power and irradiation timing. In addition, the irradiation control unit 96 controls the motor of the focus control unit 35 to move the focus control lens, thereby adjusting the laser light B to a specified beam diameter. In addition, the irradiation control unit 96 controls the first actuator and the second actuator to rotate the first galvanometer mirror 37a and the second galvanometer mirror 37b at a desired angle, thereby irradiating the laser light B to a specified position of the material layer 85 on the bottom plate 81. The operation command for the irradiation control unit 96, especially the operation command related to the control of the actuator, is generated based on the coordinate system for molding.

[0176] The machining control unit 97 controls the operation of the machining device based on the operation command. Specifically, the machining head is moved to a predetermined position. In addition, the tool is operated at a predetermined timing to perform machining such as cutting. The operation command for the machining control unit 97, especially the operation command related to the movement of the machining head, is generated based on the modeling coordinate system. In addition, the control units 96, 97, and 98 feed back the actual operation information of each device to the numerical control unit 91.

[0177] 6. Method for manufacturing laminated objects

[0178] Next, a method for manufacturing a laminated object using the laminated object forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described. The forming method of the present embodiment includes a forming coordinate system setting step, and a material layer forming step and a curing step performed thereafter.

[0179] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process of setting the coordinate system for molding performed before lamination molding. First, the base plate 81 is placed in the molding area R on the molding table 5 (step S1).

[0180] First, the entire area Ar is photographed by the entire photographing camera 61 to obtain an entire image (step S2). The entire image is sent to the image processing device 43, and the image processing device 43 analyzes the entire image to obtain the position information of the bottom plate 81 (step S3). The position information of the bottom plate 81 is sent to the calculation unit 91a of the control device 9. The calculation unit 91a calculates the coordinates of the detection target point as the first calculated coordinates based on the position information of the bottom plate 81 (step S4).

[0181] The position information of the bottom plate 81 and the first calculated coordinates are sent to the operation unit 91b, and the operation unit 91b generates a movement command for the local shooting camera 62. Based on the movement command, the camera moving device 7 moves the local shooting camera 62 along the first side by a predetermined distance after configuring the local shooting camera 62 at the initial position (step S5). The first area is photographed at the moved position to obtain a first image (first image acquisition process, step S6). The first image is sent to the image processing device 43, and the image processing device 43 analyzes the first image to obtain the position information of the first side (first image analysis process, step S7). The position information of the first side is sent to the calculation unit 91a of the control device 9.

[0182] Then, after the local photographing camera 62 returns to the initial position, the camera moving device 7 moves a predetermined distance along the second side (step S8). The second area is photographed at the moved position to obtain a second image (second image acquisition process, step S9). The second image is sent to the image processing device 43, and the image processing device 43 analyzes the second image to obtain the position information of the second side (second image analysis process, step S10). The position information of the second side is sent to the calculation unit 91a of the control device 9.

[0183] The calculation unit 91a converts the position information of the first side and the second side into a mechanical coordinate system, and calculates the coordinates of the detection object point as the second calculated coordinates (calculation process, step S11). Furthermore, the coordinates of the reference point are determined based on the second calculated coordinates (step S12), and the modeling coordinate system is set based on the reference point (step S13).

[0184] In addition, Fig.16 In the example, for the sake of convenience, the sequence of acquiring and analyzing the second image (steps S9 and S10) is shown after acquiring and analyzing the first image (steps S6 and S7), but the sequence of the image acquisition and analysis process is not limited to this. The first image and the second image may also be analyzed after acquiring the first image and the second image.

[0185] After the coordinate system for modeling is set in the above order, the material layer forming step and the curing step are performed. In the material layer forming step, material powder is supplied to the upper surface of the base plate 81 arranged in the modeling region R to form a material layer 85. In the curing step, the laser B or the electron beam is irradiated to the predetermined irradiation region of the material layer 85 to form a cured layer 86. The material layer forming step and the curing step are repeatedly performed.

[0186] First, the first material layer formation process is performed. Fig.17 As shown, the height of the molding table 5 is adjusted to an appropriate position with the base plate 81 placed on the molding table 5. In the above state, the coating head 11 is moved from Fig.17 The left side of the substrate 81 moves to the right side, thereby forming a first material layer 85 on the bottom plate 81.

[0187] Next, the first curing process is carried out. Fig.18 As shown, a predetermined irradiation region of the first material layer 85 is irradiated with laser light B or electron beams, thereby curing the first material layer 85 to obtain a first cured layer 86 .

[0188] Then, the second material layer forming step is performed. After the first solidified layer 86 is formed, the height of the molding table 5 is lowered by one layer of the material layer 85. In this state, the coating head 11 is moved from the molding area R to the molding area R. Fig.18 The second material layer 85 is formed by moving the right side of the first material layer 86 to the left side, thereby covering the first solidified layer 86. Then, a second solidification process is performed. The second material layer 85 is irradiated with laser light B or electron beams in the same manner as described above, thereby curing the second material layer 85 and obtaining the second solidified layer 86.

[0189] Before obtaining the desired three-dimensional object, the material layer forming process and the curing process are repeated, and a plurality of cured layers 86 are stacked. Adjacent cured layers 86 can be strongly fixed to each other. In addition, during or after the molding, cutting processing using a machining device is performed as needed. After the stacking molding is completed, the uncured material powder and cutting chips are discharged, thereby obtaining a stacked object.

[0190] 7. Other Implementation Methods

[0191] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes are possible as long as they are described in the claims. For example, the present invention can be implemented in the following manner.

[0192] 7.1. Second Implementation

[0193] In the first embodiment, the first side and the second side are photographed once respectively using the local photographing camera 62 to obtain a first image and a second image. In the stacking molding device 100 and the stacking molding method of the second embodiment, the moving distance along each side from the initial position is changed to perform multiple photographing to obtain multiple first images and second images. The second embodiment is described below with the differences from the first embodiment as the center.

[0194] In Fig.19 The acquisition of the first image and the second image in the second embodiment is described by taking the case where the corner C2 is set as the reference point and the detection object point in the configuration of the bottom plate 81 as an example. First, as in the first embodiment, the local shooting camera 62 is configured at an initial position where the corner C2 and a part of the side E3 and side E4 of the bottom plate 81 with the corner C2 as one of the endpoints are included in the field of view. The field of view at the initial position becomes Fig.19 The initial area V shown C2,0 Next, the local imaging camera 62 is moved toward the corner C1 by a distance H in a direction parallel to the side E3. 3,1 , and the visual field after the movement becomes the first area V E3,1 At the position, the first region V E3,1 Photographing is performed to acquire a first first image.

[0195] Next, the local photographing camera 62 returns to the initial position, whereby the field of view of the local photographing camera 62 becomes the initial area V again. C2,0 Then, the local photographing camera 62 is moved from the initial position in a direction parallel to the side E3 toward the corner C1 by the same moving distance H as in the first photographing. 3,1 Different distances H 3,2 , and the visual field after the movement becomes the first area V E3,2At the position, the first region V E3,2 The second first image is captured.

[0196] By repeating the above operation while changing the moving distance, the plurality of first regions V E3,1 、V E3,2 、V E3,3 The first images are acquired by performing shooting. The moving distance is set so that the first area in each shooting includes at least a part of the edge E3. The first areas in each shooting may have overlapping parts or may not have overlapping parts.

[0197] The same operation is performed to obtain multiple second images. Fig. 20 As shown, the local photographing camera 62 is moved from the initial position along a direction parallel to the side E4 toward the corner C3 by a distance H. 4,1 , at the position for the second region V E4,1 After returning the local photographing camera 62 to the initial position, the local photographing camera 62 is moved toward the corner C3 along a direction parallel to the side E4 by a moving distance H. 4,1 Different distances H 4,2 , at the position for the second region V E4,2 The second second image is acquired by photographing. By repeating this operation while changing the moving distance, a plurality of second images are acquired.

[0198] The image processing device 43 analyzes the plurality of first images to obtain the position information of the first edge, and analyzes the plurality of second images to obtain the position information of the second edge. That is, for the first edge and the second edge, a plurality of position information are obtained from different images. Fig.19 and Fig. 20 In the example of , as in the first embodiment, the positions of the side E3 and the side E4 included in each image are determined in the coordinate system inherent in the local imaging camera 62. Furthermore, the image processing device 43 detects the length of the first side included in the first image and the length of the second side included in the second image. Fig.19 In the first region V E3,1 , the first region V E3,2 , the first region V E3,3 The length T of the side E3 included in each first image is detected in each of the first images. E3,1 , length T E3,2 , length T E3,3 In addition, Fig. 20 In the second region V E4,1 , the second region V E4,2 The length T of the side E4 included in each second image is detected in each of the captured second images. E4,1, length T E4,2 The position information of the first side and the second side obtained in the above-described manner and the detection results of the lengths of the respective sides are sent to the control device 9 .

[0199] The calculation unit 91a of the control device 9 selects the position information of the first side obtained from the first image in which the length of the detected side E3 is the largest among the plurality of position information of the first side. In addition, the position information of the second side obtained from the second image in which the length of the detected side E4 is the largest among the plurality of position information of the second side is selected. Then, the position information of the selected first side and second side is converted into the machine coordinate system, and the coordinates of the corner C2 as the detection target point in the machine coordinate system are calculated as the second calculated coordinates.

[0200] In this way, by changing the moving distance along each edge and acquiring multiple images and analyzing them, it is possible to select the edge position information acquired from the image with the larger detected edge length. The longer the edge included in the image is, the higher the detection accuracy is. Therefore, by using the edge position information acquired from the image with the largest detected edge length for calculating the coordinates of the detection object point, the accuracy of the coordinates of the reference point can be improved.

[0201] 7.2. Third Implementation

[0202] In the stacked molding device 100 and the stacked molding method of the third embodiment, a plurality of first images and a second image are obtained and analyzed in the same manner as in the second embodiment, but the plurality of position information of the first side and the second side obtained by the analysis is used differently. The third embodiment will be described below with the differences from the second embodiment as the center.

[0203] As in the second embodiment, the plurality of position information of the first side and the second side obtained by the analysis in the image processing device 43 is sent to the control device 9. The calculation unit 91a of the control device 9 performs statistical processing on the plurality of position information and uses the result to calculate the coordinates of the detection target point in the machine coordinate system as the second calculated coordinates.

[0204] For example, the coordinates of the first side are calculated from each of the plurality of position information of the first side, and the arithmetic mean of the obtained coordinates is obtained. The same process is performed on the plurality of position information of the second side, and the second calculated coordinates are calculated using the averaged coordinates of the first side and the second side.

[0205] In addition, as a preprocessing of such statistical processing, at least one position information that is considered unsuitable for the calculation of the detection object point may be removed in advance. For example, in the first shooting of each side, an operation error in the movement of the local shooting camera 62 is generally prone to occur, so the position information obtained from the first image and the second image obtained in the first shooting of each side may be removed. Alternatively, the position information obtained from the image in which the length of the detected side does not meet the specified threshold value among the multiple position information of each side may be removed in advance as the position information with low detection accuracy.

[0206] 7.3. Other variations

[0207] In the first embodiment, the position information of the bottom plate 81 is obtained by analyzing the whole image obtained by the whole-body shooting camera 61, and the local shooting camera 62 is configured to the initial position and then moved along each side according to the movement instruction generated using the position information, but other structures can also be considered. For example, the operator can input the size or configuration of the bottom plate 81 and other information for determining the position of the detection object point to the control device 9 as the position information of the bottom plate 81, and the control device 9 uses the position information to generate the movement instruction of the local shooting camera 62. This semi-automatic structure can be selected in the following cases: the case where it is difficult to obtain the position information of the bottom plate 81 by analyzing the whole image due to the color or surface properties of the bottom plate 81, or the case where the size or configuration of the bottom plate 81 (for example, the distance between the bottom plate 81 and the frame 51) is known in advance.

[0208] In addition, the following structure may be adopted: an operation unit for operating the camera moving device 7 is provided, and the operator inputs on the operation unit and operates the camera moving device 7. In the above case, the operator needs to manually operate the camera moving device 7 to arrange the local shooting camera 62 to the initial position and then move it along each side. Such a manual structure can be selected in the following cases: because the bottom plate 81 has a particularly complex shape, or in the case of layered molding after implementing other processing methods in mixed molding, it is difficult to obtain the position information of the bottom plate 81 through the analysis of the entire image, and the position information of the bottom plate 81 is also unclear.

[0209] Furthermore, the stacking molding device 100 may be configured to switch between operation modes corresponding to the structure of the above-described embodiment, the semi-automatic structure, and the manual structure, based on control by the control device 9. In the above case, a mode switching unit for switching the operation mode may be provided in the control device 9.

[0210] Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments and their variations are included in the scope or spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A stacking molding device, comprising a chamber, a molding table, a material layer forming device, an irradiation device, a shooting device, an image processing device, and a control device, wherein: A styling area is provided on the styling table. The chamber covers the shaping area, A bottom plate is arranged in the shaping area. The bottom plate includes a first side and a second side constituting an outer edge of the bottom plate when viewed from above, The material layer forming device forms a material layer on the upper surface of the base plate by supplying material powder. The irradiation device forms a solidified layer by irradiating the material layer with laser or electron beam. The photographing device comprises a first camera arranged to be movable within the chamber, The first camera acquires a first image by photographing a first area including at least a portion of the first side at a position after the first camera moves along the first side from an initial position set in a manner that a portion and one of the endpoints of the first side and a portion and one of the endpoints of the second side are included in the field of view of the first camera toward the other endpoint of the first side, and acquires a second image by photographing a second area including at least a portion of the second side at a position after the first camera moves along the second side from the initial position toward the other endpoint of the second side. The image processing device analyzes the first image to obtain the position information of the first side, and analyzes the second image to obtain the position information of the second side, The control device calculates coordinates of an intersection point between the first side and the second side or an intersection point on an extension line of the first side and the second side as a detection target point using the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side.

2. The stacking molding device according to claim 1, wherein The first camera changes the moving distance from the initial position to shoot a first area to obtain a plurality of first images, and changes the moving distance from the initial position to shoot a second area to obtain a plurality of second images, The image processing device analyzes the plurality of first images respectively to obtain the position information of the first side, and analyzes the plurality of second images respectively to obtain the position information of the second side.

3. The stacking molding device according to claim 2, wherein The image processing device detects the length of the first side included in the plurality of first images, and detects the length of the second side included in the plurality of second images, The control device calculates the coordinates of the detection target point using the position information of the first side acquired from the first image in which the length of the detected first side is the largest and the position information of the second side acquired from the second image in which the length of the detected second side is the largest.

4. The stacking molding device according to claim 2, wherein The control device calculates the coordinates of the detection target point using a result of statistical processing of the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side.

5. The stacking molding device according to claim 1, wherein The first camera captures the first area at a position moved a predetermined distance from the initial position in parallel with the first side to acquire a first image. The predetermined distance is equal to half of the maximum length of the field of view in a direction parallel to the first side, The first camera captures the second area at a position moved a predetermined distance from the initial position in parallel with the second side to acquire a second image. The predetermined distance is equal to half of the maximum length of the field of view in a direction parallel to the second side.

6. The stacking molding device according to claim 1, Including camera moving device, The photographing device includes a second camera fixed in the chamber, The second camera captures the area including the entire styling area to obtain an overall image. The image processing device analyzes the overall image to obtain the position information of the base plate in the modeling area. The control device generates a movement instruction of the first camera using the position information of the base plate, The camera moving device moves the first camera according to the movement instruction.

7. A method for manufacturing a laminated object, comprising a material layer forming step, a curing step, a first image acquisition step and a second image acquisition step, a first image analysis step and a second image analysis step, and a calculation step, wherein: In the material layer forming step, in a chamber covering a molding area provided on a molding table, material powder is supplied to an upper surface of a base plate arranged in the molding area to form a material layer. In the curing step, the material layer is irradiated with laser or electron beam to form a cured layer. The bottom plate includes a first side and a second side constituting an outer edge of the bottom plate when viewed from above, In the first image acquisition step, a camera that is arranged to be movable within the chamber is used to capture a first image by photographing a first area including at least a portion of the first side at a position after moving along the first side toward the other end point of the first side from an initial position set in such a manner that a portion of the first side and one of the end points and a portion of the second side and one of the end points are included in the field of view of the first camera, thereby acquiring the first image. In the second image acquisition step, the camera is used to capture a second image by photographing a second area including at least a portion of the second side at a position after the camera moves along the second side from the initial position toward the other end point of the second side. In the first image analysis step, the first image is analyzed to obtain position information of the first side. In the second image analysis step, the second image is analyzed to obtain position information of the second side. In the calculation step, the coordinates of an intersection point between the first side and the second side or an intersection point on an extension line of the first side and the second side are calculated as a detection target point using the position information of the first side and the position information of the second side.

Images