Method for displaying manufacturing information of a component, method for manufacturing a component, device for displaying manufacturing information of a component, 3D printer, method for displaying mechanical property information of a component, and device for displaying mechanical property information of a component.

Abstract

The present invention provides an information display device that can suggest appropriate materials and manufacturing conditions according to the mechanical properties of a component when forming that component. [Solution] This is a method for presenting manufacturing information for a component, which presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for the component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component, and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. The method for presenting manufacturing information for a component includes: a setting value acquisition step of acquiring a setting value for the mechanical properties of the component; an extraction step of extracting at least one of the material for the component and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the setting value acquired in the setting value acquisition step from material information which is linked to the mechanical properties of the component, the material for the component, and the manufacturing conditions for the component; and a manufacturing information presentation step of presenting the manufacturing information extracted in the extraction step.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for presenting manufacturing information of a member, a method for manufacturing a member, a device for presenting manufacturing information of a member, and a 3D printer, which present at least one of a material according to the mechanical characteristics of the member and manufacturing conditions of the member according to the mechanical characteristics of the member as manufacturing information of the member.

Background Art

[0002] For example, when a member of a machine is damaged, the damaged member is molded. The molding of the damaged member is performed using injection molding, a 3D printer, or the like. When molding is performed using a 3D printer, warpage or residual stress may occur in the molded product. Reduction of such warpage and residual stress of the molded product has been performed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses performing a molding simulation based on the molding conditions to obtain conditions under which either the warpage or the residual stress is within an allowable range.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when a person other than the manufacturer of the member molds the member, it is unclear what material should be used for molding without performing a component analysis of the damaged member. Therefore, there is a problem that a complicated operation is required for material selection. In addition, the manufacturing conditions corresponding to the mechanical characteristics required for the member are unclear, and there is a problem that appropriate manufacturing conditions must be obtained by trial and error.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a component information display device, etc., which, when forming a component, displays at least one of the following as manufacturing information for the component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

[0007] [1] A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component, which presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for a component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. A setting value acquisition step to acquire a set value for the mechanical properties of the aforementioned member, Extraction step: From material information which links the mechanical properties of the member, the material of the member, and the manufacturing conditions of the member, extract at least one of the material of the member and the manufacturing conditions of the member corresponding to the set value obtained in the set value acquisition step as manufacturing information of the member. A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component, comprising: a manufacturing information presentation step of presenting the manufacturing information extracted in the extraction step. [2] The material information is data linked to priority information that is presented in the manufacturing information presentation step, In the manufacturing information presentation step, the manufacturing information of the component is presented using the material information according to the priority order among a plurality of material information, as described in [1]. [3] The material information is linked to the hardness and tensile properties of the member as mechanical properties. A hardness acquisition step is to acquire the hardness of the molded member using the manufacturing information of the member presented in the manufacturing information presentation step, A tensile properties presentation step that presents the tensile properties corresponding to the hardness of the member, A method for presenting manufacturing information of the component described in [1] or [2], comprising: [4] A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to any one of [1] to [3], comprising a material information update step, which updates the mechanical properties of the material information using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information presentation step. [5] The aforementioned manufacturing conditions are setting conditions related to the molding of the component in the 3D printer, A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the setting conditions of the 3D printer are presented in the manufacturing information presentation step. [6] A method for manufacturing a component, using the method for presenting manufacturing information of the component described in [5], A setting step in which the setting conditions of the 3D printer presented in the manufacturing information presentation step are set on the 3D printer, A molding step in which the member is molded using the 3D printer set in the setting step, A method for manufacturing a component, comprising the same characteristics. [7] A device for presenting manufacturing information for a component, which presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for a component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component, and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. A setting value acquisition unit that acquires a set value for the mechanical properties of the aforementioned member, An extraction unit extracts, from material information which links the mechanical properties of the member, the material of the member, and the manufacturing conditions of the member, at least one of the material of the member and the manufacturing conditions of the member corresponding to the set value acquired by the set value acquisition unit, as manufacturing information of the member. A manufacturing information presentation device for a component, comprising: a manufacturing information presentation unit that presents the manufacturing information extracted by the extraction unit; and a manufacturing information presentation unit that presents the manufacturing information extracted by the extraction unit. [8] The aforementioned manufacturing conditions are the settings for the 3D printer. The manufacturing information display unit is a manufacturing information display device for the component described in [7], which displays the setting conditions for the 3D printer. [9] A 3D printer for manufacturing a member, using the member manufacturing information presenting apparatus described in [8], a molding unit that molds the member using the material of the member, and a setting unit that sets the setting conditions of the 3D printer presented by the manufacturing information presenting unit in the molding unit. A 3D printer.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the member manufacturing information presenting method of the present invention, an extraction step of extracting at least one of the material of the member corresponding to the set value obtained in the set value acquisition step and the manufacturing conditions of the member from the material information in which mechanical characteristics, materials, etc. are linked is provided as manufacturing information of the member. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the material of the member and the manufacturing conditions of the member only by inputting the mechanical characteristics required for the member. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily mold the member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1] It is a functional block diagram of a member manufacturing information presenting apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a data structure of material information. [Figure 3] It is a graph showing the force with respect to the stroke in a hardness test. [Figure 4] It is a graph showing the tensile strength with respect to the maximum load in a hardness test. [Figure 5] It is a graph showing the yield stress with respect to the maximum load in the estimated elastic range in a hardness test. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing the uniform elongation with respect to the stroke when a predetermined load is applied in a hardness test. [Figure 7] It is a processing flow of a member manufacturing information presenting method. [Figure 8] It is a functional block diagram of a 3D printer. [Figure 9]This is a processing flow for a method of manufacturing components, using a method for presenting manufacturing information for components. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (First Embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows the functional block of the component manufacturing information display device 100. The component manufacturing information display device 100 in Figure 1 displays at least one of the following as component manufacturing information: the material according to the mechanical properties of the component, and the manufacturing conditions of the component according to the mechanical properties of the component.

[0011] The component is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a part of equipment used in, for example, factory production facilities. The component is not particularly limited as long as it can be molded by a 3D printer or injection molding, but examples include metal, resin, gypsum, and ceramics. In this embodiment, an example of a component molded from metal or resin will be described.

[0012] The component manufacturing information display device 100 includes an input / output unit 10, a material information database (hereinafter also referred to as the material information DB) 20 in which material information, which is information about the material of the component, is stored, and a control unit 30 that controls the operation of the component manufacturing information display device 100. The input / output unit 10, the material information DB 20, and the control unit 30 are connected to each other via a bus 40 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0013] The input / output unit 10 is an interface for connecting to external devices. The input / output unit 10 is connected to the input unit 50, the 3D printer 60, and the display unit 70. The input unit 50, the 3D printer 60, and the display unit 70 only need to be connected to the manufacturing information display device 100 for data communication, and may be connected, for example, via a network (not shown).

[0014] The input unit 50 is a device that receives information entered by the user. For example, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc., can be used as the input unit 50. The input information entered by the user via the input unit 50 is stored in the storage unit (not shown) of the control unit 30.

[0015] The 3D printer 60 is a device that molds a component based on data output from the component manufacturing information display device 100. While there are no particular limitations on the type of 3D printer, examples include FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), stereolithography, inkjet, binder jet, BMD (Bound Metal Deposition), powder bed, sheet lamination, directed energy deposition, and CIM (Cast in Motion).

[0016] The 3D printer 60 has a molding unit for molding powdered material. The molding unit includes, for example, a light-emitting element that emits laser light and an operation control unit that controls the emission mode of the laser light.

[0017] The display unit 70 is a display that shows data output from the manufacturing information presentation device 100 for the components. The display unit 70 is not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid crystal display can be used. Alternatively, an audio output device that outputs the data output from the manufacturing information presentation device 100 for the components as audio may be used instead of the display unit 70. The display unit 70 may also be equipped with such an audio output device.

[0018] The material information DB20 is a storage device such as an EEPROM. The material information DB20 stores material information that links the mechanical properties of the component, the material of the component, and the manufacturing conditions of the component.

[0019] The control unit 30 is composed of a computer including a CPU and a storage unit for storing various data such as programs. The control unit 30 includes a setting value acquisition unit 31 for acquiring setting values ​​for the mechanical properties of a component, an extraction unit 32 for extracting specific information from the material information DB 20, and a manufacturing information presentation unit 33 for presenting manufacturing information for manufacturing the component.

[0020] The setting value acquisition unit 31 reads the setting value input by the user from the storage unit of the control unit 30 and acquires the setting value.

[0021] The extraction unit 32 extracts from the material information DB 20 at least one of the material of the component corresponding to the setting value acquired by the setting value acquisition unit 31, and the manufacturing conditions of the component, as manufacturing information for the component.

[0022] The manufacturing information display unit 33 displays the manufacturing information of the component on the display unit 70 via the input / output unit 10, thereby displaying the manufacturing information of the component.

[0023] Furthermore, the control unit 30 may include a hardness acquisition unit 34 that acquires the hardness of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 33, and a tensile properties presentation unit 35 that presents the tensile properties of the component based on the hardness acquired by the hardness acquisition unit 34.

[0024] Furthermore, the control unit 30 may also have a material information update unit 36 ​​that updates the mechanical properties of the material information using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 33.

[0025] The hardness acquisition unit 34 reads the hardness input by the user from the storage unit and acquires the hardness. The tensile properties presentation unit 35 presents the tensile properties of the member corresponding to the hardness acquired by the hardness acquisition unit 34. The material information update unit 36 ​​updates the mechanical properties of the material information using the measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of the member manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the member presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 33. In other words, the material information update unit 36 ​​stores new data in the material information DB 20, where the measured values ​​of the mechanical properties are not stored in the material information DB 20, as material information linked to the material and its mechanical properties.

[0026] The setting value acquisition unit 31, extraction unit 32, manufacturing information presentation unit 33, hardness acquisition unit 34, tensile properties presentation unit 35, and material information update unit 36 ​​perform their functions by reading programs stored in the memory unit.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the data structure of material information stored in the material information database. As shown in Figure 2, the data structure of material information is linked to, for example, the material of the component, the mechanical properties of the component, the physical properties of the component, and the manufacturing conditions of the component.

[0028] For example, stainless steel SUS316L (hereinafter also simply referred to as SUS316L) contains elements such as Si, Mn, and C. When the material of a component is SUS316L, it is desirable to retain the Si, Mn, and C content as material information. In addition, the material information may also include the manufacturer, manufacturing number, and quantity of the raw material powder of SUS316L.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, if the material of a component is a metal containing Fe, Cu, Ti, Ni, Al, Cr, Co, and W, it is desirable to retain the content (mass%) of these components as material information.

[0030] Furthermore, if the component is made of resin, it is desirable that the material information includes the type of resin (such as vinyl, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyacetal, or acrylic), its molecular weight, and other relevant details.

[0031] The mechanical properties of the component are not particularly limited, but examples include hardness, tensile properties, fracture toughness, and wear properties. In this embodiment, an example using hardness and tensile properties as mechanical properties will be described.

[0032] Hardness can be determined using values ​​obtained from hardness tests. Examples of hardness tests include microhardness tests that allow for precise control of the hardness indenter's pressure on the nanometer scale, Vickers tests, and micro-Vickers methods.

[0033] For example, the microstructure of many metallic materials consists of crystal grain sizes of several tens of micrometers and even smaller-scale structures. The micro-Vickers test has an indentation size of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. Because the micro-Vickers test can test a larger area than other test methods, it is particularly suitable for evaluating the properties of bulk materials. In addition, because the micro-Vickers test apparatus is small, it can be tested near the equipment where the component to be repaired is located (hereinafter also referred to as on-site).

[0034] For hardness testing, it is preferable to use a spherical indenter rather than the square pyramidal indenter commonly used in Vickers hardness tests. Using a spherical indenter suppresses the rapid stress loading of the material and the resulting plastic deformation, making it easier to measure the deformation behavior in the elastic deformation region.

[0035] The indenter size is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be R500μm. However, comparing data under conditions with different indenter sizes will result in the inconvenience of not being able to compare data. Therefore, it is preferable to conduct hardness tests under the same indenter conditions as much as possible.

[0036] Furthermore, in hardness testing, if the test is performed at a constant test speed, the amount of displacement can be determined from the test time. The test speed is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 0.1 mm / min. In hardness testing, it is preferable to perform both a loading test in which the indenter is moved in the material direction (forward direction) and a deloading test in which the indenter is returned in the reverse direction after a certain stroke.

[0037] Furthermore, in hardness testing equipment, it is preferable that the load applied to the indenter is measured using a load cell. The use of a load cell makes it possible to obtain the stroke amount (displacement) and load curve.

[0038] For the stroke origin, for example, the time when the test force becomes 0.1N can be set as 0. The load cell capacity is preferably 0.5 to 10 kN. A capacity of 0.5 kN or more allows for the measurement of sufficient load. A capacity of 10 kN or less allows for an appropriate size of the device and enables on-site measurement.

[0039] The sample to be hardened should be fixed in place so as not to move during the test. For example, the test location should be selected so that the sample does not move in the direction of the indenter's stroke during the test. Specifically, when hardening a sample taken from a part, it is best to measure the sample while it is fixed on a rigid surface such as a surface plate.

[0040] It is preferable that oil, oxides, and other contaminants be removed from the surface of the sample before measurement. If the sample is curved, it is preferable that a flat surface be formed by polishing. It is preferable to obtain three or more displacement load curves from the same sample, but if the measurable area is small and it is difficult to secure many measurement points, two or fewer points may be used.

[0041] Furthermore, for hardness testing, only the minimum necessary small test specimens are required. Small test specimens can be fabricated in a shorter time than when molding the component to be repaired. As a result, mechanical properties can be measured faster than when molding the component. This allows for faster data expansion in the material information DB20.

[0042] Tensile testing allows us to obtain mechanical properties related to strength and ductility. For example, mechanical properties obtained from tensile testing include tensile strength (TS), yield stress (YS), and uniform elongation. Hereafter, tensile strength (TS), yield stress (YS), and uniform elongation will also be referred to as tensile properties.

[0043] Physical properties include the density, resistivity, thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity, and magnetic properties of a material. Many physical properties show a high correlation with chemical composition, and if the chemical composition is known, a rough estimate is possible. For example, the chemical composition can be selected according to the required physical properties.

[0044] Furthermore, the mechanical properties of a component can vary significantly depending on the environment in which it is used, such as the temperature. For this reason, it is preferable that the material information includes information about the environment in which the component is used, such as the temperature, humidity, atmosphere, stress on the component, and radiation exposure.

[0045] Examples of manufacturing conditions for components include the manufacturing conditions when forming components by injection molding, and the setting conditions when forming components with a 3D printer. Examples of manufacturing conditions when forming components by injection molding include the temperature of the metal or resin material, and the temperature of the mold.

[0046] Furthermore, when forming parts with a 3D printer, the setting conditions include additive manufacturing conditions. These additive manufacturing conditions include the printing machine, printing method, laser beam diameter, laser beam output, laser beam scan speed, hatch distance (distance between scanned beams), build layer thickness, laser beam wavelength, electron beam acceleration voltage, ambient gas and pressure used during printing. The setting conditions may be based on the performance of the 3D printer, or they may be based on past performance values.

[0047] The material information is preferably data linked to priority information, which is the priority level presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 33. The priority information is not particularly limited, but examples include the moldability of the component by 3D printing, the number of times the component has been molded by 3D printing, the molding cost, and the availability of raw material powder.

[0048] The moldability of parts produced by 3D printing can be evaluated, for example, by the fluidity of the material. For instance, poor material fluidity can lead to lumps and a poor appearance. The moldability of a part can be expressed, for example, on an arbitrarily defined five-point scale.

[0049] Since including all of these items in the material information would result in a large amount of data, it is advisable to limit the number of items to four or fewer, and preferably three or fewer. Furthermore, it is preferable that the hardness test measurements and tensile test measurements are linked in the material information. The tensile test values ​​are not limited to actual measured values ​​but may also be estimated values. If the tensile test values ​​are estimated values, the correlation between the load-displacement curve obtained from the hardness test (the test force-stroke curve) and the tensile test data can be determined.

[0050] The material information in the material information DB20 is replenished or updated each time molding is performed. Furthermore, the tensile test value may be an estimated value derived from the hardness test value. The inventors investigated the relationship between tensile and hardness tests using thin steel sheets of steel material and found that the tensile test value correlates with the hardness test value.

[0051] The specific test conditions were as follows: Flat plate test specimens were prepared according to JIS No. 5 for samples with tensile strength TS ranging from 650 to 1500 MPa. Tensile tests were performed at a crosshead speed of 10 mm / min. From the obtained stress-strain curves, the tensile strength TS, yield stress YS (lower yield point or 0.2% proof stress), and uniform elongation were determined.

[0052] Because thin steel sheets exhibit anisotropy in their mechanical properties along the in-plane direction, tensile tests were performed on specimens cut from four directions: 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° from the rolling direction. The mechanical properties were then calculated by averaging the values ​​obtained from each of these cuts.

[0053] For the hardness test, a micro-Vickers hardness test indenter and a micro-hardness measuring device (MST-I, Shimadzu Corporation) incorporating a load cell were used. A spherical diamond indenter with a radius of R500 μm was used as the hardness indenter. The test speed was set to 0.1 mm / min.

[0054] The tests were conducted on a plate thickness cross-section embedded in carbon resin and polished. Ten measurements were taken at a position 1 / 4 of the plate thickness, and the load and unloading were switched with a stroke of 0.2 mm. Of the 10 test data obtained, a representative displacement load curve was analyzed, and its relationship with the tensile test mechanical properties was investigated.

[0055] The results are shown in Figures 3-6. As shown in Figures 3-6, the following relationship was observed between the mechanical properties obtained from the tensile test and the characteristic quantities obtained from the hardness test. Specifically, the maximum load value at a constant stroke amount shown in Figure 3(1) correlates with the tensile strength TS of the tensile test. Figure 4 shows the tensile strength against the maximum load in the hardness test.

[0056] Furthermore, the maximum load value in the estimated elastic deformation region shown in Figure 3(2) correlates with the yield stress YS in the tensile test. Figure 5 shows the yield stress for the maximum load in the estimated elastic region in the hardness test.

[0057] The stroke amount at a constant load, shown in Figure 3(3), correlates with the uniform elongation in the tensile test. Figure 6 shows the uniform elongation with respect to stroke when a predetermined load is applied in the hardness test.

[0058] Incidentally, tensile testing requires relatively large samples. Furthermore, the materials used in tensile testing cannot be reused because they have undergone deformation or fracture. Therefore, in order to perform tests other than tensile testing, such as shape evaluation, the materials must be reshaped. In other words, there is a problem in that many materials must be prepared in order to obtain a sufficient evaluation of the materials. Thus, by estimating the mechanical properties obtained from tensile testing using hardness test data, it is possible to significantly reduce testing time and testing costs.

[0059] Furthermore, portable hardness testers are also becoming widespread. Using such hardness testers, it is possible to measure the hardness of parts while the equipment is in operation. Therefore, it becomes possible to estimate the mechanical properties obtained from tensile tests with simple operation.

[0060] Furthermore, when creating the data structure shown in Figure 2, it may be created based on, for example, the specifications of the component to be molded. This is because the component specifications are likely to contain information such as the material of the component and the required mechanical properties. In addition, the material of the component to be molded may be determined, for example, by using elemental analysis or X-ray fluorescence analysis with a damaged component.

[0061] Figure 7 shows the processing flow of the method for presenting manufacturing information of a component. The processing flow of the method for presenting manufacturing information of a component is started, for example, by a user's start operation of the input unit 50. The user inputs the set values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component to be presented by the component manufacturing information presentation device 100 into the input unit 50. The set values ​​of the mechanical properties input into the input unit 50 are stored in the storage unit (not shown) of the control unit 30.

[0062] The user-inputted settings for mechanical properties can be, for example, based on the specifications of the component to be molded. Alternatively, these settings may be based on measured mechanical properties of the component to be molded. Note that the component to be molded may be partially missing due to wear or damage. In such cases, the mechanical properties measured for the remaining portion or user-predicted values ​​can be used.

[0063] The set values ​​can also be entered as numerical ranges. For example, the hardness value can be set to 300 Hv or higher. Similarly, the tensile strength (TS) can be set to 1000 MPa or more and 1500 MPa or less. When these set values ​​are specified, they can be given higher priority as extraction conditions.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the setting value acquisition unit 31 reads and acquires the setting values ​​of the mechanical properties of the member from the storage unit of the control unit 30, and executes the setting value acquisition step (step S101).

[0065] The extraction unit 32 refers to the material information DB 20 and extracts from the material information at least one of the material of the component corresponding to the setting value obtained in the setting value acquisition step and the manufacturing conditions of the component as manufacturing information for the component, and then executes the extraction step (step S102).

[0066] The manufacturing information display unit 33 executes the manufacturing information display step (step S103) by causing the display unit 70 to display the manufacturing information extracted in the extraction step of step S102.

[0067] In the extraction step of step S103, the extracted material information may be ranked based on the priority information entered by the user. For example, if there are multiple material information items with equivalent mechanical properties, the manufacturing information of the component may be extracted using the material information from among the multiple material information items according to their priority. For example, in the extraction step of step S103, the material information may be extracted in order according to the said priority.

[0068] Specifically, if manufacturing cost is entered as a priority, the system may be configured to extract materials in order of priority. By extracting materials according to their priority, it becomes possible to extract appropriate materials that meet the user's usage environment and requirements.

[0069] The user forms a component using the manufacturing information presented in step S103. It is unclear whether the component formed in this way has the desired mechanical properties. The component manufacturing information presentation device 100 presents the tensile properties of the component, for example, when the user inputs hardness as a mechanical property of the component.

[0070] Specifically, the user evaluates the properties of the molded component, such as mechanical properties, based on the manufacturing information presented in step S103. The user inputs the hardness of the component into the input unit 50. The hardness input into the input unit 50 is stored in the memory unit (not shown) of the control unit 30.

[0071] The hardness acquisition unit 34 reads and acquires the hardness of the material from the storage unit of the control unit 30 and executes the hardness acquisition step (step S104).

[0072] The tensile properties display unit 35 refers to the material information and displays the tensile properties corresponding to the hardness obtained in the hardness acquisition step of step S104 on the display unit 70, thereby executing the tensile properties display step (step S105).

[0073] The material information update unit 36 ​​updates the mechanical properties of the material information using the measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information presentation step of step S105, and executes the material information update step (step S106).

[0074] Furthermore, changes in the manufacturing conditions of a component may also change its mechanical properties. Therefore, if the manufacturing conditions contained in the material information cannot be implemented for any reason, the desired mechanical properties may not be obtained even if the component is formed using the user's specified manufacturing conditions. In such cases, the manufacturing conditions are changed, and the forming and hardness testing of the component are repeated until the tensile test characteristics appropriate to the hardness of the component are obtained.

[0075] In other words, the extraction step in step S102, the manufacturing information presentation step in step S103, the hardness acquisition step in step S104, the tensile properties presentation step in step S105, and the material information update step in step S106 are performed until the mechanical properties desired by the user are obtained.

[0076] As described above, the present invention's method for presenting manufacturing information for a component includes an extraction step that extracts, from the material information, at least one of the material of the component corresponding to the set value acquired in the set value acquisition step, and the manufacturing conditions of the component, as manufacturing information for the component. This allows the user to visually confirm the material and manufacturing conditions of a component simply by inputting the required mechanical properties for that component. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily mold the component.

[0077] (Second Embodiment) In the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the component manufacturing information display device is configured with a device separate from the 3D printer. The component manufacturing information display device may also be configured with the same device as the 3D printer. Components identical to those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0078] Figure 8 shows the functional blocks of the 3D printer 200. The 3D printer 200 in Figure 8 presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for a component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component, and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. The component is then manufactured using this presented manufacturing information.

[0079] The 3D printer 200 includes an input / output unit 10, a material information database 20, a molding unit 80 for molding powdered material, and a control unit 90 for controlling the operation of the 3D printer 200. The input / output unit 10, the material information database 20, the molding unit 80, and the control unit 90 are connected to each other via a bus 40 so that they can communicate with one another.

[0080] The material information DB20 links various data to the setting conditions used when forming parts with a 3D printer. These setting conditions include additive manufacturing conditions. These additive manufacturing conditions include the 3D printer, 3D printing method, laser beam diameter, laser beam output, laser beam scan speed, hatch distance (distance between scanned beams), build layer thickness, laser beam wavelength, electron beam acceleration voltage, ambient gas and pressure used during 3D printing.

[0081] The molding unit 80 has, for example, a light-emitting element that emits laser light. The molding unit 80, for example, melts powdered material with the laser light and forms the material into a desired shape by layering the molten material.

[0082] The control unit 90 is composed of a computer including a CPU and a storage unit for storing various data such as programs. The control unit 90 has a setting unit 91 for setting the molding unit 80 and a manufacturing information display unit 92 for the components that functions as a manufacturing information display device for the components.

[0083] The setting unit 91 sets, for example, the diameter of the laser beam, the output power of the laser beam, the scanning speed of the laser beam, the hatch distance which is the distance between scanning beams, the build layer thickness, the wavelength of the laser beam, the acceleration voltage of the electron beam, the ambient gas used during build, and the pressure.

[0084] The component manufacturing information presentation unit 92 includes a setting value acquisition unit 93 that acquires setting values ​​for the mechanical properties of the component, an extraction unit 94 that extracts specific information from material information, and a manufacturing information presentation unit 95 that presents manufacturing information for manufacturing the component.

[0085] The setting value acquisition unit 93 is identical to the setting value acquisition unit 31, so its explanation is omitted. The extraction unit 94 is identical to the extraction unit 32, so its explanation is omitted. The manufacturing information presentation unit 95 is identical to the manufacturing information presentation unit 33, so its explanation is omitted.

[0086] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may include a hardness acquisition unit 96 that acquires the hardness of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 95, and a tensile properties presentation unit 97 that presents the tensile properties of the component based on the hardness acquired by the hardness acquisition unit 96.

[0087] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may also have a material information update unit 98 that updates the mechanical properties of the material information using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit 95.

[0088] The hardness acquisition unit 96 is identical to the hardness acquisition unit 34, so its explanation is omitted. The tensile property display unit 97 is identical to the tensile property display unit 35, so its explanation is omitted. The material information update unit 98 is identical to the material information update unit 36, so its explanation is omitted.

[0089] The setting value acquisition unit 93, extraction unit 94, manufacturing information presentation unit 95, hardness acquisition unit 96, tensile properties presentation unit 97, and material information update unit 98 perform their functions by reading programs stored in the memory unit.

[0090] Figure 9 shows the processing flow of a method for manufacturing a component, using a method for presenting component manufacturing information. The processing flow for manufacturing a component is started, for example, by a user's start operation of the input unit 50. The user inputs the set values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component to be molded by the 3D printer 200 into the input unit 50. The set values ​​of the mechanical properties input into the input unit 50 are stored in the storage unit (not shown) of the control unit 90.

[0091] As shown in Figure 9, the setting value acquisition unit 93 reads and acquires the setting values ​​of the mechanical properties of the member from the storage unit of the control unit 90, and executes the setting value acquisition step (step S201).

[0092] The extraction unit 94 refers to the material information DB 20 and extracts from the material information at least one of the material of the component corresponding to the set value obtained in the set value acquisition step and the manufacturing conditions of the component as manufacturing information for the component, and then executes the extraction step (step S202).

[0093] The manufacturing information presentation unit 95 executes the manufacturing information presentation step (step S203) by causing the display unit 70 to display the manufacturing information extracted in the extraction step of step S202.

[0094] The setting unit 91 performs the setting step (step S204) by making various settings for the molding unit 80 using the manufacturing information presented in the manufacturing information presentation step of step S203.

[0095] The molding unit 80 performs the molding step by molding the member under the conditions set in step S204 (step S205). It is unclear whether the member molded in this way has the desired mechanical properties. The 3D printer 200, for example, when the user inputs hardness as a mechanical property of the member, will present the tensile properties of the member.

[0096] In other words, the user evaluates the properties of the component formed in step S205, such as its mechanical properties. The user inputs the hardness of the component into the input unit 50. The hardness input into the input unit 50 is stored in the memory unit (not shown) of the control unit 90.

[0097] The hardness acquisition unit 96 reads and acquires the hardness of the material from the storage unit of the control unit 90 and executes the hardness acquisition step (step S206).

[0098] The tensile properties display unit 97 refers to the material information and displays the tensile properties corresponding to the hardness obtained in the hardness acquisition step of step S206 on the display unit 70, thereby executing the tensile properties display step (step S207).

[0099] The material information update unit 98 updates the material information's mechanical properties using the measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of the component formed in step S205, and then executes the material information update step (step S208).

[0100] When components of equipment or other devices are damaged, it is unclear what material should be used for reshaping. Even if the material can be identified, many components are manufactured using equipment other than 3D printers. Different manufacturing methods result in different thermal histories for the components, which may not necessarily yield the same mechanical properties. In other words, the appropriate settings for manufacturing components using a 3D printer are unknown. Therefore, users face the problem of having to repeatedly create prototypes to find the settings that yield the appropriate mechanical properties.

[0101] The 3D printer 200 of this embodiment includes a manufacturing information presentation step that presents the 3D printer setting conditions corresponding to the setting values ​​obtained in the setting value acquisition step as manufacturing information, based on the material information. This allows the user to visually confirm the 3D printer setting conditions simply by inputting the required mechanical properties for the component. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily mold a component with the desired mechanical properties using a 3D printer.

[0102] (Third embodiment) The material information described in the above embodiment may be output using a machine learning model.

[0103] The material information DB20 stores a first data set containing the material of the component and the mechanical properties of that material. The material information DB20 also stores a second data set containing the hardness and tensile test properties of the mechanical properties of that material. Manufacturing conditions may also be included in both the first and second data sets.

[0104] The first and second datasets are preferably stored in the material information DB20 with 50 or more data points, more preferably with 300 or more data points, and more preferably with 1000 or more data points.

[0105] By accumulating more than 50 first and second datasets in the material information DB20, high prediction accuracy can be achieved. Furthermore, the first and second datasets accumulated in the material information DB20 may be screened as needed.

[0106] Using the first dataset stored in the material information DB20, a material prediction model for the component is generated by machine learning. Furthermore, using the second dataset stored in the material information DB20, a tensile test property prediction model is generated by machine learning.

[0107] Any machine learning model may be used, as long as it provides sufficient predictive accuracy regarding the material properties of the components or the characteristics of the tensile test for practical purposes. For example, commonly used machine learning models such as neural networks (including deep learning and convolutional neural networks), decision tree learning, random forests, and support vector regression can be used.

[0108] Each of the material information components may also be used as an explanatory variable. As the number of explanatory variables increases, it tends to become more difficult to extract manufacturing information that is close to the set value. For this reason, it is good practice to keep the number of explanatory variables for material information to four or less, and preferably three or less.

[0109] Furthermore, each item of material information can be treated not as an explanatory variable, but as a fixed value, i.e., a constraint. This allows for narrowing down the material information used for extraction.

[0110] For example, when extracting material information for a component containing 18% Cr and 13% Ni, the extraction conditions can be set to specify a range for the Cr and Ni content. For instance, a ±30% range can be set as the extraction condition, imposing constraints such as Cr: 13-23% Ni: 9-17%.

[0111] Furthermore, it is preferable to set the extraction conditions with a 10% range, such as Cr: 16-20% by mass and Ni: 12-14% by mass. This allows for an appropriate number of extracted data points and reduces the processing load.

[0112] Furthermore, items not included in the material information may be treated as constraints. For example, if the acceleration voltage of the electron beam fusion machine is expected to affect the characteristics, the fusion conditions may be fixed at 60 keV, and the range of material information extracted may be limited.

[0113] The extraction process can be carried out according to the Bayesian optimization process outlined below. The Bayesian optimization process is a suitable method for exploring optimal conditions with a small number of trials.

[0114] In the Bayesian optimization process, the user specifies the range of optimal molding conditions. This range is determined, for example, based on the performance of the 3D printer, such as laser beam output and scanning speed.

[0115] The extraction range is not limited to actual values ​​of material information; it may also be an estimated value derived from multiple actual values. As the extraction range widens, the number of trials also increases. The extraction range should be set considering the number of trials and processing speed.

[0116] According to the extraction criteria, the predicted value of the target variable and its prediction error are calculated when the molding conditions are changed. The calculation method can utilize machine learning models such as random forests, Gaussian process models, and neural network models. One or more machine learning models may be used for the calculation.

[0117] When multiple machine learning models are used in the calculation, the average of the values ​​calculated by each machine learning model may be used as the target variable value and the prediction error. Furthermore, if data interpolation of the extraction condition space is necessary, known methods such as linear approximation or spline interpolation can be used.

[0118] The prediction error for each molding condition is calculated. When calculating with a single machine learning model, the standard deviation of the predicted values ​​calculated by changing the combination of initial data sets input into the material information DB20 can be used. Also, if the prediction error can be obtained from a single machine learning model, such as in calculations using a Gaussian process model, the obtained prediction error can be used as is. Furthermore, if the predicted characteristic values ​​are calculated using multiple machine learning models, their standard deviations, etc., can be used.

[0119] From these calculation results, the acquisition function for each molding condition is calculated. For example, the Upper Confidence Bound or Probability of Improvement can be used as the acquisition function. For example, the acquisition function (A) shown in equation (1) below can be used.

[0120]

number

[0121] In equation (1), R is a parameter used to correct measurement errors when measuring material properties. R is a random number corresponding to the magnitude of the measurement error. For example, the mechanical properties obtained by hardness measurement, described later, may have a measurement error of about 1%. In this case, the measurement error can be corrected by generating R in the range of 0.99 to 1.01. If the measurement error is small, R may be set to 1.0.

[0122] In equation (1), yav is the predicted value, yσ is the error of the predicted value, Y is the measured value of the characteristic value, Yσ is the standard deviation of the measured value, and max(Y) is the maximum value of the measured value.

[0123] ε1, ε2, and ε3 are parameters that correct the prediction error. ε1, ε2, and ε3 are preferably 0.01 or greater, more preferably 0.1 or greater, and even more preferably 0.5 or greater.

[0124] When ε1, ε2, and ε3 are set to less than 0.1, the influence of prediction error becomes very small, and the amount of experimental effort required to extract the molding conditions that maximize or minimize the acquisition function increases. Furthermore, ε1, ε2, and ε3 are preferably 10.0 or less, and more preferably 5.0 or less. When ε1, ε2, and ε3 are set to values ​​greater than 10.0, the influence of prediction error becomes excessive, and the amount of experimental effort required to extract the molding conditions that maximize or minimize the acquisition function increases.

[0125] Using equation (1), the molding conditions that maximize or minimize the acquisition function are extracted. If there are multiple objective functions, the values ​​obtained by multiplying or dividing them may be used. Also, the maximum point does not have to be a single point; multiple points with close values ​​may be adopted.

[0126] If the characteristics extracted in this way satisfy the set conditions, the extraction of manufacturing information for the component is complete. Furthermore, to obtain better manufacturing information for the component, the acquisition function may be recalculated using a new initial dataset, similar to the above method, to predict the optimal conditions.

[0127] Since the items that can be stored in material information are diverse, it is not necessary to store all of them. If all items are stored in the material information, the data volume will be large. For example, when performing statistical analysis to extract appropriate conditions, depending on the amount of data stored in the material information DB20 and the processing power of the computer performing the statistical analysis, there is a risk that conditions with low prediction error may not be extracted. For this reason, it is sufficient to limit the number of these items in the material information to four or fewer, and preferably to three or fewer.

[0128] When performing statistical analysis using the material information DB20, the user pre-selects the characteristic items necessary for the molded part from the material information and sets their values. For example, when molding mechanical parts, it is preferable to use mechanical properties as the set values.

[0129] Furthermore, data items that are not measured values ​​may be treated as constraints. If it is assumed that the acceleration voltage of the electron beam fusion machine affects the mechanical properties, for example, the extraction conditions may be set by setting the fusion condition to 60 keV. [Examples]

[0130] An unusual vibration noise was detected in a production device installed in a factory. The cause was found to be a minute crack in a component. Since replacement parts were unavailable, the inventors manufactured the component using a 3D printer based on the manufacturing information of the component presented using the aforementioned method for presenting component manufacturing information.

[0131] The inventors created the necessary 3D drawings for fabrication by scanning the cracked part using a 3D scanner. They then estimated and interpolated the crack-free state to create CAD data for fabrication.

[0132] Next, the hardness of the parts was measured as a mechanical property using a hardness tester. For the hardness test, a micro-hardness tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, product name: MST-I) was used, which incorporated an indenter for micro-Vickers hardness testing and a load cell.

[0133] A spherical diamond indenter with a radius of R500 μm was used as the hardness indenter. The test speed was set to 0.1 mm / min. The test was performed on the cross-section of a polished plate, and measurements were taken at 1 / 4 of the plate thickness position. A representative displacement load curve was then analyzed.

[0134] Based on the obtained feature quantities, the tensile strength TS, yield stress YS, and uniform elongation were estimated using the aforementioned relational equation. The tensile strength TS of the part was 1026 MPa, the yield stress YS was 684 MPa, and the uniform elongation was 9.7%.

[0135] The component in question is not designed to withstand fracture or plastic deformation. Therefore, yield stress (YS) was selected as the mechanical property of the component, rather than tensile strength (TS) or elongation. Since the yield stress (YS) of the component is 684 MPa, the target value for yield stress (YS) was set to 700 MPa or higher. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the component was specified as being primarily Fe with minimal alloying components. In addition, low cost was a priority factor.

[0136] Upon consulting the material information database, it was found that the material was iron-based and met the extraction criteria with a yield stress YS: 750 MPa. This material information was linked to the content of C, Mn, and Si in the component. The component in question had the following composition: C: 0.15 mass%, Mn: 2.0 mass%, and Si: 0.5 mass%.

[0137] The material information retained that the average particle size (D50) of the raw material powder, measured by laser diffraction scattering, was 35 μm. Furthermore, the 3D printer settings, when performed using the Selective Laser Melting method, were recorded as follows: output 330W, scan speed 800 mm / s, hatching distance 0.1 mm, layer thickness 40 μm, and beam diameter 100 μm.

[0138] The method used by the inventors to form the components differed from the method stored in the material information. Therefore, the inventors needed to separately consider the settings for the 3D printer. The inventors considered the settings for the 3D printer by setting the laser output and scan speed of the 3D printer as parameters, as these have a particularly significant impact on the mechanical properties of the components.

[0139] The 3D printer was configured with a beam diameter of 70 μm, a hatching distance of 70 μm, and a layer thickness of 20 μm. The inventors then tested various power settings, ranging from 50 to 175 W (25 W pitch, 6 conditions in total) and scan speeds from 300 to 1000 mm / s (100 mm / min pitch, 8 conditions in total), to determine the conditions under which the estimated yield stress YS would satisfy the set value.

[0140] The raw material powder was prepared with the component ratio indicated by the manufacturing information display device for the component. The average particle size (D50) of the raw material powder, measured by laser diffraction scattering, was 25 μm. The density of the 3D printed product affects its quality. The inventors added relative density (measured density / theoretical density) as an objective variable and set its target value at 98% or higher.

[0141] The inventors molded a 10mm square block-shaped sample using a 3D printer. Specifically, the inventors molded the component by setting the 3D printer output and scan speed as shown in Table 1. They also measured the density and hardness of the molded component and estimated the predicted YS (Yield Stroke). The results are shown in Table 1. The measured values ​​were stored as material information in a material information database.

[0142] [Table 1]

[0143] The inventors performed a statistical analysis using the initial conditions shown in the notes in Table 1. They input the above-mentioned set values ​​and molded a component using the extracted manufacturing information. They measured the hardness and relative density of the molded component. The inventors input the hardness into a component manufacturing information display device and repeated trials until they obtained a condition in which the estimated yield stress YS presented by the component manufacturing information display device satisfied the set value and the relative density also satisfied the set value. As a result, manufacturing information that satisfied the set value was obtained in the fourth trial.

[0144] Based on the 3D CAD data and the manufacturing information obtained as described above, the component was manufactured. When the hardness of the component was input into the component manufacturing information display device, the device indicated that the yield stress YS of the component was 715 MPa. In other words, it was found that the yield stress YS obtained in the fourth trial in Table 1 was almost the same as the yield stress YS of the component molded with the 3D printer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 100 Manufacturing Information Display Device for Components 200 3D printers 20 Material information DB 31 Setting value acquisition section 32 Extraction part 33 Manufacturing information presentation department 34 Hardness acquisition part 35 Tensile properties presentation section 36 Material Information Update Department 60 3D printers 80 Molding section 92 Manufacturing information presentation department 93 Setting Value Acquisition Section 94 Extraction part 95 Manufacturing information presentation department 96 Hardness acquisition part 97 Tensile properties presentation section 98 Material Information Update Department

Claims

1. A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component, which presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for a component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. A setting value acquisition step to acquire a set value for the mechanical properties of the aforementioned member, An extraction step in which, from material information that links the mechanical properties of the member, the material of the member, and the manufacturing conditions of the member, at least one of the material of the member and the manufacturing conditions of the member corresponding to the set value obtained in the set value acquisition step is extracted as manufacturing information of the member, A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component, comprising: a manufacturing information presentation step of presenting the manufacturing information extracted in the extraction step.

2. The material information is data linked to priority information that is presented in the manufacturing information presentation step, The method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to claim 1, wherein in the manufacturing information presentation step, the manufacturing information for the component is presented using the material information according to the priority order from among a plurality of material information.

3. The material information is linked to the hardness and tensile properties of the member as mechanical properties. A hardness acquisition step is to acquire the hardness of the molded member using the manufacturing information of the member presented in the manufacturing information presentation step, A tensile properties presentation step that presents the tensile properties corresponding to the hardness of the member, A method for presenting manufacturing information of a component according to claim 1, comprising:

4. The material information is linked to the hardness and tensile properties of the member as mechanical properties. A hardness acquisition step is to acquire the hardness of the molded member using the manufacturing information of the member presented in the manufacturing information presentation step, A tensile properties presentation step that presents the tensile properties corresponding to the hardness of the member, A method for presenting manufacturing information of a component according to claim 2, comprising:

5. A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to claim 1, further comprising a material information update step, in which the mechanical properties of the material information are updated using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information present step.

6. The method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to claim 2, further comprising a material information update step, in which the mechanical properties of the material information are updated using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information presentation step.

7. The method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to claim 3, further comprising a material information update step, in which the mechanical properties of the material information are updated using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information present step.

8. The method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to claim 4, further comprising a material information update step, in which the mechanical properties of the material information are updated using measured values ​​of the mechanical properties of a component manufactured based on the manufacturing information of the component presented in the manufacturing information present step.

9. The aforementioned manufacturing conditions are setting conditions related to the molding of the component in a 3D printer. A method for presenting manufacturing information for a component according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the setting conditions of the 3D printer are presented in the manufacturing information presentation step.

10. A method for manufacturing a component, using the method for presenting manufacturing information of the component described in claim 9, A setting step in which the setting conditions of the 3D printer presented in the manufacturing information presentation step are set on the 3D printer, A molding step in which the member is molded using the 3D printer set in the setting step, A method for manufacturing a component, comprising the same characteristics.

11. A device for presenting manufacturing information for a component, which presents at least one of the following as manufacturing information for a component: a material corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component, and manufacturing conditions for the component corresponding to the mechanical properties of the component. A setting value acquisition unit that acquires a set value for the mechanical properties of the aforementioned member, An extraction unit extracts, from material information which links the mechanical properties of the member, the material of the member, and the manufacturing conditions of the member, at least one of the material of the member and the manufacturing conditions of the member corresponding to the set value acquired by the set value acquisition unit, as manufacturing information of the member. A manufacturing information presentation device for a component, comprising: a manufacturing information presentation unit that presents the manufacturing information extracted by the extraction unit; and a manufacturing information presentation unit that presents the manufacturing information extracted by the extraction unit.

12. The aforementioned manufacturing conditions are setting conditions related to the molding of the component in a 3D printer. The manufacturing information display unit displays the setting conditions of the 3D printer, as described in claim 11, for the manufacturing information display device for the component.

13. A 3D printer for manufacturing a component using the component manufacturing information display device described in claim 12, A molding section for forming the member using the material of the member, A 3D printer having a setting unit that sets the setting conditions of the 3D printer, as presented by the manufacturing information presentation unit, to the molding unit.

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