Additive manufacturing device and method

Abstract

To provide technology that can improve the manufacturing speed of additive manufacturing.SOLUTION: An additive manufacturing device 1 is an additive manufacturing device that laminates a plurality of thin films to form a modeled product. The additive manufacturing device 1 includes a stage 40, a roll coater 10, and a drive unit 30. The roll coater 10 forms a thin film F. The drive unit 30 moves the roll coater 10 on the stage 40. A first roll 11 rotates in a first direction at a first peripheral speed around a first axis. A second roll 12 is positioned apart from the first roll 11 and rotates in the opposite direction at a second peripheral speed faster than the first peripheral speed around a second axis parallel to the first axis. The roll coater 10 forms the thin film F on a second roll surface 12a by passing a modeling material S between a first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a. The drive unit 30 moves the roll coater 10 over the stage 40 along a direction orthogonal to the second axis to apply the thin film F onto the stage 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing apparatus and methods. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an additive manufacturing device for manufacturing layered objects. This additive manufacturing device has a blade with a sharpened tip at the bottom, and moves the blade horizontally against a fluid paste-like material supplied to a stage to flatten the material and form layers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-203425 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the additive manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1, when the blade is moved at high speed, there is a risk of scratching damage to the layer formed by the material. For this reason, it is necessary to move the blade at a low speed in order to uniformly flatten the entire surface of the layer. Therefore, there is a risk of it taking a long time to manufacture the additively manufactured object. The present disclosure provides a technology that can improve the manufacturing speed of the additively manufactured object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An additive manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an additive manufacturing apparatus that forms a shaped object by stacking a plurality of thin films. The additive manufacturing apparatus includes a stage, a roll coater, and a drive unit. The roll coater has a first roll and a second roll, and forms a thin film of a shaping material that is a raw material of the shaped object. The drive unit moves the roll coater on the stage. The first roll rotates in a first direction around a first axis at a first circumferential speed. The second roll is disposed at a distance from the first roll, and rotates in a direction opposite to the first direction at a second circumferential speed that is faster than the first circumferential speed around a second axis parallel to the first axis. The roll coater is disposed so that the second roll is located on the stage. The roll coater passes the shaping material between a first roll surface of the first roll and a second roll surface of the second roll to form a thin film on the second roll surface. The drive unit moves the roll coater on the stage along a direction perpendicular to the second axis, and stacks the thin film formed on the second roll surface on the stage.

[0006] In this additive manufacturing apparatus, the modeling material is formed into a thin film between a first roll surface and a second roll surface. The thin film of the modeling material is formed on a second roll surface of a second roll, which has a faster peripheral speed than the first roll. A drive unit moves the roll coater on a stage along a direction perpendicular to a second axis. The thin film on the second roll surface is layered on the stage. Therefore, this additive manufacturing apparatus can increase the moving speed of the roll coater without considering scratch damage to the thin film of the modeling material, and therefore can improve the manufacturing speed of the modeled object compared to additive manufacturing apparatuses that form layers using a blade.

[0007] In one embodiment, the drive unit may move the roll coater over the stage at a feed speed faster than the second peripheral speed. Since the thin film of the modeling material moves toward the stage at the faster speed, the additive manufacturing apparatus can reliably deposit the thin film of the modeling material.

[0008] In one embodiment, the molding material may include a photocurable resin and a sintering material. The molding material including the photocurable resin and the sintering material is formed into a thin film between the first roll surface and the second roll surface. By forming a thin film of the photocurable resin and the sintering material in this manner, the molding material including the photocurable resin and the sintering material is formed thinly compared to an additive manufacturing device that forms a layer using a blade, and light can easily pass through, thereby suppressing poor curing of the molding material.

[0009] In one embodiment, at least one of the first roll surface and the second roll surface may be made of ceramic. By forming the surface from ceramic in this manner, at least one of the first roll surface and the second roll surface is suppressed from being worn by the sintered material, compared to when at least one of the first roll surface and the second roll surface is made of metal, etc.

[0010] The roll coater may have a third roll. The third roll is disposed at a distance from the first roll and rotates in the opposite direction around a third axis parallel to the first axis at a third circumferential speed slower than the first circumferential speed. The roll coater may pass a modeling material between a third roll surface and a first roll surface of the third roll to form a thick film of the modeling material thicker than the thin film on the first roll surface, and pass the thick film between the first roll surface and a second roll surface to form a thin film of the modeling material on the second roll surface. The modeling material is formed into a thick film between the third roll surface and the first roll surface. The thick film of the modeling material is formed on the first roll surface of the first roll, which has a faster circumferential speed than the third roll. The thick film on the first roll surface is formed into a thin film between the first roll surface and the second roll surface. By adopting a configuration having a third roll in this way, the thin film on the second roll surface is formed from the thick film of the modeling material formed between the third roll surface and the first roll surface, so that a more uniform thin film can be formed compared to a case where the third roll is not provided.

[0011] In one embodiment, the additive manufacturing apparatus may include a supply unit that supplies a molding material to the roll coater, and an irradiation unit that irradiates laser light to harden a thin film deposited on the stage.

[0012] An additive manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an additive manufacturing method for forming a shaped object by stacking a plurality of thin films on a stage. The additive manufacturing method includes a rotating step, a forming step, and a laminating step. In the rotating step, in a roll coater including a first roll and a second roll, the first roll is rotated in a first direction around a first axis at a first circumferential speed, and the second roll arranged at a distance from the first roll is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction at a second circumferential speed faster than the first circumferential speed around a second axis parallel to the first axis. In the forming step, a shaping material is passed between a first roll surface of the first roll of the first roll and a second roll surface of the second roll of the second roll to form a thin film of the shaping material on the second roll surface. In the laminating step, the roll coater is disposed so that the second roll is located on the stage, and the roll coater is moved along a direction perpendicular to the second axis to laminate the thin film formed on the second roll surface on the stage.

[0013] In this additive manufacturing method, the modeling material is formed into a thin film between a first roll surface and a second roll surface. The thin film of modeling material is formed on the second roll surface, which has a faster peripheral speed than the first roll. A drive unit moves the roll coater on the stage along a direction perpendicular to the second axis. The thin film on the second roll surface is layered on the stage. Therefore, this additive manufacturing method can increase the movement speed of the roll coater without considering scratch damage to the thin film of modeling material, and therefore can improve the production speed of the modeled object compared to additive manufacturing methods in which layers are formed by a blade.

[0014] In one embodiment, the drive unit may move the roll coater over the stage at a feed rate faster than the second peripheral speed. Because the thin film of the modeling material moves toward the stage at the faster speed, this additive manufacturing method can reliably deposit a thin film of the modeling material.

[0015] In one embodiment, the molding material includes a photocurable resin and a sintering material, and the method may include a separation step of separating the photocurable resin from the molded object by heat treatment, and a sintering step of sintering the sintering material by heat treatment. A thin film is formed between the first roll surface and the second roll surface. By forming a thin film of the photocurable resin and the sintering material in this manner, the molding material including the photocurable resin and the sintering material is formed thinner than when a layer is formed by a blade, and therefore poor curing of the photocurable resin is suppressed. Effect of the Invention

[0016] The techniques disclosed herein can improve the production speed of additive manufacturing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an additive manufacturing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the X-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal, and the Z-axis direction is vertical. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are mutually orthogonal axes in a Cartesian coordinate system of a three-dimensional space. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0019] (Additive manufacturing equipment configuration) The configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Figs. 1 to 4 are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a roll coater 10, a supply unit 20, a drive unit 30, a stage 40, an irradiation unit 50, and a control unit 60. The additive manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures a three-dimensional object M by stacking a thin film F of a modeling material S layer by layer. The modeling material S is the raw material of the model M. The thin film F of the modeling material S is stacked layer by layer on the stage 40 by the roll coater 10.

[0020] In this embodiment, the molding material S includes a photocurable resin and a sintered material. The molding material S is, for example, a slurry. The photocurable resin is, for example, an ultraviolet-curable resin. Specifically, the photocurable resin is an epoxy-based resin or an acrylic-based resin. The sintered material is, for example, a ceramic powder or a metal powder. Specifically, the sintered material is SiC (silicon carbide), Si3N4 (silicon nitride), or a cermet. In this embodiment, the content of the sintered material in the molding material S is 40% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less. When the content of the sintered material in the molding material S increases, the viscosity of the molding material S increases.

[0021] The roll coater 10 has a first roll 11 and a second roll 12. The first roll 11 has a cylindrical shape centered on a first axis parallel to the Y axis. The second roll 12 has a cylindrical shape centered on a second axis parallel to the first axis (i.e., parallel to the Y axis). The first roll 11 includes a first roll surface 11a that forms a cylindrical curved surface in the radial direction. The second roll 12 includes a second roll surface 12a that forms a cylindrical curved surface in the radial direction. The first roll 11 is provided so as to be rotatable around the first axis. The second roll 12 is provided so as to be rotatable around the second axis. For example, a rotation drive unit (not shown) is provided on each of the first roll 11 and the second roll 12, and the rotation direction and rotation speed are controlled. In this embodiment, the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a are formed of ceramic. The ceramic is, for example, zirconia or alumina zirconia.

[0022] The first roll 11 and the second roll 12 rotate in different directions. That is, when the first roll 11 rotates in one direction (an example of a first direction), the second roll 12 rotates in the opposite direction. In this embodiment, the first roll 11 rotates clockwise around a first axis at a first circumferential speed. The second roll 12 rotates counterclockwise around a second axis at a second circumferential speed. The first circumferential speed is, for example, 30 mm / s. The second circumferential speed is, for example, 60 mm / s. The ratio of the second circumferential speed to the first circumferential speed (second circumferential speed / first circumferential speed) is, for example, 2.

[0023] The second roll 12 is disposed at a distance from the first roll 11. The gap between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 can be adjusted, for example, in a range of 20 μm or more and 1 mm or less. The roll coater 10 passes the shaping material S between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a. That is, the roll coater 10 passes the shaping material S through the gap. The shaping material S is stretched between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a and taken up on the second roll surface 12a. The shaping material S that has passed between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a forms a thin film F of the shaping material S on the second roll surface 12a. The thickness of the thin film F is, for example, about 10 μm. The first roll 11 and the second roll 12 may function as a roll mill by adjusting the gap between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. When the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 function as a roll mill, the agglomerates (secondary particles) of the sintered material (primary particles) contained in the shaping material S are pulverized between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12.

[0024] The roll coater 10 further has a blade 13. The blade 13 is disposed, for example, so as to face the lower part of the first roll 11 in the Z-axis direction. The blade 13 removes the molding material S that remains on the first roll surface 11a and has passed between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a. The molding material S removed by the blade 13 is collected and reused.

[0025] The supply unit 20 supplies the shaping material S to the roll coater 10. In this embodiment, the supply unit 20 is disposed above the roll coater 10 in the Z-axis direction. The roll coater 10 pours the shaping material S onto the rotating first roll 11. The shaping material S forms a puddle P above the gap between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. The shaping material S pooled in the puddle P passes sequentially between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a.

[0026] The driving unit 30 changes the relative position between the roll coater 10 and the stage 40. The roll coater 10 is disposed so that the second roll 12 is located on the stage 40. In this embodiment, the driving unit 30 is connected to the roll coater 10. The driving unit 30 moves the roll coater 10 on the stage 40 along a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the second axis at a feed speed faster than the second circumferential speed. The direction in which the roll coater 10 moves is a tangential direction at a contact point between the second roll 12 and the stage 40 as viewed from the second axis direction (Y-axis direction). The direction in which the roll coater 10 moves is a direction that does not interfere with the rotation of the second roll 12, that is, a direction opposite to the direction of the angular velocity at the contact point between the second roll 12 and the stage 40 (or a thin film already laminated on the stage 40). For example, when the second roll 12 rotates counterclockwise, the direction in which the roll coater 10 moves is the negative direction of the X-axis, and when the second roll 12 rotates clockwise, the direction in which the roll coater 10 moves is the positive direction of the X-axis. The driving unit 30 may be connected to the stage 40. When the driving unit 30 is connected to the stage 40, the driving unit 30 moves the stage 40 so that the roll coater 10 moves as viewed from the stage 40.

[0027] The thin film F formed on the second roll surface 12a is laminated on the stage 40. The thin film F on the second roll surface 12a is laminated so as to be pressed onto the stage 40. The gap between the second roll surface 12a and the stage 40 is adjusted to a predetermined gap equal to or less than the thickness of the thin film F. The roll coater 10 moves at a feed speed faster than the second peripheral speed relative to the stage 40. Thus, the thin film F formed on the roll surface of the roll coater 10 is laminated so as to be pressed against the stage 40 and peeled off from the second roll surface 12a. Note that "laminate on the stage 40" includes not only the case where the thin film F is laminated on the upper surface of the stage 40, but also the case where the thin film F is laminated on the upper surface of the stage 40 and cured.

[0028] The stage 40 has an adjustment mechanism 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the gap between the second roll 12 and the stage 40. The adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the gap between the second roll 12 and the stage 40 so that the next lamination step can be performed. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the stage 40 on which the thin film F is laminated is a plane extending in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the stage 40 in the Z-axis direction (height direction) so that the stage 40 is spaced apart by approximately the thickness of the thin film F. The stage 40 does not need to have the adjustment mechanism 41. In this case, the roll coater 10 may have the adjustment mechanism 41.

[0029] The irradiation unit 50 irradiates a laser that hardens the thin film F laminated on the stage 40. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the irradiation unit 50 irradiates an ultraviolet laser. The irradiation unit 50 has a laser oscillator (not shown) and a galvanometer mirror (not shown). The irradiation unit 50 scans the thin film F so that the focal point of the laser moves along a predetermined shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The area of ​​the thin film F that is scanned with the laser hardens. Specifically, the photocurable resin contained in the thin film F hardens.

[0030] The control unit 60 controls the operation of each element of the additive manufacturing apparatus 1. The control unit 60 controls, for example, the circumferential speeds of the first roll 11 and the second roll 12, the supply amount of the modeling material S supplied by the supply unit 20, the feed speed and feed direction of the drive unit 30, the adjustment amount of the adjustment mechanism 41, and the focal position of the laser irradiated by the irradiation unit 50.

[0031] As described above, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 stacks the thin films F of the modeling material S one layer at a time. As shown in Fig. 4, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 forms a model M by stacking a predetermined number of thin films F along the Z-axis direction. In a later process, the model M is subjected to a heat treatment. The heat treatment degreases the photocurable resin of the model M and sinters the sintered material of the model M.

[0032] (Additive manufacturing process) Next, steps of an additive manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing additive manufacturing according to this embodiment. In the additive manufacturing method according to this embodiment, a model M is formed by stacking a plurality of thin films. In this embodiment, a worker or the like carries out the additive manufacturing method using an additive manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0033] First, a rotation step (step S10) is performed. In the rotation step, the first roll 11 rotates in a first direction at a first circumferential speed. The second roll 12 rotates in a direction opposite to the first direction at a second circumferential speed that is faster than the first circumferential speed.

[0034] Next, a supply step (step S20) is performed. In the supply step, the molding material S is supplied to a roll coater 10 having a first roll 11 and a second roll 12. In this embodiment, the molding material S includes a photocurable resin and a sintering material. The molding material S is supplied by a supply unit 20. The molding material S supplied to the roll coater 10 forms a liquid puddle P above and between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12.

[0035] Next, a forming step (step S30) is performed. In the forming step, the modeling material S of the liquid puddle P passes between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 in sequence, and is formed as a thin film F on the second roll surface 12a.

[0036] Next, a lamination step (step S40) is performed. In the lamination step, the roll coater 10 is disposed so that the second roll 12 is located on the stage 40. The roll coater 10 moves at a feed speed faster than the second peripheral speed along a direction perpendicular to the second axis. The thin film F formed on the second roll surface 12a is laminated on the stage 40. The rotation step, the supply step, the formation step, and the lamination step are performed successively. The thin film F is laminated in a predetermined area on the stage 40.

[0037] Next, an irradiation step (step S50) is performed. In the irradiation step, the thin film F laminated on the stage 40 is irradiated with a laser that hardens the thin film F. In this embodiment, the irradiation unit 50 scans the thin film F so that the focal point of the laser moves along a predetermined shape. The thin film F in the area irradiated with the laser hardens.

[0038] Next, a determination step (step S60) is performed. In the determination step, it is determined whether or not the processes from step S10 to step S50 have been repeatedly performed the number of times to be laminated. If it is determined that the processes have not been repeatedly performed (step S60: NO), the gap between the stage 40 and the second roll 12 is adjusted so that the next lamination step can be performed. In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the position of the stage 40 along the Z-axis direction. For example, the adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the position of the stage 40 in the Z-axis direction so that the upper surface of the thin film F is always at a constant position. Note that the gap between the stage 40 and the second roll 12 may be adjusted before the irradiation step. Thereafter, the processes from step S10 to step S50 are repeatedly performed. If it is determined that the processes have been repeatedly performed (step S60: YES), the lamination molding of the model M is completed. The model M is a laminate of the thin film F hardened along a predetermined shape. In this embodiment, the model M is taken out of the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 by an operator or the like.

[0039] Next, a separation step (step S70) is performed. In the separation step, a heat treatment is used to separate the photocurable resin from the model M. In this embodiment, an operator or the like performs the separation step by using an electric furnace or the like.

[0040] Finally, a sintering step (step S80) is performed. In the sintering step, the sintered material of the molded object M is sintered by heat treatment. In this embodiment, an operator or the like performs the separation step using an electric furnace or the like. The separation step and the sintering step may be performed in one process. A sintered material having the shape of the molded object M is manufactured by executing the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] (Summary of the embodiment)

[0042] In this embodiment, the molding material S is formed into a thin film F between the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a. The thin film F is formed on the second roll surface 12a of the second roll 12, which has a faster peripheral speed than the first roll 11. The driving unit 30 moves the roll coater 10 on the stage 40 in a direction perpendicular to the second axis. The thin film F on the second roll surface 12a is laminated on the stage 40. When a molding material is supplied onto the stage 40 and a blade moving straight in the horizontal direction is used to scrape off excess molding material to form a thin film, there is a risk of scratched grooves being formed. If such grooves exist in the thin film, the layer formed thereon becomes thicker by the depth of the grooves, and there is a risk that the laser light with a specified laser output will not reach sufficiently. The areas where the laser light does not reach sufficiently will not be cured sufficiently, which will affect the strength of the model. In contrast, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 and additive manufacturing method can increase the movement speed of the roll coater 10 without considering scratch damage to the thin film F of the modeling material S, thereby improving the production speed of the model M compared to additive manufacturing apparatuses that form layers using a blade.

[0043] In this embodiment, the drive unit 30 moves the roll coater 10 on the stage 40 at a feed speed faster than the second circumferential speed. Since the thin film F of the modeling material S moves toward the stage side where the speed is faster, the additive manufacturing apparatus 1 can reliably laminate the thin film F of the modeling material S.

[0044] In this embodiment, the modeling material S includes a photocurable resin and a sintered material. The modeling material S including the photocurable resin and the sintered material is formed into a thin film F between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. In this case, compared to the case where a layer is formed by a blade, the modeling material S including the photocurable resin and the sintered material is formed thin, which makes it easier for light to transmit, thereby suppressing poor curing of the photocurable resin. Therefore, the additive manufacturing device 1 and the additive manufacturing method can cure the modeling material S even if the sintered material is a material that easily absorbs light.

[0045] In this embodiment, at least one of the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a is made of ceramic. By forming the roll surface from ceramic in this manner, at least one of the first roll surface 11a and the second roll surface 12a is suppressed from being worn by the sintered material, compared to a case where at least one surface of the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 is made of metal or the like.

[0046] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made.

[0047] The configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus 2 according to a modified example of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing apparatus 2 according to a modified example of this embodiment. This modified example differs from the present embodiment described above in terms of the configuration of the roll coater 10. Below, the differences between the modified example and the present embodiment described above will be mainly described.

[0048] The roll coater 10 has a third roll 14. The third roll 14 is disposed at a distance from the first roll 11. In a modified example, the gap between the third roll 14 and the first roll 11 is larger than the gap between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. That is, the gap between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 is smaller than the gap between the third roll 14 and the first roll 11. The third roll 14 includes a third roll surface 14a that forms a curved surface in the radial direction. The third roll 14 rotates clockwise (in the opposite direction to the first direction) around a third axis parallel to the first axis (i.e., parallel to the Y axis) at a third circumferential speed that is slower than the first circumferential speed. That is, the first circumferential speed is faster than the third circumferential speed. In a modified example, the first roll 11 rotates counterclockwise around the first axis at the first circumferential speed. The second roll 12 rotates clockwise around the second axis at the second circumferential speed. The supply unit 20 pours the molding material S onto the rotating third roll 14. The molding material S forms a puddle P above the gap between the third roll 14 and the first roll 11. The molding material S that has accumulated in the puddle P passes sequentially between the third roll surface 14a and the first roll surface 11a.

[0049] The molding material S passes between the third roll surface 14a and the first roll surface 11a and forms a thick film of the molding material S on the first roll surface 11a. The thick film formed on the first roll surface 11a is thicker than the thin film F formed on the second roll surface 12a. The thick film formed on the first roll surface 11a passes between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. The thick film of the molding material S that has passed between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12 forms a thin film of the molding material S on the second roll surface 12a.

[0050] In the modified example, the shaping material S is formed into a thick film between the third roll surface 14a and the first roll surface 11a. The thick film of the shaping material S is formed on the first roll surface 11a, which has a faster peripheral speed than the third roll. The thick film on the first roll surface 11a is formed into a thin film F between the first roll 11 and the second roll 12. In this case, the thin film F on the second roll surface 12a is formed from the thick film of the shaping material S formed between the third roll and the first roll 11, so a more uniform thin film F can be formed compared to a case where the third roll is not provided.

[0051] As described above, according to the additive manufacturing apparatus 2, like the additive manufacturing apparatus 1, it is possible to improve the manufacturing speed of the object M, and to form a thin film F that is more uniform and thinner than the thin film F of the additive manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0052] The molding material S may contain a thermosetting resin instead of the above-mentioned photocurable resin. In this case, the irradiation unit 50 irradiates, for example, a fiber laser. The area of ​​the thin film F laminated on the stage 40 that is irradiated with the laser is cured by heat generation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1, 2...additive manufacturing equipment, 10...roll coater, 11...first roll, 11a...first roll surface, 12...second roll, 12a...second roll surface, 13...blade, 14...third roll, 14a...third roll surface, 20...supply unit, 30...drive unit, 40...stage, 41...adjustment mechanism, 50...irradiation unit, 60...control unit, S...modeling material, M...modeled object, F...thin film.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming a model by stacking a plurality of thin films, Stage and a roll coater having a first roll and a second roll, for forming a thin film of a molding material which is a raw material of the object; a drive unit that moves the roll coater on the stage; Equipped with the first roll rotates about a first axis at a first peripheral speed in a first direction; the second roll is disposed at a distance from the first roll and rotates in a direction opposite to the first direction at a second peripheral speed faster than the first peripheral speed about a second axis parallel to the first axis; the roll coater is disposed so that the second roll is located on the stage, and the shaping material is passed between a first roll surface of the first roll and a second roll surface of the second roll to form the thin film on the second roll surface; the driving unit moves the roll coater on the stage along a direction perpendicular to the second axis to laminate the thin film formed on the second roll surface on the stage; the drive unit is connected to the roll coater and moves the roll coater over the stage at a feed speed faster than the second peripheral speed; Additive manufacturing equipment.

2. The additive manufacturing device of claim 1 , wherein the molding material comprises a photocurable resin and a sintered material.

3. The additive manufacturing device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first roll surface and the second roll surface is formed from ceramic.

4. The roll coater is a third roll that is disposed apart from the first roll and rotates in the reverse direction about a third axis parallel to the first axis at a third peripheral speed slower than the first peripheral speed; passing the shaping material between a third roll surface of the third roll and the first roll surface to form a thick film of the shaping material on the first roll surface, the thick film being thicker than the thin film; passing the thick film between the first roll surface and the second roll surface to form the thin film of the shaping material on the second roll surface; 10. The additive manufacturing device of claim 1.

5. a supply unit that supplies the shaping material to the roll coater; an irradiation unit that irradiates the thin film laminated on the stage with a laser beam to harden the thin film; 13. The additive manufacturing device of claim 1 , comprising:

6. An additive manufacturing method for forming a model by stacking a plurality of thin films on a stage, comprising: a rotating step of rotating the first roll in a first direction around a first axis at a first peripheral speed in a roll coater including a first roll and a second roll, and rotating the second roll arranged apart from the first roll in a direction opposite to the first direction around a second axis parallel to the first axis at a second peripheral speed faster than the first peripheral speed; a forming step of passing a shaping material between a first roll surface of the first roll and a second roll surface of the second roll to form a thin film of the shaping material on the second roll surface; a lamination step of disposing the roll coater so that the second roll is located on the stage, and moving the roll coater along a direction perpendicular to the second axis to laminate the thin film formed on the second roll surface on the stage; Equipped with In the laminating step, a drive unit connected to the roll coater moves the roll coater above the stage at a feed speed faster than the second peripheral speed. Additive manufacturing methods.

7. The molding material includes a photocurable resin and a sintering material, a separation step of separating the photocurable resin from the object by heat treatment; a sintering step of sintering the sintered material by heat treatment; 7. The additive manufacturing method of claim 6, comprising:

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