Laminate forming device

Abstract

A laminate forming apparatus for forming a laminated molded product (85) which has yet to be machined by another machine into a shape of a desired final product, the laminate forming apparatus comprising: a forming table (5) movable in the direction of a vertical axis; a powder layer forming device (3) designed to form a material powder layer (8) of a predetermined thickness on the forming table (5), wherein the material powder layer (8) corresponds to each of the divided layers obtained by dividing a shape of the layered molded product (85) by the predetermined thickness; a laser light emitter (13) configured to irradiate a predetermined area of ​​the material powder layer (8) with laser light (L) to form a sintered layer (81f, 82f, 83f); a pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a); a gantry (63c) disposed on the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a); a second horizontal movement mechanism (63b) mounted on the gantry (63c); and a machining head (57) arranged on the second horizontal movement mechanism (63b), wherein the forming table (5) is arranged between the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a), the second horizontal movement mechanism (63b) is arranged above the forming table (5), the machining head (57) includes a tool insert (61) having a blade and a rotating mechanism (60) on which the tool insert (61) is mounted, wherein the rotating mechanism (60) is designed to switch the orientation of the blade of the tool insert (61) between a first and a second orientation by rotating about a vertical axis of rotation (C), the tool insert (61) is designed to form a first, a second and a third reference surface (85b) with respect to the layered molded product (85), the first and second reference surfaces (85b) are perpendicular to the forming table (5) and perpendicular to each other, and the third reference surface (85b) runs parallel to the forming table, the first to third reference surfaces (85b) are reference surfaces used for positioning when the other machine processes the layered molded product (85), and the machining head (57) is designed to move the tool insert (61) and the rotating mechanism (60) in the directions of two horizontal axes parallel to the forming table (5) by means of the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a) and the second horizontal movement mechanism (63b), the rotating mechanism (60) is arranged to aligning the blade of the tool insert (61) in a direction in which the blade edge can perform forming by rotating it around the vertical axis of rotation (C) before moving the tool insert (61) in the direction of one of the horizontal axes to form the layered molded product (85), and not to align the tool insert (61) by rotating it about the vertical axis of rotation (C) while the tool insert (61) is moved in the direction of one of the horizontal axes to form the layered molded product (85).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a laminate forming apparatus.PRIOR ARTA laminate molding method using laser light is a method of forming a one-piece sintered body that includes a plurality of sintered layers and has a desired three-dimensional shape, and includes forming a very thin material powder layer on an up-and-down movable molding table in a sealed chamber filled with an inert gas, irradiating a predetermined region of the material powder layer with laser light to sinter the material powder layer in the predetermined region, and repeating these steps. Such a laminate molding method is carried out by a laminate molding apparatus.For example, a laminate molding apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application JP 2016-113 679 A or DE 10 2017 106 261 A1 performs the above laminate molding method, and forms a molded product by cutting the edge of a sintered body of a material powder into a required shape using a cutting tool such as a face mill that can move in the direction of a vertical axis and the directions of two horizontal axes simultaneously. The laminate molding apparatus forms a desired laminated molded product by the combination and repetition of these steps. Such a laminate molding apparatus (a so-called "combined machine") is advantageous in that a single apparatus can form a desired laminated molded product.DE 10 2017 106 261 A1 or CN 104 493 491 A likewise discloses laminate forming devices which have a machining head with a rotating machining tool such as a spindle or milling head.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONHowever, a combined machine includes a driving device for properly operating a cutting tool, and thus the entire combined machine or a chamber contained therein tends to be excessively large. For example, when the cutting tool is a face mill, the combined machine includes a machining head that moves while the cutting tool is mounted thereon, and a moving device that moves the machining head in three directions including the direction of a vertical axis and the directions of two horizontal axes. Further, the machining head requires a high-speed rotating mechanism that rotates the cutting tool at high speed. Moreover, a combined machine performs cutting in a dry atmosphere. Dry cutting is performed without applying cutting oil or cooling water to the machining position. Dry cutting does not produce lubricating effects and causes high friction as compared with wet cutting including application of a cutting oil or the like, and therefore a combined machine needs to maintain high running accuracy to suppress the impact of the cutting tool during machining. Therefore, with respect to a combined machine, the accuracy with which the position and the length of the cutting tool mounted on the machining head are measured and the accuracy with which a tool is mounted during tool change are assigned a strong meaning. Moreover, it is difficult for a combined machine to perform laser processing and cutting simultaneously, and thus is disadvantageous in terms of a production line.On the other hand, most laminate forming apparatuses do not have a cutting mechanism and therefore need to feed a formed product to another machine in order to cut the formed product precisely. Such a laminate forming apparatus is small and advantageous in terms of a production line as described above, as compared with a combined machine. However, the molded product is supplied to another apparatus and subjected to processing (so-called secondary processing), and therefore, substantial dimensional errors or the like are more likely to occur during processing as compared with a combined machine, thereby making it difficult to create the secondary processed final product as a precisely manufactured product. As a result, a molded product must be designed and shaped to take offset into account during secondary machining, for example, by slightly too large a cutting allowance. Consequently, the time for laminate forming and the time for secondary processing are increased.The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of this invention is to provide a laminate forming apparatus capable of reducing machining errors in subsequent cutting and simultaneously suppressing an increase and a cost increase compared to a conventional laminate forming apparatus.The present invention provides a laminate molding apparatus having the features of claim 1, which is configured to form a laminated molded product to be processed into a shape of a desired final product by still another machine, by forming a material powder layer having a predetermined thickness on a molding table movable in the direction of a vertical axis, the material powder layer corresponding to each of the partial layers created by dividing a shape of the laminated molded product into the predetermined thickness, and by irradiating a predetermined portion of the material powder layer with laser light to form a sintered layer, and repeating the formation of the sintered layer. The laminate forming apparatus includes a pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms, a portal disposed on the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms, a second horizontal movement mechanism mounted on the portal, and a processing head disposed on the second horizontal movement mechanism. The forming table is disposed between the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms. The second horizontal movement mechanism is disposed above the forming table. The machining head includes a tool bit having a blade and a rotating mechanism on which the tool bit is mounted. The rotating mechanism is configured to switch the orientation of the blade of the tool bit between a first and a second orientation by rotating about a vertical axis of rotation. The tool bit is configured to form first and second reference surfaces and a third reference surface with respect to the layered formed product, the first and second reference surfaces are perpendicular to the forming table and perpendicular to each other, and the third reference surface is parallel to the forming table, the first to third reference surfaces are reference surfaces used for positioning when the other machine processes the layered formed product. The machining head is configured to move the tool bit and the rotating mechanism in the directions of two horizontal axes parallel to the forming table by the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms and the second horizontal moving mechanism. The rotating mechanism is configured to align the blade of the die by rotating about the vertical rotation axis in a direction in which the blades can perform molding before the die for molding the layered molded product is moved toward one of the horizontal axes, and not to align the die by rotating about the vertical rotation axis while the die for molding the layered molded product is moved toward one of the horizontal axes.The laminate forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the machining head includes the tool bit, and the tool bit can form the two surfaces (the two surfaces corresponding to the first and second reference surfaces in claim 1) and the surface (the surface corresponding to the third reference surface in claim 1) with respect to the laminated formed product, the two surfaces being perpendicular to the forming table and perpendicular to each other, and the surface being parallel to the forming table. That is, the laminate forming apparatus of the present invention does not require a large driving device, unlike a conventional combined machine. Consequently, the entire apparatus can be miniaturized. The molded product produced by the laminate molding apparatus of the present invention has the reference molded surfaces and is thereafter cut by the other apparatus which performs secondary processing. Consequently, the relationship between the reference surfaces and the molded product can be maintained, and thus the molded product can be finished precisely as a finished product in secondary processing. The laminate forming apparatus according to the present invention makes it possible to dispense with design and forming in which offset during secondary machining is taken into account, as compared with a conventional laminate forming apparatus which does not include a cutting mechanism. This can reduce the cutting allowance to a minimum required size and reduce the time for secondary machining, thereby reducing the machining time required to produce a finished product.Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The following embodiments may be combined with each other.Preferably, the gantry is disposed on the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms to be movable in a first direction, the machining head is disposed on the second horizontal movement mechanism to be movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions.Preferably, the machining head is configured to rotate the tool bit such that the tool bit is placed in a first orientation or a second orientation, and the second orientation is an orientation achieved by rotating the tool bit in the first orientation by 90°.Preferably, the laminate molding apparatus further includes a base and a chamber covering the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms, the portal, the second horizontal moving mechanism, the processing head, and the tool bit on the base, each of the first horizontal moving mechanisms including a first guide rail extending in the first direction and a first guide block moving in the first direction while engaging the first guide rail, the second horizontal moving mechanism including a second guide rail extending in the second direction, and a second guide block moving during engaging the first guide rail, the first guide rail being fixed on the base, one end of the gantry is fixed to the first guide block of one of the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms and the other end is fixed to the first guide block of the other of the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms, the second guide rail is fixed to the gantry, and the machining head is fixed to the second guide block.Preferably, the first orientation is an orientation in which, when the machining head moves in the first direction, a blade of the insert is oriented in a direction in which the blade is capable of forming the layered formed product in the first direction, the second orientation is an orientation in which, when the machining head moves in the second direction, the blade of the insert is oriented in a direction in which the blade is capable of forming the layered formed product in the second direction, and the second orientation is an orientation achieved by rotating the insert in the first orientation by 90°.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view of a laminate molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a powder layer forming apparatus or the like according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view viewed from an angle different from an angle in FIG. 2, and is an enlarged view specifically showing a machining head; FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 10 is a drawing showing the laminate forming method (lamination step) using the laminate forming apparatus; FIG. 11 is a drawing showing the laminate molding method (reference surface forming step) using the laminate molding apparatus;FIGS. 12A to 12E are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from above a first temporary formed product, FIGS. 12F and 12G are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the front side of the first temporary formed product, and FIG. 12H is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the left side of the first temporary formed product;FIGS. 13A to 13E are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from above the first temporary formed product, FIGS. 13F and 13G are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the back side of the first temporary formed product, and FIG. 13H is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the right side of the first temporary formed product;FIGS. 14A to 14E are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from above the first temporary formed product, FIGS. 14F and 14G are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the left side of the first temporary formed product, and FIG. 14H is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the front side of the first temporary formed product;FIGS. 15A to 15E are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from above the first temporary formed product, FIGS. 15F and 15G are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the right side of the first temporary formed product, and FIG. 15H is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the back side of the first temporary formed product;FIGS. 16A to 16L are schematic views in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from above the first temporary formed product, FIG. 16M is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the front side of the second temporary formed product, FIG. 16N is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the left side of the second temporary formed product, FIG. 16O is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the back side of the second temporary formed product, and FIG. 16P is a schematic view in which the step of forming the reference surface is viewed from the right side of the second temporary formed product; FIG. 17 is a drawing showing the laminate molding method (reference surface forming step) using the laminate molding apparatus;FIGS. 18A to 18C are schematic views showing the forming direction in the step of forming the reference surface, wherein FIG. 18A shows a direction parallel to a forming table; FIG. 18B shows a direction perpendicular to the forming table; and FIG. 18C shows forming along directions parallel to and perpendicular to the forming table.FIGS. 19A, 19B, and 19C are schematic views of a second temporary molded product of another embodiment, viewed from above, from the front side, and from the left side, respectively; andFIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C are schematic views of a second temporary molded product of still another embodiment, viewed from above, from the front side, and from the left side, respectively.DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS1. EmbodimentAn embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various features described below in the embodiment may be combined with each other.1.1 General ConfigurationFIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view of a laminate molding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the laminate molding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 1 and a laser light emitter 13.The chamber 1 covers a required shaping area (R) and is filled with an inert gas having a predetermined concentration. The chamber 1 contains a powder layer forming apparatus 3 having a smoke distributor 17 thereon. The powder layer forming apparatus 3 includes a base 4 and a post-coater head 11.The base 4 has the molding region R in which a layered molded product is formed. A forming table 5 is placed in the forming area R. When the forming table 5 is driven by a forming table driving device 31, it can be moved in the vertical direction represented by the up-down direction (the direction of an arrow U in FIG. 1 ). While the laminate forming apparatus is in operation, a material powder layer 8 is formed on a forming plate 7 disposed on the forming table 5. A predetermined irradiation region is present in the shaping region R and approximately matches a region surrounded by the contour of a desired three-dimensional shaped product.A powder holding wall 26 is disposed around the shaping table 5. In a powder holding space surrounded by the powder holding wall 26 and the forming table 5, a material powder to be sintered is held. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a powder outlet from which the material powder in the powder holding space can be discharged may be provided in a lower portion of the powder holding wall 26. In this case, the material powder still to be sintered is discharged from the powder outlet by lowering the forming table 5 after completion of lamination / forming. The discharged material is guided from a chute guide to a chute and poured through the chute into a bucket.FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the powder layer forming apparatus 3 or the like according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the post-coater head 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The post-coater head 11 includes a material container 11 a, a material inlet 11 band a material outlet 11 c.The material container 11a contains the material powder. The material powder is, for example, a spherical metal powder (e.g., iron powder) having an average particle size of 20 μm. The material inlet 11 bis provided in the upper surface of the material container 11 aand serves as a port through which the material powder supplied from a material supplier (not shown) is filled into the material container 11 a. The material outlet 11 cis provided in the lower surface of the material container 11 a, and the material powder in the material container 11 ais discharged therefrom. The material outlet 11c is a slit (not shown) extending in the direction from a horizontal axis (the direction of an arrow Y) perpendicular to the moving direction of the post-coater head 11 (the direction of an arrow X). As shown in FIG. 2, the post-coater head 11 is configured to be horizontally movable by a pair of post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11 d, 11 d.The post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11 dinclude guide rails 11 eextending in the moving direction of the post-coater head 11 (the direction of the arrow X) and guiding blocks 11 fthat move while engaging the guide rails 11 e. Both ends of the post-coater head 11 are fixed to the pair of guide blocks 11f, 11f, and the post-coater head 11 is guided in a predetermined moving direction (the direction of the arrow Y). The pair of post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11d, 11d are disposed on the base 4 with the forming table 5 interposed therebetween. One or both of the pair of post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11 d, 11 dincludes a rotation motor 11 g, a ball screw shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the rotation motor 11 gand whose rotation axis is disposed parallel to the guide rails 11 e, and a nut (not shown) that is fixed to the positive or reverse rotating ball screw shaft and moves forward or backward in the direction of the rotation axis. The movable nut is mounted on the post-coater head 11 with the guide blocks 11f therebetween.The recoating head 11 has blades 11fb, 11rb disposed on both side surfaces thereof. The blades 11 fb, 11 rbdispersing the material powder. In other words, the blades 11fb, 11rb smooth the material powder discharged from the material powder outlet 11c to form a material powder layer 8.The smoke distributor 17 is disposed on the upper surface of the chamber 1 so as to cover a window 1a. The smoke distributor 17 includes a cylindrical housing 17 aand a cylindrical dispersion member 17 cdisposed in the housing 17 a. An inert gas supply portion 17 dis provided between the housing 17 aand the dispersion member 17 c. The opening 17 bis provided inside the dispersion member 17 cin the lower surface of the housing 17 a. The dispersion member 17 chas many pores (not shown), and a clear inert gas inertly supplied to the gas supply portion 17 dis sufficiently supplied through the pores to a clean chamber 17 f. The clean inert gas sufficiently supplied to the clean chamber 17f is discharged toward below the smoke distributor 17 through the opening 17b. In the present specification, the term "inert gas" refers to a gas that does not substantially react with the material powder, and is, for example, a nitrogen gas, an argon gas, or a helium gas.The laser light emitter 13 is disposed above the chamber 1. The laser light emitter 13 sinters a predetermined region of the material powder layer 8 formed on the forming surface R by irradiating the predetermined region with laser light L. Specifically, the laser light emitter 13 includes a laser source 42, a focus control unit 44, and a laser scanner. The laser scanner of the present embodiment includes two-axis galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 b. The galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 binclude actuators that rotate the galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 b.The laser source 42 emits the laser light L. When used herein, the term "laser light L" refers to a laser capable of sintering a material powder, and is, for example, a CO 2- laser, a fiber laser, or a YAG laser.The focus control unit 44 compresses the laser light L output from the laser source 42 to adjust it to a desired spot diameter. The two-axis galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 bscan the material powder layer 8 two-dimensionally with the laser light L emitted from the laser source 42 while controlling the laser light L. Specifically, the galvanometer mirror 43 ascans the material powder layer 8 with the laser light L in the direction of the arrow X, while the galvanometer mirror 43 bscans the material powder layer 8 with the laser light L in the direction of the arrow Y. The rotation angle about the rotation axis x of the galvanometer mirror 43 aand the rotation angle about the rotation axis y of the galvanometer mirror 43 bare controlled according to the magnitudes of the rotation angle control signals input from a controller (not shown). Thus, by changing the magnitudes of the rotation angle control signals input to the actuators of the galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 b, a desired position can be irradiated with the laser light L.The laser light L passed through the galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 bis passed through the window 1 adisposed on the chamber 1 and applied to the material powder layer 8 formed on the forming surface R. The window 1 ais formed of a material through which the laser light L can pass. For example, when the laser light L is a fiber laser or a YAG laser, the window 1 amay be formed of quartz glass. Note that the use of the galvanometer mirrors 43 a, 43 bis merely illustrative, and scanning with the laser light L may also be performed using other means.1.2 An inert gas supply / discharge system will be described below. The inert gas supply / discharge system includes a plurality of inert gas inlets and a plurality of inert gas outlets provided in the chamber 1, and pipes connecting the inlets and outlets, and an inert gas supplier 15 and a smoke collector 9.The chamber outlet 1 cis provided in a side plate of the chamber 1. A suction device (not shown) is preferably provided so as to be connected to the chamber outlet 1c. The suction device helps efficiently remove smoke from the emission path of the laser light L. The suction device allows a larger amount of smoke to be discharged from the chamber outlet 1 c, thereby making the distribution of smoke in a shaping region 1 dbe less likely.The chamber inlet 1 bis provided over an edge of the base 4 so as to face the chamber outlet 1 cwith a predetermined radiation area therebetween. The inert gas is supplied from the chamber inlet 1b toward the chamber outlet 1c. This is advantageous in that the inert gas always flows in the same direction and enables stable sintering. As shown in FIG. 1, the chamber inlet 1 band the chamber outlet 1 cmay be aligned in the moving direction of the post-coater head 11 (the direction of the arrow X) with the forming table 5 interposed therebetween. Or, the chamber inlet 1b and the chamber outlet 1c may be aligned in the direction of a horizontal axis (the direction of the arrow Y) perpendicular to the moving direction of the post-coater head 11 (the direction of the arrow X) with the forming table 5 interposed therebetween.The inert gas supply / discharge system according to the present embodiment also includes a sub-inlet 1 eprovided in a side plate of the chamber 1 so as to face the chamber outlet 1 cthrough which the smoke is removed, clean inert gas supplied from the smoke collector 19 is supplied to the shaping portion 1 d, a smoke manifold inlet 17 gprovided in an upper surface of the chamber 1 and through which the inert gas is supplied to the smoke manifold 17, and a sub-outlet 1 fprovided above the chamber outlet 1 cand through which the inert gas remaining in an upper portion of the chamber 1 containing a large amount of smoke is discharged.The inert gas supplier 15 and the smoke collector 19 are connected to a system that supplies the inert gas to the chamber 1. The inert gas supplier 15 has an inert gas supply function, and includes, for example, a membrane-type nitrogen separator that extracts a nitrogen gas from ambient air. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the inert gas supplier 15 is connected to the chamber inlet 1 band the smoke manifold inlet 17 g.The smoke collector 19 has duct boxes 21 and 23 on the upstream side and the downstream side thereof, respectively. The inert gas discharged from the chamber 1 through the chamber outlet 1c and the sub-outlet 1f is supplied through the duct box 21 to the smoke collector 19. The smoke collector 19 removes smoke from the inert gas and supplies the resultant clean inert gas through the duct box 23 to the sub-inlet 1e of the chamber 1. This configuration enables reuse of the inert gas.As shown in Fig. 1, the chamber outlet 1c and the sub-outlet 1f are connected to the smoke collector 19 through the duct box 21 and constitute a smoke delivery system. The clean inert gas cleaned of smoke is returned from the smoke collector 19 back to the chamber 1 for reuse.1.3 Molding ApparatusNext, a molding apparatus 50 of the laminate molding apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the molding apparatus 50 includes a machining head 57 provided with a rotating mechanism 60. Mounted on the rotating mechanism 60 is a forming tool bit 61. The machining head 57 of the present embodiment does not include a mechanism that moves the tool bit 61 in the direction of an arrow Z (not shown) parallel to the up-down movement of the forming table 5 (the direction of the arrow U) vertically and perpendicular to the direction of the arrow X and the direction of the arrow Y. This enables a reduction in size, light weight and low price. Note that the machining head 57 need not be configured as described in the present embodiment, and may include a mechanism that vertically moves the tool bit 61.As shown in FIG. 2, the machining head 57 is disposed on a two-axis bridge mechanism (a so-called "gantry mechanism"), and can be moved in the directions of the two horizontal axes. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63 a, 63 aare disposed outside the pair of post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11 d, 11 d. The pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63 a, 63 aallows a second horizontal moving mechanism 63 bto move in the direction of the arrow X. The machining head 57 is disposed on the second horizontal moving mechanism 63b and allowed to move in the direction of the arrow X. Consequently, the machining head 57 is allowed to move in the directions of two horizontal axes (for example, the directions of arrows X and Y). The tool bit 61 mounted on the rotating mechanism 60 is used to form two surfaces of the laminated molded product (the two surfaces corresponding to the first and second reference surfaces in claim 1, and one of the two surfaces is represented by, for example, the direction of the arrow Z and the direction of the arrow X, and the other of the two surfaces is represented by the direction of the arrow Z and the direction of the arrow Y) perpendicular to the molding table and perpendicular to each other, and one surface parallel to the molding table (the surface corresponds to the third reference surface in claim 1, and, for example, the surface is represented by the direction of the arrow X and the direction of the arrow Y). In the present embodiment, the blade of the tool bit 61 has a round shape, but may have any other shape as needed.Each first horizontal moving mechanism 63 aincludes a first guide rail 63 aaextending in the direction of the arrow X in which the gantry 63 cmoves, and a first guide block 63 abmoving while engaging with the first guide rail 63 aa. Both ends of the gantry 63 care fixed to the first guide blocks 63 ab, 63 abof the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63 a, 63 a, and their moving direction is guided by the direction of the arrow X. The pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63a, 63a are disposed outside the guide rails 11e, 11e of the pair of post-coater head horizontal moving mechanisms 11d, 11d on the base 4. One or both of the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63 a, 63 aincludes a rotation motor 63 ac, a ball screw shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the rotation motor 63 acand whose rotation axis is disposed parallel to the first guide rail 63 aa, and a nut (not shown) that is fixed to the positive or reverse rotating ball screw shaft and moves forward or backward in the direction of the rotation axis. The movable nut is mounted on the portal 63c with the first guide block 63ab therebetween.Each second horizontal moving mechanism 63 bincludes a second guide rail 63 baextending in the direction of the arrow Y in which the machining head 57 moves, and a second guide block 63 bbthat moves while engaging the second guide rail 63 ba. The second guide rail 63 bais mounted on the gantry 63 c. The second horizontal movement mechanism 63 balso includes a rotation motor 63 bc, a ball screw shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the rotation motor 63 bcand whose rotation axis is disposed parallel to the second guide rail 63 ba, and a nut (not shown) that is fixed to the positive or reverse rotating ball screw shaft and moves forward or backward in the direction of the rotation axis. The movable nut is mounted on the machining head 57 with the second guide block 63 bbbetween. In the embodiment of the present invention, the first horizontal moving mechanisms 63a move the gantry 63c, the second horizontal moving mechanism 63b and the machining head 57 together in the direction of the arrow X, while the second horizontal moving mechanism 63b moves only the machining head 57 in the direction of the arrow Y. In the embodiment of the present invention, the members for forming the laminated molded product in the direction of the arrow Y are simpler and hence more rigid than the members for forming it in the direction of the arrow X, and hence the laminated molded product is formed in the direction of the arrow Y with higher machining accuracy.The rotating mechanism 60 is capable of changing the orientation of the tool bit 61 by rotating about a rotation axis C in the direction of the arrow Z (not shown) (the direction of a vertical axis) representing the height direction. In the case of a tool such as a face mill, the rotating mechanism 60 must quickly rotate it. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it only needs to change the orientation of the blade of the tool bit 61. More preferably, the rotating mechanism 60 switches the orientation of the blade of the tool bit 61 between a state in which the orientation is along the direction of the arrow X (first orientation) and a state in which the orientation is along the direction of the arrow Y (second orientation). In the first orientation, the layered molded product is molded by moving the processing head 57 in the direction of the arrow X; in the second orientation, it is molded by moving the processing head 57 in the direction of the arrow Y. The schematic view shown in FIG. 5 shows the tool bit 61 in the second orientation; the perspective view in FIGS. 2 and 3 shows an aspect in which the tool bit 61 is in the first orientation. In the present embodiment, the rotating mechanism 60 rotates 90° to switch the orientation of the blade of the tool bit 61 between the first and second orientations. Thus, the tool bit 61 in the first orientation shapes the layered molded product as it moves from the left side to the right, or the tool bit 61 in the second orientation shapes it as it moves from the front side to the back side.A conventional combined machine typically cuts some sintered layers. Note that the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment first molds a laminated molded product (referred to as "first temporary molded product" for convenience) in a laminating step (which is to be discussed in detail in the second section). Then, the laminate molding apparatus molds at least one of two surfaces (the first and second reference surfaces) perpendicular to the molding table 5 and perpendicular to each other of the first temporary molded product and one surface (the third reference surface) parallel to the molding table 5 using the die 61 to thereby produce a second temporary molded product whose at least one reference surface has been molded. Then, cutting (secondary processing) is performed on the second temporarily molded product by a machine different from the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment to produce a desired finally molded product.The laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment has the above configuration and features, and thus is expected to produce the following effects.First, downsizing of the laminate forming apparatuses is expected. For example, a conventional combined machine uses a spindle or the like as a cutting tool, and thus requires a large motor to quickly rotate the spindle or the like and a vertical moving mechanism. In addition, a conventional combined machine needs to use dry cutting as a machining method. Dry cutting does not produce lubricating effects and causes a large friction, and thus a conventional combined machine needs to keep the running accuracy of the main shaft high to suppress the impact of the cutting tool. In addition, a conventional combined machine needs to include a plurality of tools for rough machining or according to the machining shape, and thus it is necessary to include a tool length measuring device or a tool exchanging device. On the other hand, the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment uses the die 61 for molding and thus does not need to rotate rapidly, it goes without saying that it does not need to include a large motor for this purpose. Moreover, the laminate forming apparatus of the present embodiment performs forming alone and thus only needs to adjust the height of the forming table 5, and the processing head 57 does not need to be configured to be vertically movable. Consequently, the machining head 57 and the entire mechanism for driving it can be miniaturized as compared with those of a conventional combined machine. As a result, the chamber 1 and hence the entire apparatus can be reduced by 20 to 40%. In addition, the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment does not need to include a main shaft, and thus an element for moving a main shaft can be vertically produced at low cost.Secondly, the downsized apparatus allows the amount of inert gas supplied to be reduced and also allows the amount of inert gas consumed to be reduced. In addition, this device allows a reduction in the nitrogen fill time, thereby keeping the oxygen concentration lower. In addition, the reduced size chamber 1 enables easier processing of smoke contained therein, thereby making it more likely to improve or stabilize the forming quality.Third, the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment can more easily take a measure to prevent entry of cutting chips into the material powder, as compared with a conventional combined machine. The reason is that the laminate molding apparatus of the present embodiment concentrates only on the cutting of the reference surface after the first temporarily molded product is created, and therefore, unlike a conventional combined machine, does not cause entry of chips generated during the cutting in the middle of the molding. Note that even a combined machine including a main shaft can achieve the third effect when it does not perform cutting in the middle of forming and processes only the reference surface after forming.Fourth, the second temporary molded product is a product whose reference surfaces have been machined. Accordingly, in performing the secondary processing, the second temporary molded product can be reliably positioned using the reference surfaces thereof. Consequently, when the secondary machining is completed, a finally molded product can be created as a precisely finished product. Using this laminate molding apparatus, for example, three-dimensional internal pipes can be freely installed in a mold for injection molding. The internal pipes of a mold are, for example, temperature control pipes for circulating temperature-controlled water to control the temperature of the mold, and is a representative example that can greatly contribute to reduction of molding time. The thickness of the internal leads to the surface of the mold affects the performance of the mold. If the thickness is too small, water leakage occurs or the life of the mold is affected; if the thickness is too large, the cooling performance is affected. Therefore, when a mold is formed using this laminate molding apparatus, a mold is created whose thickness does not vary from the internal lines to the surface of the mold because the second temporary molded product is positioned with stable accuracy when subjected to secondary processing. As a result, sufficient cooling effects are created according to the design. Note that even a combined machine including a main shaft can produce the fourth effect by cutting reference surfaces after forming.2. Laminate Molding MethodNext, a laminate molding method using the above laminate molding apparatus will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 4 to 18. Specifically, FIGS. 4 to 18 are drawings showing the laminate molding method using the laminate molding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that in these drawings, in order to promote visibility, some of the elements shown in FIG. 1 are omitted. The steps of the laminate forming method described below may be performed based on a previously created project file.Step of Laminate MoldingA laminate forming step is characterized in that a first temporary formed product 85 (see FIG. 9 and the like) is formed. First, the height of the forming table 5 on which the forming plate 7 is placed is set to a proper position in the direction of the arrow U (FIG. 4 ). In this state, the post-coater head 11 whose material container 11 ais filled with the material powder is moved from the left side to the right side of the forming region R in the direction of the arrow X. Consequently, a first material powder layer 8 is formed on the forming plate 7.Then, a predetermined region of the material powder layer 8 is sintered by irradiating the predetermined region with laser light L. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 6, a first sintered layer 81 fis obtained which is a partial layer having a predetermined thickness in the vertical direction with respect to the entire laminated molded product (the direction of the arrow Z (not shown) parallel to the direction of the arrow U).Then, the height of the forming table 5 is lowered in the direction of the arrow U by the predetermined thickness (one layer) of a material powder layer 8, and the post-coater head 11 is shifted from the right side to the left side of the forming area R. Consequently, a second material powder layer 8 is formed on the sintered layer 81 f.Then, a predetermined region of the second material powder layer 8 is sintered by irradiating the predetermined region with laser light L. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 7, a second sintered layer 82 fis provided. Similarly, a third sintered layer 83 fis created (FIG. 8 ).By repeating the above steps, fourth and further sintered layers are created, thereby forming a first temporary molded product 85 (FIG. 9 ). The sintered layers adjacent to each other adhere firmly to each other.Step of Forming the Reference SurfaceA subsequent step of forming the reference surface is characterized in that by forming at least parts of some surfaces 85 aof the first temporary-formed product 85, two reference surfaces (the first and second reference surfaces) are formed perpendicular to the forming table 5 and perpendicular to each other and to the reference surface (the third reference surface) parallel to the forming table 5. First, the processing head 57 and the forming table 5 are moved to the respective initial positions with the first temporary formed product 85 placed on the forming plate 7 placed on the forming table 5. Note that the first temporary molded product 85 is located at a position below the height of the die 61 (FIG. 10 ) while the molding table 5 is located at the initial position. Note that, while the machining head 57 is at the initial position, the tool bit 61 is at a position above the height of the first temporary molded product 85, the machining head 57 does not contact the first temporary molded product 85 even when the molding table 5 is raised in the direction of the arrow U, that is, even when the tool bit is lowered relative to the molding table 5 in the direction of the arrow Z.Then, at least parts of some surfaces 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 are molded. This will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 11, 12A to 12H, 13A to 13H, 14A to 14H, 15A to 15H and 16A to 16P. Specifically, FIGS. 12A to 12E, 13A to 13E, 14A to 14E, 15A to 15E, and 16A to 16L are schematic views showing the step of forming the reference surface as viewed from above the first temporary formed product 85, FIGS. 12F to 12H, 13F to 13H, 14F to 14H, 15F to 15H, and 16M to 16P are schematic views, the step of forming the reference surface being seen from the front, the back, or a side of the first temporary formed product 85. The reference surfaces 85 bof the present embodiment are formed on the upper surface of the surfaces 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 and on upper portions of lateral surfaces of the surfaces 85 a.First, a reference surface 85 b(the first reference surface) is formed by forming an upper portion of the front side surface (the lower side surface in FIG. 12A ) of the side surfaces, parallel to the direction of the arrow X, of the first temporary molded product 85. If the tool bit 61 is already aligned in the required direction, the tool bit 61 does not need to be rotated. Then, the forming table 5 is raised from the home position in the direction of the arrow U (FIGS. 10 and 12A ). Consequently, the height of the surface 85 ato be molded of the first temporary molded product 85 is made to be higher than the blade of the insert die 61 by a predetermined distance (FIGS. 11 and 12A ). The predetermined distance may be larger or smaller than the size in the direction of the arrow Z of the desired reference surface 85 b. When the predetermined distance is smaller, the forming table 5 is raised to a predetermined height, and the tool bit 61 performs forming a plurality of times.Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it from the front side to a predetermined position on the rear side (the higher side in FIG. 12B ) along the direction of the arrow Y. Note that the predetermined position is such a position that an upper portion of the front side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 contacts the tool bit 61 when the tool bit 61 is moved in the direction of the arrow X as shown in FIG. 12C.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side. Consequently, here, the ends and the vicinity of the upper portion of the front side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIGS. 12C and 12F ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the rear side to the front side so that its position in the direction of the arrow Y becomes the same as its position in the direction of the arrow Y in the initial position shown in FIG. 12A (FIG. 12D ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the right side to the left side. Consequently, the tool bit 61 is moved again to the initial position shown in FIG. 12A (FIG. 12E ).To increase the reference surface 85 b, for example, the following steps are repeated: the forming table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to a predetermined position on the rear side; and the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side to further form the ends and vicinity of the upper portion of the front side surface of the first temporary formed product 85 (FIGS. 12G, 12H, and 18B ). When the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large recesses and protrusions, for example, the following steps may be repeated: tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to a predetermined position on the rear side that is farther from the front side than the previous position; the position in the direction of the arrow U of the molding table 5 is lowered to the initial position; then the molding table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; and tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side to further shape the ends and vicinity of the upper portion of the front side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 (FIG. 17C ).Then, a reference surface 85 b(the first reference surface) is formed by forming an upper portion of the back surface (the upper side in FIG. 13A ) of the side surfaces, parallel to the direction of the arrow X, of the first temporary molded product 85. If the tool bit 61 is already aligned in the required direction, the tool bit 61 does not need to be rotated. The machining head 57 and the shaping table 5 are moved to the respective home positions. The initial positions can be changed in the vicinity of the reference surface 85 bto be formed (FIG. 13A ). Then, the forming table 5 is raised from the home position in the direction of the arrow U. Consequently, the height of the surface 85 ato be molded of the first temporary molded product 85 is made higher than the end of the insert die 61 by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it along the direction of the arrow Y from the rear side to a predetermined position on the front side (the lower side in FIG. 13B ). The predetermined position is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side. Consequently, the ends and the vicinity of the upper portion of the rear side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIGS. 13C and 13F ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to the rear side so that its position in the direction of the arrow Y becomes the same as its position in the direction of the arrow Y in the initial position shown in FIG. 13A (FIG. 13D ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the right side to the left side. Consequently, the tool bit 61 is moved again to the initial position shown in FIG. 13A (FIG. 13E ).To increase the reference surface 85 b, for example, the following steps are repeated: the forming table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the rear side to a predetermined position on the front side; and the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side to further form the ends and vicinity of the upper portion of the rear side surface of the first temporary formed product 85 (FIGS. 13G, 13H, and 18B ). When the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large recesses and protrusions, the above steps may be repeated except that the front side and the back side are mutually replaced. Note that the tool bit 61 can shape the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 by using, as the initial position, a position located on the right side in the direction of the arrow X and on the rear side in the direction of the arrow Y - previously rotated so that the blade is oriented in a direction in which the blade can perform molding when the tool bit 61 moves from the right side to the left side along the direction of the arrow X and moving from the right side to the left side along the direction of the arrow X.Then, a reference surface 85 b(the second reference surface) is formed by forming an upper portion of the left side surface (the left side in FIG. 14A ) of the side surfaces, parallel to the direction of the arrow Y, of the first temporary molded product 85. Previously, the tool bit 61 is rotated so that the blade is directed in a direction in which the blade can perform molding when the tool bit 61 moves from the back side to the front side along the direction of the arrow Y. If the tool bit 61 is already aligned in the required direction, the tool bit 61 does not need to be rotated. The machining head 57 and the shaping table 5 are moved to the respective home positions. The initial positions can be changed in the vicinity of the reference surface 85 bto be formed. Then, the forming table 5 is raised from the home position in the direction of the arrow U. Consequently, the height of the surface 85 ato be formed is made higher than the end of the insert 61 by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to a predetermined position on the right side (the right side in FIG. 14B ). The predetermined position is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side. Consequently, the ends and the vicinity of the upper portion of the left side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIGS. 14C and 14F ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the right side to the left side so that its position in the direction of the arrow X becomes the same as its position in the direction of the arrow X in the initial position shown in FIG. 14A (FIG. 14D ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to the rear side. Consequently, the tool bit 61 is moved again to the initial position shown in FIG. 14A (FIG. 14E ).To increase the reference surface 85 b, for example, the following steps are repeated: the forming table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to a predetermined position on the right side; and the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side to further form the ends and vicinity of the upper portion of the left side surface of the first temporary formed product 85 (FIGS. 14G, 14H, and 18B ). When the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large depressions and protrusions, for example, the following steps may be repeated: the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to a predetermined position on the right side, which is farther from the left side than the previous position; the position in the direction of the arrow U of the molding table 5 is lowered to the initial position; then the molding table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to a predetermined position on the right side, which is farther from the left side than the previous position; and then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the rear side to the front side to further shape the ends and the vicinity of the upper portion of the left side side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 (FIG. 17C ).Then, a reference surface 85 b(the second reference surface) is formed by forming an upper portion of the right side surface (the right side in FIG. 15A ) of the side surfaces, parallel to the direction of the arrow Y, of the first temporary molded product 85. Previously, the tool bit 61 is rotated so that the blade is directed in a direction in which the blade can perform molding when the tool bit 61 moves from the back side to the front side along the direction of the arrow Y. If the tool bit 61 is already aligned in the required direction, the tool bit 61 does not need to be rotated. The machining head 57 and the shaping table 5 are moved to the respective home positions. The initial positions can be changed in the vicinity of the reference surface 85 bto be formed. Then, the forming table 5 is raised from the home position in the direction of the arrow U. Consequently, the height of the surface 85 ato be molded of the first temporary molded product 85 is made higher than the end of the insert die 61 by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it along the direction of the arrow X from the right side to a predetermined position on the left side (the left side in FIG. 15B ). The predetermined position is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side. Consequently, the ends and the vicinity of the upper portion of the right side surface of the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIGS. 15C and 15F ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side so that its position in the direction of the arrow X becomes the same as its position in the direction of the arrow X in the initial position shown in FIG. 15A (FIG. 15D ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to the rear side, thus the tool bit 61 is moved again to the initial position shown in FIG. 15A (FIG. 15E ).To increase the reference surface 85 b, for example, the following steps are repeated: the forming table 5 is raised again by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow U; the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the right side to a predetermined position on the left side; and the die 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side to further form the ends and vicinity of the upper portion of the left side surface of the first temporary formed product 85 (FIGS. 15G, 15H, and 18B ). When the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large recesses and protrusions, the above steps may be repeated except that the left side and the right side are mutually replaced. Note that the tool bit 61 can form the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 by using, as the initial position, a position located on the right side in the direction of the arrow X and on the front side in the direction of the arrow Y - previously rotated so that the blade is oriented in a direction in which the blade can perform molding when the tool bit 61 moves from the front side to the rear side along the direction of the arrow Y, and moving from the front side to the rear side along the direction of the arrow Y.Then, a reference surface 85 b(the third reference surface) is formed by molding the upper surface of the first temporary molded product 85. First, the tool bit 61 is previously rotated so that the blade is oriented in a direction in which the blade can perform forming when the tool bit 61 moves from the back side to the front side along the direction of the arrow Y. If the tool bit 61 is already aligned in the required direction, the tool bit 61 does not need to be rotated. The machining head 57 and the shaping table 5 are moved to the respective home positions. The initial positions can be changed in the vicinity of the reference surface 85 bto be formed. Then, the forming table 5 is raised from the home position in the direction of the arrow U (FIG. 16A). Consequently, the height of the surface 85 ato be molded of the first temporary molded product 85 is made higher than the end of the insert die 61 by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is as described above.Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it along the direction of the arrow X from the right side (the right side in FIG. 16A ) to the left side (the left side in FIG. 16B ). Note that this position is such a position that the right end and the vicinity of the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 and the tool bit 61 contact each other when the tool bit 61 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y until a state as shown in FIG. 16C is reached.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side. Consequently, the left end and the vicinity of the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIG. 16C ). The surface thus formed serves as a reference surface 85 b(at this time, only the left end and the vicinity).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side so that its position in the direction of the arrow X becomes the same as its position in the direction of the arrow X in the initial position shown in FIG. 16A (FIG. 16D ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the front side to the rear side. Consequently, the tool bit 61 is moved again to the initial position shown in FIG. 16A (FIG. 16E ).Then, the tool bit 61 is positioned by moving it from the right side to the left side along the direction of the arrow X (FIG. 16F ). Note that this position is such a position that the front end and the vicinity of the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 and the tool bit 61 contact each other when the tool bit 61 is moved until a state as shown in FIG. 16G is reached.Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow Y from the back side to the front side. Consequently, the right end (the boundary between the surface 85 aand the reference surface 85 bof the first temporary molded product 85) and the vicinity of the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 are molded (FIG. 16G ).Then, the tool bit 61 is moved along the direction of the arrow X from the left side to the right side so that its position in the direction of the arrow X becomes the same as its position in FIG. 16A or 16E (FIG. 16H ).By repeating steps similar to those shown in Fig. 18A, the upper surface of the first temporary molded product 85 is finally molded into a reference surface 85b as shown in Figs. 16I to 16L. As a result, a second temporarily molded product 86 is created (FIGS. 16M to 16P and 17).When the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large recesses and protrusions, the molding table 5 may be raised in the direction of the arrow U by a predetermined distance, for example, and then the upper surface of the first temporary molded product 85 may be repeatedly molded in a similar manner (FIG. 18C ).For example, when the above-described method is applied, the die 61 may be not returned to the initial position For example, a method including temporarily lowering the forming table 5 to a position where the first temporarily formed product 85 is lower than the die 61 in the direction of the arrow U, then moving the die 61 to a predetermined position where the first temporarily formed product and the die 61 do not contact each other even when the forming table 5 is raised again in the direction of the arrow U, and returning the forming table 5 to the height (the height shown in FIG. 11 ) at which the die 61 can perform forming again. Note that the tool bit 61 can form the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 by using, as the initial position, a position located on the right side in the direction of the arrow X and on the front side in the direction of the arrow Y - previously rotated so that the blade is oriented in a direction in which the blade can perform molding when the tool bit 61 moves from the front side to the rear side along the direction of the arrow Y, and moving from the front side to the rear side along the direction of the arrow Y.As shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C, at least one reference surface 85 bmay be formed on at least one protrusion in the first temporary molded product 85, if necessary. Further, as shown in FIGS. 20A to 20C, at least one reference surface 85 bmay be formed on the upper surface or the side surface of the forming plate 7, if necessary. In addition, at least one reference surface 85 bmay be formed on at least one protrusion exclusively formed to form a reference surface 85 bon the forming plate 7, if necessary.Secondary Processing StepFinally, a secondary processing step is performed by a device different from the laminate forming device of the present embodiment. That is, the second temporary molded product 86 is cut to obtain a desired layered molded product. In the secondary processing step, any type of device may be used. While a conventional combined machine is required to perform dry machining in which cutting oil or cooling water is not used, a cutting device different from the laminate forming device and employing, for example, wet machining may be used in the secondary machining step.When the second temporary molded product 86 is attached to the apparatus used in the secondary machining step, its reference surfaces 85 bmay be used to position the second temporary molded product 86. For example, the apparatus used in the secondary machining step is a cutting apparatus including: a main shaft rotating around an R shaft in the vertical direction; a machining head vertically moving the main shaft in a Z direction parallel to the main shaft; and a machining table moving in X and Y directions perpendicular to the Z direction and perpendicular to each other.The second temporary molded product 86 is fixed on the processing table. A dial indicator is mounted on the machining head. The dial gauge moves in the same direction as the machining head. The second temporary molded product 86 is moved together with the processing table in the X direction with the dial gauge in contact with the reference surface 85 bparallel to the direction of the arrow X of the second temporary molded product 86. At this time, the position at which the second temporary molded product 86 is mounted on the processing table is adjusted until the amount of change in the value indicated by the dial gauge falls within a predetermined range. Similarly, the second temporary molded product 86 is moved together with the processing table in the Y direction with the dial gauge in contact with the reference surface 85 bparallel to the direction of the arrow Y of the second temporary molded product 86. At this time, the position at which the second temporary molded product 86 is mounted on the processing table is adjusted until the amount of change in the value indicated by the dial gauge falls within a predetermined range. In addition, the second temporary molded product 86 is moved together with the processing table in the X and Y directions with the dial gauge in contact with the reference surface 85 bformed on the upper surface of the second temporary molded product 86. At this time, the position at which the second temporary molded product 86 is fixed on the processing table is adjusted, for example, by interposing a shim therebetween until the amount of change in the value indicated by the dial gauge falls within predetermined ranges in the X and Y directions.In addition, the cutting device recognizes the coordinate values of the second temporary shaped product 86 on the machining table, for example, by using a reference ball mounted on the main shaft, and performs correction so that the coordinate system of the cutting device and the coordinate system of the second temporary shaped product 86 match each other.For example, in the case of the second temporary shaped product shown in FIGS. 16M to 16P, the cutting device typically recognizes X coordinates corresponding to the same Y coordinate and the same Z coordinate of the left and right two reference surfaces 85 b(the second reference surface) of the second temporary shaped product 86 using the reference ball mounted on the main shaft, and calculates an X intermediate coordinate between the X coordinates. Then, the cutting device recognizes Y coordinates corresponding to the same X coordinate and the same Z coordinate of the front and rear two reference surfaces 85 b(the first reference surface) of the second temporary shaped product 86 and calculates an intermediate Y coordinate between the Y coordinates. Then, the cutting device recognizes the Z coordinate of a predetermined position of the machining table and a Z coordinate corresponding to a predetermined X coordinate and a predetermined Y coordinate of the reference surface 85 b(the third reference surface) of the upper surface of the second temporary shaped product 86, calculates a Z intermediate coordinate between the Z coordinates, and recognizes the center coordinates of the second temporary shaped product 86.Also in the case of the second temporary shaped product 86 shown in FIGS. 16M to 16P, the cutting apparatus typically recognizes two Y coordinates corresponding to different two X coordinates and the same Z coordinate of the front and rear two reference surfaces 85 b(the first reference surface) of the second temporary shaped product 86. Then, the cutting device recognizes two X coordinates corresponding to different two Y coordinates and the same Z coordinate of the left or right two reference surfaces 85 b(the second reference surface) of the second temporary shaped product 86, and recognizes the displacement in the rotational direction in an XY plane.Also in the case of the second temporary shaped product 86 shown in FIGS. 16M to 16P, the cutting device typically recognizes two Z coordinates corresponding to different two X coordinates and the same Y coordinate of the reference surface 85 b(the third reference surface) of the upper surface of the second temporary shaped product 86, and recognizes the inclination in the X direction. Also in the case of the second temporary shaped product 86 shown in FIGS. 16M to 16P, the cutting device typically recognizes two Z coordinates corresponding to different two Y coordinates and the same X coordinate of the reference surface 85 b(the third reference surface) of the upper surface of the second temporary shaped product 86, and recognizes the inclination in the Y direction.Consequently, the processing can be easily and accurately performed even when the other machine performs secondary processing on the laminated molded product.For example, as described above, one reference surface 85 b(the third reference surface) may be formed as a surface parallel to the forming table 5, or a plurality of reference surfaces 85 b(the first and second reference surfaces) may be formed as surfaces parallel to the forming table 5. Not only a surface parallel to the forming table 5 (FIG. 18A ) but also a surface perpendicular thereto (FIG. 18B ) may be formed. Even if the surface 85 aof the first temporary molded product 85 has large recesses and protrusions, a reference surface 85 b(the first to third reference surfaces) may be formed at a deep position from the surface 85 aby combining the above types of shapes (FIG. 18C ). Depending on the type of the tool bit 61 used for the forming, the rotating mechanism 60 of the machining head 57 may also be configured to be capable of performing forming in a forward movement, then rotating the tool bit 61 by 180°, and performing forming also in a backward movement, that is, the tool bit 61 may be alternately rotated by 180° in a forward movement and a backward movement. Note that the rotating mechanism 60, first horizontal moving mechanisms, and / or the second horizontal moving mechanism may be rotated simultaneously or at a required timing, if necessary, to form a reference surface 85 b(the first to third reference surfaces), if necessary, without being limited to the procedure described in the embodiment. Forward movement Rearward movement3. Final Conclusion:While the embodiment of the present invention and the modifications thereof have been described, these are merely illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The novel embodiment may be implemented in various aspects, and various omissions, substitutions or changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiment and variations thereof are included within the scope and spirit of the invention as they are also included within the scope of the invention and equivalents thereof described in claims.

Claims

A laminate molding apparatus for forming a laminated molded product (85) yet to be processed into a shape of a desired final product by another machine, the laminate molding apparatus comprising: a molding table (5) movable in a direction of a vertical axis; a powder layer forming apparatus (3) configured to form a material powder layer (8) of a predetermined thickness on the molding table (5), the material powder layer (8) corresponding to each of the partial layers obtained by dividing a shape of the laminated molded product (85) by the predetermined thickness; a laser light emitter (13) configured to irradiate a predetermined portion of the material powder layer (8) with laser light (L) to form a sintered layer (81f, 82f, 83f); a pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a); a gantry (63c) disposed on the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a); a second horizontal movement mechanism (63b) mounted on the gantry (63c); and a machining head (57) disposed on the second horizontal movement mechanism (63b), wherein the machining table (5) is disposed between the pair of first horizontal movement mechanisms (63a, 63a), the second horizontal movement mechanism (63b) is disposed above the machining table (5), the machining head (57) includes a blade-having tool bit (61) and a rotating mechanism (60) on which the tool bit (61) is mounted, the rotating mechanism (60) being configured to:, the orientation of the blade of the tool bit (61) is configured to switch between first and second orientations by rotating about a vertical axis of rotation (C), the tool bit (61) is configured to form first, second and third reference surfaces (85b) with respect to the layered formed product (85), the first and second reference surfaces (85b) are perpendicular to the forming table (5) and perpendicular to each other, and the third reference surface (85b) is parallel to the forming table, the first to third reference surfaces (85b) are reference surfaces used for positioning when the other machine processes the layered formed product (85), and the processing head (57) is configured to:, the die (61) and the rotating mechanism (60) are configured to move the blade of the die (61) in the directions of two horizontal axes parallel to the forming table (5) by the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms (63a, 63a) and the second horizontal moving mechanism (63b), the rotating mechanism (60) is configured to align the blade of the die (61) in a direction in which the blade blade can perform forming by rotating about the vertical rotation axis (C) before the die (61) for forming the layered formed product (85) is moved toward one of the horizontal axes, and not to align the die (61) by rotating about the vertical rotation axis (C) while the die (61) for forming the layered formed product (85) is moved toward one of the horizontal axes.The laminate molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portal (63c) is disposed on the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms (63a, 63a) to be movable in a first direction (X), the processing head (57) is disposed on the second horizontal moving mechanism (63b) to be movable in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X), and the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y) are horizontal directions.The laminate molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machining head (57) is configured to rotate the tool bit (61) such that the tool bit (61) is placed in a first state or a second state, and the second state is a state achieved by rotating the tool bit (61) in the first state by 90°.The laminate molding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a base (4); and a chamber (1) covering the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms 63a, 63a), the gantry (63c), the second horizontal moving mechanism (63b), the machining head (57), and the tool bit (61) on the base (4), wherein each of the first horizontal moving mechanisms (63a, 63a) comprises a first guide rail (63aa, 63aa) extending in the first direction (X) and a first guide block (63ab, 63ab) moving in the first direction (X) while engaging with the first guide rail (63aa, 63aa), the second horizontal moving mechanism (63b) comprises a second guide rail (63ba), which extends in the second direction (Y) and comprises a second guide block (63bb) which moves while engaging the second guide rail (63ba), the first guide rail (63aa, 63aa) is fixed on the base (4), the gantry (63c) is fixed at one end to the first guide block (63ab, 63ab) of one of the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms (61a, 63a) and is fixed at the other end to the first guide block (63ab, 63ab) of the other of the pair of first horizontal moving mechanisms (63a, 63a), and the second guide rail (63ba) is fixed to the gantry (63c), and the machining head (57) is fixed to the second guide block (63bb).The laminate molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first orientation is an orientation in which, when the machining head (57) moves in the first direction (X), the blade of the insert die (61) is oriented in a direction in which the blade is capable of molding the layered molded product in the first direction (X), the second orientation is an orientation in which, when the machining head (57) moves in the second direction (Y), the blade of the insert die is oriented in a direction in which the blade is capable of molding the layered molded product in the second direction (Y), the second orientation is an orientation achieved by rotating the insert die (61) in the first orientation by 90°.

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