Three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device

Abstract

The molding apparatus includes a table, a forming unit that forms a molded object, and a controller that controls an operation of the forming unit. The workbench rotates in the rotation direction. The forming unit has a feeder for forming the powder bed, a heater capable of preheating each of a plurality of regions in the powder bed at different temperatures, and a beam source for irradiating the preheated powder bed with an energy beam. The controller includes: a region dividing unit that divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions; a region setting unit that sets, as a first region, a small region including a portion to be irradiated with the energy beam by the beam source, and sets, as a second region, at least one of the other small regions that are not set as the first region; and a heater control unit that controls the output of the heater so that the first region and the second region are preheated at mutually different temperatures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensional modeling device and a preheating device. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 supplies powder material to a workbench, preheats the powder material supplied to the workbench, and irradiates the preheated powder material with an energy beam to model a three-dimensional object.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-84218

[0004] In the above-mentioned three-dimensional modeling apparatus, the entire powder bed formed by the powder material is preheated at a uniform temperature. In this case, for example, since a temporary sintered body is also produced in a region of the powder bed that does not constitute a modeling object due to preheating, it takes time to remove the temporary sintered body, and it is difficult to smoothly continue the modeling process of the continuous modeling object. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure describes a three-dimensional modeling device and a preheating device that can efficiently perform modeling processing.

[0006] A three-dimensional modeling device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a workbench having a main surface to which powder material is supplied; a forming section arranged in a manner opposite to the main surface so that a plurality of modeling parts formed by the powder material are stacked to form a modeled object; and a controller that controls the operation of the forming section. The workbench rotates relative to the forming section in a predetermined rotation direction with respect to the rotation axis as the center. The forming section comprises: a supply section that forms a powder bed by supplying powder material to the main surface; a preheating section that is arranged downstream of the supply section in the rotation direction and can preheat a plurality of regions in the powder bed at different temperatures; and an irradiation section that is arranged downstream of the preheating section in the rotation direction and irradiates at least a portion of the preheated powder bed with an energy beam. The controller includes: an area division unit, which divides the powder bed into multiple small areas; an area setting unit, which sets a small area including a predetermined part of the irradiated energy beam of the irradiated part among the multiple small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas that are not set as the first area as a second area; and a preheating control unit, which controls the output of the preheating unit in such a way that the first area and the second area are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

[0007] According to the three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device disclosed in the present invention, modeling processing can be performed efficiently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a cross section of the molding device according to the first embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 Yes means Figure 1 A diagram of a forming section included in the molding device shown.

[0010] Figure 3 Yes means Figure 1 A block diagram of a controller included in the molding device shown.

[0011] Figure 4 Yes means through Figure 1 A diagram of the preheated powder bed of the molding apparatus is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a powder bed preheated by the powder bed preheating treatment according to the first modification.

[0013] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a powder bed preheated by the powder bed preheating treatment according to the first modification.

[0014] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a powder bed preheated by the powder bed preheating treatment according to the second modification.

[0015] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing a powder bed preheated by the molding apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Fig. 9 It is a diagram showing a powder bed preheated by the molding apparatus according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] A three-dimensional modeling device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a workbench having a main surface to which powder material is supplied; a forming section arranged in a manner opposite to the main surface so that a plurality of modeling parts formed by the powder material are stacked to form a modeled object; and a controller that controls the operation of the forming section. The workbench rotates relative to the forming section in a predetermined rotation direction with respect to the rotation axis as the center. The forming section comprises: a supply section that forms a powder bed by supplying powder material to the main surface; a preheating section that is arranged downstream of the supply section in the rotation direction and can preheat a plurality of regions in the powder bed at different temperatures; and an irradiation section that is arranged downstream of the preheating section in the rotation direction and irradiates at least a portion of the preheated powder bed with an energy beam. The controller includes: an area division unit, which divides the powder bed into multiple small areas; an area setting unit, which sets a small area including a predetermined part of the irradiated energy beam of the irradiated part among the multiple small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas that are not set as the first area as a second area; and a preheating control unit, which controls the output of the preheating unit in such a way that the first area and the second area are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

[0018] In the three-dimensional modeling device, the region division unit divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions, the region setting unit sets the small region including the irradiated portion of the irradiated energy beam as the first region, and sets at least one of the other small regions not set as the first region as the second region, and the preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit in such a way that the first region and the second region are preheated at different temperatures. Thus, the three-dimensional modeling device can, for example, set the small region including the irradiated portion of the irradiated energy beam as the first region, set the small region not including the irradiated portion as the second region, and preheat the second region at a lower temperature than the first region. That is, even if the three-dimensional modeling device preheats the region irradiated with the energy beam (the powder material constituting the modeling object) at a higher temperature, it can preheat the region in the powder bed that is not irradiated with the energy beam (the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object) at a lower temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a temporary sintered body in the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object, and the removal time of the temporary sintered body can be reduced. Therefore, according to the three-dimensional modeling device, modeling processing can be performed efficiently.

[0019] The preheating control unit of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus may control the output of the preheating unit so that the first region is preheated at a higher temperature than the second region. According to this configuration, the portion of the powder bed to be irradiated with the energy beam can be preheated more reliably.

[0020] The preheating control unit of the above-mentioned three-dimensional modeling device can also control the output of the preheating unit in such a way that the first area is preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material, and the second area is preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. According to this structure, the area irradiated with the energy beam in the powder bed (the powder material constituting the modeling object) can be preheated more reliably, and the generation of a temporary sintered body in the area not irradiated with the energy beam (the powder material not constituting the modeling object) can be suppressed more reliably.

[0021] The area division part of the above-mentioned three-dimensional modeling device can also divide the powder bed into multiple small areas in the radial direction of the circle centered on the rotation axis. According to this structure, when the area irradiated with the energy beam and the area not irradiated with the energy beam are arranged in the radial direction of the circle centered on the rotation axis, for example, the area irradiated with the energy beam (powder material constituting the modeling object) can be preheated at a temperature above the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material, and the area not irradiated with the energy beam (powder material not constituting the modeling object) can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. Therefore, the powder material constituting the modeling object can be preheated more reliably, and the generation of a temporary sintered body in the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object can be more reliably suppressed.

[0022] The area division part of the above-mentioned three-dimensional modeling device can also divide the powder bed into multiple small areas in the rotation direction centered on the rotation axis. According to this structure, in the case where the area irradiated with the energy beam and the area not irradiated with the energy beam are arranged in the rotation direction centered on the rotation axis, for example, the area irradiated with the energy beam (powder material constituting the modeling object) can be preheated at a temperature above the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material, and the area not irradiated with the energy beam (powder material not constituting the modeling object) can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. Therefore, the powder material constituting the modeling object can be preheated more reliably, and the generation of a temporary sintered body in the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object can be more reliably suppressed.

[0023] The preheating unit of the three-dimensional modeling device may also include: a plurality of divided preheating units arranged in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis, and the preheating control unit maintains the output of the divided preheating units constant during one rotation of the worktable. According to this structure, the preheating process performed by the preheating unit becomes simple, thereby reducing the processing burden of the preheating unit and the controller.

[0024] The preheating control unit of the three-dimensional modeling device can also change the output of the preheating unit during one rotation of the worktable. According to this structure, when the first area and the second area are arranged in the rotation direction centered on the rotation axis, the first area and the second area can be preheated at an appropriate temperature.

[0025] The plurality of molding parts may also include: a first molding part, and a second molding part formed on the first molding part, and the area setting unit sets a small area including a portion overlapping with the predetermined irradiation portion of the powder bed corresponding to the second molding part among the plurality of small areas in the powder bed corresponding to the first molding part as the first area. According to this structure, for example, when preheating the powder bed corresponding to the first molding part, the small area including the portion overlapping with the predetermined irradiation portion of the powder bed corresponding to the second molding part can be preheated at a higher temperature. Thus, when preheating the powder bed corresponding to the second molding part, the predetermined irradiation portion of the powder bed corresponding to the second molding part can be more reliably heated to a desired temperature.

[0026] The three-dimensional modeling apparatus may include a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the powder bed, and the preheating control unit may control the output of the preheating unit based on the detection result of the temperature detection unit. According to this configuration, the powder bed can be heated to a desired temperature more reliably.

[0027] The preheating unit of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus may be arranged to face the main surface via the powder bed. According to this configuration, the powder bed can be preheated more reliably.

[0028] A preheating device according to one embodiment of the present invention preheats powder material that is sintered or melted to form a molded object by irradiating an energy beam, wherein the device comprises: a preheating unit that can preheat, at different temperatures, a plurality of regions in a powder bed formed by powder material supplied to a main surface of a workbench; and a controller that controls the output of the preheating unit, the controller comprising: a region dividing unit that divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions; a region setting unit that sets, among the plurality of small regions, a small region including a predetermined portion to be irradiated by the irradiated energy beam as a first region, and sets, as a second region, at least one small region among the other small regions that are not set as the first region; and a preheating control unit that controls the output of the preheating unit in such a manner that the first region and the second region are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

[0029] The preheating device is provided with the same preheating unit and controller as the above-mentioned three-dimensional modeling device. Thus, the preheating device can, for example, set a small area including the predetermined irradiation portion to be irradiated by the energy beam as a first area, set a small area not including the predetermined irradiation portion as a second area, and preheat the second area at a lower temperature than the first area. That is, even when the preheating device preheats the area irradiated by the energy beam (the powder material constituting the modeling object) at a higher temperature, it can also preheat the area in the powder bed that is not irradiated by the energy beam (the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object) at a lower temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a temporary sintered body in the powder material that does not constitute the modeling object, and the removal time of the temporary sintered body can be reduced. Therefore, according to the preheating device, the modeling process can be carried out efficiently.

[0030] Hereinafter, the mode for implementing the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are attached to the same elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0031] [First embodiment]

[0032] Figure 1 The modeling device 1 shown is a three-dimensional modeling device that forms a three-dimensional modeled object 2S from a powder material 2. The modeling device 1 is a so-called 3D printer. The powder material 2 is, for example, a metal powder. The powder material 2 is, for example, a titanium-based metal powder, an Inconel alloy powder, or an aluminum powder. The powder material 2 is not limited to a metal powder. The powder material 2 may also be, for example, a resin powder, a powder containing carbon fiber and resin such as CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The powder material 2 may also be other powders having conductivity. The powder material 2 is not limited to having conductivity. For example, when a laser is used as an energy beam, the powder material 2 may not have conductivity.

[0033] The molded object 2S is formed by irradiating the powder material 2 with an electron beam. Specifically, the molding device 1 irradiates the powder material 2 with an electron beam. The temperature of the powder material 2 is increased by the irradiation with the electron beam. The heated powder material 2 is sintered or melted. If the irradiation with the electron beam ends, the temperature of the powder material 2 decreases. As a result, the powder material 2 solidifies. After applying a new powder material 2 on the solidified powder material 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "molding part"), the molding device 1 irradiates the applied powder material 2 with an electron beam to form a new molding part. In this way, the molding device 1 forms the molded object 2S by repeatedly performing the coating of the powder material 2 and the irradiation with the electron beam, thereby stacking a plurality of molding parts. In other words, the molded object 2S is formed by a plurality of stacked molding parts. In this example, the molding device 1 performs molding by irradiating the powder material 2 coated on the rotating worktable 3 with an electron beam.

[0034] The molding device 1 includes: a workbench 3, a forming unit 4, a controller 5, a driving unit 6, a housing 7 and a temperature detection unit 8. The workbench 3 has a pair of main surfaces 3a and 3b facing each other. The workbench 3 is in the shape of a circular plate. The main surface 3a is a flat surface. The powder material 2 and the molding object 2S are placed on the main surface 3a. The workbench 3 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction with the rotation axis C as the center by the driving unit 6 described later. In addition, the workbench 3 is raised and lowered along the rotation axis C. In this example, the rotation axis C is along the vertical direction. The rotation axis C is orthogonal to the main surface 3a. In the following description, the words "above" and "below" are used based on the state in which the rotation axis C is along the vertical direction. For example, "Part A is arranged above Part B" means that Part A is arranged in a manner farther from the ground than Part B, and "Part A is arranged below Part B" means that Part A is arranged in a manner closer to the ground than Part B.

[0035] A molding box 31 is arranged around the workbench 3. The molding box 31 is a container for holding the powder material 2 on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. The molding box 31 has a wall portion 31a. The wall portion 31a is formed along the outer edge of the workbench 3 when viewed from the direction along the rotation axis C. The wall portion 31a holds the powder material 2 on the main surface 3a.

[0036] The forming part 4 is arranged above the workbench 3. The forming part 4 is arranged in a manner opposite to the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 with the powder material 2 in between. "The forming part 4 is opposite to the main surface 3a" means that, when viewed from the direction along the rotation axis C, at least a portion of the forming part 4 overlaps with the main surface 3a. The forming part 4 processes the powder material 2 to form a molded object 2S. The forming part 4 includes: a feeder 41, a heater 42 and a beam source 43. The feeder 41 supplies the powder material 2 to the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. The heater 42 preheats the supplied powder material 2. The beam source 43 irradiates the preheated powder material 2 with an electron beam to form a molded part. The feeder 41, the heater 42 and the beam source 43 are electrically connected to the controller 5.

[0037] The controller 5 controls the molding device 1. For example, based on the control of the controller 5, the forming unit 4 forms the molded object 2S on the table 3, and the driving unit 6 rotates and elevates the table 3.

[0038] The driving unit 6 includes a rotating unit 61 for rotating the workbench 3 and a lifting unit 62 for lifting the workbench 3. The rotating unit 61 and the lifting unit 62 are electrically connected to the controller 5. The rotating unit 61 includes a shaft 61a and an actuator such as a motor not shown. The shaft 61a extends in a direction orthogonal to the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. One end of the shaft 61a is connected to the main surface 3b of the workbench 3. The actuator included in the driving unit 6 rotates the shaft 61a in a predetermined rotation direction with the rotation axis C as the center. As a result, the workbench 3 connected to the shaft 61a rotates in a predetermined rotation direction with the rotation axis C as the center relative to the forming part 4. In this example, the workbench 3 rotates clockwise when viewed from the main surface 3a. The lifting unit 62 includes an actuator such as a motor not shown. The actuator included in the lifting unit 62 lifts the shaft 61a along the rotation axis C. As a result, the workbench 3 connected to the shaft 61a lifts along the rotation axis C relative to the forming part 4. That is, the lifting unit 62 moves the table 3 along the rotation axis C in a direction approaching the forming portion 4 and a direction away from the forming portion 4 .

[0039] The housing 7 divides a molding space S for forming the molding object 2S. The housing 7 accommodates the workbench 3 and the forming unit 4 on which the powder material 2 and the molding object 2S are placed. The molding space S is an airtight space that can be decompressed for forming the molding object 2S by the forming unit 4. A window 71 is formed in a wall 71a of the housing 7. The window 71 is a window that can detect the temperature in the molding space S from the outside of the molding device 1. The window 71 is formed of, for example, glass.

[0040] The temperature detection unit 8 detects the temperature of the powder material 2 via the window 71. The temperature detection unit 8 is, for example, a thermal imaging device or a radiation thermometer. The temperature detection unit 8 is electrically connected to the controller 5. The temperature detection unit 8 outputs the detection result to a database provided inside or outside the molding device 1. The detection result of the temperature detection unit 8 can be used, for example, to control the heater 42.

[0041] Reference Figure 2 The details of the forming portion 4 are described. When viewed from the direction along the rotation axis C, the feeder 41, the heater 42, and the beam source 43 overlap with the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. The feeder 41, the heater 42, and the beam source 43 are arranged in sequence along the rotation direction R of the workbench 3. In this example, the rotation direction R is a clockwise direction when the workbench 3 is viewed from the main surface 3a. The heater 42 is arranged downstream of the feeder 41 along the rotation direction R. The beam source 43 is arranged downstream of the heater 42 along the rotation direction R.

[0042] The feeder 41 is a supplying portion. The feeder 41 forms a powder bed 21 by supplying powder material 2 onto the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. The powder bed 21 is a layer of powder material 2 having a predetermined thickness. For example, the feeder 41 has a raw material box and a flattening portion, which are not shown. The raw material box stores powder material 2 and supplies powder material 2 onto the main surface 3a. The flattening portion flattens the surface of the powder material 2 supplied to the main surface 3a. Thus, a powder bed 21 is formed on the main surface 3a. The feeder 41 may also have a roller portion, a rod-shaped member, or a brush portion instead of the flattening portion. The feeder 41 forms a supply area 41A on the main surface 3a. The supply area 41A is an area where powder material 2 is supplied by the feeder 41. In addition, the supply area 41A is also an area where the supplied powder material 2 is flattened. The position of the supply area 41A does not change relative to the rotation of the workbench 3. That is, when the table 3 and the supply region 41A are defined by a certain coordinate system, the table 3 rotates relative to the coordinate system, but the supply region 41A does not move relative to the coordinate system.

[0043] The heater 42 is a preheating unit. The heater 42 preheats the powder bed 21 formed by the feeder 41. The heater 42 is arranged to leave upward from the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. Since the heater 42 is arranged to leave upward from the main surface 3a of the workbench 3, at least the powder bed and the molded object 2S in the middle of molding can be arranged between the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 and the heater 42. The heater 42 and the controller 5 together constitute the preheating device 9. In this example, the shape of the heater 42 is fan-shaped when viewed from the direction along the rotation axis C. "Preheating the powder bed" refers to the process of heating the powder bed 21 formed by the feeder 41 to a predetermined temperature before irradiating the electron beam by the beam source 43. The heating process can also be, for example, a process of temporarily sintering the powder bed 21 (powder material 2). "Temporary sintering" refers to a state in which the powder materials 2 are bonded to each other with minimum point diffusion through a diffusion phenomenon. Hereinafter, the temperature at which the powder material 2 is temporarily sintered is referred to as the "temporary sintering temperature". As an example, the heater 42 heats to the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. The temporary sintering temperature is, for example, a temperature of more than half of the melting point of the powder material 2. This is based on the fact that the diffusion phenomenon of sintering generally becomes active at more than half of the melting point. For example, when the powder material 2 is titanium, the temporary sintering temperature is more than 700°C and less than 800°C. The melting point of titanium alloy is about more than 1500°C and less than 1600°C. When the powder material 2 is aluminum, the temporary sintering temperature is 300°C. The melting point of aluminum is about 660°C.

[0044] The heater 42 is arranged above the workbench 3. The heater 42 preheats the powder material 2 by, for example, radiant heat. The heater 42 may also be, for example, an infrared heater. The heater 42 forms a preheating region 42A on the main surface 3a. The preheating region 42A is a region preheated by the heater 42. The position of the preheating region 42A does not change relative to the rotation of the workbench 3. That is, when the workbench 3 and the preheating region 42A are defined by a certain coordinate system, the workbench 3 rotates relative to the coordinate system. However, the preheating region 42A does not move relative to the coordinate system.

[0045] The heater 42 has a plurality of divided heaters. The plurality of divided heaters are a plurality of divided preheating parts. The plurality of divided heaters are arranged in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis C. In this example, the heater 42 has four divided heaters, namely, a first divided heater 421, a second divided heater 422, a third divided heater 423, and a fourth divided heater 424. The first divided heater 421, the second divided heater 422, the third divided heater 423, and the fourth divided heater 424 are arranged in sequence from the rotation axis C toward the outside.

[0046] The first divided heater 421 forms a first preheating region 421A preheated by the first divided heater 421 on the powder bed 21. The second divided heater 422 forms a second preheating region 422A preheated by the second divided heater 422 on the powder bed 21. The third divided heater 423 forms a third preheating region 423A preheated by the third divided heater 423 on the powder bed 21. The fourth divided heater 424 forms a fourth preheating region 424A preheated by the fourth divided heater 424 on the powder bed 21.

[0047] The first preheating region 421A, the second preheating region 422A, the third preheating region 423A, and the fourth preheating region 424A are arranged in order from the rotation axis C toward the outside. The first preheating region 421A, the second preheating region 422A, the third preheating region 423A, and the fourth preheating region 424A constitute the preheating region 42A. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish the first divided heater 421, the second divided heater 422, the third divided heater 423, and the fourth divided heater 424 from each other, they are sometimes collectively referred to as "divided heaters".

[0048] Each divided heater and controller 5 (refer to Figure 1 ) are electrically connected. The output of each segmented heater can be independently controlled by the controller 5. For example, the controller 5 can make the output of the first segmented heater 421 and the fourth segmented heater 424 lower than the output of the second segmented heater 422 and the third segmented heater 423. In this case, the area of ​​the powder bed 21 that passes through the first preheating area 421A and the fourth preheating area 424A is preheated at a temperature lower than the area of ​​the powder bed 21 that passes through the second preheating area 422A and the third preheating area 423A. That is, the heater 42 can preheat a plurality of areas in the powder bed 21 at different temperatures. As an example, the heater 42 can preheat the area that passes through the first preheating area 421A at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. In addition, the heater 42 can preheat the area that passes through the fourth preheating area 424A at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. Moreover, the heater 42 can preheat the area that passes through the second preheating area 422A at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. Furthermore, the heater 42 can preheat the region passing through the third preheating region 423A at a temperature lower than the sintering temperature.

[0049] The beam source 43 is an irradiation unit. The beam source 43 irradiates the powder bed 21 with an electron beam. The beam source 43 is, for example, an electron gun. The beam source 43 generates an electron beam corresponding to the potential difference generated between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. Moreover, the beam source 43 converges the electron beam by adjusting the electric field, and irradiates the powder bed 21 with the electron beam. The beam source 43 forms an irradiation area 43A on the main surface 3a. The irradiation area 43A is an area that can be irradiated with an electron beam by the beam source 43. The position of the irradiation area 43A does not change relative to the rotation of the workbench 3. That is, when the workbench 3 and the irradiation area 43A are defined by a certain coordinate system, the workbench 3 rotates relative to the coordinate system. However, the irradiation area 43A does not move relative to the coordinate system.

[0050] The beam source 43 irradiates an electron beam along a desired scanning line within the irradiation area 43A. Figure 2 In the example shown, the irradiation planned portion P of the powder bed 21 to be irradiated with the electron beam is indicated by hatching. Figure 2 As shown, the shape of the portion irradiated with the electron beam may not be consistent with the shape of the irradiation area 43A. When the irradiation portion P passes through the irradiation area 43A due to the rotation of the workbench 3, the beam source 43 irradiates the irradiation portion P with an electron beam. The portion of the powder bed 21 irradiated with the electron beam is heated to a temperature higher than the temperature after being preheated by the heater 42. Specifically, it is heated to the sintering temperature or melting temperature of the powder material 2. The portion of the powder bed 21 irradiated with the electron beam is sintered or melted. If the irradiation of the electron beam ends, the temperature of the portion irradiated with the electron beam decreases, so the portion solidifies. The end of the irradiation of the electron beam can also be said to end when passing through the irradiation area 43A. The solidified portion becomes the molding portion constituting the molded object 2S.

[0051] As described above, the positions of the supply area 41A, the preheating area 42A, and the irradiation area 43A do not change with respect to the rotation of the workbench 3. Therefore, when a certain point is assumed in the workbench 3, the point passes through the supply area 41A, the preheating area 42A, and the irradiation area 43A in order as the workbench 3 rotates. That is, by arranging the feeder 41, the heater 42, and the beam source 43 along the rotation direction R of the workbench 3 and rotating the workbench 3, the powder bed 21 formation process, the powder bed 21 preheating process, and the electron beam irradiation process can be sequentially performed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3. The molding device 1 forms a new powder bed 21 by further applying the powder material 2 on the powder bed 21 after a molding part is formed in a certain powder bed 21. Then, the molding device 1 forms the molding part by irradiating the newly formed powder bed 21 with an electron beam after preheating it. In this way, the molding device 1 repeatedly performs the forming process of the powder bed 21, the preheating process of the powder bed 21, and the electron beam irradiation process while rotating the worktable 3. As a result, a molded object 2S having a plurality of molded parts stacked on top of each other is formed (see Figure 1 ). As the molding of the molding object 2S progresses, the workbench 3 descends. That is, the rotating unit 61 rotates the workbench 3. The lifting unit 62 descends the workbench 3 in parallel with the rotation.

[0052] Figure 3 Controller 5 is a block diagram showing a controller 5. Controller 5 is a computer composed of hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and software such as a program stored in the ROM. Controller 5 includes, for example, an input signal circuit, an output signal circuit or a power supply circuit. Controller 5 includes, for example, a computing unit and a memory. The memory can store data required for various controls.

[0053] The controller 5 includes a feeder control unit 51 , a heater control unit 52 , a beam control unit 53 , a rotation control unit 54 , a lifting control unit 55 , an area dividing unit 56 , a data acquiring unit 57 , and an area setting unit 58 .

[0054] In order to form the powder bed 21 by supplying the powder material 2 onto the main surface 3a of the workbench 3, the feeder control unit 51 controls the feeder 41. That is, the feeder control unit 51 functions as a supply control unit. The feeder control unit 51 can also control, for example, the timing of supplying the powder material 2 onto the main surface 3a, the supply amount of the powder material 2, the operation of the coating machine as a flattening unit, etc. The feeder control unit 51 outputs a control signal for controlling the feeder 41 to the feeder 41. The feeder 41 operates based on the control signal received from the feeder control unit 51.

[0055] In order to preheat the powder bed 21 formed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3, the heater control unit 52 controls the heater 42. That is, the heater control unit 52 functions as a preheating control unit. The heater control unit 52 can control the output of each of the first divided heater 421, the second divided heater 422, the third divided heater 423 and the fourth divided heater 424 of the heater 42. The control of the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) includes control related to the size of the output. In addition, the control of the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) also includes control related to turning on and off the heater 42 (each divided heater). The heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 based on the setting information received from the area setting unit 58 described later. For details on the control process of the heater 42 based on the setting information, refer to Figure 4 The heater control unit 52 may control the heater 42 based on the material of the powder material 2, the type of the powder material 2, and the rotation speed of the workbench 3, for example. Furthermore, the heater control unit 52 may control the heater 42 based on the temperature data DT of the powder bed 21 received from the data acquisition unit 57 described later, for example. The heater control unit 52 outputs a control signal for controlling the heater 42 to the heater 42. The heater 42 operates based on the control signal received from the heater control unit 52.

[0056] In order to irradiate the powder bed 21 with an electron beam to sinter or melt the powder material 2, the beam control unit 53 controls the beam source 43. That is, the beam control unit 53 functions as an irradiation control unit. The beam control unit 53 controls, for example, the irradiation position of the electron beam, the start of irradiation, the stop of irradiation, and the irradiation time. The beam control unit 53 outputs a control signal for controlling the beam source 43 to the beam source 43. The beam source 43 operates based on the control signal received from the beam control unit 53.

[0057] The rotation control unit 54 controls the rotation unit 61 to rotate the table 3. The rotation control unit 54 controls, for example, the rotation speed of the table 3. The rotation control unit 54 outputs a control signal for controlling the rotation unit 61 to the rotation unit 61. The rotation unit 61 operates based on the control signal received from the rotation control unit 54.

[0058] The lifting control unit 55 controls the lifting unit 62 to lift the table 3. The lifting control unit 55 controls, for example, the lowering speed of the table 3. The lifting control unit 55 outputs a control signal for controlling the lifting unit 62 to the lifting unit 62. The lifting unit 62 operates based on the control signal received from the lifting control unit 55.

[0059] The region dividing unit 56 divides the powder bed 21 formed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 into a plurality of small regions. "Dividing the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small regions" means not dividing the powder bed 21 physically, but setting a plurality of small regions in the powder bed 21. In other words, "dividing the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small regions" means distinguishing a certain region in the powder bed 21 from other regions. As an example, the region dividing unit 56 divides a plurality of regions preheated by a plurality of divided heaters into a plurality of small regions. For details on the region division process of the powder bed 21, refer to Figure 4 The area dividing unit 56 outputs information indicating the shape and position of each divided small area to the area setting unit 58 described later.

[0060] The data acquisition unit 57 acquires the temperature data DT and the slice data DS from a database DB provided inside or outside the molding device 1. The temperature data DT indicates the temperature of the powder bed 21 detected by the temperature detection unit 8. The temperature data DT may be, for example, the temperature of the powder bed 21 before being preheated by the heater 42 or the temperature of the powder bed 21 after being preheated by the heater 42. The data acquisition unit 57 outputs the acquired temperature data DT to the heater control unit 52.

[0061] The slice data DS is data indicating the shape of the cross section of the sculpted object 2S. In other words, the slice data DS is data indicating the shape of each sculpted part constituting the sculpted object 2S. The slice data DS is generated based on, for example, three-dimensional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data of the sculpted object 2S. The slice data DS is generated in a number corresponding to the number (number of layers) of sculpted parts constituting the sculpted object 2S. The slice data DS is stored in the database DB. The data acquisition unit 57 outputs the acquired slice data DS to the region setting unit 58 and the beam control unit 53.

[0062] The region setting unit 58 sets a small region including the irradiation scheduled portion P among the multiple small regions divided by the region dividing unit 56 as a first region. Furthermore, the region setting unit 58 sets at least one small region among the other small regions that are not set as the first region A1 among the multiple small regions divided by the region dividing unit 56 as a second region A2. First, the region setting unit 58 determines the shape and position of the irradiation scheduled portion P in the powder bed 21 based on the slice data DS. As described above, the portion of the powder bed 21 irradiated with the electron beam becomes a molding portion. Therefore, the shape and position of the irradiation scheduled portion P are consistent with the shape and position of the molding portion represented by the slice data DS. Therefore, the region setting unit 58 can determine the shape and position of the irradiation scheduled portion P in the powder bed 21 based on the slice data DS. Based on the shape and position of the determined irradiation scheduled portion P, the region setting unit 58 sets the small region including the irradiation scheduled portion P as the first region A1. Furthermore, the region setting unit 58 sets at least one small region among the other small regions that are not set as the first region A1 as the second region A2. Furthermore, “setting the small area including the scheduled irradiation portion P as the first area” means setting at least the small area including the scheduled irradiation portion P among the plurality of small areas divided by the area dividing unit 56 as the first area A1. That is, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area including the scheduled irradiation portion P as the first area A1. The area setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating whether each small area is set as the first area or the second area to the heater control unit 52.

[0063] Reference Figure 4 An example of preheating of the powder bed 21 in the molding device 1 will be described. First, the region dividing unit 56 divides the powder bed 21 formed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 into a plurality of small regions. Figure 4 In the example shown, the region dividing portion 56 divides the powder bed 21 into four small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214 in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis C. The small region 211 is a circular region centered on the rotation axis C. The small region 212, the small region 213, and the small region 214 are multiple annular regions centered on the rotation axis C. The small region 211, the small region 212, the small region 213, and the small region 214 are positioned in sequence from the rotation axis C toward the outside. The outer diameter of the small region 211 is consistent with the inner diameter of the small region 212. The outer diameter of the small region 212 is consistent with the inner diameter of the small region 213. The outer diameter of the small region 213 is consistent with the inner diameter of the small region 214.

[0064] The four small areas 211, 212, 213, and 214 are preheated by the corresponding segmented heaters, respectively. Specifically, the small area 211 is preheated by the first segmented heater 421. The small area 212 is preheated by the second segmented heater 422. The small area 213 is preheated by the third segmented heater 423. The small area 214 is preheated by the fourth segmented heater 424. That is, through the rotation of the workbench 3, the small area 211 passes through the first preheating area 421A. The small area 212 passes through the second preheating area 422A. The small area 213 passes through the third preheating area 423A. The small area 214 passes through the fourth preheating area 424A. The area segmentation unit 56 outputs information indicating the shape and position of each segmented small area to the area setting unit 58.

[0065] The region setting unit 58 sets the four small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214 divided by the region dividing unit 56 as the first region A1 or the second region A2. Figure 4 In the example shown, the region setting unit 58 sets the small region including the scheduled irradiation portion P as the first region A1. The region setting unit 58 sets the small region not including the scheduled irradiation portion P as the second region A2. At this time, the region setting unit 58 determines the scheduled irradiation portion P based on the slice data DS received from the data acquisition unit 57. The small regions 212 and 213 include the scheduled irradiation portion P. On the other hand, the small regions 211 and 214 do not include the scheduled irradiation portion P. Therefore, the region setting unit 58 sets the small regions 212 and 213 as the first region A1. The region setting unit 58 sets the small regions 211 and 214 as the second region A2. The region setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating whether each small region is set as the first region A1 or the second region A2 to the heater control unit 52.

[0066] The heater control unit 52 controls the heater 42 based on the setting information received from the region setting unit 58. Specifically, the output of the heater 42 is controlled so as to preheat the first region A1 and the second region A2 in the powder bed 21 at different temperatures. Figure 4In the example shown, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 in order to preheat the first area A1 at a temperature higher than that of the second area A2. In other words, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of each divided heater in such a manner that the output of the second divided heater 422 for preheating the small area 212 and the third divided heater 423 for preheating the small area 213 are higher than the output of the first divided heater 421 for preheating the small area 211 and the fourth divided heater 424 for preheating the small area 214. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) in order to preheat the first area A1 at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) in order to preheat the second area A2 at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. The heater control unit 52 maintains the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) constant during one rotation of the workbench 3. In other words, the heater control unit 52 maintains the output of the heater 42 constant while preheating the powder bed 21 corresponding to one slice data DS.

[0067] The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 based on the temperature data DT received from the data acquisition unit 57. In this case, the heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 based on the temperature of the powder bed 21 before being preheated by the heater 42. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 based on the temperature of the powder bed 21 after being preheated by the heater 42. For example, the heater control unit 52 may also control to reduce the output of the heater 42 when the temperature of the powder bed 21 before being preheated by the heater 42 is higher than an assumed temperature. The heater control unit 52 may also control to increase the output of the heater 42 when the temperature of the powder bed 21 before preheating is lower than an assumed temperature. In addition, the heater control unit 52 may control to reduce the output of the heater 42 when the temperature of the powder bed 21 after preheating is higher than a desired temperature. The heater control unit 52 may also control to increase the output of the heater 42 when the temperature of the powder bed 21 after preheating is lower than a desired temperature.

[0068] The powder bed 21 preheated by the preheating treatment moves to the irradiation area 43A by the rotation of the table 3. Then, the irradiation planned portion P is irradiated with an electron beam. The beam control unit 53 that controls the beam source 43 may determine the irradiation planned portion P based on the slice data DS and determine the position of the electron beam irradiation.

[0069] Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the molding device 1 will be described.

[0070] In the molding device 1, the area division unit 56 divides the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small areas 211, 212, 213, and 214. The area setting unit 58 sets the small areas 212 and 213 including the predetermined irradiation portion P irradiated with the electron beam by the beam source 43 among the plurality of small areas 211, 212, 213, and 214 as the first area A1. The area setting unit 58 sets the other small areas 211 and 214 that are not set as the first area A1 as the second area A2. In other words, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area that is not irradiated with the electron beam as the second area A2. The heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) in order to preheat the first area A1 and the second area A2 at different temperatures. Specifically, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 in order to preheat the first area A1 at a higher temperature than the second area A2. Thus, even when the molding device 1 preheats the region irradiated with the electron beam at a higher temperature, the region in the powder bed 21 that is not irradiated with the electron beam can be preheated at a lower temperature. In other words, even when the molding device 1 preheats the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S at a higher temperature, the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S can be preheated at a lower temperature. Therefore, since it is difficult to produce a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S, the time for removing the temporary sintered body can be reduced. Therefore, according to the molding device 1, the molding process can be performed efficiently.

[0071] Furthermore, by preheating the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S at a relatively low temperature, the oxidation of the powder material 2 can be suppressed. Therefore, the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S can be reused in the molding process of other molded objects. In other words, the number of times the powder material 2 can be reused can be increased. The above-mentioned function and effect of the molding device 1 are particularly advantageous when a tiny molded object 2S is formed relative to the powder bed 21.

[0072] The heater control unit 52 of the molding device 1 controls the output of the heater 42 in order to preheat the first area A1 at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. In addition, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 in order to preheat the second area A2 at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. According to this structure, the area irradiated with the electron beam in the powder bed 21 can be preheated more reliably. In other words, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated more reliably. In addition, the generation of a temporary sintered body in an area not irradiated with the electron beam can be suppressed more reliably. In other words, the generation of a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S can be suppressed more reliably.

[0073] The area division part 56 of the molding device 1 divides the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small areas 211, 212, 213, and 214 in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis C. According to this structure, when the area irradiated with the electron beam and the area not irradiated with the electron beam are arranged in the radial direction of the circle centered on the rotation axis C, for example, the area irradiated with the electron beam can be preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2, and the area not irradiated with the electron beam can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. In other words, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2, and the powder material 2 not constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. Therefore, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated more reliably. In addition, the generation of a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 not constituting the molded object 2S can be more reliably suppressed.

[0074] The heater 42 of the molding device 1 includes a plurality of segmented heaters arranged in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis C, namely, a first segmented heater 421, a second segmented heater 422, a third segmented heater 423, and a fourth segmented heater 424. The heater control unit 52 maintains the output of the first segmented heater 421, the second segmented heater 422, the third segmented heater 423, and the fourth segmented heater 424 constant during one rotation of the worktable. According to this structure, the preheating process performed by the heater 42 becomes simple. As a result, the processing burden of the heater 42 and the controller 5 is reduced.

[0075] The molding apparatus 1 includes a temperature detector 8 for detecting the temperature of the powder bed 21. The heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 based on the detection result of the temperature detector 8, that is, the temperature data DT. With this configuration, the powder bed 21 can be heated to a desired temperature more reliably.

[0076] The heater 42 of the molding apparatus 1 is disposed so as to face the main surface 3a of the table 3 across the powder bed 21. According to this configuration, the powder bed 21 can be preheated more reliably.

[0077] [First Modification]

[0078] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 A first modification of the preheating treatment of the powder bed in the molding device 1 is described. As described above, the molding 2S is formed by stacking a plurality of molding parts. The plurality of molding parts forming the molding 2S includes a first molding part and a second molding part. The second molding part is formed on the first molding part. Figure 5 A powder bed 21A is shown for forming a first molding part. Figure 621B is a powder bed for forming a second molding part formed on the first molding part. The second molding part is formed continuously after the first molding part is formed. That is, after the molding device 1 forms the first molding part in the powder bed 21A, a new powder bed 21B is formed on the powder bed 21A. Then, the molding device 1 forms the second molding part in the powder bed 21B.

[0079] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the region dividing portion 56 divides the powder beds 21A and 21B into four small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214, respectively. The shapes and positions of the small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214 of the first modified example are similar to those of the first embodiment (see Figure 4 ) are the same. In the powder bed 21A, the beam source 43 is Figure 5 The irradiation predetermined portion P1 shown is irradiated with an electron beam. In the powder bed 21B, the beam source 43 is directed to Figure 6 The irradiation portion P2 shown is irradiated with an electron beam. That is, the portion of the powder bed 21A corresponding to the irradiation portion P1 is the first molding portion. The portion of the powder bed 21B corresponding to the irradiation portion P2 is the second molding portion. In the first modification, the shapes of the irradiation portion P1 and the irradiation portion P2 are different. Specifically, Figure 5 The portion of the powder bed 21A shown indicated by the dotted line is not included in the irradiation planned portion P1. The portion of the powder bed 21A indicated by the dotted line is hereinafter referred to as "overlapping portion P10".

[0080] Taking the above as a premise, the preheating treatment of the powder bed 21A is described. First, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area including the scheduled irradiation portion P1 among the four small areas 211, 212, 213, and 214 divided by the area dividing unit 56. In addition, the small area in the powder bed 21A including the portion overlapping with the scheduled irradiation portion P2 of the powder bed 21B is also set as the first area A1. The portion of the powder bed 21A that overlaps with the scheduled irradiation portion P2 of the powder bed 21B is the scheduled irradiation portion P1 and the overlapping portion P10. The scheduled irradiation portion P1 and the overlapping portion P10 overlap with the scheduled irradiation portion P2 in the stacking direction of the powder beds 21A and 21B (the direction along the rotation axis C). Therefore, in addition to the small areas 212 and 213 including the scheduled irradiation portion P1, the area setting unit 58 also sets the small area 214 including the overlapping portion P10 as the first area A1. The region setting unit 58 sets the small region 211 that is not set as the first region A1 as the second region A2. In other words, the region setting unit 58 sets only the small region in the powder bed 21A that does not include the scheduled irradiation portion P1 and does not overlap with the scheduled irradiation portion P2 in the powder bed 21B as the second region A2. The region setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating whether each small region in the powder bed 21A is set as the first region A1 or the second region A2 to the heater control unit 52.

[0081] The heater control unit 52 controls the heater 42 based on the setting information received from the area setting unit 58. Specifically, the output of the heater 42 is controlled in such a manner that the first area A1 and the second area A2 are preheated at different temperatures from each other. In the first modification, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 in such a manner that the first area A1 is preheated at a higher temperature than the second area A2. In other words, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of each split heater in such a manner that the output of the second split heater 422 preheating the small area 212, the third split heater 423 preheating the small area 213, and the fourth split heater 424 preheating the small area 214 is higher than the output of the first split heater 421 preheating the small area 211.

[0082] The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 so as to preheat the first region A1 at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. Furthermore, the heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 so as to preheat the second region A2 at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. After the preheating treatment by the heater 42 is completed, the beam source 43 irradiates the irradiation scheduled portion P1 of the powder bed 21A preheated by the heater 42 with an electron beam. Thus, the first molding portion is formed.

[0083] Next, in order to form the second molding part, the feeder 41 forms a new powder bed 21B on the powder bed 21A (see Figure 6 ). In this example, not only the small regions 212, 213 of the powder bed 21A but also the small region 214 is preheated in advance by a higher output. Therefore, before the formed powder bed 21B is preheated by the heater 42, the heat from the small regions 212, 213, 214 of the powder bed 21A raises the temperature of the small regions 212, 213, 214 of the powder bed 21B.

[0084] The region setting unit 58 sets the small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214 in the powder bed 21B as the first region A1 or the second region A2, respectively. The region setting unit 58 may also set the first region A1 and the second region A2 in the powder bed 21B using the same method as the powder bed 21A. That is, when the molding portion formed on the second molding portion is the third molding portion, the region setting unit 58 sets the small region including the irradiation scheduled portion P2 among the four small regions 211, 212, 213, and 214 as the first region A1. Furthermore, the region setting unit 58 may also set the small region in the powder bed 21B including the portion overlapping with the irradiation scheduled portion of the powder bed corresponding to the third molding portion as the first region A1.

[0085] The area setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating which of the first area A1 and the second area A2 each small area in the powder bed 21B is set to, to the heater control unit 52. The heater control unit 52 controls the heater 42 based on the setting information received from the area setting unit 58. The beam source 43 irradiates the irradiation scheduled portion P2 of the powder bed 21B preheated by the heater 42 with an electron beam. Thus, the second molding portion is formed on the first molding portion. The molding device 1 can obtain the molding object 2S by forming a plurality of molding portions on the second molding portion using the same method.

[0086] In the first modified example, the plurality of molding parts forming the molding 2S include a first molding part and a second molding part formed on the first molding part. The region setting unit 58 sets the irradiation scheduled part P1 overlapping the irradiation scheduled part P2 of the powder bed 21B corresponding to the second molding part among the plurality of small regions 211, 212, 213, 214 in the powder bed 21A corresponding to the first molding part as the first region A1. Furthermore, the region setting unit 58 additionally sets the small regions 213 and 214 including the overlapping part P10 among the plurality of small regions 211, 212, 213, 214 in the powder bed 21A corresponding to the first molding part as the first region A1. According to this structure, for example, when preheating the powder bed 21A corresponding to the first molding part, the small regions 212, 213, 214 including the irradiation scheduled part P1 and the overlapping part P10 can be preheated at a higher temperature. Therefore, before the powder bed 21B is preheated by the heater 42, the temperature of the small areas 212, 213, 214 of the powder bed 21B is preheated by the heat from the small areas 212, 213, 214 of the powder bed 21A. As a result, when the powder bed 21B corresponding to the second molding part is preheated, the irradiation scheduled part P2 can be more reliably heated to a desired temperature. In other words, when the powder bed 21B corresponding to the second molding part is preheated, the irradiation scheduled part P2 can be uniformly heated while maintaining the desired temperature.

[0087] [Second Modification]

[0088] Reference Figure 7 A second modification of the preheating treatment of the powder bed in the molding device 1 is described. Figure 7 , a powder bed 21C formed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 and an irradiated predetermined portion P3 in the powder bed 21C are shown. In the second modification, the region dividing portion 56 divides the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small regions not only in the radial direction of the circle centered on the rotation axis C but also in the rotation direction R. In the second modification, the plurality of small regions divided by the region dividing portion 56 include small regions 215 and 216. Small regions 215 and 216 are arranged in the rotation direction R. Small regions 215 and 216 are regions that are preheated by the same fourth segmentation heater 424. That is, small regions 215 and 216 are Figure 2 A fourth preheat zone 424A is shown passing through.

[0089] In the second variant, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area including the scheduled irradiation part P3 as the first area A1. Furthermore, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area not including the scheduled irradiation part P3 as the second area A2. At this time, the area setting unit 58 may also determine the scheduled irradiation part P3 based on the slice data DS or the segmentation data. The segmentation data is data generated by segmenting the slice data DS in the circumferential direction (rotation direction R) with the rotation axis C of the workbench 3 as the center. That is, the segmentation data is generated as data for a fan-shaped area. The segmentation angle of the segmentation data may also be a constant angle. The segmentation angle of the segmentation data may also be, for example, an angle less than 45°. As Figure 7 As shown, the small area 215 includes the irradiation scheduled portion P3. On the other hand, the small area 216 does not include the irradiation scheduled portion P3. Therefore, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area 215 as the first area A1. And the area setting unit 58 sets the small area 216 as the second area A2. The area setting unit 58 also sets the other small areas as the first area A1 or the second area A2. The area setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating whether each small area is set as the first area A1 or the second area A2 to the heater control unit 52.

[0090] The heater control unit 52 controls the heater 42 based on the setting information received from the area setting unit 58. Specifically, the output of the heater 42 is controlled in such a manner that the first area A1 and the second area A2 in the powder bed 21 are preheated at different temperatures. In the second modification, as in the first embodiment described above, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 42 in such a manner that the first area A1 is preheated at a temperature higher than that of the second area A2. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 in such a manner that the first area A1 is preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 42 in such a manner that the second area A2 is preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2.

[0091] In the second modification, the small area set as the first area A1 and the small area set as the second area A2 are arranged along the rotation direction R, such as the small area 215 and the small area 216. Moreover, these small areas are sometimes preheated by the same divided heater. For example, the small area 215 set as the first area A1 and the small area 216 set as the second area A2 are preheated by the same fourth divided heater 424. Therefore, in the second modification, the heater control unit 52 controls to increase the output of the fourth divided heater 424 when the small area 215 is located in the fourth preheating area 424A of the fourth divided heater 424. And, the heater control unit 52 controls to reduce the output of the fourth divided heater 424 when the small area 216 is located in the fourth preheating area 424A. The heater control unit 52 also controls to change the output of the corresponding divided heater at other positions where the first area A1 and the second area A2 are arranged along the rotation direction R. In this way, the heater control unit 52 of the second modification changes the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) during one rotation of the workbench 3. In other words, the heater control unit 52 changes the output of the heater 42 while the powder bed 21C corresponding to one slice data DS is being preheated.

[0092] The area dividing unit 56 of the molding device 1 of the second modified example divides the powder bed 21 into a plurality of small areas 215 and 216 along the rotation direction R centered on the rotation axis C. According to this structure, when the area irradiated with the electron beam and the area not irradiated with the electron beam are arranged along the rotation direction R centered on the rotation axis C, for example, the area irradiated with the electron beam can be preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. In other words, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. In addition, the area not irradiated with the electron beam can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. In other words, the powder material 2 not constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature. Therefore, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated more reliably. In addition, the generation of a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 not constituting the molded object 2S can be more reliably suppressed.

[0093] The heater control unit 52 of the molding device 1 of the second modified example changes the output of the heater 42 during one rotation of the table. According to this structure, when the first area A1 and the second area A2 are arranged in the rotation direction R centered on the rotation axis C, the first area A1 and the second area A2 can be preheated at an appropriate temperature.

[0094] [Second embodiment]

[0095] Reference Figure 8The molding device 100 of the second embodiment is described. The molding device 100 of the second embodiment includes a forming unit 4A. The forming unit 4A includes a feeder 41, a heater 142, and a beam source 43. The feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the second embodiment have the same structure as the feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the detailed description of the feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the second embodiment is omitted.

[0096] On the other hand, the heater 142 of the second embodiment has a different structure from the heater 42 of the first embodiment. Specifically, the heater 142 has a plurality of divided heaters. Therefore, the entire heater 142 is heated by a uniform output. The heater 142 is a continuous heater extending radially along a circle centered on the rotation axis C. The heater control unit 52 can change the output of the heater 142. Therefore, the heater control unit 52 can preheat a plurality of regions arranged in the rotation direction R in the powder bed 21D at different temperatures by changing the output of the heater 142.

[0097] exist Figure 8 , a powder bed 21D formed on the main surface 3a of the workbench 3 and a predetermined irradiation portion P4 in the powder bed 21D are shown. In the second embodiment, the region dividing portion 56 does not divide the powder bed 21D in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis C. The region dividing portion 56 divides the powder bed 21D into a plurality of small regions only in the rotation direction R. In the second embodiment, the plurality of small regions divided by the region dividing portion 56 include small regions 217 and 218. Small regions 217 and 218 are arranged in the rotation direction R. Small regions 217 and 218 are preheated by the same heater 142. That is, small regions 217 and 218 pass through the preheating region 142A of the heater 142.

[0098] Similar to the first embodiment, the area setting unit 58 of the second embodiment sets the small area including the irradiation scheduled portion P4 as the first area A1. Also, the area setting unit 58 of the second embodiment sets the small area not including the irradiation scheduled portion P4 as the second area A2. Figure 8 As shown, the small area 217 includes the irradiation scheduled portion P4. On the other hand, the small area 218 does not include the irradiation scheduled portion P4. Therefore, the area setting unit 58 sets the small area 217 as the first area A1. And the area setting unit 58 sets the small area 218 as the second area A2. The area setting unit 58 also sets the other small areas as the first area A1 or the second area A2. The area setting unit 58 outputs setting information indicating whether each small area is set as the first area A1 or the second area A2 to the heater control unit 52.

[0099] The heater control unit 52 controls the heater 142 based on the setting information received from the area setting unit 58. Specifically, the heater control unit 52 controls the output of the heater 142 in such a manner that the first area A1 and the second area A2 in the powder bed 21D are preheated at different temperatures. As in the first embodiment described above, the heater control unit 52 of the second embodiment controls the output of the heater 142 in such a manner that the first area A1 is preheated at a temperature higher than that of the second area A2. The heater control unit 52 may also control the output of the heater 142 in such a manner that the first area A1 is preheated at a temperature higher than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2. The output of the heater 142 may also be controlled in such a manner that the second area A2 is preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature of the powder material 2.

[0100] In the second embodiment, the small area set as the first area A1 and the small area set as the second area A2 are arranged along the rotation direction R, such as the small area 217 and the small area 218. Therefore, the heater control unit 52 of the second embodiment controls to increase the output of the heater 142 when the small area 217 is located in the preheating area 142A of the heater 142. The heater control unit 52 of the second embodiment controls to reduce the output of the heater 142 when the small area 218 is located in the preheating area 142A. The heater control unit 52 also controls to appropriately change the output of the heater 142 at other positions where the first area A1 and the second area A2 are arranged along the rotation direction R. In this way, the heater control unit 52 of the second embodiment changes the output of the heater 142 during one rotation of the worktable 3. In other words, the heater control unit 52 changes the output of the heater 142 while the powder bed 21D corresponding to one slice data DS is preheated.

[0101] By means of the molding device 100 of the second embodiment, the area in the powder bed 21D irradiated with the electron beam can also be preheated at a higher temperature, similarly to the molding device 1 of the first embodiment. In other words, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a higher temperature. Furthermore, the area not irradiated with the electron beam can also be preheated at a lower temperature. In other words, the powder material 2 not constituting the molded object 2S can also be preheated at a lower temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S, and the time for removing the temporary sintered body can be reduced. Therefore, according to the molding device 100, the molding process can be performed efficiently.

[0102] [Third Embodiment]

[0103] Reference Fig. 9The molding device 200 of the third embodiment is described. The molding device 200 of the third embodiment includes a forming unit 4B. The forming unit 4B includes a feeder 41, a heater 242, and a beam source 43. The feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the third embodiment have the same structure as the feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the detailed description of the feeder 41 and the beam source 43 of the third embodiment is omitted.

[0104] On the other hand, the heater 242 of the third embodiment has a different structure from the heater 42 of the first embodiment. For example, the heater 242 is rectangular when viewed from the direction along the rotation axis C. The heater 242 has a plurality of divided heaters 243 divided into a grid shape. The plurality of divided heaters 243 are arranged in two directions orthogonal to each other.

[0105] The heater control unit 52 can independently control each segmented heater 243. That is, the heater control unit 52 can make the outputs of each segmented heater 243 different from each other. Therefore, the heater control unit 52 can preheat the plurality of regions in the powder bed 21 at different temperatures by controlling the outputs of each segmented heater 243. That is, the heater control unit 52 can preheat the first region A1 and the second region A2 (see FIG. 1 ) in the powder bed 21 set by the region setting unit 58 at different temperatures. Figure 4 ) is used to control the output of the heater 242 (each divided heater 243) in a preheating manner.

[0106] The molding device 200 of the third embodiment can also preheat the area irradiated with the electron beam at a higher temperature, similar to the molding device 1 of the first embodiment. In other words, the powder material 2 constituting the molded object 2S can be preheated at a higher temperature. In addition, the area in the powder bed 21 that is not irradiated with the electron beam can also be preheated at a lower temperature. In other words, the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S can also be preheated at a lower temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a temporary sintered body in the powder material 2 that does not constitute the molded object 2S, and the removal time of the temporary sintered body can be reduced. Therefore, according to the molding device 200, the molding process can be performed efficiently.

[0107] The three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device of the present disclosure are described in detail above. However, the three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. The three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device of the present disclosure can be variously modified within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0108] For example, the heater control unit 52 may control the output of the heater 42 so as to preheat the first area A1 at a temperature lower than that of the second area A2. That is, the heater control unit 52 may control the output of the heater 42 (each divided heater) when preheating the first area A1 to be lower than the output of the heater 42 when preheating the second area A2.

[0109] The heater 42 may be a heater that can preheat multiple areas in the powder bed 21 at different temperatures. The shape and number of the heaters 42 are not limited. The heater 42 may not be an infrared heater. It may also be other heating means such as a gas heater.

[0110] In order to keep the formed molding part warm, the area setting unit 58 may also set a small area in the powder bed 21 that does not include the irradiation scheduled part P as the first area A1. In other words, a small area that is not irradiated with the electron beam may also be set as the first area A1. In addition, the heater control unit 52 may also control the heater 42 in such a way that the first area A1 is preheated at a higher temperature than the second area A2.

[0111] In the above embodiments, the table 3 is rotated and raised and lowered as an example, but the table 3 may be fixed, and the forming unit 4 may rotate about the rotation axis C and be raised and lowered along the rotation axis C. That is, the table 3 may rotate and be raised and lowered relative to the forming unit 4.

[0112] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the powder material is sintered or melted by irradiation with an electron beam. However, the beam irradiated on the powder material 2 is not limited to an electron beam. That is, the beam irradiated on the powder material may also be other energy beams. In other words, the beam that can be used in the molding device 1 is an energy beam that can supply energy to the powder material 2. For example, it may be a molding device 1 to which a laser melting method is applied. The beam that can be used in the molding device 1 may also be a laser beam. The beam that can be used in the molding device 1 may also be a charged particle beam including the concept of an electron beam and an ion beam.

[0113] The three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following items. In addition, the three-dimensional modeling device and preheating device of the present disclosure may include the following items in any combination even if they are not specifically listed.

[0114] 1. A three-dimensional modeling device, comprising:

[0115] a work table having a main surface to which powder material is supplied;

[0116] a forming portion disposed so as to face the main surface and forming a shaped object by stacking a plurality of shaped portions formed of the powder material; and

[0117] a controller that controls the action of the forming section,

[0118] The table rotates relative to the forming portion in a predetermined rotation direction around the rotation axis.

[0119] The forming portion has:

[0120] a supply unit that forms a powder bed by supplying the powder material to the main surface;

[0121] a preheating unit disposed downstream of the supply unit in the rotation direction and capable of preheating a plurality of regions in the powder bed at different temperatures; and

[0122] an irradiation section disposed downstream of the preheating section in the rotation direction and irradiating at least a portion of the preheated powder bed with an energy beam,

[0123] The controller comprises:

[0124] A region dividing unit, which divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions;

[0125] an area setting unit that sets a small area including a predetermined portion to be irradiated by the irradiation unit with the energy beam among the plurality of small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas that are not set as the first area as a second area; and

[0126] The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region and the second region are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

[0127] 2. In the three-dimensional modeling device described in item 1,

[0128] The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region is preheated at a higher temperature than the second region.

[0129] 3. In the three-dimensional modeling device described in item 1 or 2,

[0130] The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region is preheated at a temperature equal to or higher than a temporary sintering temperature of the powder material and the second region is preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature.

[0131] 4. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 3,

[0132] The region dividing portion divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions in a radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis.

[0133] 5. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 4,

[0134] The region dividing portion divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions in the rotation direction centered on the rotation axis.

[0135] 6. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 5,

[0136] The preheating section includes: a plurality of divided preheating sections arranged in a radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis;

[0137] The preheating control unit maintains the output of the divided preheating unit constant while the table rotates once.

[0138] 7. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 5,

[0139] The preheating control unit varies the output of the preheating unit while the table makes one rotation.

[0140] 8. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 7,

[0141] The plurality of molding parts include: a first molding part, and a second molding part formed on the first molding part,

[0142] The region setting unit sets, as the first region, a small region among the plurality of small regions in the powder bed corresponding to the first molding portion, including a portion overlapping with the scheduled irradiation portion of the powder bed corresponding to the second molding portion.

[0143] 9. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 8,

[0144] A temperature detection unit is provided to detect the temperature of the powder bed,

[0145] The preheating control unit controls an output of the preheating unit based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit.

[0146] 10. In the three-dimensional modeling device according to any one of items 1 to 9,

[0147] The preheating section is disposed so as to face the main surface across the powder bed.

[0148] 11. A preheating device for preheating a powder material which is sintered or melted by irradiating an energy beam to form a molded object, comprising:

[0149] a preheating section capable of preheating a plurality of regions in a powder bed formed by the powder material supplied to the main surface of the worktable at different temperatures; and

[0150] a controller that controls the output of the preheating section,

[0151] The controller has:

[0152] A region dividing unit, which divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions;

[0153] an area setting unit that sets a small area including a predetermined portion to be irradiated with the energy beam among the plurality of small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas that are not set as the first area as a second area; and

[0154] The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region and the second region are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

[0155] Description of reference numerals:

[0156] 1, 100, 200…molding device; 2…powder material; 2S…molding object; 3…workbench; 3a, 3b…main surface; 4, 4A, 4B…forming part; 5…controller; 6…driving part; 7…housing; 8…temperature detecting part; 9…preheating device; 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D…powder bed; 31…molding box; 31a…wall; 41…feeder (supply part); 41A…supply area domain; 42, 142, 242...heater (preheating unit); 42A, 142A...preheating area; 43...beam source (irradiation unit); 43A...irradiation area; 51...feeder control unit; 52...heater control unit; 53...beam control unit (preheating control unit); 54...rotation control unit; 55...lifting control unit; 56...area dividing unit; 57...data acquisition unit; 58...area setting unit; 61...rotation unit ; 61a…axis; 62…lifting unit; 71…window; 71a…wall; 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218…small area; 243…divided heater; 421…first divided heater (divided preheating section); 421A…first preheating area; 422…second divided heater (divided preheating section); 422A…second preheating area; 423…third divided heater (divided preheating section); 423A…third preheating area; 424…fourth divided heater (divided preheating section); 424A…fourth preheating area; A1…first area; A2…second area; C…rotation axis; DB…database; DS…slice data; DT…temperature data; P, P1, P2, P3, P4…predetermined irradiation portion; P10…overlapping portion; R…rotation direction; S…molding space.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional modeling device, characterized in that: have: a work table having a main surface to which powder material is supplied; a forming portion disposed opposite to the main surface and configured to stack a plurality of molding portions formed of the powder material to form a molding; and a controller that controls the action of the forming section, The table rotates relative to the forming portion in a predetermined rotation direction around the rotation axis. The forming portion has: a supply unit that forms a powder bed by supplying the powder material to the main surface; a preheating unit, which is arranged downstream of the supply unit in the rotation direction and can preheat a plurality of regions in the powder bed at different temperatures; and an irradiation section disposed downstream of the preheating section in the rotation direction and irradiating at least a portion of the preheated powder bed with an energy beam, The controller comprises: A region dividing unit, which divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions; an area setting unit that sets a small area including a predetermined portion to be irradiated by the irradiation unit with the energy beam among the plurality of small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas that are not set as the first area as a second area; and The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region and the second region are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

2. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region is preheated at a higher temperature than the second region.

3. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region is preheated at a temperature equal to or higher than a temporary sintering temperature of the powder material and the second region is preheated at a temperature lower than the temporary sintering temperature.

4. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The region dividing portion divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions in a radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis.

5. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The region dividing portion divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions in the rotation direction centered on the rotation axis.

6. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The preheating section includes: a plurality of divided preheating sections arranged in a radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis; The preheating control unit maintains the output of the divided preheating unit constant while the table rotates once.

7. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The preheating control unit varies the output of the preheating unit while the table makes one rotation.

8. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plurality of molding parts include: a first molding part, and a second molding part formed on the first molding part, The region setting unit sets, as the first region, a small region among the plurality of small regions in the powder bed corresponding to the first molding portion, including a portion overlapping with the scheduled irradiation portion of the powder bed corresponding to the second molding portion.

9. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A temperature detection unit is provided to detect the temperature of the powder bed, The preheating control unit controls an output of the preheating unit based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit.

10. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The preheating section is disposed so as to face the main surface across the powder bed.

11. A preheating device for preheating a powder material which is sintered or melted to form a molded object by irradiating an energy beam, characterized in that: have: a preheating section capable of preheating a plurality of regions in a powder bed formed by the powder material supplied to the main surface of the worktable at different temperatures; and a controller that controls the output of the preheating section, The controller has: A region dividing unit, which divides the powder bed into a plurality of small regions; an area setting unit, which sets a small area including the irradiation scheduled portion irradiated with the energy beam among the plurality of small areas as a first area, and sets at least one small area among the other small areas not set as the first area as a second area; and The preheating control unit controls the output of the preheating unit so that the first region and the second region are preheated at temperatures different from each other.

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