Three-dimensional modeling apparatus

Abstract

To provide a three-dimensional modeling apparatus capable of maintaining formation efficiency of a three-dimensional modeled object.SOLUTION: A three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 comprises: a modeling tank 20; a discharge head 64; and a shaft 61 connected to the discharge head 64 and extending in a vertical direction. A length L2 of the discharge head 64 in a right-left direction is shorter than a length L1 of the modeling tank 20 in the right-left direction. The discharge head 64 includes nozzle arrays 64aa to 64ad, and is configured to be switchable between a first state in which the nozzle arrays 64ad to 64aa are arranged in order from a left side to a right side, and a second state obtained by rotating the shaft 61 by 180 degrees about a rotation axis from the first state. This allows the discharge head 64 to discharge a curing liquid to a powder material 90 stored in the modeling tank 20 regardless of a moving direction in a right-left direction Y. Therefore, even when using a discharge head capable of discharging only during unidirectional movement, formation efficiency of a three-dimensional modeled object 92 is less likely to decrease.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8C

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a three-dimensional modeling apparatus is known that ejects a hardening liquid onto a powder material to form a relatively thin hardened layer having a desired cross-sectional shape, and sequentially stacks the hardened layers to form a three-dimensional object. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a three-dimensional modeling apparatus equipped with an ejection head having a nozzle that ejects a hardening liquid onto a powder material. The left-right length of the ejection head is shorter than the left-right length of a modeling tank in which a three-dimensional object is formed. The ejection head is moved in the main scanning direction by a main scanning direction moving mechanism. In addition, the ejection head is moved in the sub-scanning direction by a sub-scanning direction moving mechanism. In such a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, a three-dimensional object is formed by moving the ejection head in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction and ejecting the hardening liquid onto a powder material stored inside a modeling tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-082484 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in a three-dimensional modeling device such as that shown in Patent Document 1, for example, if the discharge head is a head that can discharge only when moving in one direction, the curable liquid is discharged only when the discharge head moves from one side to the other in the main scanning direction. In this case, the curable liquid is not discharged when the discharge head moves from the other side to one side in the main scanning direction, and the efficiency of forming a three-dimensional object decreases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide a three-dimensional printing device in which the efficiency of forming three-dimensional objects is not likely to decrease, even when an ejection head that can only eject when moving in a single direction is used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The three-dimensional modeling apparatus of the present invention is a three-dimensional modeling apparatus that hardens a powder material to form hardened layers and sequentially stacks these layers to form a three-dimensional object, and includes a modeling tank that contains the powder material and has a modeling space in which the three-dimensional object is modeled, a discharge head having a plurality of nozzles that discharge a hardening liquid onto the powder material contained in the modeling space, a first movement mechanism that moves the discharge head in a horizontal first direction relative to the modeling tank, a second movement mechanism that moves the discharge head in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view, and a rotary movement mechanism that is connected to the discharge head and extends in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. a rotation axis, wherein a length of the discharge head in the second direction is shorter than a length of the modeling tank in the second direction, the discharge head discharges the curable liquid when moving in the second direction relative to the modeling layer, the discharge head comprises a first nozzle row in which the multiple nozzles are arranged in the first direction, and a second nozzle row in which the multiple nozzles are arranged in parallel in the second direction relative to the first nozzle row, and the discharge head is configured to be switchable between a first state in which the first nozzle row is aligned to one side in the second direction relative to the second nozzle row, and a second state in which the discharge head is rotated 180 degrees around the axial direction of the rotation axis from the first state.

[0007] According to this three-dimensional modeling device, the operation of moving the discharge head in the second direction relative to the modeling layer by the second moving mechanism and discharging the hardening liquid onto the powder material contained in the modeling space and the operation of moving the discharge head in the first direction by the first moving mechanism are repeated. At this time, the discharge head moves in the second direction while switching between the first state and the second state. Therefore, the direction in which the discharge head moves relative to the modeling tank is the same regardless of which direction the discharge head moves in the second direction. Therefore, even if the discharge head is a head that can discharge only when moving in a single direction, the hardening liquid can be discharged regardless of which direction the discharge head moves in the second direction. This makes it possible to maintain good formation efficiency of a three-dimensional model regardless of the type of the discharge head. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a three-dimensional printing device in which the efficiency of forming a three-dimensional object is not likely to decrease even when a discharge head that is capable of discharging only during movement in one direction is used. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the ejection head in a first state. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the ejection head in a second state. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the start of a discharge process. [Figure 8B]FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the ejection head ejects curable liquid in a first state. [Figure 8C] FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating switching between a first state and a second state of the ejection head. [Figure 8D] 13 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the ejection head ejects the curable liquid in a second state. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a discharge head according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1. In the following description, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom when the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 is viewed from the direction of the symbol F. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D respectively indicate the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, and the symbols X, Y, and Z respectively indicate the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. However, these directions are merely for the convenience of description, and do not limit the installation mode of the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 in any way.

[0011] 1, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that hardens powder material 90 to a predetermined thickness based on three-dimensional data representing the three-dimensional shape of an object to be printed, forms hardened layers 91, and sequentially stacks these layers together to form a desired three-dimensional object 92. More specifically, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 ejects a hardening liquid onto the powder material 90 spread out to a predetermined thickness based on cross-sectional data representing the cross-sectional shape of the three-dimensional object 92, bonds the powder material 90 together, and forms one layer of hardened layer 91 in accordance with the cross-sectional data. The three-dimensional object 92 is then formed by stacking the hardened layers 91 one by one in the vertical direction Z.

[0012] In this specification, the term "cross-sectional shape" refers to the cross-sectional shape when the three-dimensional object 92 to be formed is sliced ​​in a predetermined direction (e.g., the horizontal direction) at a predetermined thickness (typically several tens to 100 μm, e.g., 100 μm (0.1 mm)). However, the predetermined thickness does not necessarily have to be a constant thickness. In addition, here, the vertical direction Z coincides with the stacking direction of the hardened layers 91 in the three-dimensional modeling.

[0013] The powder material 90 is not particularly limited. The type of the powder material 90 may be, for example, inorganic materials such as alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, silica, mullite, gypsum, hemihydrate gypsum (α-type calcined gypsum, β-type calcined gypsum), glass, sand, gravel, cement, mortar, concrete, apatite, etc.; metal materials such as iron, aluminum, titanium and their alloys (e.g., stainless steel, titanium alloy, aluminum alloy), water-soluble resin materials such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), water-soluble acrylic resin, water-soluble urethane resin, water-soluble polyamide, etc.; plastic, table salt, etc. The above-mentioned "cement" includes portland cement, alumina cement, magnesia cement, phosphate cement, blast furnace cement, silica cement, fly ash cement, etc. The powder material may be a sinterable material that changes into a dense sintered body with a relative density of 90% or more by firing at about 500°C or higher, typically 700 to 2000°C, for example, 1000 to 1500°C. The powder material 90 may be composed of any one of the above materials, or may be composed of a combination of two or more of them.

[0014] Although not particularly limited, the average particle diameter of the powder material 90 (particle diameter corresponding to the smallest cumulative 50% in a number-based particle size distribution based on observation with an electron microscope; the same applies below) may be approximately 1 to 1000 μm, for example 10 to 100 μm. By setting the average particle diameter to a predetermined value or more, it is possible to prevent the powder material 90 from flying up. By setting the average particle diameter to a predetermined value or less, it is possible to improve the molding accuracy of the three-dimensional object 92.

[0015] The powder material 90 may be composed of only the above-mentioned components, or may contain other components in addition to the above-mentioned components. For example, the above-mentioned components may be used as the first component, and a material that promotes or assists the bonding between particles constituting the first component may be used as the second component. The powder material 90 may be, for example, a mixed powder containing the above-mentioned inorganic material and a water-soluble binder resin. The water-soluble binder resin is a polymer compound that is soluble in water and exhibits binding properties and adhesion when it contains moisture. Examples of the water-soluble binder resin include water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol resins, water-soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone resins, water-soluble acrylic resins, water-soluble urethane resins, water-soluble polyamides, starch, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, wax, and the like.

[0016] The hardening liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid (including a viscous body) capable of bonding the particles constituting the powder material 90 together. The hardening liquid may be, for example, a liquid containing water, wax, binder resin, starch, etc. When the powder material 90 contains a water-soluble binder resin, the hardening liquid may be composed mainly of water (the component that occupies the largest part by mass, preferably a component that occupies 50 mass% or more of the total; the same applies below). The hardening liquid may contain various additive components such as a surfactant as necessary.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 includes a main body 10, a printing tank 20, a printing table 24, a first lifting device 25, a supply tank 30, a supply table 34, a second lifting device 35, a recovery tank 40, a recovery table 44, a third lifting device 45, a support member 70, a roller 53, a head unit 60, and a control device 100.

[0018] The main body 10 is a casing of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 10 has a shape that is longer in the front-rear direction X than in the left-right direction Y. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 10 is formed in a hollow box shape. The main body 10 is provided with a modeling tank 20, a first lifting device 25, a supply tank 30, a second lifting device 35, a recovery tank 40, and a third lifting device 45. The top surface 10A of the main body 10 is flat. The modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40 are provided independently of each other. The modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X. The main body 10 supports a support member 70.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the modeling tank 20 is recessed downward from the upper surface 10A of the main body 10. A recovery tank 40 is disposed in front of the modeling tank 20. A supply tank 30 is disposed behind the modeling tank 20. The modeling tank 20 is sandwiched between the supply tank 30 and the recovery tank 40 in the front-rear direction X. Here, the modeling tank 20 has a bottomed rectangular tubular shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the modeling tank 20 opens upward. The modeling tank 20 has a modeling space 20A in which a three-dimensional model 92 is modeled. A powder material 90 is supplied from the supply tank 30 to the modeling space 20A. A hardening liquid is discharged onto the powder material 90 in the modeling space 20A to form a hardened layer 91. As shown in FIG. 2, the length of the modeling tank 20 in the left-right direction Y is L1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the modeling table 24 is disposed inside the modeling tank 20. A space surrounded by the modeling tank 20 and the upper surface of the modeling table 24 is the modeling space 20A. The modeling table 24 forms the bottom surface of the modeling space 20A. The shape of the modeling table 24 is, for example, rectangular in a plan view. The modeling table 24 is disposed horizontally. A powder material 90 is placed on the modeling table 24. When the hardened layer 91 is formed, the powder material 90 is spread on the modeling table 24 with a predetermined thickness. A three-dimensional model 92 is modeled on the modeling table 24. The modeling table 24 is electrically connected to a first lifting device 25. The modeling table 24 is typically configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction Z inside the modeling tank 20 along the side surface of the modeling tank 20.

[0021] The first lifting device 25 is a device that moves the modeling table 24 up and down in the vertical direction Z. The first lifting device 25 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. The first lifting device 25 includes a modeling table support member 26, a first drive motor 27 (see also FIG. 7), and a ball screw (not shown). The modeling table support member 26 is connected to the lower surface of the modeling table 24. The modeling table support member 26 supports the modeling table 24 from below. The modeling table support member 26 is connected to the first drive motor 27 via a ball screw. The first drive motor 27 is, for example, a servo motor. By driving the first drive motor 27, the modeling table support member 26 moves in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the modeling table 24 moves in the vertical direction Z. The movement width of the modeling table 24 is predetermined in accordance with the thickness of the cross-sectional shape of one layer. The first drive motor 27 is electrically connected to the control device 100. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the first lifting device 25 is not particularly limited.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the supply tank 30 is recessed downward from the upper surface 10A of the main body 10. The supply tank 30 functions as a powder storage section that stores the powder material 90 to be supplied to the modeling tank 20. The supply tank 30 is disposed behind the modeling tank 20. Here, the supply tank 30 has a bottomed rectangular cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply tank 30 opens upward. The supply tank 30 has a storage space 30A in which the powder material 90 is stored.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the supply table 34 is disposed inside the supply tank 30. A space surrounded by the supply tank 30 and the upper surface of the supply table 34 is a storage space 30A. The supply table 34 forms the bottom surface of the storage space 30A. The shape of the supply table 34 is, for example, rectangular in a plan view. The supply table 34 is disposed horizontally. The powder material 90 is placed on the supply table 34. The supply table 34 is electrically connected to the second lifting device 35. The supply table 34 is typically configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction Z along the side surface of the supply tank 30 inside the supply tank 30.

[0024] The second lifting device 35 is a device that moves the supply table 34 up and down in the vertical direction Z. The second lifting device 35 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. The second lifting device 35 may have the same configuration as the first lifting device 25. Here, the second lifting device 35 includes a supply table support member 36, a second drive motor 37 (see also FIG. 7), and a ball screw (not shown). The supply table support member 36 is connected to the lower surface of the supply table 34. The supply table support member 36 supports the supply table 34 from below. The supply table support member 36 is connected to the second drive motor 37 via a ball screw. The second drive motor 37 is, for example, a servo motor. By driving the second drive motor 37, the supply table support member 36 moves in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the supply table 34 moves in the vertical direction Z. The movement width of the supply table 34 is predetermined in accordance with, for example, the movement width of the modeling table 24. The second drive motor 37 is electrically connected to the control device 100. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the second lifting device 35 is not particularly limited.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the recovery tank 40 is recessed downward from the upper surface 10A of the main body 10. The recovery tank 40 functions as a powder recovery section that recovers the surplus powder material 90 excessively supplied from the supply tank 30 to the modeling tank 20 (in other words, the excess powder material 90 that is not accommodated in the modeling space 20A). The recovery tank 40 is disposed forward of the modeling tank 20. In the front-rear direction X, the recovery tank 40 is disposed on the opposite side of the supply tank 30 across the modeling tank 20. Here, the recovery tank 40 has a bottomed rectangular tubular shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the recovery tank 40 opens upward. The recovery tank 40 has a recovery space 40A in which the powder material 90 is recovered.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the collection table 44 is disposed inside the collection tank 40. A space surrounded by the collection tank 40 and the upper surface of the collection table 44 is the collection space 40A. The collection table 44 forms the bottom surface of the collection space 40A. The shape of the collection table 44 is, for example, rectangular in a plan view. The collection table 44 is disposed horizontally. The powder material 90 is placed on the collection table 44. The collection table 44 is electrically connected to a third lifting device 45. The collection table 44 is typically configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction Z along the side surface of the collection tank 40 inside the collection tank 40.

[0027] The third lifting device 45 is a device that moves the recovery table 44 up and down in the vertical direction Z. The third lifting device 45 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. The third lifting device 45 may have the same configuration as the second lifting device 35. Here, the third lifting device 45 includes a recovery table support member 46, a third drive motor 47 (see also FIG. 7), and a ball screw (not shown). The recovery table support member 46 is connected to the lower surface of the recovery table 44. The recovery table support member 46 supports the recovery table 44 from below. The recovery table support member 46 is connected to the third drive motor 47 via a ball screw. The third drive motor 47 is, for example, a servo motor. By driving the third drive motor 47, the recovery table support member 46 moves in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the recovery table 44 moves in the vertical direction Z. The movement width of the recovery table 44 is predetermined in accordance with, for example, the movement width of the modeling table 24. The third drive motor 47 is electrically connected to the control device 100. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the third lifting device 45 is not particularly limited.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 10 is provided with a left guide rail 12L, a right guide rail 12R, and a first moving mechanism 72. The left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R guide the movement of the support member 70 in the front-rear direction X. As shown in FIG. 2, the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R extend in the front-rear direction X. The left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R are arranged parallel to the left-right direction Y. The left guide rail 12L is arranged to the left of the right guide rail 12R. The front end of the left guide rail 12L and the front end of the right guide rail 12R are located forward of the front end of the recovery tank 40. The rear end of the left guide rail 12L and the rear end of the right guide rail 12R are located rearward of the rear end of the supply tank 30. In the left-right direction Y, the modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40 are provided between the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R. The front-rear direction X corresponds to the scanning direction of the support member 70. In this embodiment, the main body 10 is provided with the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R, but the installation positions and the number of the guide rails are not particularly limited.

[0029] The support member 70 is slidably engaged with the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R. The support member 70 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction X along the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R. The support member 70 includes a left leg 70L that engages with the left guide rail 12L, a right leg 70R that engages with the right guide rail 12R, and a connecting portion 70C that connects the upper end of the left leg 70L and the upper end of the right leg 70R. A rail 71, which will be described later, is attached to the rear surface of the support member 70.

[0030] The left leg 70L and the right leg 70R extend in the front-rear direction X. The connecting portion 70C extends in the left-right direction Y. The connecting portion 70C is located above the modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40. The support member 70 is provided with a roller 53, a head unit 60, and a second moving mechanism 65. The support member 70 is electrically connected to the first moving mechanism 72.

[0031] The first moving mechanism 72 is a mechanism that moves the support member 70 in the front-rear direction X relative to the main body unit 10. Here, the first moving mechanism 72 is a mechanism that moves the roller 53 and the head unit 60 in the front-rear direction X relative to the modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40. The first moving mechanism 72 includes a pulley 73F arranged on the front end side of the left guide rail 12L, a pulley 73R arranged on the rear end side of the left guide rail 12L, a pulley 74F arranged on the front end side of the right guide rail 12R, a pulley 74R arranged on the rear end side of the right guide rail 12R, a connecting rod 75A connecting the pulleys 73F and 74F, a connecting rod 75B connecting the pulleys 73R and 74R, a left belt 76L wound around the pulleys 73F and 73R, a right belt 76R wound around the pulleys 74F and 74R, and a moving motor 77 (see FIG. 7) that rotates the connecting rod 75A. The left belt 76L is fixed to the left leg 70L. The right belt 76R is fixed to the right leg 70R.

[0032] The moving motor 77 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. When the moving motor 77 is driven, the connecting rod 75A rotates, and the left belt 76L and the right belt 76R run. This causes the support member 70 to reciprocate in the front-rear direction X along the left guide rail 12L and the right guide rail 12R. When the support member 70 reciprocates in the front-rear direction X, the roller 53 and the head unit 60 provided on the support member 70 reciprocate in the front-rear direction X together. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the first moving mechanism 72 is not particularly limited. For example, although the moving motor 77 is configured to rotate the connecting rod 75A here, the moving motor 77 may be configured to rotate the connecting rod 75B.

[0033] The rollers 53 are attached to the left leg 70L and the right leg 70R. As shown in FIG. 1, the rollers 53 are disposed forward of the head unit 60. The rollers 53 are formed in a substantially circular shape in a side view. The lower end of the rollers 53 is located lower than the lower end of the discharge head 64 described later. The lower end of the rollers 53 is located higher than the upper surface 10A of the main body unit 10. The rollers 53 are disposed so that a predetermined clearance (gap) is formed between the rollers 53 and the upper surface 10A of the main body unit 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the rollers 53 have a long cylindrical shape. The rollers 53 extend in the left-right direction Y and are configured to be movable in the front-rear direction X. Here, the length of the rollers 53 in the left-right direction Y is longer than the length of the modeling tank 20 in the left-right direction Y.

[0034] The roller 53 is supported by the support member 70 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (not shown) extending in the left-right direction Y. The roller 53 is disposed so that the rotation axis is parallel to the left-right direction Y. The roller 53 is connected to a rotation motor 54. The rotation motor 54 is provided on the left leg 70L. However, the arrangement of the rotation motor 54 is not limited thereto. The rotation motor 54 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 1, the roller 53 rotates in a rotation direction R1 (clockwise direction in Fig. 1) by driving a rotation motor 54 (see Fig. 2). The roller 53 rotates so as to push up (scoop up) the powder material 90 from below to above. As a result, the powder material 90 in the supply tank 30 is pushed up from below to above, making it difficult for the powder material 90 to slip into the storage space 30A. Therefore, the powder material 90 can be stably transported from the supply tank 30 to the modeling tank 20.

[0036] The rotation speed of the roller 53 is adjusted by changing the value of the current supplied to the rotary motor 54. That is, the larger the value of the current supplied to the rotary motor 54, the greater the driving force, and the faster the rotation speed of the roller 53. The roller 53 moves while rotating over the powder material 90 supplied onto the modeling table 24, and flattens and levels the surface of the powder material 90. The powder material 90 is spread uniformly on the modeling table 24 to a predetermined thickness by the roller 53.

[0037] The second moving mechanism 65 shown in FIG. 2 is a mechanism for relatively moving the head unit 60 in the left-right direction Y along the main body unit 10. Here, the second moving mechanism 65 is a mechanism for relatively moving the head unit 60 in the left-right direction Y with respect to the modeling tank 20, the supply tank 30, and the recovery tank 40. That is, the second moving mechanism 65 moves a discharge head 64 (see FIG. 1) described later in the left-right direction Y with respect to the modeling tank 20. In this embodiment, the head unit 60 moves along the connecting portion 70C. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the periphery of the head unit 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the second moving mechanism 65 includes a right pulley 66a, a left pulley 66b, a belt 67, a support member 68, a rail 71, and a traveling motor 69 (see FIG. 7). The right pulley 66a is disposed at the right end of the support member 70. The left pulley 66b is disposed at the left end of the support member 70. The belt 67 is wound around the right pulley 66a and the left pulley 66b. The belt 67 is attached to the head unit 60. The support member 68 is a member that supports the head unit 60. The support member 68 is a rectangular block when viewed from the front. The rail 71 is a rail that extends in the left-right direction Y. The rail 71 is engaged with the support member 68. The rail 71 is attached to the rear surface of the connecting portion 70C of the support member 70. In this embodiment, the support member 68 and the rail 71 form a linear guide. The travel motor 69 is connected to, for example, the right pulley 66a. The travel motor 69 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. When the travel motor 69 is driven, the right pulley 66a rotates and the belt 67 runs. As a result, the head unit 60 reciprocates in the left-right direction Y along the connecting portion 70C.

[0038] 3, the head unit 60 is attached to a connecting portion 70C. Therefore, the head unit 60 can be moved in the front-rear direction X by a first moving mechanism 72 via a support member 70 (see FIG. 1). In addition, the head unit 60 can be moved in the left-right direction Y by a second moving mechanism 65.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the head unit 60. As shown in Fig. 4, the head unit 60 includes a shaft 61, a drive unit 62, a support unit 63, and a discharge head 64. However, the configuration of the head unit 60 is not limited to this.

[0040] The shaft 61 is an axis extending in the up-down direction Z. The shaft 61 is an example of a rotating shaft in the present invention. The ejection head 64 is connected to the lower end of the shaft 61. The shaft 61 supports the ejection head 64. The ejection head 64 rotates as the shaft 61 rotates around the axial direction. In this embodiment, the shaft 61 is connected to a center position of the ejection head 64 in the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y.

[0041] The driving unit 62 is a part that rotates the shaft 61 around the axial direction. The driving unit 62 includes a driving motor 62a, a driving gear 62b, a driven gear 62c, a rotating shaft 62d, and a cover 62e. The driving motor 62a is electrically connected to a control device 100 (see FIG. 1) and is controlled by the control device 100. The driving motor 62a includes a rotating shaft 62aa. The rotating shaft 62aa is a shaft that extends in the vertical direction Z. A driving gear 62b is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 62aa. A driven gear 62c is engaged with the driving gear 62b. A rotating shaft 62d is connected to the driven gear 62c. The rotating shaft 62d extends in the vertical direction Z. The rotating shaft 62d is, for example, a spline shaft. The shaft 61 is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 62d. Therefore, by driving the drive motor 62a, the rotating shaft 62aa rotates around the axial direction, and the drive gear 62b, the driven gear 62c, and the rotating shaft 62d rotate. This rotates the shaft 61 connected to the rotating shaft 62d. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the drive unit 62 is configured to rotate the shaft 61 180 degrees around the axial direction. The cover 62e is a box-shaped member. The cover 62e is formed in a box shape that covers the rotating shaft 62aa, the driven gear 62c, and the rotating shaft 62d of the drive motor 62a. The lower end of the rotating shaft 62d is located below the cover 62e. The parts of the drive motor 62a other than the rotating shaft 62aa are arranged above the cover 62e.

[0042] The support portion 63 is a member that rotatably supports the shaft 61. In this embodiment, the support portion 63 is a cylindrical member having two bearings 63a therein. The bearings 63a are, for example, ball bearings. The shaft 61 is inserted through the bearings 63a.

[0043] The discharge head 64 is connected to the lower end of the shaft 61. Therefore, when the shaft 61 rotates around the axial direction, the discharge head 64 also rotates in the same direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge head 64 includes a plurality of nozzles 64a that discharge the hardening liquid, and a nozzle surface 64b on which the plurality of nozzles 64a are formed. The nozzles 64a are minute holes that discharge the hardening liquid to the powder material 90. The nozzles 64a form a nozzle row aligned in the front-rear direction X. In this embodiment, four nozzle rows adjacent to each other in the left-right direction Y are formed. Here, the four nozzle rows are referred to as a first nozzle row 64aa, a second nozzle row 64ab, a third nozzle row 64ac, and a fourth nozzle row 64ad from left to right. In FIG. 5, the plurality of nozzles 64a are represented by straight lines because they are minute. The nozzle surface 64b is provided on a surface facing the modeling space 20A (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad have the same length in the front-rear direction X. The first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad are arranged so that the positions of their front and rear ends are aligned. Therefore, in the front-rear direction X, the positions of the centers of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad are aligned. The first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad are arranged so that the positions of the centers of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad are aligned with the position of the center of the ejection head 64 in the front-rear direction X. Therefore, in the front-rear direction X, the positions of the centers of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad, the ejection head 64, and the shaft 61 are all aligned. Furthermore, in the left-right direction Y, the position of the center of the nozzle surface 64b is aligned with the position of the center of the ejection head 64. Therefore, in the left-right direction Y, the positions of the centers of the nozzle surface 64b, the ejection head 64, and the shaft 61 are all aligned. The nozzle surface 64b is made of, for example, a metal plate member. The mechanism for discharging the curing liquid is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a curing liquid jet system. As shown in FIG. 2, the length of the discharge head 64 in the left-right direction Y is L2, which is shorter than the length L1 of the modeling tank 20 in the left-right direction Y.

[0044] The ejection head 64 is configured to be switchable between a first state and a second state. FIG. 5 shows the ejection head 64 in the first state. FIG. 6 shows the ejection head 64 in the second state. The first state refers to a state of the ejection head 64 when the nozzle rows of the ejection head 64 are arranged in the order of the first nozzle row 64aa, the second nozzle row 64ab, the third nozzle row 64ac, and the fourth nozzle row 64ad from right to left in the left-right direction Y, as shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the head unit 60 is not shown except for the shaft 61 and the ejection head 64. The second state refers to a state in which the shaft 61 is rotated 180 degrees in a rotation direction R2 from the first state by the drive unit 62 (see FIG. 4). In FIG. 5, the rotation direction R2 is a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing, but the rotation direction R2 may be a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawing. 6, when the ejection head 64 is disposed in the second state, the nozzle rows of the ejection head 64 are arranged in the order of a first nozzle row 64aa, a second nozzle row 64ab, a third nozzle row 64ac, and a fourth nozzle row 64ad, from right to left in the left-right direction Y. When the shaft 61 is rotated 180 degrees in a rotation direction R3 from the second state, the ejection head 64 is in the first state. In FIG. 6, the rotation direction R3 is a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawing, but the rotation direction R3 may be a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing.

[0045] Here, in this specification, the direction W is set as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The direction W is a direction from the fourth nozzle row 64ad to the first nozzle row 64aa in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, when the ejection head 64 is in the first state, the direction W is a direction from left to right as shown in Figure 5. Also, when the ejection head 64 is in the second state, the direction W is a direction from right to left as shown in Figure 6. That is, the orientation of the direction W with respect to the left-right direction Y changes as the ejection head 64 switches between the first state and the second state.

[0046] The control device 100 controls the overall operation of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1. The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. The control device 100 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data and the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage unit such as a memory that stores the program and various data. In this embodiment, the control device 100 is provided inside the main body 10. However, the control device 100 may be a computer or the like installed outside the main body 10. In this case, the control device 100 is connected to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 so as to be able to communicate with it via wire or wirelessly.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the control device 100. The control device 100 is communicatively connected to the first drive motor 27, the second drive motor 37, the third drive motor 47, the rotation motor 54, the movement motor 77, the travel motor 69, the discharge head 64, and the drive motor 62a, and is configured to be able to control these. The control device 100 includes a modeling table control unit 100A, a supply table control unit 100B, a collection table control unit 100C, a movement control unit 100D, a roller rotation control unit 100E, a head rotation control unit 100F, and a discharge control unit 100G. The functions of each unit of the control device 100 are realized, for example, by a program. The program may be read from a recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, or may be downloaded via the Internet or the like. The functions of each unit of the control device 100 may be realized by a processor and / or a circuit, etc.

[0048] The modeling table control unit 100A controls the first drive motor 27 to move the modeling table 24 in the up-down direction Z. The modeling table control unit 100A moves the modeling table 24 downward when the three-dimensional object 92 (see FIG. 1) is being modeled. The supply table control unit 100B controls the second drive motor 37 to move the supply table 34 in the up-down direction Z. The supply table control unit 100B moves the supply table 34 upward when the three-dimensional object 92 is being modeled. The recovery table control unit 100C controls the third drive motor 47 to move the recovery table 44 in the up-down direction Z. The recovery table control unit 100C moves the recovery table 44 downward when the three-dimensional object 92 is being modeled.

[0049] The movement control unit 100D controls the movement motor 77 to move the support member 70 horizontally in the front-rear direction X. The movement control unit 100D also controls the running motor 69 to move the discharge head 64 horizontally in the left-right direction Y. In this embodiment, the distance by which the movement control unit 100D moves the discharge head 64 in the left-right direction Y is the same when moving from left to right and when moving from right to left. The roller rotation control unit 100E controls the rotation motor 54 to rotate the roller 53 in a rotation direction R1 (see FIG. 1). The roller rotation control unit 100E controls the timing and rotation speed of the rotation motor 54.

[0050] The head rotation control unit 100F controls the drive motor 62a to control the rotation of the rotary shaft 62aa. That is, the head rotation control unit 100F controls the switching between the first state and the second state with respect to the position of the ejection head 64. In this embodiment, when the ejection head 64 moves from the left to the right in the left-right direction Y, the head rotation control unit 100F controls the drive motor 62a so that the ejection head 64 is disposed in the first state. Also, when the ejection head 64 moves from the right to the left in the left-right direction Y, the head rotation control unit 100F controls the drive motor 62a so that the ejection head 64 is disposed in the second state.

[0051] The discharge control unit 100G corrects the landing position of the curable liquid and controls the discharge of the curable liquid from the discharge head 64. When the discharge head 64 is disposed at a desired position, the discharge control unit 100G sends a signal to the discharge head 64 to discharge the curable liquid from the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad (see FIG. 5) of the discharge head 64. Here, the discharge control unit 100G sends the signal while correcting the landing position of the curable liquid. For example, when the nozzles 64a are arranged with a slight inclination in the left-right direction with respect to the front-back direction X, the landing position of the curable liquid is shifted compared to when the nozzles 64a are arranged with no inclination. The discharge control unit 100G controls the discharge of the curable liquid using a correction value that corrects the shift. The correction value for the landing position may be determined in advance by the user. The method of determining the correction value for the landing position is performed by a known method. In this embodiment, the discharge control unit 100G controls the discharge of the curable liquid using the same correction value when the discharge head 64 moves from left to right in the left-right direction Y and when it moves from right to left.

[0052] The configuration of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 in this embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation when forming one layer of the hardened layer 91 using the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the support member 70 waits at a home position HP during modeling standby when three-dimensional modeling is not being performed or when the formation of one layer of the hardened layer 91 is completed. The home position HP is located behind the supply tank 30. When forming one layer of the hardened layer 91 using the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1, first, a spreading process is performed in which the powder material 90 is spread in the modeling tank 20 to the thickness of one layer of the hardened layer 91. Next, a discharge process is performed in which the hardening liquid is discharged onto the powder material 90 spread in the thickness of one layer of the hardened layer 91. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 repeats the spreading process and the discharge process to form a three-dimensional model 92.

[0053] In the spreading process, the modeling table control unit 100A controls the first drive motor 27 to move the modeling table 24 downward by the height of one hardened layer 91. The supply table control unit 100B controls the second drive motor 37 to move the supply table 34 upward. As a result, a part of the powder material 90 stored in the storage space 30A is pushed up above the upper end of the supply tank 30. The recovery table control unit 100C controls the third drive motor 47 to move the recovery table 44 downward. The roller rotation control unit 100E controls the rotation motor 54 to rotate the roller 53 in the rotation direction R1, that is, the clockwise direction in FIG. 1. The movement control unit 100D controls the movement motor 77 to move the support member 70 in a direction from the rear to the front. At this time, the powder material 90 pushed up by the supply table 34 is spread in the modeling tank 20. The remaining powder material 90 that is not accommodated in the modeling tank 20 is moved forward by the rollers 53 and collected in the recovery tank 40. When the spreading process is completed, the support member 70 is disposed behind the recovery tank 40. In other words, the discharge head 64 is disposed behind the recovery tank 40.

[0054] Next, the discharge process of discharging the hardening liquid onto the powder material 90 spread by the spreading process will be described. FIGS. 8A to 8D are schematic explanatory diagrams showing the discharge process. FIG. 8A is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the start of the discharge process. After the spreading process is completed, the movement control unit 100D controls the movement motor 77 to move the support member 70 in a direction from the front to the rear. As shown in FIG. 8A, the movement control unit 100D moves the support member 70 so that at least a part of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad of the discharge head 64 is positioned to overlap the hardened layer 91 in the left-right direction Y. At this time, the discharge head 64 is disposed in the first state.

[0055] FIG. 8B is a schematic explanatory diagram when the discharge head 64 in the first state discharges the hardening liquid onto the hardening layer 91. As shown in FIG. 8B, the discharge head 64 moves in the left-right direction Y and discharges the hardening liquid onto the powder material 90 contained in the modeling space 20A. That is, the movement control unit 100D controls the travel motor 69 of the second moving mechanism 65 to move the discharge head 64 from left to right, and the discharge control unit 100G controls the discharge of the hardening liquid by the discharge head 64. The position of the discharge head 64 in the left-right direction Y is detected, for example, by using a sensor. When the sensor confirms that the discharge head 64 has reached a predetermined position, the hardening liquid is discharged from the discharge head 64. The powder material 90 into which the hardening liquid has been discharged is formed as a part of the hardening layer 91. Thereafter, when the discharge head 64 reaches a position to the right of the modeling tank 20, the movement control unit 100D stops the movement of the discharge head 64.

[0056] FIG. 8C is a schematic explanatory diagram for switching the first state and the second state of the discharge head 64. As shown in FIG. 8C, when the movement of the discharge head 64 in the left-right direction Y and the discharge of the curable liquid are completed once, the discharge head 64 is switched from the first state to the second state. That is, the head rotation control unit 100F controls the drive motor 62a to rotate the rotary shaft 62aa, thereby rotating the shaft 61 through the rotation of the drive gear 62b, the driven gear 62c, and the rotary shaft 62d. The head rotation control unit 100F rotates the shaft 61 180 degrees in the rotation direction R2 (see FIG. 5). At this time, the direction W is a direction from right to left. Furthermore, after the discharge head 64 has entered the second state, the movement control unit 100D controls the movement motor 77 of the first movement mechanism 72 to move the support member 70 from the front to the rear. The movement control unit 100D moves the support member 70 so that, for example, the front ends of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad after movement are positioned at the rear end positions of the first nozzle row 64aa to the fourth nozzle row 64ad before movement.

[0057] FIG. 8D is a schematic explanatory diagram when the discharge head 64 in the second state discharges the hardening liquid onto the hardened layer 91. As shown in FIG. 8D, the discharge head 64 discharges the hardening liquid onto the powder material 90 while moving in the left-right direction Y. That is, the movement control unit 100D controls the travel motor 69 to move the discharge head 64 from right to left, and the discharge control unit 100G controls the discharge of the hardening liquid by the discharge head 64. The powder material 90 onto which the hardening liquid has been discharged is formed as a part of the hardened layer 91. Thereafter, when the discharge head 64 reaches a position to the left of the modeling tank 20, the movement of the discharge head 64 is stopped by the movement control unit 100D. By repeating the processes shown in FIG. 8A to FIG. 8D for all areas of the modeling tank 20 that require the discharge of the hardening liquid, one layer of the hardened layer 91 is formed.

[0058] As described above, according to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of moving the discharge head 64 in the left-right direction Y by the second moving mechanism 65 and discharging the hardening liquid onto the powder material 90 contained in the modeling space 20A and the operation of moving the discharge head 64 in the front-back direction X by the first moving mechanism 72 are repeated. At this time, the discharge head 64 moves in the left-right direction Y while switching between the first state and the second state. Therefore, the direction in which the discharge head 64 moves relative to the powder material 90 contained in the modeling space 20A is the same regardless of whether the discharge head 64 moves in the left-right direction Y. In other words, even if the discharge head 64 is a head that can discharge only when moving in a single direction, the hardening liquid can be discharged in either direction of the left-right direction Y. As a result, the formation efficiency of the three-dimensional model 92 can be maintained regardless of the type of the discharge head 64.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the length L2 in the left-right direction Y of the discharge head 64 is shorter than the length L1 in the left-right direction Y of the modeling tank 20. Therefore, the discharge head 64 can be made smaller than when a head having a length in the left-right direction Y longer than the length L1 in the left-right direction Y of the modeling tank 20, such as a line head, is used. This allows the cost required for the discharge head 64 to be reduced.

[0060] According to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the discharge head 64 discharges the curable liquid onto the powder material 90 accommodated in the modeling space 20A when moving from left to right in the left-right direction Y in the first state. Also, the discharge head 64 discharges the curable liquid onto the powder material 90 accommodated in the modeling space 20A when moving from right to left in the left-right direction in the second state. Therefore, the discharge head 64 discharges the curable liquid when moving from left to right in the left-right direction Y and when moving from right to left (so-called "bidirectional printing"). Meanwhile, the discharge head 64 moves in the direction W relative to the desired position of the powder material 90 in the discharge process. When viewed from the discharge head 64, the direction in which the discharge head 64 moves when discharging the curable liquid is always the direction W. Therefore, when viewed from the discharge head 64, the discharge head 64 discharges the curable liquid while moving only in the direction W (so-called "unidirectional printing"). This allows for apparent bidirectional printing even when the ejection head 64 is a head used for unidirectional printing.

[0061] In addition, in the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the discharge head 64 always moves in the direction W with respect to the desired position when the discharge head 64 discharges the curable liquid. Here, the discharge head 64 has a length in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, in general bidirectional printing, the desired position when the discharge head 64 starts discharging the curable liquid does not match when moving from left to right in the left-right direction Y and when moving from right to left. The desired position is detected, for example, by a sensor. At this time, at least two sensors are required when moving from right to left and when moving from left to right. However, in this embodiment, the desired position only needs to consider the position of the discharge head 64 in the direction W. Therefore, for example, it is sufficient to provide one sensor for detecting the desired position, and the number of components constituting the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 and the cost can be reduced.

[0062] According to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the nozzle rows 64aa to 64ad have the same length in the front-rear direction X. Moreover, the positions of the centers of the nozzle rows 64aa to 64ad are all aligned in the front-rear direction X. Moreover, the position of the center of the shaft 61 and the position of the center of the nozzle rows 64aa to 64ad are aligned in the front-rear direction X. Therefore, when the discharge head 64 is switched between the first state and the second state, the positions of the nozzle rows 64aa to 64ad do not change in the front-rear direction X. When the discharge head 64 is switched between the first state and the second state, if the positions of the nozzle rows 64aa to 64ad change in the front-rear direction X, it becomes necessary to correct the amount of movement of the support member 70 by the first moving mechanism 72 by taking into account the amount of deviation. However, in this embodiment, even when the first state and the second state are switched, it is not necessary to correct the amount of movement of the support member 70 by the first moving mechanism 72. Therefore, control of the movement of the support member 70 in the front-rear direction by the first movement mechanism 72 is relatively simplified.

[0063] According to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the position of the center of the nozzle surface 64b of the ejection head 64 coincides with the position of the center of the shaft 61 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, when the shaft 61 rotates and the ejection head 64 is switched between the first state and the second state, the position of the nozzle surface 64b in the left-right direction Y does not change. Therefore, the movement distance of the ejection head 64 can be made the same when the ejection head 64 moves from left to right in the left-right direction Y as when the ejection head 64 moves from right to left. Therefore, control of the movement of the ejection head 64 by the second movement mechanism 65 is relatively simplified.

[0064] According to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the discharge control unit 100G of the control device 100 controls the discharge of the curable liquid using the same correction value when the discharge head 64 moves from left to right and when it moves from right to left in the left-right direction Y. Here, in bidirectional printing, for example, the deviation of the arrangement of the nozzles 64a from the desired position differs depending on the direction of movement of the discharge head 64. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a correction value when the discharge head 64 moves from left to right and when it moves from right to left. However, in this embodiment, by switching between the first state and the second state of the discharge head 64, the discharge head 64 always moves in the direction W when discharging the curable liquid. Since the direction of movement does not change as seen from the discharge head 64, only one correction value for the landing position is required. Therefore, the curable liquid can be discharged using the same correction value when the discharge head 64 moves from left to right in the left-right direction Y and when it moves from right to left. This makes it relatively easy to control the ejection of the curable liquid.

[0065] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the shaft 61 is disposed at the center of the discharge head 64 in the front-rear direction X, but is not limited thereto. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a discharge head 64 according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, for example, the shaft 61 may be disposed at the rear end of the discharge head 64 in the front-rear direction X. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the first state and the second state of the discharge head 64 are switched around the shaft 61 located at the rear end of the discharge head 64. In FIG. 9, the discharge head 64 in the second state is shown by a two-dot chain line. In this case, as in the above-described embodiment, the curable liquid can be discharged from the discharge head 64 when the discharge head 64 moves from left to right and when the discharge head 64 moves from right to left. Therefore, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 3D printing equipment 20 Modeling tank 20A Creative Space 64 Discharge Head 64a Nozzle 65 Second movement mechanism 72 1st movement mechanism 90 Powder materials 91 Hardened layer 92 Three-dimensional objects X Anteroposterior direction (first direction) Y left / right direction (second direction)

Claims

1. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a three-dimensional object by hardening a powder material to form a hardened layer and stacking the hardened layers in sequence, comprising: a modeling tank that contains the powder material and has a modeling space in which the three-dimensional object is modeled; a discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a hardening liquid onto the powder material contained in the modeling space; a first moving mechanism that moves the discharge head in a horizontal first direction relative to the modeling tank; a second moving mechanism that moves the discharge head relative to the modeling tank in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view; a rotation shaft connected to the ejection head and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, a length of the discharge head in the second direction is shorter than a length of the modeling tank in the second direction; the dispensing head dispenses the curable liquid when moving in the second direction relative to the modeling tank; The ejection head includes: a first nozzle row in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged in the first direction; a second nozzle row in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged in parallel with the first nozzle row in the second direction, The three-dimensional printing device is configured so that the ejection head can be switched between a first state in which the first nozzle row is aligned to one side of the second direction relative to the second nozzle row, and a second state in which the ejection head is rotated 180 degrees from the first state around the axial direction of the rotation shaft.

2. 2. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, wherein when the ejection head is disposed in the first state, the ejection head ejects the curable liquid while moving from one side to the other side in the second direction, and when the ejection head is disposed in the second state, the ejection head ejects the curable liquid while moving from the other side to one side in the second direction.

3. a length of the first nozzle row in the first direction is equal to a length of the second nozzle row in the first direction, a center of the first nozzle row and a center of the second nozzle row are disposed at the same position in the first direction; The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation axis is disposed at a center position of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row in the first direction.

4. the ejection head has a nozzle surface on which the plurality of nozzles are formed, The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation axis is disposed at a center position of the nozzle surface in the second direction.

5. a control device for controlling ejection of the curable liquid from the plurality of nozzles, the control device includes a discharge control unit that corrects a landing position of the hardenable liquid and discharges the hardenable liquid, 2. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge control unit corrects the landing position in the same manner when the discharge head moves from one side to the other side in the second direction by the second moving mechanism and when the discharge head moves from the other side to one side in the second direction.

Images