Three-dimensional molding device

Abstract

To provide a technology that can suppress uneven heating when heating a molded object by a heating section.SOLUTION: The three-dimensional molding device comprises: a first heating section in a plate shape that has a heating surface for heating plasticization materials laminated on a stage, and has a through hole formed inside which at least a portion of the nozzle is positioned during molding of the three-dimensional molded object; a measurement section having a first sensor for measuring the position of the heating surface; and a control section. The heating surface includes a first heating area and a second heating area. The first heating section has a first heater section arranged corresponding to the first heating area and a second heater section arranged corresponding to the second heating area. The control section performs a first process of setting the output of the first heater section to be smaller than the output of the second heater section when, based on the measurement of the position of the heating surface, the distance between the first heating area and the stage is determined to be a first distance, and the distance between the second heating area and the stage is determined to be a second distance greater than the first distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensional printing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] The three-dimensional modeling apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a heating unit that heats a modeling material that is stacked in a modeling area of ​​a stage. The heating unit has a shape that covers the modeling area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-170965 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a demand for a technology that can prevent uneven heating when a model is heated by a heating unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising: a plasticizing unit that plasticizes a material to generate a plasticized material, a nozzle that discharges the plasticized material, a stage having a modeling surface on which the plasticized material is deposited, a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage, a plate-shaped first heating unit that has a heating surface that heats the plasticized material deposited on the stage and has a through-hole formed therein through which at least a portion of the nozzle is positioned during modeling of a three-dimensional object, a measuring unit that has a first sensor that measures the position of the heating surface, and a control unit, The heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region, and the first heating region has a first heater region arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater region arranged corresponding to the second heating region, and when the control unit determines, by measuring the position of the heating surface, that the distance between the first heating region and the stage is a first distance and that the distance between the second heating region and the stage is a second distance greater than the first distance, it executes a first process to set the output of the first heater region to be smaller than the output of the second heater region.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus including: a plasticizing unit that plasticizes a material to produce a plasticized material; a nozzle that discharges the plasticized material; a stage having a modeling surface on which the plasticized material is deposited; a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage; a plate-like first heating unit that has a heating surface that heats the plasticized material deposited on the stage and has a through-hole formed therein through which at least a portion of the nozzle is positioned when a three-dimensional object is formed; a measuring unit that has a second sensor that measures the temperature of the heating surface; and a measuring unit that is capable of adjusting the attitude of the first heating unit. and a control unit, wherein the heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region, the first heating region having a first heater portion arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater portion arranged corresponding to the second heating region, and when the control unit determines by measuring the temperature of the heating surface that the temperature of the first heating region is higher than the temperature of the second heating region, the control unit executes a second process to control the adjustment mechanism so that the distance between the first heating region and the stage becomes greater than the distance between the second heating region and the stage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing a schematic configuration of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing a schematic configuration of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a screw. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the barrel. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a first heating section and a first supporting section. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first heating unit and a first sensor. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a three-dimensional modeling process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a heater output setting process. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first heating unit and a second sensor in a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a three-dimensional modeling process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an attitude adjustment process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first heating unit and a first sensor in a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first distance is smaller than the second distance. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first distance is greater than the second distance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a three-dimensional printing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the three-dimensional printing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In FIGS. 1 and 2, arrows are shown along the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions. The X, Y, and Z directions are directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, which are three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. Each of the X, Y, and Z directions includes both a direction on one side of the X, Y, and Z axes and a direction opposite the X, Y, and Z axes. The X and Y axes are axes along a horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis along a vertical line. The −Z direction is the vertical direction, and the +Z direction is the direction opposite the vertical direction. The −Z direction is also referred to as “down,” and the +Z direction is also referred to as “up.” Arrows along the X, Y, and Z directions are also shown in other figures as appropriate. The X, Y, and Z directions in FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the same directions as those in other figures.

[0009] The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 includes a modeling unit 200, a stage 300, a moving unit 400, a control unit 500, a first heating unit 600, and a first support unit 700 having an adjustment mechanism 800.

[0010] The control unit 500 is a control device that controls the overall operation of the 3D printing apparatus 100. The control unit 500 is configured by a computer having one or more processors, a memory, and an input / output interface for inputting and outputting signals from and to the outside. A display unit 550 is connected to the control unit 500. The control unit 500 executes the 3D printing process described below by having the processor execute programs and instructions loaded onto the main memory device. Note that instead of being configured by a computer, the control unit 500 may be realized by a configuration combining multiple circuits for realizing at least some of the functions.

[0011] Under the control of the control unit 500, the modeling unit 200 plasticizes a solid material to form a paste-like plasticized material, and dispenses the plasticized material onto the modeling stage 300, which serves as the base for a three-dimensional model. The modeling unit 200 includes a material supply unit 20, which is a supply source of the material before it is converted into the plasticized material, a plasticizing unit 30, which plasticizes the material to generate the plasticized material, and a nozzle 61, which dispenses the generated plasticized material. The modeling unit 200 is also referred to as a head.

[0012] The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a first modeling unit 200a and a second modeling unit 200b as the modeling unit 200. The first modeling unit 200a includes a first material supply unit 20a as the material supply unit 20, a first plasticizing unit 30a as the plasticizing unit 30, and a first nozzle 61a as the nozzle 61. The second modeling unit 200b includes a second material supply unit 20b as the material supply unit 20, a second plasticizing unit 30b as the plasticizing unit 30, and a second nozzle 61b as the nozzle 61. The first modeling unit 200a and the second modeling unit 200b are arranged side by side in the X direction so that the position of the first nozzle 61a in the Y direction and the position of the second nozzle 61b in the Y direction coincide with each other. In this embodiment, the second modeling unit 200b is arranged in the +X direction relative to the first modeling unit 200a. Because the first and second modeling units 200a and 200b have similar configurations, hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they may be simply referred to as modeling units 200. When distinguishing between the components of the first and second modeling units 200a and 200b, the components of the first and second modeling units 200a and 200b are designated with the letter "a" and the letter "b," respectively.

[0013] The material supply unit 20 contains material in the form of pellets, powder, or the like. In this embodiment, ABS resin formed into pellets is used as the material. In this embodiment, the material supply unit 20 is configured as a hopper. As shown in FIG. 2 , a supply path 22 is provided below the material supply unit 20, connecting the material supply unit 20 and the plasticizing unit 30. The material supply unit 20 supplies the material to the plasticizing unit 30 via the supply path 22.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the plasticizing unit 30 includes a screw case 31, a drive motor 32, a screw 40, and a barrel 50. The plasticizing unit 30 plasticizes at least a portion of the material supplied from the material supply unit 20 to generate a fluid, paste-like plasticized material, which is supplied to the nozzle 61. "Plasticization" is a concept that includes melting and refers to changing a material from a solid to a fluid state. Specifically, for materials that undergo glass transition, plasticization refers to raising the temperature of the material above the glass transition point. For materials that do not undergo glass transition, plasticization refers to raising the temperature of the material above the melting point.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the screw lower surface 42 side of the screw 40. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the barrel upper surface 52 side of the barrel 50. The screw 40 in this embodiment is a flat screw having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the length in the axial direction, which is the direction along the central axis RX, is shorter than the length in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The screw 40 is arranged so that the central axis RX, which is the center of rotation, is parallel to the Z direction. The screw 40 is also called a rotor or scroll.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the screw 40 is housed in a screw case 31. The screw top surface 41 side of the screw 40 is connected to a drive motor 32, and the screw 40 rotates in the screw case 31 by the rotational driving force generated by the drive motor 32. The drive motor 32 is driven under the control of a control unit 500. Note that the screw 40 may be driven by the drive motor 32 via a reducer.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3 , a spiral groove 45 is formed on the screw lower surface 42. The supply path 22 of the material supply unit 20 described above communicates with the groove 45 from the side surface of the screw 40. The groove 45 continues to a material inlet 44 formed on the side surface of the screw 40. This material inlet 44 is a portion that receives the material supplied via the supply path 22 of the material supply unit 20. As shown in FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, three grooves 45 are formed, separated by ridges 46. The number of grooves 45 is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or more. The groove 45 is not limited to a spiral shape, but may also be a spiral shape or an involute curve shape, or may have a shape that extends in an arc from a center portion 47 to the outer periphery.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the barrel 50 is disposed below the screw 40. The barrel upper surface 52 faces the screw lower surface 42, and a space is formed between the groove 45 of the screw lower surface 42 and the barrel upper surface 52. The barrel 50 has a communication hole 56 on the central axis RX of the screw 40 that communicates with a nozzle flow path 65 of a nozzle 61, which will be described later. The barrel 50 has a second heating unit 58 built in at a position facing the groove 45 of the screw 40, for heating the material in the groove 45. The temperature of the second heating unit 58 is controlled by a control unit 500.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of guide grooves 54 are formed around the communicating holes 56 in the barrel upper surface 52. One end of each guide groove 54 is connected to the communicating hole 56, and extends in a spiral shape from the communicating hole 56 toward the outer periphery of the barrel upper surface 52. Each guide groove 54 has the function of guiding the plasticized material to the communicating hole 56. Note that one end of each guide groove 54 does not have to be connected to the communicating hole 56. Furthermore, the barrel 50 does not necessarily have to have any guide grooves 54 formed therein.

[0020] The material supplied into the groove 45 of the screw 40 is plasticized within the groove 45, flows along the groove 45 as the screw 40 rotates, and is guided to the central portion 47 of the screw 40 as a plasticized material. The paste-like plasticized material that has flowed into the central portion 47 and exhibits fluidity is supplied to the nozzle 61 via the communicating hole 56. It is not necessary for all types of substances that make up the plasticized material to be plasticized; it is sufficient that at least some types of substances that make up the plasticized material are plasticized, thereby converting the plasticized material as a whole into a fluid state.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 61 includes a nozzle flow path 65 and a tip surface 63 provided with a nozzle opening 62. The nozzle flow path 65 is a flow path for the plasticized material formed within the nozzle 61 and is connected to the communication hole 56 of the barrel 50 described above. The tip surface 63 constitutes the tip portion of the nozzle 61 that protrudes in the -Z direction toward the stage 300. The nozzle opening 62 is a portion of the nozzle flow path 65 where the flow path cross section is reduced and is provided at the end of the nozzle flow path 65 that communicates with the atmosphere. A first nozzle opening 62a is formed in the first tip surface 63a of the first nozzle 61a, and a second nozzle opening 62b is formed in the second tip surface 63b of the second nozzle 61b. The plasticized material produced by the plasticizing unit 30 is supplied to the nozzle 61 through the communication hole 56 and discharged from the nozzle opening 62 via the nozzle flow path 65.

[0022] The stage 300 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle opening 62. The three-dimensional modeling device 100 ejects plasticized material from the nozzle opening 62 toward the modeling surface 321 of the stage 300, and forms a three-dimensional object by stacking layers of the plasticized material on the modeling surface 321. The layers of plasticized material stacked on the modeling surface 321 are also called modeling layers.

[0023] The moving unit 400 changes the relative position between the nozzle 61 and the stage 300. In the present embodiment, the moving unit 400 moves the modeling unit 200 along the Z direction, which is the stacking direction, and moves the stage 300 in a direction intersecting the stacking direction, thereby changing the relative position between the nozzle 61 and the stage 300. More specifically, the moving unit 400 in the present embodiment moves the modeling unit 200 along the Z direction, thereby changing the relative position between the nozzle 61 and the stage 300 in the Z direction, and moves the stage 300 in the X direction and Y direction, which are perpendicular to the Z direction, thereby changing the relative positions between the nozzle 61 and the stage 300 in the X direction and Y direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , the moving unit 400 includes a first electric actuator 410 that moves the stage 300 in the X direction, a second electric actuator 420 that moves the stage 300 and the first electric actuator 410 in the Y direction, and a third electric actuator 430 that moves the modeling unit 200 in the Z direction. More specifically, the third electric actuator 430 moves a movable unit 431, to which the first modeling unit 200a and the second modeling unit 200b are fixed, in the Z direction, thereby moving the first modeling unit 200a and the second modeling unit 200b in the Z direction. The first electric actuator 410, the second electric actuator 420, and the third electric actuator 430 are driven under the control of the control unit 500. Note that the third electric actuator 430 and the movable unit 431 are omitted from FIG. 2 .

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 , a first support unit 700 is also fixed to the movable unit 431. The first support unit 700 supports the plate-shaped first heating unit 600, thereby positioning the first heating unit 600 facing the stage 300. Therefore, in this embodiment, the third electric actuator 430 moves the first support unit 700 along the Z direction together with the modeling unit 200 while maintaining the positional relationship between the modeling unit 200 and the first support unit 700. In other words, it can be said that the first support unit 700 is configured so that its position relative to the stage 300 changes together with the nozzle 61. Similarly, it can be said that the position of the first heating unit 600 supported by the first support unit 700 changes together with the nozzle 61. Note that the first support unit 700 is omitted from FIG. 2 .

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, the moving unit 400 moves the modeling unit 200 along the Z direction, which is the stacking direction, and moves the stage 300 in a direction intersecting the stacking direction. In contrast, in other embodiments, the moving unit 400 may, for example, move the stage 300 in the Z direction and move the modeling unit 200 along the X and Y directions, or may move the stage 300 in the X, Y, and Z directions without moving the modeling unit 200, or may move the modeling unit 200 in the X, Y, and Z directions without moving the stage 300. Note that, hereinafter, a change in the position of the nozzle 61 relative to the stage 300 may simply be referred to as movement of the nozzle 61. In this embodiment, for example, moving the stage 300 in the +X direction relative to the nozzle 61 can also be rephrased as moving the nozzle 61 in the −X direction. Similarly, changes in the relative positions of the modeling unit 200, the first heating unit 600, and the first support unit 700 with respect to the stage 300 may also be simply referred to as movement of the modeling unit 200, the first heating unit 600, and the first support unit 700.

[0026] 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the first heating section 600 and the first support section 700 in this embodiment. The first heating section 600 has a heating plate 620, a frame section 630 that supports the heating plate 620, and a first heater 610.

[0027] The first heating section 600 has a through hole 601 formed therein, which penetrates the first heating section 600 in a direction perpendicular to its surface. As shown in FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the first heating section 600 has a first through hole 601a and a second through hole 601b formed as the through hole 601. The first through hole 601a and the second through hole 601b are formed in the center of the first heating section 600 in the Y direction. The second through hole 601b is formed on the +X direction side of the first through hole 601a. ​​Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the first through hole 601a and the second through hole 601b, both will be simply referred to as the through hole 601. The through hole 601 is formed by connecting, in the Z direction, a hole formed to penetrate the first heater 610 in the Z direction and a hole formed to penetrate the heating plate 620 in the Z direction.

[0028] When the plasticizable material is being ejected to form a three-dimensional object, at least a portion of the nozzle 61 is located within the through-hole 601, as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, when viewed along the Z direction, it can also be said that the nozzle 61 is surrounded by the first heating unit 600. In this embodiment, when a three-dimensional object is being formed, the nozzle opening 62 is located between the heating surface 621 and the printing surface 321 in the Z direction. Note that this "between the heating surface 621 and the printing surface 321" does not include the same position as the heating surface 621 or the same position as the printing surface 321.

[0029] The nozzle 61 does not need to be located within the through-hole 601 except during modeling. In this embodiment, the modeling unit 200 is moved upward relative to the first heating unit 600 by the fourth electric actuator 440 shown in FIG. 1 under the control of the control unit 500, thereby moving the nozzle 61 above the first heating unit 600. In this manner, the fourth electric actuator 440 moves the modeling unit 200 along the Z direction, thereby switching between a state in which the nozzle 61 is located within the through-hole 601 and a retracted state in which the nozzle 61 is located above the first heating unit 600 and therefore not within the through-hole 601. Hereinafter, moving the nozzle 61 above the first heating unit 600 will also be referred to as "retracting the nozzle 61." In other embodiments, the fourth electric actuator 440 may be configured to switch between a state in which the nozzle 61 is positioned within the through hole 601 and a retracted state, for example, by moving the first heating section 600 along the Z direction relative to the modeling section 200.

[0030] 5 is configured as a rubber heater having a rectangular plate shape. The first heater 610 is electrically connected to the control unit 500 via wiring (not shown). The output and temperature of the first heater 610 are controlled by the control unit 500. In other embodiments, the first heater 610 may be configured as, for example, a halogen heater, a nichrome wire heater, a carbon heater, or the like. The upper surface of the first heater 610 is covered with a heat insulating material 650.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heating plate 620 has a rectangular plate shape. The lower surface of the heating plate 620 forms a heating surface 621. The heating surface 621 refers to the surface of the first heating unit 600 that is closest to the modeling surface 321. The area of ​​the heating surface 621 is larger than the area of ​​the modeling surface 321. A first heater 610 is disposed on the heating plate 620. The first heater 610 is attached to the upper surface of the heating plate 620. The heating plate 620 supplies heat supplied from the first heater 610 to the modeling layer via the heating surface 621.

[0032] The first support section 700 has a support member 710 and an adjustment mechanism 800 configured to be able to adjust the attitude of the first heating section 600.

[0033] The support member 710 is fixed so that its position relative to the stage 300 can be changed together with the nozzle 61. The support member 710 in this embodiment has a fixed plate 711 and a pair of arm portions 730. The fixed plate 711 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the X direction, and is fixed to the movable portion 431 so that its plate surface extends along the X direction and the Z direction and its longitudinal direction extends along the X direction. The arm portions 730 extend from the fixed plate 711 in the -Y direction and are fixed to the fixed plate 711 so that they face each other in the X direction.

[0034] The adjustment mechanism 800 is composed of three suspenders 810 provided on the first support unit 700. Of the three suspenders 810, the first suspender 810A suspends and supports the center in the X direction of the end of the first heating unit 600 in the Y direction. More specifically, the first suspender 810A suspends and supports the first heating unit 600 in the -Z direction from the center in the X direction of the fixing plate 711. The second suspender 810B and the third suspender 810C support the first heating unit 600 on the -Y direction side of the center position in the Y direction. More specifically, the second suspender 810B suspends and supports the first heating unit 600 in the -Z direction from the arm unit 730 arranged on the -X direction side. The third suspending unit 810C suspends and supports the first heating unit 600 in the -Z direction from an arm 730 arranged on the +X direction side. Each suspending unit 810 is configured so that its length along the Z direction is adjustable. For example, each suspending unit 810 includes a direct-acting cylinder equipped with a ball screw and a motor, and the length of each suspending unit 810 is adjusted by the control unit 500 controlling the direct-acting cylinder. The direct-acting cylinder may be driven by air pressure or hydraulic pressure. Note that in the first embodiment, the length of the suspending unit 810 may be adjusted manually.

[0035] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the first heating unit 600 and the first sensor 910 in the first embodiment. The through-hole 601 formed in the first heating unit 600 is omitted in FIG. 6. The rectangular stage 300 is equipped with a first sensor 910 as a measurement unit that measures the distance from the stage 300 to the heating surface 621. In this embodiment, the first sensor 910 is composed of four laser displacement meters 911 provided at each of the four corners of the stage 300. The laser displacement meters 911 can measure the distance from the stage 300 to the heating surface 621 in a non-contact manner. The control unit 500 can continuously measure the overall height of the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910 by moving the stage 300 relative to the heating surface 621 in the X and Y directions. The measurement range of each laser displacement meter 911 is individually determined in advance. In this embodiment, the measurement area of ​​the heating surface 621 is divided into four sections in the planar direction, and one laser displacement meter 911 is assigned to each measurement area. In this way, by individually allocating measurement areas to the multiple laser displacement meters 911, the height of the entire heating surface 621 can be measured even if the movement amount of the stage 300 is limited. The boundaries of the measurement areas overlap. The control unit 500 corrects the measurement values ​​measured by each laser displacement meter 911 based on the measurement values ​​measured by each laser displacement meter 911 in the overlapping measurement areas. In this way, a wide measurement area can be measured with high accuracy using the multiple laser displacement meters 911. The control unit 500 can display the distance measured using the first sensor 910 on the display unit 550.

[0036] The heating surface 621 is divided into a plurality of heating regions HA. The plurality of heating regions HA includes at least a first heating region HA1 and a second heating region HA2. In this embodiment, the heating surface 621 includes nine heating regions HA. The first heater 610 has a plurality of heater sections HP corresponding to the respective heating regions HA. The control section 500 can individually control the output of each heater section HP. The heater sections HP include a first heater section HP1 disposed above the first heating region HA1 and a second heater section HP2 disposed above the second heating region HA2.

[0037] 7 is a flowchart of the three-dimensional printing process executed by the control unit 500. In step S100, the control unit 500 measures the position of the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910. Specifically, the control unit 500 measures the position of the entire heating surface 621, that is, the distance of the entire heating surface 621 from the stage 300, using the first sensor 910 while moving the stage 300 relatively in the planar direction with respect to the heating surface 621. In step S100, the control unit 500 retracts the nozzle 61 and then measures the position of the heating surface 621.

[0038] In step S110, the control unit 500 determines whether the flatness of the heating surface 621 is smaller than a first reference value. The flatness of the heating surface 621 is the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the heating surface 621. Therefore, the greater the flatness, the greater the difference in height of the heating surface 621. If the flatness is not smaller than the first reference value, i.e., if the flatness is equal to or greater than the first reference value, the control unit 500 notifies the user of an error in step S120. For example, the control unit 500 displays on the display unit 550 that the flatness of the heating surface 621 is equal to or greater than the first reference value. This prompts the user to adjust the orientation of the first heating unit 600. After notifying the error, the control unit 500 terminates the three-dimensional printing process. The control unit 500 may also notify the user of the error by audio.

[0039] If the control unit 500 determines in step S110 that the flatness of the heating surface is smaller than the first reference value, the control unit 500 executes a heater output setting process in step S130.

[0040] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the heater output setting process. As shown in FIG. 5, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 includes an adjustment mechanism 800 capable of adjusting the orientation of the first heating unit 600. However, because the first heating unit 600 is larger horizontally than the stage 300, it may be difficult to accurately position the first heating unit 600 parallel to the stage 300. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the first heating unit 600 may be positioned at an angle relative to the stage 300. Therefore, in the heater output setting process of step S130, the control unit 500 changes the output of the heater unit HP corresponding to each heating region HA according to the distance of each heating region HA from the stage 300. Specifically, the control unit 500 reduces the output of the heater unit HP located above the heating region HA for a heating region HA with a shorter representative distance from the stage 300. In other words, the control unit 500 increases the output of the heater unit HP located above the heating region HA for a heating region HA with a longer representative distance from the stage 300. In this embodiment, the representative distance is the average distance from the stage 300 to the heating region HA. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, if the first distance L1, which is the representative distance from the stage 300 to the first heating region HA1, is shorter than the second distance L2, which is the representative distance from the stage 300 to the second heating region HA2, the control unit 500 sets the output of the first heater element HP1, which is disposed above the first heating region HA1, to a value lower than the output of the second heater element HP2, which is disposed above the second heating region HA2. The heater output setting process in step S130 is also referred to as the first process. Note that the representative distance is not limited to the average distance in the heating region HA, but may also be the maximum or minimum distance in the heating region HA, or the distance at the center of the heating region HA.

[0041] After the output of each heater unit is set in step S130 of FIG. 7 , the control unit 500 executes the lamination process in step S140. The lamination process is a process in which the control unit 500 controls the movement unit 400 and the plasticization unit 30 in accordance with the modeling data to move the nozzle 61 and discharge the plasticized material from the nozzle 61 onto the stage 300, thereby laminating modeling layers on the modeling surface 321 and forming a three-dimensional object. Prior to the three-dimensional modeling process, the control unit 500 acquires modeling data from another device or a recording medium and stores the data in memory. The modeling data includes the movement path of the nozzle 61 and the amount of plasticized material discharged along each movement path. Prior to the lamination process, the control unit 500 positions the nozzle 61, which was retracted in step S100, within the through-hole 601. During the lamination process, the heater units HP whose outputs were set in step S130 heat the modeling layers formed on the stage 300. Heating the modeling layers during modeling increases the adhesion strength between the modeling layers, improving the modeling accuracy of the three-dimensional object. Note that the control unit 500 turns off distance measurement by the first sensor 910 during the lamination process.

[0042] According to the first embodiment described above, when the control unit 500 determines, by measuring the position of the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910, that the distance between the first heating region HA1 and the stage 300 is the first distance L1 and that the distance between the second heating region HA2 and the front stage is the second distance L2 that is larger than the first distance L1, the control unit 500 sets the output of the first heater unit HP1 to be smaller than the output of the second heater unit HP2. This makes it possible to uniformize the temperature distribution between the heating surface 621 and the stage 300, thereby preventing uneven heating of the object on the stage 300.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the flatness of the heating surface 621 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference value as a result of measurement of the position of the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910, the control unit 500 issues an error notification without executing the heater output setting process and the lamination process, and aborts the three-dimensional printing process. Therefore, when the flatness of the heating surface 621 is so high that uneven heating cannot be avoided even if the output of each heater element HP is adjusted, it is possible to prevent an object from being unnecessarily printed.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the processes of steps S110 and S120 shown in FIG. 7 may be omitted.

[0045] B. Second embodiment: 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first heating unit 600 and a second sensor 920 in the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 includes a first sensor 910 as a measurement unit. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 includes a second sensor 920 as a measurement unit. Note that in the second embodiment, the length of each hanging unit 810 is adjustable by the control unit 500, and the output of the first heater 610 cannot be adjusted for each heater unit HP.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the rectangular stage 300 is equipped with a second sensor 920 that measures the temperature of the heating surface 621. In this embodiment, the second sensor 920 is composed of four non-contact thermometers 921, each installed at one of the four corners of the stage 300. The control unit 500 can continuously measure the temperature of the entire heating surface 621 using the second sensor 920 by moving the stage 300 in the X and Y directions relative to the heating surface 621. The measurement range of each non-contact thermometer 921 is individually determined in advance. In this embodiment, the measurement area of ​​the heating surface 621 is divided into four areas in the planar direction, and one non-contact thermometer 921 is assigned to each measurement area. In this way, by individually assigning measurement areas to the multiple non-contact thermometers 921, the temperature of the entire heating surface 621 can be measured even when the movement of the stage 300 is limited. The boundaries of each measurement area overlap. The control unit 500 corrects the measurement values ​​measured by each non-contact thermometer 921 based on the measurement values ​​measured by each non-contact thermometer 921 in the overlapping measurement areas. In this way, a wide measurement area can be measured with high accuracy using multiple non-contact thermometers 921. The control unit 500 can display the temperature measured using the second sensor 920 on the display unit 550.

[0047] 10 is a flowchart of the three-dimensional printing process executed by the control unit 500 in the second embodiment. In step S200, the control unit 500 sets the first heater 610 to a predetermined output and then measures the temperature of the heating surface 621 using the second sensor 920. Specifically, the control unit 500 measures the temperature of the entire heating surface 621 using the second sensor 920 while moving the stage 300 in a planar direction relative to the heating surface 621. In step S200, the control unit 500 measures the temperature of the heating surface 621 after retracting the nozzle 61.

[0048] In step S210, the control unit 500 determines whether the temperature difference on the heating surface 621 is smaller than a second reference value. The temperature difference on the heating surface 621 is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures on the heating surface 621. If the temperature difference is not smaller than the second reference value, that is, if the temperature difference is equal to or greater than the second reference value, the control unit 500 notifies the user of an error in step S220. For example, the control unit 500 displays on the display unit 550 that the temperature difference on the heating surface 621 is equal to or greater than the first reference value. This notifies the user that a malfunction or failure has occurred in the first heating unit 600. After notifying the user of the error, the control unit 500 terminates the three-dimensional printing process.

[0049] If the control unit 500 determines in step S210 that the temperature difference of the heating surface 621 is smaller than the second reference value, the control unit 500 executes the attitude adjustment process in step S230.

[0050] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the attitude adjustment process. In the attitude adjustment process, the control unit 500 controls the adjustment mechanism 800 to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600 so that the heating region HA with a higher representative temperature is positioned at a greater vertical distance from the stage 300. In other words, the control unit 500 controls the adjustment mechanism 800 to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600 so that the heating region HA with a lower representative temperature is positioned at a smaller vertical distance from the stage 300. In this embodiment, the representative temperature is the average temperature in the heating region HA. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, if the temperature of the first heating region HA1 is higher than the temperature of the second heating region HA2, the control unit 500 controls the adjustment mechanism 800 to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600 so that the position of the first heating region HA1 is higher than the position of the second heating region HA2. The attitude adjustment process in step S230 is also referred to as the second process. The representative temperature is not limited to the average temperature in the heating area HA, but may be the maximum temperature or minimum temperature in the heating area HA, or the temperature at the center of the heating area HA.

[0051] In this embodiment, because the first heating section 600 is plate-shaped, the control section 500 cannot adjust the height of each heating region HA individually. Therefore, the control section 500 may adjust the attitude of the first heating section 600 so that, among the nine divided heating regions HA, excluding the central heating region HA, the height of the heating region HA with the lowest representative temperature is lower than the other heating regions HA, or so that the height of the heating region HA with the highest representative temperature is higher than the other heating regions HA.

[0052] 10, after the attitude of the first heating unit 600 is adjusted, in step S240, the control unit 500 executes the lamination process. Prior to the lamination process, the control unit 500 positions the nozzle 61, which was retracted in step S100, inside the through-hole 601. During the lamination process, the first heating unit 600, whose attitude was adjusted in step S230, heats the modeling layer formed on the stage 300. Note that the control unit 500 turns off temperature measurement by the second sensor 920 during the lamination process.

[0053] According to the second embodiment described above, when the control unit 500 determines, by measuring the temperature of the heating surface 621 using the second sensor 920, that the temperature of the first heating region HA1 is higher than the temperature of the second heating region HA2, it controls the adjustment mechanism 800 so that the distance between the first heating region HA1 and the stage 300 is greater than the distance between the second heating region HA2 and the stage 300. This makes it possible to uniformize the temperature distribution between the heating surface 621 and the stage 300, thereby preventing uneven heating of the object on the stage 300.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the temperature difference of the heating surface 621 measured using the second sensor 920 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second reference value, the control unit 500 stops the three-dimensional printing process by notifying an error without executing the posture adjustment process and the lamination process. Therefore, when the temperature difference of the heating surface 621 is large and uneven heating cannot be avoided even if the posture of the first heating unit 600 is adjusted, it is possible to prevent an object from being unnecessarily printed.

[0055] In the second embodiment, it is possible to omit the processes of step S210 and step S220 shown in Fig. 10. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the output of the first heater 610 cannot be adjusted for each heater section HP, but the output of the first heater 610 may be adjustable for each heater section HP.

[0056] C. Third embodiment: Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first heating unit 600 and a first sensor 910 in the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the first heating region HA1 is located inside the second heating region HA2 on the heating surface 621 of the first heating unit 600. In Fig. 12, the first heating region HA1 is hatched. As shown in Fig. 12, in this embodiment, the second heating region HA2 is arranged to surround the periphery of the first heating region HA1.

[0057] In the third embodiment, the control unit 500 executes a three-dimensional printing process similar to the three-dimensional printing process shown in FIG. 7 in the first embodiment. In the heater output setting process in step S130 in FIG. 7 in the first embodiment, the control unit 500 reduces the output of the heater element HP located above the heating region HA, the smaller the representative distance from the stage 300. In the present embodiment, in this heater output setting process, the control unit 500 further reduces the output difference between the first heater element HP1 and the second heater element HP2 when the first distance L1, which is the representative distance between the first heating region HA1 and the stage 300, is greater than the second distance L2, which is the representative distance between the second heating region HA2 and the stage 300, compared to the output difference between the first heater element HP1 and the second heater element HP2 when the first distance L1 is smaller than the second distance L2.

[0058] FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which the first distance L1 is smaller than the second distance L2. FIG. 14 illustrates a state in which the first distance L1 is larger than the second distance L2. In the third embodiment, the output difference between the first heater section HP1 and the second heater section HP2 illustrated in FIG. 14 is set smaller than the output difference between the first heater section HP1 and the second heater section HP2 illustrated in FIG. 13. That is, when the heating surface 621 is convex upward as illustrated in FIG. 14, the output difference between the first heater section HP1 and the second heater section HP2 is made smaller than when the heating surface 621 is convex downward as illustrated in FIG. 13, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the first heating area HA1 and the second heating area HA2. By doing so, the heating surface 621 is convex upward, which can prevent heat accumulation near the first heating area HA1 and prevent uneven heating. Note that when the heating surface 621 is convex downward as illustrated in FIG. 13, heat is easily dissipated to the sides, and therefore heat accumulation is not generated. Therefore, when the heating surface 621 is convex downward, the temperature difference between the first heating area HA1 and the second heating area HA2 may be larger than when the heating surface 621 is convex upward.

[0059] 12, the second heating region HA2 is arranged on the heating surface 621 so as to surround the periphery of the first heating region HA1. However, the arrangement of the first heating region HA1 and the second heating region HA2 is not limited to this, and the first heating region HA1 may be arranged so as to be sandwiched between two second heating regions HA2 in the X direction or Y direction. In other words, the entire periphery of the first heating region HA1 does not necessarily have to be surrounded by the second heating region HA2, and it is sufficient that the first heating region HA1 is located inside the second heating region HA2 in any horizontal direction.

[0060] D. Other Embodiments: (D1) In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 500 may have a function to measure the position of the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910 prior to execution of the three-dimensional printing process shown in FIG. 7 , and to control the adjustment mechanism 800 to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600 based on the measurement results. In other words, the control unit 500 may have a function to simultaneously measure the position of the heating surface 621 and adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600. If the first sensor 910 is a contact-type sensor, it may be difficult to simultaneously measure the position of the heating surface 621 by bringing the sensor into contact with the heating surface 621 and adjust the attitude of the first heating unit 600. In contrast, the first sensor 910 can measure the distance between the heating surface 621 and the stage 300 in a non-contact manner, making it easy for the control unit 500 to control the adjustment mechanism 800 while measuring the position of the heating surface 621. By adjusting the attitude of the first heating section 600 at the same time as measuring the position of the heating surface 621, the attitude of the first heating section 600 can be adjusted with high precision.

[0061] (D2) In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 500 may have a function of detecting foreign matter adhering to the heating surface 621 using the first sensor 910. For example, when measuring the heating surface 621, the control unit 500 can detect the presence or absence of foreign matter on the heating surface 621 by detecting an area where the measurement value is significantly different from other areas. For example, when executing step S100 of the three-dimensional printing process shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 500 may detect foreign matter simultaneously with measuring the position of the heating surface, and if a foreign matter is detected, may display an error on the display unit 550 indicating that a foreign matter has been detected, and may stop the three-dimensional printing process.

[0062] (D3) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 500 may analyze the modeling data used to model the object, and identify heating regions HA that do not pass over the object during the lamination process. The control unit 500 reduces or turns off the output of heater units HP that are provided above heating regions HA that do not pass over the object during the three-dimensional modeling process. This reduces power consumption.

[0063] (D4) In the above embodiment, the control unit 500 measures the distance from the stage 300 of the entire heating surface 621 or the temperature of the entire heating surface 621. In contrast, the control unit 500 may analyze the modeling data and measure the distance from the stage 300 and the temperature of the heating region HA on the heating surface 621 that passes over the model during the lamination process, but not measure the distance from the stage 300 and the temperature of the heating region HA that does not pass over.

[0064] (D5) The number of laser displacement meters 911 constituting the first sensor 910 in the first embodiment, and the number of non-contact thermometers 921 constituting the second sensor 920 in the second embodiment are not limited to four, but may be one to three, or five or more.

[0065] (D6) In the above embodiment, the first heating section 600 is supported by the first support section 700 by three suspenders 810. However, the number of suspenders 810 is not limited to three, and may be four or more.

[0066] (D7) In the above embodiment, the plasticizing unit 30 includes a flat screw. Alternatively, the plasticizing unit 30 may include an in-line screw instead of a flat screw, and the material may be plasticized by rotating the in-line screw. In this case, the barrel is formed into a cylindrical shape to accommodate the in-line screw, and is sometimes called a cylinder.

[0067] (D8) In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 is equipped with two nozzles 61. However, the number of nozzles 61 may be one or three or more. Furthermore, although the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 in the above embodiment is equipped with two modeling units 200, the number of modeling units 200 may be one or three or more. One modeling unit 200 may be equipped with multiple nozzles 61.

[0068] (D9) In the above embodiment, the modeling unit 200 is configured as a head that plasticizes and discharges a pellet-shaped material. In contrast, the modeling unit 200 may be configured as a head that plasticizes and discharges, for example, a filament-shaped material.

[0069] E. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described below can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0070] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus comprising: a plasticizing unit that plasticizes a material to generate a plasticized material; a nozzle that discharges the plasticized material; a stage having a modeling surface on which the plasticized material is deposited; a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage; a plate-shaped first heating unit that has a heating surface that heats the plasticized material deposited on the stage and has a through-hole formed therein through which at least a portion of the nozzle is positioned when a three-dimensional object is modeled; a measuring unit that has a first sensor that measures the position of the heating surface; and a control unit, The heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region, and the first heating region has a first heater region arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater region arranged corresponding to the second heating region, and when the control unit determines, by measuring the position of the heating surface, that the distance between the first heating region and the stage is a first distance and that the distance between the second heating region and the stage is a second distance greater than the first distance, it executes a first process to set the output of the first heater region to be smaller than the output of the second heater region. According to this aspect, the control unit executes the first process, and thus it is possible to prevent uneven heating when the first heating unit heats the model on the stage.

[0071] (2) In the above embodiment, the control unit may execute the first process when it determines, based on the measurement of the position of the heating surface, that the flatness of the heating surface is smaller than a predetermined first reference value, and may notify an error when it determines that the flatness is equal to or greater than the first reference value. According to this embodiment, an error can be notified when the flatness of the heating surface is so low that heating unevenness cannot be suppressed.

[0072] (3) In the above embodiment, the first heating region on the heating surface may be located inside the second heating region, and the control unit may, in the first process, make the difference in output between the first heater region and the second heater region when the first distance is greater than the second distance smaller than the difference in output between the first heater region and the second heater region when the first distance is smaller than the second distance. This embodiment can prevent heat from pooling near the first heating region located inside the second heating region.

[0073] (4) In the above aspect, the heating device may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit, and the control unit may control the adjustment mechanism to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit based on a result of measuring the position of the heating surface. According to this aspect, the attitude of the first heating unit can be adjusted with high precision.

[0074] (5) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a three-dimensional modeling apparatus including: a plasticizing unit that plasticizes a material to produce a plasticized material; a nozzle that discharges the plasticized material; a stage having a modeling surface on which the plasticized material is deposited; a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage; a plate-shaped first heating unit that has a heating surface that heats the plasticized material deposited on the stage and has a through-hole formed therein through which at least a portion of the nozzle is positioned when a three-dimensional object is being modeled; a measuring unit that has a second sensor that measures the temperature of the heating surface; and a measuring unit that is capable of adjusting the attitude of the first heating unit. and a control unit, wherein the heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region, the first heating region having a first heater portion arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater portion arranged corresponding to the second heating region, and when the control unit determines by measuring the temperature of the heating surface that the temperature of the first heating region is higher than the temperature of the second heating region, the control unit executes a second process to control the adjustment mechanism so that the distance between the first heating region and the stage becomes greater than the distance between the second heating region and the stage. According to this aspect, the control unit executes the second process, which makes it possible to prevent uneven heating when the first heating unit heats the object on the stage.

[0075] (6) In the above embodiment, the control unit may execute the second process when it determines, by measuring the temperature of the heating surface, that the temperature difference on the heating surface is smaller than a predetermined second reference value, and may notify an error when it determines that the temperature difference is equal to or greater than the second reference value. According to this embodiment, an error can be notified when the temperature difference on the heating surface is so great that uneven heating cannot be suppressed.

[0076] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described three-dimensional printing apparatus, but can be realized in various forms, such as a method for adjusting a three-dimensional printing apparatus, a computer program for controlling a three-dimensional printing apparatus, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium on which a computer program is recorded in a computer-readable manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 20...material supply section, 20a...first material supply section, 20b...second material supply section, 22...supply path, 30...plasticizing section, 30a...first plasticizing section, 30b...second plasticizing section, 31...screw case, 32...drive motor, 40...screw, 41...top surface of screw, 42...bottom surface of screw, 44...material inlet, 45...groove section, 46...ridge section, 47...center section, 50...barrel, 52...on barrel surface, 54... guide groove, 56... communication hole, 58... second heating section, 61... nozzle, 61a... first nozzle, 61b... second nozzle, 62... nozzle opening, 62a... first nozzle opening, 62b... second nozzle opening, 63... tip surface, 63a... first tip surface, 63b... second tip surface, 65... nozzle flow path, 100... three-dimensional printing device, 200... printing section, 200a... first printing section, 200b... second printing section, 300... Stage, 321...printing surface, 400...moving unit, 410...first electric actuator, 420...second electric actuator, 430...third electric actuator, 431...movable unit, 440...fourth electric actuator, 500...control unit, 550...display unit, 600...first heating unit, 601...through hole, 601a...first through hole, 601b...second through hole, 610...first heater, 620 ...heating plate, 621...heating surface, 630...frame portion, 650...insulating material, 700...first support portion, 710...support member, 711...fixing plate, 730...arm portion, 800...adjustment mechanism, 810...hanging portion, 810A...first hanging portion, 810B...second hanging portion, 810C...third hanging portion, 910...first sensor, 911...laser displacement meter, 920...second sensor, 921...non-contact thermometer

Claims

1. a plasticizing section for plasticizing the material to produce a plasticized material; a nozzle for discharging the plasticizing material; a stage having a build surface onto which the plasticized material is deposited; a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage; a plate-shaped first heating unit having a heating surface that heats the plasticizable material stacked on the stage, and in which a through hole is formed, into which at least a part of the nozzle is positioned during modeling of a three-dimensional object; a measuring unit having a first sensor for measuring the position of the heating surface; a control unit, the heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region; the first heating unit has a first heater unit arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater unit arranged corresponding to the second heating region, When the control unit determines, by measuring the position of the heating surface, that the distance between the first heating area and the stage is a first distance and that the distance between the second heating area and the stage is a second distance that is larger than the first distance, it executes a first process of setting the output of the first heater unit to be smaller than the output of the second heater unit. Three-dimensional printing equipment.

2. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, When the control unit determines that the flatness of the heating surface is smaller than a predetermined first reference value by measuring the position of the heating surface, it executes the first process, and when the control unit determines that the flatness is equal to or greater than the first reference value, it does not execute the first process and notifies an error.

3. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, On the heating surface, the first heating region is located inside the second heating region, The control unit, in the first process, reduces the output difference between the first heater unit and the second heater unit when the first distance is greater than the second distance to be smaller than the output difference between the first heater unit and the second heater unit when the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

4. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to be able to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit, The control unit controls the adjustment mechanism based on a result of measuring the position of the heating surface to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit.

5. a plasticizing section for plasticizing the material to produce a plasticized material; a nozzle for discharging the plasticizing material; a stage having a build surface onto which the plasticized material is deposited; a moving unit that changes the relative position between the nozzle and the stage; a plate-shaped first heating unit having a heating surface that heats the plasticizable material stacked on the stage, and in which a through hole is formed, into which at least a part of the nozzle is positioned during modeling of a three-dimensional object; a measuring unit having a second sensor for measuring the temperature of the heating surface; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the attitude of the first heating unit; a control unit, the heating surface includes a first heating region and a second heating region; the first heating unit has a first heater unit arranged corresponding to the first heating region and a second heater unit arranged corresponding to the second heating region, When the control unit determines that the temperature of the first heating region is higher than the temperature of the second heating region by measuring the temperature of the heating surface, the control unit executes a second process of controlling the adjustment mechanism so that the distance between the first heating region and the stage becomes larger than the distance between the second heating region and the stage. Three-dimensional printing equipment.

6. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 5, When the control unit determines, by measuring the temperature of the heating surface, that the temperature difference on the heating surface is smaller than a predetermined second reference value, it executes the second process, and when it determines that the temperature difference is equal to or greater than the second reference value, it does not execute the second process and notifies an error.

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