Information processing device and 3D additive manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that allows a user to check melting conditions.SOLUTION: A PC 54 includes: an irradiation point output unit 63 that outputs an irradiation point of a modeling beam read from a modeling file to a display unit 70; a position specification unit 64 that specifies a position of the irradiation point specified by an input unit 60; and a melting condition output unit 65 that retrieves a melting condition of the irradiation point at the specified position from a modeling file and then outputs the retrieved melting condition to the display unit 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, 3D additive manufacturing technology, which creates shapes by stacking thin layers of powdered metal material one by one, has been attracting attention, and many different 3D additive manufacturing technologies have been developed with different powder materials and modeling methods.

[0003] In the modeling method of conventional 3D additive manufacturing devices, for example, powder material is spread layer by layer on a base plate installed on the top surface of the stage. Next, only the two-dimensional structure part of the powder material spread on the base plate, which corresponds to one cross section of the model, is melted by a heating mechanism consisting of an electron beam or laser. Then, the layers of such powder material are stacked one by one in the height direction (Z direction) to form the model.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a detection unit is provided to detect reflected electrons generated when an electron beam is irradiated onto a powder material, and the state of the object is determined based on the information detected by this detection unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-42410 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In powder bed electron beam 3D additive manufacturing, it is important to properly set the melting conditions for melting the metal powder, such as the emission current value, scan speed, etc. If the melting conditions are not proper, there may be insufficient or excessive melting, resulting in a defective product with poor strength and durability.

[0007] Checking the melt conditions is useful for users to identify the cause of defects in products, but conventional 3D additive manufacturing devices do not show how the melt conditions change, making it impossible for users to check the melt conditions.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to enable a user to check melt conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objects, an information processing device reflecting one aspect of the present invention includes an irradiation point output unit that outputs the irradiation point of the modeling beam read out from the modeling file to a display unit, a position identification unit that identifies the position of the irradiation point specified by the input unit, and a melt condition output unit that searches the modeling file for the melt conditions of the irradiation point at the identified position and outputs the searched melt conditions to the display unit. The above-described information processing device is one aspect of the present invention, and a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device reflecting one aspect of the present invention is configured in the same manner as the above-described information processing device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it becomes easier for the user to check the melt conditions. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control block of a PC according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are diagrams showing an example of a printing region display screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of an area enlargement screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a correction condition change screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a model-forming file creating process in the model-forming control software according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control block of a PC according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a melt condition search screen (melt condition type change) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a melt condition search screen (addition of search condition) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a melt condition search screen (search next) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a printing area display screen (search next) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a melt condition search screen (search range designation) according to the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus and a control method for a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 7. Note that common members in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0013] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Configuration of 3D additive manufacturing equipment First, a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "this example") will be described with reference to FIG.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of this example. In the following description, in order to clarify the shapes and positional relationships of each part of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus, the left-right direction in Fig. 1 is defined as the X direction, the depth direction in Fig. 1 is defined as the Y direction, and the up-down direction in Fig. 1 is defined as the Z direction. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are mutually orthogonal. Moreover, the X direction and Y direction are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0015] The 3D additive manufacturing device 1 shown in Figure 1 is a device that irradiates powder material 32, which is made of metal powder such as titanium, aluminum, iron, etc., with an electron beam 15 (an example of a manufacturing beam) to melt the powder material 32, and then stacks layers of the solidified powder material 32 to form a three-dimensional object.

[0016] 1, the 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a vacuum chamber 3, a beam irradiation device 2, a powder supplying device 16, a modeling table 18, a modeling box 20, and a collection box 21. The 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes a modeling plate 22, an inner base 24, a plate moving device 26, a radiation shield cover 28, a mask cover 30, a camera 42, and a shutter 44. The 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes a plurality of detection units 46 that detect reflected electrons.

[0017] The vacuum chamber 3 is a chamber for creating a vacuum state by exhausting the air inside the chamber with a vacuum pump (not shown). A vacuum is maintained inside the vacuum chamber 3. The beam irradiation device 2 is also installed in the vacuum chamber 3.

[0018] The beam irradiation device 2 is a device that irradiates the electron beam 15 onto the shaping plate 22 or the shaping surface 32a of the powder layer formed by the powder material 32, and includes an electron gun (an example of a beam irradiation unit) and an electron optical system. The shaping surface 32a corresponds to the upper surface of the powder layer. The state of the powder layer changes as the 3D additive manufacturing process progresses. Although not shown in the figure, the beam irradiation device 2 has, as its electron optical system, an electron gun that is the source of the electron beam 15, a focusing lens that focuses the electron beam 15 generated by the electron gun, and a deflection lens that deflects the electron beam 15 focused by the focusing lens.

[0019] The focusing lens is configured using a focusing coil, and focuses the electron beam 15 by a magnetic field generated by the focusing coil. The deflection lens is configured using a deflection coil, and deflects the electron beam 15 by a magnetic field generated by the deflection coil. For this reason, the electron optical system scans the electron beam 15 according to melting conditions for melting the powder material, and the top layer of the powder material (an example of a powder bed) spread on the modeling plate 22 is melted by the electron beam 15.

[0020] The powder supplying device 16 (an example of a powder supply system) supplies powder material 32, which is an example of a powder material that is a raw material for the molded object 38, onto the molding table 18, and spreads the powder material 32 on the molding plate 22 to form a powder layer. The powder supplying device 16 has a hopper 16a, a powder dropper 16b, and a squeegee 16c.

[0021] The hopper 16a is a container for storing metal powder. The powder dropper 16b is a device that drops the powder material 32 stored in the hopper 16a onto the modeling table 18. The squeegee 16c is a long member that is long in the Y direction and has a blade 16d for spreading the powder. The squeegee 16c spreads the powder material 32 dropped by the powder dropper 16b onto the modeling table 18 and the modeling plate 22. The squeegee 16c is provided so as to be movable in the X direction in order to spread the powder material 32 over the entire surface of the modeling table 18.

[0022] The modeling table 18 is arranged horizontally inside the vacuum chamber 3. The modeling table 18 is arranged below the powder supplying device 16. The center of the modeling table 18 is open. The shape of the opening of the modeling table 18 is circular or angular (for example, rectangular) when viewed from above.

[0023] The modeling box 20 forms a space for modeling. The modeling box 20, which has a circular or angular cross section, is provided inside the vacuum chamber 3. The upper end of the modeling box 20 is connected to the edge of the opening of the modeling table 18. The lower end of the modeling box 20 is connected to the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber 3.

[0024] The recovery box 21 recovers the powder material 32 that has been supplied onto the modeling table 18 by the powder supplying device 16 in an amount greater than necessary.

[0025] The shaping plate 22 forms a shaped object 38 using the powder material 32. The shaped object 38 is formed by being stacked on the shaping plate 22. The shaping plate 22 is formed to have a circular or angular shape in plan view in accordance with the shape of the opening of the shaping table 18. To prevent the modeling plate 22 from being electrically floating, the modeling plate 22 is connected (grounded) to the inner base 24 by a ground wire 34. The inner base 24 is held at a GND (ground) potential.

[0026] When each layer of the model 38 is being modeled, a powder bed is formed on the modeling plate 22 and the inner base 24. The powder bed is formed by spreading the powder material 32 up to a position several mm higher than the modeling table 18 installed on the modeling box 20. This powder bed is formed by the powder supplying device 16 filled with the powder material 32 and the squeegee 16c.

[0027] The inner base 24 is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction (Z direction). The shaping plate 22 moves vertically together with the inner base 24. The inner base 24 has larger outer dimensions than the shaping plate 22. The inner base 24 slides vertically along the inner surface of the shaping box 20. A sealing member 36 is attached to the outer periphery of the inner base 24. The sealing member 36 is a member that maintains slidability and airtightness between the outer periphery of the inner base 24 and the inner surface of the shaping box 20. The sealing member 36 is made of a material having heat resistance and elasticity. The powder material 32 is spread on the inner base 24, and the molding plate 22 on which the molded object 38 is molded is disposed.

[0028] The plate moving device 26 moves the shaping plate 22 and the inner base 24 in the up-down direction. The plate moving device 26 is provided on the inside lower side of the shaping box 20. The plate moving device 26 includes a shaft 26a and a drive mechanism unit 26b. The shaft 26a is connected to the lower surface of the inner base 24. The drive mechanism unit 26b includes a motor and a power transmission mechanism (not shown), and moves the shaping plate 22 and the inner base 24 in the up-down direction together with the shaft 26a by driving the power transmission mechanism driven by the motor. The power transmission mechanism is composed of, for example, a rack-and-pinion mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, etc.

[0029] The radiation shield cover 28 is disposed between the manufacturing plate 22 and the beam irradiation device 2 in the Z direction. The radiation shield cover 28 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The radiation shield cover 28 shields against radiant heat generated when the powder material 32 is irradiated with the electron beam 15 by the beam irradiation device 2.

[0030] The electron beam 15 is irradiated onto the powder material 32, melting the powder material 32. At this time, if the radiant heat emitted from the molding surface 32a of the powder layer is widely diffused within the vacuum chamber 3, the thermal efficiency will deteriorate. In contrast, when the radiation shield cover 28 is disposed above the modeling plate 22, the heat radiated from the modeling surface 32a is shielded by the radiation shield cover 28, and the shielded heat is reflected by the radiation shield cover 28 and returned to the modeling plate 22. Therefore, the heat generated by the irradiation of the electron beam 15 can be efficiently utilized.

[0031] In addition, the radiation shield cover 28 has a function of preventing evaporated substances generated when the powder material 32 is irradiated with the electron beam 15 from adhering (depositing) onto the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 3. The deposition substances here include metal vapor and metal sputtering by fireworks, etc. That is, when the powder material 32 is irradiated with the electron beam 15, a part of the molten metal becomes a mist of evaporated material and rises from the manufacturing surface 32a. The radiation shield cover 28 is disposed so as to cover the space above the manufacturing surface 32a to prevent the evaporated material from diffusing into the vacuum chamber 3.

[0032] The molded object 38 is constructed by two-dimensionally melting one layer of the powder material 32 present in the region of the molded object 38 by the electron beam 15 from the beam irradiation device 2 and overlapping the melted layers. The region of the powder material 32 spread on the molding plate 22 other than the molded object 38 is a pre-sintered body 35 obtained by pre-sintering the powder material 32, and has conductivity due to the electron beam 15 irradiated from the beam irradiation device 2.

[0033] A mask cover 30 is attached below the radiation shield cover 28. The mask cover 30 has an opening 30a and a mask portion 30b. When forming a model 38, the mask cover 30 is placed to cover the upper surface of the powder material 32, i.e., the modeling surface 32a. At this time, the openings 30a expose the powder material 32 spread over the shaping plate 22. The masking portions 30b are made of a conductive material that shields the powder material 32 in the unsintered regions located outside the openings 30a. The masking portions 30b are preferably made of the same type of metal material as the powder material.

[0034] The shape of the opening 30a is formed to match the shape of the shaping plate 22. For example, if the shaping plate 22 is circular in plan view, the shape of the opening 30a in plan view is accordingly formed to be circular, and if the shaping plate 22 is angular in plan view, the shape of the opening 30a in plan view is accordingly formed to be angular.

[0035] The mask cover 30 is disposed below the radiation shield cover 28. The opening 30a and mask portion 30b of the mask cover 30 are disposed between the shaping plate 22 and the radiation shield cover 28 in the Z direction. The mask cover 30 has an enclosure portion 30c. The enclosure portion 30c is disposed so as to surround the space above the opening 30a. A portion (upper portion) of the enclosure portion 30c overlaps with the radiation shield cover 28 in the Z direction.

[0036] The surrounding portion 30c has a function of shielding radiant heat generated from the printing surface 32a and a function of suppressing the diffusion of evaporated material generated from the printing surface 32a. In other words, the surrounding portion 30c has the same function as the radiation shield cover 28. Although not shown, the mask cover 30 is provided with a vertical drive mechanism so that it can rise during squeegeeing so as not to interfere with the squeegee 16c.

[0037] The mask cover 30 is made of a metal having a higher melting point than the powder material 32 used as the raw material of the molded object 38. The mask cover 30 is made of a material having low reactivity with the powder material 32. Titanium can be given as an example of a material for the mask cover 30. The mask cover 30 may be made of the same metal material as the powder material 32 used. Although not shown, the mask cover 30 is electrically grounded to GND. The mask cover 30 has an electrical shielding function to reduce powder scattering when the powder material 32 is pre-sintered by irradiation with the electron beam 15 in a pre-heating step before the main sintering step described later.

[0038] A camera 42 that photographs the state of the printing surface and a shutter 44 that prevents deposition onto the camera 42 as much as possible are attached to the upper surface of the radiation shield cover 28. The camera 42 is capable of photographing the printing surface 32a of the powder layer. The camera 42 is positioned offset from the beam irradiation device 2 in the Y direction so as not to interfere with the position of the beam irradiation device 2. The camera 42 is preferably configured by a visible light camera such as a digital video camera. The camera 42 captures the modeling surface 32a of the powder layer to generate an image (image data) of the powder layer. Therefore, the image generated by the camera 42 is an image showing the state of the modeling surface 32a of the powder layer. Note that the image is captured by the camera 42 in a state where illumination light emitted by an illumination light source (not shown) included in the 3D additive manufacturing device 1 is irradiated on the modeling surface 32a of the powder layer.

[0039] The shutter 44 protects the camera 42 and the observation window so that evaporated substances generated from the forming surface 32a do not adhere to the camera 42 or the observation window when the powder material 32 is melted by irradiation with the electron beam 15. The camera 42 photographs the forming surface 32a with the shutter 44 open. The camera 42 basically continues to photograph, and the shutter 44 is closed only during the melting process. Also, in a process in which evaporated substances are likely to be generated or a process in which a large amount of evaporated substances are generated, i.e., in a process in which the powder material 32 is melted by the electron beam 15, the camera 42 photographs with the shutter 44 closed.

[0040] A plurality of detectors 46 for detecting reflected electrons are disposed below the beam irradiation device 2 . Specifically, the detection unit 46 is disposed between the beam irradiation device 2 and the printing surface 32 a of the object 38 formed on the printing plate 22 .

[0041] In recent years, for the purpose of quality control of the model 38, a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 has been provided that is equipped with a function for monitoring the surface of the model 38. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system of the 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 includes the above-mentioned detection unit 46. Furthermore, in Fig. 2, hardware and software parts for modeling control, which are outside the configuration of the 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1, are added.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a polarization amplifier control circuit 51 which is an electron beam control unit, an ADC (analog-to-digital conversion circuit) 52, a preamplifier 53, a PC (Personal Computer) 54 which is an example of a control unit, and a BSE monitor 55.

[0043] The polarization amplifier control circuit 51 is connected to the beam irradiation device 2 and the PC 54. The polarization amplifier control circuit 51 controls the beam irradiation device 2 based on the set beam scanning information. As a result, the beam irradiation device 2 irradiates a predetermined position with the electron beam 15. The polarization amplifier control circuit 51 also transmits beam irradiation position information indicating the irradiation position of the electron beam 15 to the PC 54.

[0044] The preamplifier 53 is connected to the detection unit 46 and the ADC 52. The preamplifier 53 converts the reflected electron current detected by the detection unit 46 from a current signal to a voltage signal. The voltage signal converted by the preamplifier 53 is transmitted to the ADC 52. The ADC 52 converts the reflected electron signal, which has become a voltage signal, from an analog signal to a digital signal and transmits it to the PC 54.

[0045] The PC 54 is an example of an information processing device, and includes a central processing unit (CPU) 54a, a read only memory (ROM) 54b, a random access memory (RAM) 54c, and a recording device 54d.

[0046] The CPU 54a reads out the program code of the software for realizing each function according to the present embodiment from the ROM 54b, loads it into the RAM 54c, and executes it. Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the calculation process of the CPU 54a are temporarily written to the RAM 54c, and these variables, parameters, etc. are read out by the CPU 54a as appropriate.

[0047] The image processing unit, which is one function of the CPU 54a, captures an image generated by the camera 42 and performs a predetermined image processing on the captured image. Then, the PC 54 outputs the camera image that has been subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit to the BSE monitor 55. In addition, a modeling control software program (hereinafter abbreviated as "modeling control software") that the CPU 54a reads out from the ROM 54b and executes controls the polarization amplifier control circuit 51. In addition, the modeling control software controls the preamplifier 53 via the ADC 52.

[0048] The recording device 54d may be, for example, a non-volatile recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. In addition to an operating system (OS) and various parameters, a program for operating the PC 54 is recorded in the recording device 54d.

[0049] The ROM 54b and the recording device 54d record programs and data necessary for the CPU 54a to operate, and are used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by the PC 54. The recording device 54d stores the camera image generated by the image processing unit. Furthermore, the recording device 54d stores beam irradiation position information transmitted from the polarization amplifier control circuit 51.

[0050] The CPU 54a selects a predetermined arithmetic expression from a plurality of arithmetic expressions according to the modeling process. Then, the CPU 54a performs arithmetic processing on the backscattered electron signal using the selected arithmetic expression to calculate an arithmetic signal. Then, the image processing unit converts the arithmetic signal into an image to obtain a backscattered electron image (BSE image). The CPU 54a outputs the obtained backscattered electron image (BSE image) to the BSE monitor 55. In addition, the backscattered electron image (BSE image) is stored in the recording device 54d.

[0051] The BSE monitor 55 is configured with a display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic ELD (Electro Luminescence Display), etc. The BSE monitor 55 displays the BSE image and the camera image output from the PC 54 on a display screen such as Figs. 4 and 5 described later.

[0052] The input device 56 may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. A user can use the input device 56 to input predetermined operations and give instructions to the PC 54.

[0053] 1-2. Example of operation of 3D additive manufacturing device Next, an example of the operation of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing device 1 will be described.

[0054] First, the user uses the modeling control software in the PC 54 to create modeling data for melting according to the shape of the desired object. At this time, the user inputs appropriate melting conditions, including correction functions, etc. When the user completes the creation of the modeling data, he or she starts modeling on the 3D additive manufacturing device 1 based on the modeling data.

[0055] Next, the beam irradiation device 2 operates based on a control command given from the PC 54 to heat the shaping plate 22. The beam irradiation device 2 irradiates the shaping plate 22 with the electron beam 15 through the opening 30a of the mask cover 30, and scans the shaping plate 22 with the electron beam 15. As a result, the shaping plate 22 is heated to a temperature at which the powder material 32 is provisionally sintered.

[0056] Next, the powder material 32 is spread over the modeling plate 22. The plate moving device 26 operates based on a control command given from the PC 54 to lower the modeling plate 22 by a predetermined amount.

[0057] Next, the user places the upper surface of the modeling plate 22 covered with the powder material 32 at approximately the same height as the upper surface of the powder material 32 spread on the modeling table 18. Next, the user lowers the mask cover 30 to the upper surface of the modeling plate 22, and keeps the mask cover 30 in contact with the powder material 32 so as to cover the powder material 32 present on the outer periphery of the modeling plate 22.

[0058] Next, the beam irradiation device 2 irradiates the electron beam 15 onto an area slightly narrower than the entire area of ​​the upper surface of the modeling plate 22. In other words, the area slightly narrower than the entire area of ​​the upper surface of the modeling plate 22 is an area where the electron beam 15 does not hit the opening inside the mask cover 30, and the beam irradiation device 2 irradiates this area with the electron beam. In this way, the beam irradiation device 2 irradiates the electron beam 15 onto an area slightly narrower than the entire upper surface of the shaping plate 22, thereby pre-heating the shaping plate 22 to a temperature at which the powder material 32 is completely pre-sintered.

[0059] At the start of modeling, the plate moving device 26 lowers the inner base 24 by a predetermined amount so that the upper surface of the modeling plate 22 is slightly lower than the upper surface of the powder material 32 spread on the modeling table 18. At this time, the modeling plate 22 is lowered by a predetermined amount ΔZ together with the inner base 24. This slight lowering ΔZ corresponds to the layer thickness in the Z direction thereafter. After that, the plate moving device 26 moves the mask cover 30 upward.

[0060] Next, the powder supplying device 16 causes the powder dropper 16b to drop the powder material 32 supplied from the hopper 16a onto the modeling table 18. Thereafter, the powder supplying device 16 moves the squeegee 16c from one end side to the other end side in the X direction to spread the powder material 32 over the inner base 24, thereby forming a powder bed. As a result, the powder material 32 is spread on the modeling table 18 with a thickness equivalent to ΔZ. In addition, excess powder material 32 is collected in the collection box 21. After the squeegee 16c passes outside the mask cover 30, the powder supplying device 16 lowers the mask cover 30 to the modeling surface again, and the mask cover 30 covers the powder material 32 present on the outer periphery of the modeling plate 22.

[0061] Next, the beam irradiation device 2 preheats the powder layer on the modeling plate 22 by operating based on control commands given from the polarization amplifier control circuit 51 and the PC 54. That is, the beam irradiation device 2 powder heats (PH) the powder layer on the modeling plate 22, and presinters the powder material 32. When the powder material 32 is presintered, it can have electrical conductivity. Therefore, the powder material 32 can suppress powder scattering in the main sintering process performed after the preheating process.

[0062] The beam irradiation device 2 irradiates the powder material 32 spread on the modeling plate 22 with the electron beam 15. The beam irradiation device 2 also scans the electron beam 15 over an area that is wider than the area for forming the model 38 (hereinafter also referred to as the "modeling area"), but is such that the electron beam does not hit the inner opening of the mask cover 30. As a result, the powder material 32 present in the modeling area and the powder material 32 present around the modeling area are both provisionally sintered.

[0063] The beam irradiation device 2 melts the two-dimensional shape area using the electron beam 15 according to the two-dimensional shape obtained by slicing a previously designed shaped object at ΔZ intervals. After melting and solidifying one layer of powder material 32, the beam irradiation device 2 again irradiates the electron beam 15 to an area slightly narrower than the shaping plate 22 to raise the temperature and prepare to spread the powder material 32. After raising the temperature to a predetermined temperature, the beam irradiation device 2 turns off the electron beam 15 and moves the mask cover 30 upward.

[0064] The plate moving device 26 lowers the inner base 24 by ΔZ, and moves the squeegee 16c again to the opposite side along the upper surface of the powder material 32 spread on the modeling table 18. Then, the plate moving device 26 spreads ΔZ amount of powder material 32 on the previous layer, and lowers the mask cover 30 again to the modeling surface.

[0065] The beam irradiation device 2 irradiates the electron beam 15 to an area where the electron beam 15 does not hit the opening inside the mask cover 30, and after completely pre-sintering the newly laid powder material 32, melts the area of ​​the two-dimensional shape corresponding to that layer. The beam irradiation device 2 repeats this process to form a shaped object 38.

[0066] The beam irradiation device 2 also acquires a backscattered electron composition image (BSE image) as described below. First, the beam irradiation device 2 scans the electron beam 15 on the pre-sintered region where the pre-sintered powder material 32 exists by operating based on control commands given from the polarization amplifier control circuit 51 and the PC 54. At this time, the beam irradiation device 2 reduces the electron beam current of the electron beam 15 as much as possible and focuses and irradiates the forming surface 32a. The detection unit 46 detects the backscattered electrons generated by the electron beam 15. The detection unit 46 outputs the detected backscattered electron signal to the PC 54 via the preamplifier 53 and the ADC 52.

[0067] 1-3. Control block configuration example Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control block of the PC 54. The CPU 54a of the PC 54 executes the modeling control software to realize a modeling file creation process (see Fig. 7 described later) performed in cooperation with each functional block shown in Fig. 3. It is also possible to configure the 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 by incorporating each functional block of the PC 54 shown in Fig. 3.

[0068] The PC 54 includes an input unit 60, a correction condition changing unit 61, a melt condition correcting unit 62, an irradiation point output unit 63, a position specifying unit 64, a melt condition output unit 65, a display unit 70, and a modeling file recording unit D1.

[0069] The input unit 60 is used by the user to perform input operations. The input unit 60 is a functional unit of the input device 56 shown in FIG. 2. The input operations by the user include, for example, melt conditions that the user inputs and sets through the input unit 60. The melt conditions are conditions that stipulate how the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 irradiates the electron beam 15 to the powder material 32 to melt it. The user can set the irradiation current, irradiation time, and irradiation on / off timing of the electron beam 15 for the irradiation area of ​​the electron beam 15.

[0070] The correction condition changing unit 61 changes the correction conditions for correcting the melt conditions by the melt condition correcting unit 62. When the correction condition changing unit 61 changes the correction conditions, the changed correction conditions are output to the melt condition correcting unit 62. However, since the melt condition correcting unit 62 has default values ​​set for the melt conditions for the first time, the correction condition changing unit 61 does not perform processing.

[0071] The melt condition correction unit 62 automatically corrects the melt conditions for melting the powder material in accordance with the corrected conditions. The melt conditions set by the user are not suitable for modeling the powder material 32 as they are. For example, the melt condition correction unit 62 changes the melt conditions (scanning speed, irradiation current, etc.) of the electron beam 15 according to the shape of the object to be modeled, etc. The melt conditions corrected by the melt condition correction unit 62 are recorded (added) in the modeling file recording unit D1 as corrected melt conditions. The modeling file recording unit D1 is recorded in the recording device 54d shown in FIG. 2.

[0072] In addition, when the corrected melt conditions are input from the input unit 60 after the corrected melt conditions are output to the display unit 70, the melt condition correcting unit 62 corrects the melt conditions again. At this time, if the correction conditions are changed by the correction condition changing unit 61, the melt condition correcting unit 62 corrects the melt conditions according to the changed correction conditions. The re-corrected melt conditions are recorded in the modeling file.

[0073] The irradiation point output unit 63 outputs the irradiation point of the modeling beam read from the modeling file including the corrected melt conditions corrected by the melt condition correction unit 62 to the display unit 70. For example, the irradiation point output unit 63 outputs information indicating the irradiation point in the layer input by the user through the input unit 60 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 described later) to the display unit 70.

[0074] The display unit 70 displays information indicating the irradiation point (see Figs. 4 and 5 described later). For example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like is used for the display unit 70. When a touch panel display is used for the PC 54, the input unit 60 and the display unit 70 are integrally formed.

[0075] The user may specify an irradiation point displayed on the display unit 70 and perform an operation to check the melt conditions of the irradiation point. In this operation, the user operates the input unit 60 to specify the irradiation point for which the user wishes to check the melt conditions from the information representing the irradiation point displayed on the display unit 70.

[0076] The position specifying unit 64 specifies the position of the irradiation point specified by the input unit 60. For example, the position specifying unit 64 specifies the position of the irradiation point at the position input by the user through the input unit 60, and outputs the position of the irradiation point to the melt condition output unit 65.

[0077] The melt condition output unit 65 searches for the corrected melt conditions of the irradiation point at the position of the irradiation point specified by the position specifying unit 64 from the modeling file recorded in the modeling file recording unit D1, and outputs the searched corrected melt conditions to the display unit 70. After that, the melt condition output unit 65 outputs the acquired corrected melt conditions to the display unit 70.

[0078] The display unit 70 displays the corrected melt conditions output by the melt condition output unit 65 (see FIG. 5, which will be described later). The display unit 70 is a functional part of the BSE monitor 55 shown in FIG.

[0079] 3, the PC 54 is configured to include the modeling file recording unit D1, but the modeling file recording unit D1 may be configured in a recording medium external to the PC 54. In this case, the melt condition correcting unit 62 records the modeling file including the corrected melt conditions in the external recording medium, and the irradiation point output unit 63 and the melt condition output unit 65 read out the modeling file from the external recording medium.

[0080] Next, the function of disclosing information about the irradiation point of the electron beam 15, which has been added to the modeling control software, will be described with reference to the display screens shown in FIG.

[0081] 1-4. Examples of each screen FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of the printing region display screen W1. The detection unit 46 (see FIG. 2) acquires, as a reflected electron signal, reflected electrons generated by irradiating the electron beam 15 from the beam irradiation device 2 onto the model 38 or the provisionally sintered body 35. The PC 54 performs arithmetic processing, image processing, and the like on the reflected electron signal to monitor the state on the modeling plate 22 and the state of the model 38, and displays an image of the modeling plate 22.

[0082] The printing area display screen W1 displays a printing area 80 and a number of irradiation points 81. The printing area 80 is an area scanned by the electron beam 15. One irradiation point 81 represents a set of irradiation points of the electron beam 15 that are irradiated to print the object 38. When the user wishes to check the irradiation points 81 in detail, the user specifies an enlargement area 82. When the enlargement area 82 is specified, an area enlargement screen W2 shown in FIG. 5 is displayed.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of the area enlarged screen W2. A plurality of irradiation points 83, 84 are displayed on the area enlarged screen W2. Each of the irradiation points 83, 84 represents a position irradiated with the electron beam 15 once. The irradiation points 83, 84 are displayed connected by a straight line so that the scanning direction of the electron beam 15 can be seen. The irradiation point 83 (white circle) represents a part of the outer periphery of the irradiation point 81 and the position of the electron beam 15 irradiated to the inside. The irradiation point 84 (gray circle) represents the position of the electron beam 15 irradiated to the outer periphery of the irradiation point 81.

[0084] The melt condition output unit 65 forms and displays a melt condition display section 86 for displaying the corrected melt conditions on the display unit 70 in accordance with the positions of the irradiation points 83, 84 specified by the input unit 60. For example, when the user moves the cursor 85 and the cursor 85 stops on an arbitrary irradiation point 83, the melt condition display section 86 is automatically displayed on the display unit 70.

[0085] The melt condition display section 86 displays the melt condition of the irradiation point 83 where the cursor 85 stops. The melt conditions include, for example, Emission, which represents the beam current value of the electron beam 15, Speed, which represents the scanning speed of the electron beam 15, Scan pitch, which represents the interval between irradiation points in the scanning direction of the electron beam 15, and Hatching distance, which represents the distance between scan lines of the electron beam 15. The correction results of the above-mentioned correction appear in Emission and Speed.

[0086] The melt conditions may include information other than the above. Also, when the user clicks the irradiation point 81 on the printing area display screen W1 shown in Fig. 4 with the cursor, the melt condition display section 86 for the irradiation point 81 may be displayed. However, since the irradiation point 81 is a collection of irradiation points of the electron beam 15, the melt condition displayed in the melt condition display section 86 may be the average value, the most frequent value, or the like of the melt conditions at the multiple irradiation points of the irradiation point 81.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of the correction condition change screen W3. The correction condition change screen W3 has a correction type selection button 91 for the user to select a correction type, and a parameter value display section 92 that shows the change in parameter value before and after the correction condition is changed.

[0088] If the display result of the area enlargement screen W2 shown in FIG. 5 is not what the user intended, the user needs to change the correction conditions. The user selects an arbitrary correction type (for example, any one of corrections 1 to 4) from the correction type selection button 91. The melt condition correction unit 62 shown in FIG. 3 recorrects the melt conditions according to the selected correction type. After that, the parameter value display unit 92 displays the parameter value (for example, A) before the correction type is changed and the parameter value (for example, B) after the correction type is changed. This allows the user to confirm whether the change in the parameter value is appropriate. In addition, the user can display the area enlargement screen W2 shown in FIG. 5 again, select an arbitrary irradiation point 83 with the cursor 85, and confirm each value of the melt condition after the correction type is changed.

[0089] 1-5. Example of creating a modeling file FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a model-forming file creating process in the model-forming control software. First, the user inputs melt conditions and correction conditions (correction parameters) (S1) by operating the input unit 60. In addition to the melt conditions, the user also inputs various other parameters required for creating a modeling file.

[0090] Next, the melt condition correcting unit 62 automatically corrects the melt conditions input from the input unit 60, and creates a model-forming file (S2). The created model-forming file is recorded in the model-forming file recording unit D1. Next, the irradiation point output unit 63 reads out the model-forming file from the model-forming file recording unit D1, and outputs the calculated irradiation points in the layer designated by the user to the display unit 70 (S3).

[0091] Next, the display unit 70 displays the irradiation point output by the irradiation point output unit 63 (S4). In this flowchart, the irradiation point is displayed on the display unit 70, but the scanning line of the electron beam 15 may be displayed on the display unit 70. Next, the user operates the input unit 60 to place the cursor 85 on the irradiation point displayed on the display unit 70, and designates the irradiation point for which the melting conditions are to be confirmed (S5). Here, the irradiation point is selected on the printing area display screen W1 shown in FIG. 4 or on the area enlargement screen W2 shown in FIG.

[0092] Next, the position specifying unit 64 specifies the position of the irradiation point designated by the user (S6). The position specifying unit 64 notifies the melt condition output unit 65 of the specified position. Next, the melt condition output unit 65 reads out the melt conditions of the irradiation point at the position identified by the position identifying unit 64 from the modeling file recording unit D1, and outputs the melt conditions to the display unit 70 (S6).

[0093] The display unit 70 displays the melt conditions output by the melt condition output unit 65 (S8). The melt conditions displayed on the display unit 70 may include other parameters in addition to the Emission, Speed, Scan pitch, and Hatching distance shown in FIG.

[0094] The user checks whether the melt conditions displayed on the display unit 70 are the conditions intended by the user (S9). If the melt conditions displayed on the display unit 70 are not the conditions intended by the user (NO in S9), the correction condition change unit 61 changes the correction conditions (correction parameters) according to the user (S10). After that, the modeling control software repeats the processes from step S1 onward.

[0095] For example, after the user corrects any of the Emission, Speed, Scan pitch, and Hatching distance displayed on the display unit 70, the melt condition correction unit 62 corrects the melt conditions again to create a modeling file, which is recorded by the modeling file recording unit D1. The modeling file recording unit D1 may store a correction history of the modeling file and may make it possible to read out previously created modeling files. After that, the user performs the process of specifying the irradiation point in step S5 and checks the melt conditions displayed on the display unit 70. It is to be noted that the correction conditions may not be changed by the correction condition change unit 61 in step S10, and only the melt conditions input by the user in step S1 may be changed.

[0096] If the melting conditions displayed on the display unit 70 are the conditions intended by the user (YES in S9), this process ends.

[0097] In the PC 54 having the object-forming control software according to the first embodiment described above, the melt conditions are displayed on the area enlargement screen W2 shown in Fig. 5. This allows the user to check the melt conditions.

[0098] Furthermore, even if the melt conditions input in advance are automatically corrected, the user can check the corrected melt conditions for each irradiation point displayed on the display unit 70. In the scanning line (irradiation point) display function of the modeling control software, the user can check the melt conditions for each scanning line (irradiation point) before the powder material 32 is melted. Therefore, if the corrected melt conditions are corrected to melt conditions that the user does not intend, the user can create a modeling file with the melt conditions that the user desires by repeating the process of correcting the melt conditions and checking the automatically corrected melt conditions again.

[0099] The corrected melt conditions for the irradiation point at the position specified by the user are displayed, so the user can check the final melt conditions that have been set for the scanning line or irradiation point and automatically corrected. The melt conditions, which were previously a black box, are now clear, so users can easily obtain information necessary for the development and research of modeling procedures. This is expected to dramatically improve the efficiency of work in the development and research of modeling procedures.

[0100] 2. Second embodiment 2-1. Control block configuration example Next, a configuration example and an operation example of a PC having the modeling control software according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 12. In the PC having the modeling control software according to the second embodiment, a function for searching for irradiation point information is added, and a variety of searches are possible by changing search conditions for searching melt conditions in various ways.

[0101] 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control block of the PC 54A. The control block of the PC 54A is realized by object-forming control software according to the second embodiment. The PC 54A has a configuration in which a search condition change unit 66 is added to the control block of the PC 54 shown in Fig. 3. A description of the control block of the PC 54 according to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0102] The search condition change unit 66 changes the search conditions for searching for the corrected melt conditions. The search condition change unit 66 outputs the search conditions for searching for the melt conditions, which the user has changed from the input unit 60, to the melt condition output unit 65. In step S1 in the flowchart of the modeling file creating process shown in FIG. 7, the user performs a process of inputting melt conditions using the input unit 60, and at this time, the user also performs a process of the search condition changing unit 66.

[0103] The melt condition output unit 65 searches for the corrected melt conditions from the modeling files recorded in the modeling file recording unit D1 based on the changed search conditions. In addition, the melt condition output unit 65 can increase or decrease the search conditions according to an instruction from the input unit 60. The display unit 70 displays the corrected melt conditions output by the melt condition output unit 65 (see FIGS. 9 to 12, which will be described later).

[0104] 2-2. Examples of each screen FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of the melt condition search screen W4 (melt condition type change). The melt condition search screen W4 includes a search condition setting section 100, an add search condition button 101, a search next button 102, and a close button 103. The melt condition search screen W4 is displayed superimposed on the printing area display screen W1 shown in FIG. 4 or the area enlargement screen W2 shown in FIG.

[0105] The search condition setting section 100 displays the melt condition type, search parameter value, and search layer number (No.). Emission, which indicates beam current, is displayed as the default melt condition type. The search parameter value is input with a beam current value of 10 [mA] as the parameter value when searching for Emission. Furthermore, the layer number when searching for the beam current value is input.

[0106] The add search condition button 101 is a button used by the user to add a search condition. The search next button 102 is a button for instructing the display of the next irradiation point 83 that meets the search condition when an irradiation point 83 that meets the search condition is displayed. The close button 103 is a button for the user to instruct the display of the melt condition search screen W4.

[0107] As shown in the lower part of FIG. 9, when the user selects the pull-down menu of the melt condition type with the cursor 104, in addition to Emission, Speed, Scan pitch, and Hatching distance are displayed. When the user selects, for example, Speed ​​in addition to Emission, a search parameter value corresponding to the Speed ​​and a search layer number (No.) are displayed. The search condition change unit 66 outputs the Speed ​​selected by the user to the melt condition output unit 65 as a changed search condition. The melt condition output unit 65 outputs the search parameter value corresponding to the Speed ​​and the search layer number (No.) information extracted from the modeling file to the display unit 70.

[0108] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of the melt condition search screen W4 (add search condition). When the user operates the cursor 104 to press the search condition addition button 101 on the melt condition search screen W4 shown in Fig. 9, the melt condition search screen W4 with the added melt condition is displayed. The melt condition search screen W4 is displayed when the user sets multiple search conditions at the same time.

[0109] For example, in addition to the melt condition type (Emission), search parameter value, and search layer number (No.) displayed on the melt condition search screen W4, the melt condition type (Speed) and the search parameter value are displayed. For the added melt condition type, a different melt condition type can be set. The search condition change unit 66 outputs the added melt condition type to the melt condition output unit 65 as a changed search condition. The melt condition output unit 65 outputs information on the search parameter value and search layer number (No.) corresponding to the added melt condition type to the display unit 70, which is extracted from the modeling file.

[0110] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of the melt condition search screen W4 (search next). This melt condition search screen W4 shows a state where the user has operated the cursor 104 to select the search next button 102. The position identification unit 64 outputs the corrected melt conditions searched by the melt condition output unit 65 and the irradiation points corresponding to the search conditions to the display unit 70 in the order in which they correspond to the search conditions.

[0111] For example, when the user presses the search next button 102, the position specifying unit 64 specifies the position of the irradiation point 81 (represented as a search target point 87 in FIG. 12 described later) that meets the search criteria that can be displayed next on the display unit 70, and outputs the position to the melt condition output unit 65. The melt condition output unit 65 extracts the irradiation point 81 at the specified position from the modeling file as the search target point 87, and outputs information on the search target point 87 to the display unit 70.

[0112] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example of the printing area display screen W1 (search next). First, the irradiation point 81 of the electron beam 15 that meets the melt condition is displayed as a search target point 87. In Fig. 12, the search target point 87 is highlighted with a thick black frame, but it may be displayed in a different color from other parts. When the user presses the search next button 102 as shown in Fig. 11, the irradiation point 81 that meets the melt condition is next displayed as the search target point 87 on the printing area display screen W1.

[0113] Therefore, the user does not need to search for the melt conditions by selecting each irradiation point 81. Note that multiple irradiation points 81 that meet the melt conditions may be highlighted with a black frame at the same time, or displayed in a different color from other points. Also, on the area enlargement screen W2, when the search next button 102 is pressed, irradiation points 83 and 84 that meet the melt conditions are highlighted or displayed in a different color from other points, similar to the printing area display screen W1.

[0114] In the PC 54A having the molding control software according to the second embodiment described above, a function for searching for irradiation point information is added, so that the user can check the melt conditions or corrected melt conditions corresponding to the search conditions for each irradiation point displayed on the display unit 70. The user can change, for example, the melt condition type, search parameter value, or search layer number, and check only the corresponding corrected melt conditions, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, since the search conditions can be added or deleted arbitrarily, the user can also search for corrected melt conditions by combining multiple search conditions.

[0115] 12, the user can successively change the search target point 87 that meets the search criteria from among the multiple irradiation points 81 displayed on the printing area display screen W1. This allows the user to easily grasp where in the printing area the search target point 87 is located.

[0116] In addition, since the modeling control software according to the second embodiment includes the functions of the modeling control software according to the first embodiment, the PC 54A can use the modeling control software according to the first and second embodiments in combination.

[0117] 3. Third embodiment 3-1. Examples of each screen Next, a configuration example and an operation example of a PC having the modeling control software according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In the PC having the modeling control software according to the third embodiment, a function for searching irradiation point information by limiting it to a predetermined range is added, and a variety of searches are possible by changing the search conditions for searching melt conditions in various ways.

[0118] The function that characterizes the molding control software according to the third embodiment is one function of the search condition changing unit 66. Therefore, the configuration of the PC 54A having the molding control software according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the PC 54A shown in Fig. 8, but the functions of the melt condition output unit 65 and the search condition changing unit 66 are different.

[0119] The search condition change unit 66 changes the range of search parameter values ​​for the search conditions according to the type of melt condition. The melt condition output unit 65 searches the modeling file for corrected melt conditions included in the range of the changed search parameter values.

[0120] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of the melt condition search screen W4A (search range designation) according to the third embodiment. The melt condition search screen W4A shown in the upper part of Fig. 13 has the same configuration as the melt condition search screen W4 shown in Fig. 9, but an input field for range specification is provided in the search parameter value field. The user can specify the range of the search parameter value of the melt condition specified in the melt condition type. Fig. 13 shows a case where Emission is specified as the melt condition type, and 1 to 5 [mA], for example, is specified as the range of the search parameter value. Information on the irradiation point corresponding to the melt condition whose search parameter value is included in the specified range is displayed on the display unit 70.

[0121] A melt condition search screen W4A shown at the bottom of Fig. 13 is one in which a melt condition type has been added by pressing the search condition addition button 101. An example of an added melt condition type is Speed. An input field for specifying a range is also provided in the search parameter value field for the added melt condition type. This figure shows a case in which the added melt condition type is Speed, and for example, 1 to 3 [m / s] is specified as the range of the search parameter value.

[0122] As with the melt condition search screen W4 shown in Figures 11 and 12, when the user presses the Search next button 102, the position identification unit 64 identifies the position of the irradiation point 81 (represented as search target point 87 in Figure 12 described later) that matches the search criteria and can be displayed next on the display unit 70, and outputs the position to the melt condition output unit 65.

[0123] The melt condition output unit 65 extracts the irradiation point 81 at the specified position from the modeling file as a search target point 87, and outputs information about the search target point 87 to the display unit 70. The melt condition output unit 65 extracts the irradiation point 81 at the specified position from the modeling file as a search target point 87, and outputs information about the search target point 87 to the display unit 70.

[0124] In the PC 54A having the molding control software according to the third embodiment described above, the search results of the search parameter values ​​range specified by the user are displayed on the display unit 70. Therefore, it is possible to display only the search target points 87 corresponding to the search parameter values ​​within the range that the user wants to know, thereby improving the search efficiency of the corrected melt condition.

[0125] In addition, since the modeling control software according to the third embodiment includes the functions of the modeling control software according to the first embodiment, PC54A can use the modeling control software according to the first and third embodiments in combination.

[0126] 4. Variations In the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is applied to the modeling control software dedicated to modeling used in a powder bed type 3D additive manufacturing device. However, the modeling beam does not need to be limited to the electron beam type, and the present invention may be applied to the modeling control software of a modeling device including other types such as a laser type.

[0127] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other applications and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention as set forth in the claims. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have described in detail and specifically the configuration of the 3D additive manufacturing apparatus 1 and the modeling control software of the PC 54 in order to easily explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of the embodiments described here with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1...3D additive manufacturing device, 2...beam irradiation device, 15...electron beam, 32...powder material, 35...temporary sintered body, 38...model, 42...camera, 60...input section, 61...correction condition change section, 62...melt condition correction section, 63...irradiation point output section, 64...position identification section, 65...melt condition output section, 66...search condition change section, 70...display section, 86...melt condition display section, 91...correction type selection button, W1...printing area display screen, W2...area enlargement screen, W3...correction condition change screen, W4...melt condition search screen

Claims

1. an irradiation point output unit that outputs an irradiation point of the modeling beam read from the modeling file to a display unit; a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the irradiation point designated by an input unit; a melt condition output unit that searches the modeling file for melt conditions of the irradiation point at the specified position and outputs the searched melt conditions to the display unit. Information processing device.

2. The melt condition output unit outputs a melt condition display unit that displays the melt condition on the display unit in accordance with the position of the irradiation point specified by the input unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The melt conditions displayed in the melt condition display unit include at least one of a beam current value of the shaping beam, a scanning speed of the shaping beam, an irradiation point interval in a scanning direction of the shaping beam, and a distance between scan lines of the shaping beam. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. a melt condition correction unit that corrects the melt conditions according to correction conditions and adds the corrected melt conditions to the modeling file; The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The melt condition correction unit corrects the melt conditions again when the corrected melt conditions are input from the input unit after the corrected melt conditions are output to the display unit. The information processing device according to claim 4.

6. A search condition change unit that changes search conditions for searching the corrected melt condition, The melt condition output unit searches for the corrected melt conditions from the modeling file in accordance with the changed search conditions.

6. The information processing device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The melt condition output unit increases or decreases the search conditions according to an instruction from the input unit. The information processing device according to claim 6.

8. The position specifying unit outputs the corrected melt conditions searched by the melt condition output unit and the irradiation points corresponding to the search conditions to the display unit in the order of matching with the search conditions. The information processing device according to claim 6.

9. the search condition change unit changes a range of search parameter values ​​for the search conditions according to the type of the melt condition, The melt condition output unit searches the modeling file for the corrected melt condition included in the changed range of the search parameter value. The information processing device according to claim 6.

10. a correction condition changing unit that changes the correction condition, The melt condition correction unit corrects the melt conditions in accordance with the corrected correction conditions. The information processing device according to claim 4.

11. A powder bed on which powdered materials are spread; a powder supply system for laying the powder material on the powder bed; a beam irradiation unit that irradiates the powder material spread on the powder bed with a modeling beam; an electron optical system that scans the manufacturing beam according to melting conditions for melting the powder material and melts the powder material spread on the powder bed; an irradiation point output unit that outputs an irradiation point of the modeling beam read from the modeling file to a display unit; a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the irradiation point designated by an input unit; a melt condition output unit that searches the modeling file for the melt condition of the irradiation point at the specified position and outputs the searched melt condition to the display unit. 3D additive manufacturing device.

Images