Formation device and control method for formation device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2025/011021
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-24
Smart Images
Figure JP2025011021_24092026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Shaping Apparatus and Control Method for Shaping Apparatus
[0001] The present specification discloses a shaping apparatus and a control method for a shaping apparatus.
[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed a shaping apparatus that ejects a liquid material onto an upper surface of a pallet (plate) to shape a shaped object. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a mounting table on which a pallet is placed is configured to be movable up and down, and every time shaping of one layer constituting a shaped object is completed, the pallet is lowered by a descending amount corresponding to the thickness of the one layer, and then shaping of a next shaping layer is started.
[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-67036
[0004] There is a shaping apparatus as described above that is adjacent to another apparatus such as a component mounting apparatus, and carries a pallet in and out between the shaping apparatus and the other apparatus via a conveyor. For this reason, some shaping apparatuses employ a configuration in which both ends of the pallet are placed on support members such as a pair of rail members having the same width as that of the conveyor. However, in the shaping apparatus having such a configuration, when the pallet is lowered every time shaping of one shaping layer is completed as in Patent Document 1, depending on the descending amount, both ends of the pallet may interfere with the support members. If this happens, the pallet cannot be lowered any further, which increases the constraints on the thickness of the shaped object.
[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to suppress an increase in constraints on the thickness of a shaped object in an apparatus including a pair of support members that support both ends of a pallet.
[0006] The present disclosure adopts the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.
[0007] The present invention relates to a molding apparatus comprising: a discharge unit for dispensing a liquid substance for molding an object onto a plate-shaped pallet; a pair of support members extending in a predetermined direction and supporting both ends of the pallet; a mounting unit that can raise and lower the pallet between the pair of support members; a drive unit for moving the pair of support members between a support position in which the pair of support members support both ends of the pallet and a retracted position where the support members are retracted from the support position; and a control unit that controls the mounting unit and the discharge unit to perform a molding process in which a liquid substance is discharged while the pallet is raised or lowered to a height position where the gap between the object molded on the pallet and the discharge unit is a predetermined gap, and controls the drive unit to perform a retraction operation to move the pair of support members to the retracted position so that they do not interfere with the pallet during the molding process.
[0008] In the molding apparatus of this disclosure, a molding process is performed in which a liquid material is dispensed while the pallet is raised or lowered to a height position that sets a predetermined gap between the molded object on the pallet and the dispensing unit. Furthermore, a retraction operation is performed in which a pair of support members are moved to a retracted position so as not to interfere with the pallet during the molding process. Therefore, when lowering the pallet to the height position that sets the predetermined gap, interference between the pair of support members and the pallet is prevented, thereby suppressing an increase in the constraints on the thickness of the molded object.
[0009] A schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the production system 1 including the molding device 10. A block diagram showing the general configuration of the molding device 10 and the control device 90. A perspective view of the stage unit 60. A schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the stage unit 60. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the support position Po1 and retraction position Po2 of the transfer rail 63. An explanatory diagram showing an example of how a molded object is formed in the production system 1. A flowchart showing an example of the substrate molding process. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63. A flowchart showing an example of the rail retraction process. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63. A flowchart showing a modified example of the rail retraction process.
[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a production system 1 including a molding apparatus 10. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the molding apparatus 10 and a control device 90. In this embodiment, the left-right direction (X-axis), front-back direction (Y-axis), and up-down direction (Z-axis) are as shown in Figure 1.
[0011] The production system 1 includes, for example, a three-dimensional molding device (hereinafter referred to as the molding device) 10 that molds a molded object including a base material, wiring, electrodes, etc. on a rectangular plate-shaped pallet 5, a mounting device 80 that mounts electronic components (hereinafter referred to as components) on the molded object formed on the pallet 5, and a management device 90 that manages the production system 1. The production system 1 may have two or more mounting devices 80, or it may have only the molding device 10 without any mounting devices 80. The molding device 10 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 24, an operation panel 26, a first discharge unit 30, a flattening unit 35, a second discharge unit 40, a transport unit 50, a hardening unit 55, a top heating unit 57, a press heating unit 59, a stage unit 60, a first transfer unit 70, and a second transfer unit 75. All components except the operation panel 26 are housed in the housing 12 of the molding device 10.
[0012] The control unit 20 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU 20a, and includes a ROM 20b for storing processing programs, a RAM 20c used as a work area, and a timer 20d for performing timing processing, and controls the entire molding apparatus 10. The storage unit 22 is configured, for example, as an HDD or SSD, and stores molding job information 22a, which includes molding information such as the shape and size of the molded object (three-dimensional object), and wiring information such as wiring patterns and the position and size of electrodes. The communication unit 24 is an interface used when communicating with each device of the production system 1, such as the mounting device 80 and the management device 90. The control unit 20 exchanges information with each device of the production system 1 via the communication unit 24. The operation panel 26 is a touch panel display located on the upper front of the housing 12, which displays various information to the operator and accepts various operations from the operator.
[0013] The first ejection unit 30 includes a first inkjet head 31 and a second inkjet head 32 that eject liquid materials using an inkjet method, and an X-axis moving unit 33. The first inkjet head 31 ejects resin ink for the formation of a substrate. The resin ink is a liquid material such as a liquid curable resin (e.g., UV-curable resin, thermosetting resin, two-component mixed curable resin, etc.), a thermoplastic resin, or a slurry obtained by mixing inorganic solids with a solvent. The second inkjet head 32 ejects conductive metal ink in which metal particles such as silver are dispersed in a solvent for the formation of wiring (conductors). The X-axis moving unit 33 includes a guide rail provided in the X-axis direction on the front of a gate-shaped frame, and two sliders on which each inkjet head 31 and 32 are respectively arranged. The X-axis moving unit 33 moves (scans) each inkjet head 31 and 32 in the X-axis direction by moving each slider along the guide rail.
[0014] The flattening unit 35 comprises a roller 36 (flattening member) for flattening liquid on the pallet 5 and a roller lifting unit 37, and is disposed on the rear surface of the frame of the X-axis moving unit 33. The roller lifting unit 37 is configured to raise and lower the roller 36 by means of a cylinder, for example, and raises and lowers the roller 36 in the Z-axis direction between an upper standby position and a lower flattening position (working position). The flattening unit 35 flattens the surface of resin ink discharged onto the pallet 5 by leveling it with the roller 36 while the pallet 5 moves relative to it in the Y-axis direction. The flattening member is a cylindrical roller 36, but a flat blade or the like may also be used.
[0015] The second dispensing unit 40 includes a first dispensing head 41, a second dispensing head 42, and a third dispensing head 43 that dispense and apply liquid in a dispenser manner, an X-axis moving unit 44, a lifting unit 45, and a height measuring unit 46. The first dispensing head 41, the second dispensing head 42, and the third dispensing head 43 are collectively referred to simply as "dispensing heads." Each dispensing head includes a cylindrical syringe for containing liquid and a needle that extends coaxially from the lower end of the syringe and dispenses the liquid from the discharge port due to pressure applied to the syringe. The lifting unit 45 moves the dispensing head in the Z-axis direction to lower it to the dispensing position or raise it to the standby position.
[0016] The first dispensing head 41 and the second dispensing head 42 dispense and apply a conductive paste for electrode formation as a liquid. The conductive paste is, for example, a liquid resin in which conductive material is dispersed. As the conductive paste, for example, a resin that hardens when heated and in which metal particles such as silver are dispersed is used. In this embodiment, the first dispensing head 41 dispenses the conductive paste onto wiring, etc., to form bumps (bump electrodes) that are electrically conductive with the terminals of the component. The second dispensing head 42 dispenses the conductive paste onto, for example, through holes that penetrate vertically through a part (one layer) of the substrate, or around the periphery thereof, to form hole electrodes. The third dispensing head 43 dispenses and applies an underfill for component sealing as a liquid. The underfill is, for example, a resin paste such as a thermosetting resin. The thermosetting resin is, for example, a liquid resin that has insulating properties. In this embodiment, the third dispensing head 43 dispenses the underfill towards, for example, the center of the mounting location before mounting the component. Furthermore, the third dispensing head 43 dispenses underfill to seal around the mounted components after the components have been mounted, for example. The liquid dispensed after the components have been mounted may be made of a different material from the underfill dispensed by the third dispensing head 43. The second dispensing unit 40 may also be equipped with another dispensing head for dispensing the liquid. The X-axis moving unit 44 includes a guide rail provided in the X-axis direction on the front of the gate-shaped frame and a slider on which the dispensed heads 41, 42, and 43 are arranged. The X-axis moving unit 44 moves (scans) the dispensed heads 41, 42, and 43 in the X-axis direction by moving the slider.
[0017] The height measuring unit 46 is configured as a sensor that determines the height (top surface height) of an object based on the position at which it comes into contact with the object as it rises in the Z-axis direction, with the lower measuring probe extended downward. For example, the object is the pallet 5 when there is no object on the pallet 5, and the object is the object when there is an object on the pallet 5. Although not shown in the figures, the stage unit 60 is equipped with a reference member whose top surface is the reference height. The height measuring unit 46 measures the height of the object based on the difference between the measurement value taken from the top surface of the reference member and the measurement value taken from the top surface of the object, and the reference height.
[0018] The transport unit 50 includes a pair of belt conveyors 52 that are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and spanned across the left-to-right direction (X-axis direction). The transport unit 50 transports the pallets 5 along the X-axis direction by driving the belt conveyors 52 with both ends of the pallets 5 placed on the pair of belt conveyors 52. For example, the transport unit 50 transports pallets 5 that are brought into the mounting device 80 and pallets 5 that are discharged from the mounting device 80 by driving the belt conveyors 52.
[0019] The curing unit 55 is a unit that performs a predetermined process on the resin ink ejected from the first inkjet head 31 and cures it. If the resin ink is an ultraviolet-curable resin, the curing unit 55 may be a UV irradiation unit equipped with a UV lamp such as a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, or a UV-LED. In this case, the curing unit 55 cures the resin ink (ultraviolet-curable resin) ejected from the first inkjet head 31 by irradiating it with UV light. The top heating unit 57 is equipped with an infrared heater such as a halogen heater, a ceramic heater, or a carbon heater and heats and cures the metal ink ejected from the second inkjet head 32. For example, the molding of the substrate and the molding of the wiring are repeated multiple times, thereby layering the molded object on the pallet 5. The press heating unit 59 is equipped with a metal plate, a heater for heating the plate, and a lifting unit that can raise and lower the pallet 5 and apply pressure to press it against the plate from below. The press heating unit 59 hardens the conductive paste or underfill by heating the flat plate while applying pressure to the pallet 5, which is loaded with the molded object before or after component mounting, relative to the flat plate. Alternatively, a heater may be provided to heat the stage on which the pallet 5 is placed, and the molded object may be heated from below by heating the stage. Furthermore, both the heater of the press heating unit 59 and the heater for the stage may be provided, and the molded object may be heated from above and below.
[0020] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the stage unit 60 comprises a stage 61, a stage lifting section 62, a pair of front and rear transfer rails 63, a rail cylinder 64, a clamper 65, a clamp cylinder 66, a stopper 67, a stopper cylinder 68, and a Y-axis movement section 69. The stage unit 60 also comprises a unit body 60a and a pair of front and rear rail mounting sections 60b. The rail mounting sections 60b are provided so as to extend upward from the front and rear side walls of the unit body 60a, and the transfer rails 63 are mounted on their upper surfaces so as to be movable in the front and rear direction.
[0021] The stage 61 is rectangular in shape and has a flat top surface on which the pallet 5 is placed. It moves up and down between a pair of transfer rails 63 by the drive of the stage lifting unit 62. The stage lifting unit 62 is provided on the unit body 60a and is configured to move the stage 61 up and down by, for example, a servo motor. The pair of transfer rails (support rails) 63 are provided so as to extend in the X-axis direction with a spacing that allows them to support both ends of the pallet 5 in the Y-axis direction. A pair of rail cylinders 64 are provided at the front and rear to move the front and rear pair of transfer rails 63 respectively, and are located at the top of the rail mounting section 60b. Each rail cylinder 64 is arranged such that, for example, a rod 64a moves back and forth in the front and rear directions, and the tip of the rod 64a is connected to the lower surface of the transfer rail 63 via a connecting member 64b. Each rail cylinder 64 also moves each transfer rail 63 independently in the front and rear directions to a support position Po1 and a retracted position Po2 (see Figure 5B). Support position Po1 is the position where each transfer rail 63 is close to each other and supports the end of the pallet 5 (see Figures 4 and 5A). Retracted position Po2 is the position where each transfer rail 63 is separated from each other and retracted so as not to contact the end of the pallet 5. Alternatively, the rail cylinder 64 may be configured to be, for example, a retractable single-acting air cylinder, in which a biasing force such as a compression spring inside the rail cylinder 64 advances the rod 64a to hold the transfer rail 63 at support position Po1, and then by supplying air, the rod 64a is retracted against the biasing force to hold the transfer rail 63 at retracted position Po2.
[0022] The clamper 65 moves in the X-axis direction by the drive of the clamp cylinder 66 to clamp the pallet 5 placed on the upper surface of the stage 61. One stopper 67 is provided on each of the left and right ends of the front transfer rail 63. One stopper cylinder 68 is provided on each side to operate each stopper 67 independently. Each stopper 67 moves by the drive of the stopper cylinder 68 to a retracted position where it does not contact the pallet 5, and to a protruding position where it protrudes inward (rearward) from the retracted position and contacts the pallet 5. For example, when the pallet 5 moves along the transfer rail 63, by keeping the stopper 67 on the rear side in the direction of movement in the retracted position and setting the stopper 67 on the front side in the direction of movement in the protruding position, it is possible to stop the pallet 5 by bringing it into contact with the stopper 67 in the protruding position. This prevents the pallet 5 from going too far forward in the direction of movement.
[0023] The Y-axis movement unit 69 is equipped with a slider 69a (see Figure 4) that can move along a guide rail 11, which is arranged in the center of the lower part of the molding apparatus 10 and extends from front to back in the Y-axis direction. The unit body 60a is mounted on the slider 69a. Therefore, the Y-axis movement unit 69 moves the unit body 60a in the Y-axis direction by moving the slider 69a, thereby moving the stage 61, the pallet 5 placed on the stage 61, the transfer rail 63, etc. in the Y-axis direction. The gate-shaped frames of the X-axis movement units 33 and 44 in the first discharge unit 30 and the second discharge unit 40 are arranged to straddle the guide rail 11. The stage 61 moves in the Y-axis direction to the processing positions below the first discharge unit 30, the flattening unit 35, the second discharge unit 40, the curing unit 55, and the top heating unit 57. Furthermore, the stage 61 moves to positions such as a position for transferring the pallet 5 between it and the transport unit 50, a position for transferring the pallet 5 between it and the press heating unit 59, and a position for attaching and detaching the pallet 5 by an operator. When the stage 61 is in a position for transferring the pallet 5 between it and the transport unit 50, each transfer rail 63 at support position Po1 is in the same position in the front-rear direction as each belt conveyor of the transport unit 50, becoming continuous with the transport unit 50 and forming a transport path for the pallet 5.
[0024] The first transfer unit 70 transfers the pallet 5, which is to be passed between the transport unit 50 and the stage unit 60, in the X-axis direction, and includes a pusher lifting unit 71 and an X-axis moving unit 72. The pusher lifting unit 71 raises and lowers a pusher (not shown) in the Z-axis direction, for example by a cylinder, between an upper position that does not interfere with the pallet 5 and a lower position that can contact the side surface of the pallet 5. The X-axis moving unit 72 includes a gate-shaped frame that straddles the guide rail 11, a guide rail provided along the X-axis direction, and a slider that is movable along the guide rail and on which the pusher lifting unit 71 is disposed, and moves the pusher lifting unit 71 in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the frame and guide rail of the X-axis moving unit 72 are shared with the frame and guide rail of the X-axis moving unit 44 described above, and the slider of the X-axis moving unit 72 is provided separately from the slider of the X-axis moving unit 44. The second transfer unit 75 transfers the pallet 5, which is to be exchanged between the press heating unit 59 and the stage unit 60, in the X-axis direction. The second transfer unit 75, like the first transfer unit 70, includes a pusher lifting unit 76 that raises and lowers the pusher in the Z-axis direction and an X-axis moving unit 77 that moves the pusher lifting unit 76 in the X-axis direction, so its description is omitted.
[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the mounting device 80 includes a transport unit 81, a parts supply unit 82, a mounting head 83, an XY axis moving unit 85, a parts camera 86, a nozzle stocker 87, and an operation panel 88.
[0026] The transport unit 81 is equipped with a pair of belt conveyors that are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and spanned across the left-to-right direction (X-axis direction), and transports pallets 5 that are brought into the molding device 10 and pallets 5 that are discharged from the molding device 10 along the X-axis direction. The parts supply unit 82 is, for example, a tape feeder equipped with a reel in which parts are contained on tape at predetermined intervals. Multiple tape feeders are detachably attached to the front side of the mounting device 80. The mounting head 83 is equipped with one or more nozzles for picking up parts and a nozzle lifting unit that raises and lowers the nozzles in the Z-axis direction, and mounts the parts picked up by the nozzles to predetermined positions on the pallets 5. The XY axis moving unit 85 is equipped with a Y-axis guide rail and a Y-axis slider that moves along the Y-axis guide rail, and an X-axis guide rail provided on the Y-axis slider and an X-axis slider that moves along the X-axis guide rail and on which the mounting head 83 is arranged. The XY axis movement unit 85 moves the mounting head 83 in the XY direction by moving the Y-axis slider and the X-axis slider. The part camera 86 has an imaging range above it and captures images of parts attracted to the nozzle of the mounting head 83 from below to generate an image. The nozzle stocker 87 is configured to accommodate multiple types of nozzles of different sizes and shapes. Nozzles stored in the nozzle stocker 87 can be automatically attached to and detached from the mounting head 83. The operation panel 88 is configured as a touch panel display and displays various information to the operator and accepts various operations from the operator.
[0027] The management device 90 comprises a control unit 91, a storage unit 92, a communication unit 94, a display unit 95, and an input unit 96. The control unit 91 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU and controls the entire management device 90. The storage unit 92 is configured, for example, as an HDD or SSD and stores molding job information 92a and mounting job information 92b. The molding job information 92a includes information similar to the molding job information 22a described above. The mounting job information 92b includes information such as the part name, position coordinates (placement position), size, and mounting order of the parts to be mounted. The communication unit 94 is an interface used when communicating with each device of the production system 1, such as the molding device 10 and the mounting device 80. Based on requests from the molding device 10 and the mounting device 80, the control unit 91 sets the molding job information 92a and mounting job information 92b and transmits them via the communication unit 94. The display unit 95 is a display that displays images. The input unit 96 includes a keyboard, mouse, and other devices for receiving input from workers and managers.
[0028] The processing of the production system 1 configured in this way will now be explained. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how a molded object is made in the production system 1. In the production system 1, the molding device 10 sequentially performs each of the following processes, for example, molding of the base material S (Figure 6 (1)), molding of wiring E on the base material S (Figure 6 (2)), molding of the cavity C (Figure 6 (3)), coating of bumps B inside the cavity C (Figure 6 (4)), and coating of underfill U inside the cavity C (Figure 6 (5)). It is also possible to mold multiple layers of base material S, but only one layer is shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, the mounting device 80 performs processes such as mounting multiple components P (Figure 6 (6)). In mounting, for example, the components P are positioned so that their terminals (white parts inside component P in Figure 6) contact (conductively connect) with the bumps B. Furthermore, after assembly, processes are carried out to fill the area around component P with a filler (underfill U) and to fix component P in place by pressing and heating.
[0029] Furthermore, the substrate molding process for creating the substrate S includes an ejection step of ejecting resin ink from the first inkjet head 31, a flattening step of flattening the ejected resin ink with a roller 36, and a curing step of curing the flattened resin ink with UV light irradiated from a curing unit 55. By repeating these ejection, flattening, and curing steps multiple times (for example, about 30 times), one layer of substrate S is formed. The process of forming the next layer on top of the formed substrate S is repeated until the final formed object has the required thickness. The substrate molding process will be explained below, focusing on the ejection step. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the substrate molding process. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63. In Figure 8(1), the pallet 5 is supported by the transfer rail 63 at support position Po1, and the stage 61 is at the lower limit position Hlo of the lifting range. For example, when transferring the pallet 5 between the transport unit 50 and the press heating unit 59, the state shown in Figure 8(1) is achieved.
[0030] In the substrate molding process shown in Figure 7, the control unit 20 (CPU 20a) first controls the stage unit 60 so that the pallet 5 moves to a processing position below the first inkjet head 31 (S100). Next, the control unit 20 measures the height of the upper surface of the object and sets the height position of the stage 61 to make the gap, which is the vertical distance between the first inkjet head 31 and the object, a predetermined gap G suitable for ejecting (printing) resin ink (S110). The object to be measured is the pallet 5 when there is no object molded on the pallet 5, and the object molded when there is an object molded on the pallet 5, such as when a substrate S is laminated on top of an already molded substrate S.
[0031] Next, the control unit 20 controls the stage lifting unit 62 to raise or lower the stage 61 so that the height of the stage 61 is the height position set in S110 (S120). When the stage 61 is moved to the processing position below the first inkjet head 31 in S100, the control unit 20 raises the stage 61 to set the gap between the pallet 5 and the first inkjet head 31 to a predetermined gap G. As a result, as shown in Figure 8(2), the pallet 5 is supported by the stage 61 rather than the pair of transfer rails 63.
[0032] The control unit 20 then executes the necessary steps, including the resin ink ejection step (such as the planarization step and curing step mentioned above) (S130), and determines whether the ejection of one layer of the substrate S (forming one layer) has been completed (S140). If the control unit 20 determines that the ejection of one layer has not been completed, it returns to S130 and executes the process of S130 again. Also, if the number of times S130 has been executed reaches the aforementioned multiple times, the control unit 20 determines in S140 that the ejection of one layer has been completed. If the control unit 20 determines that the ejection of one layer has been completed, it determines whether there is a next layer to be formed (S150), and if it determines that there is no next layer to be formed, it terminates this process.
[0033] Furthermore, when the control unit 20 determines that there is a need to create the next layer, it returns to process S110. In S110 and S120, the control unit 20 measures the height of the upper surface of the substrate S created on the pallet 5 and controls the stage lifting unit 62 so that the stage 61 descends to a height position that will result in a predetermined gap G. That is, each time the extrusion of one layer (creation of one layer) is completed, the control unit 20 lowers the stage 61 to achieve the predetermined gap G (Figure 8(3)). The amount the stage 61 descends in S120 corresponds to the thickness of one layer. In this way, as the creation process progresses, the pallet 5 (stage 61) gradually moves downward, and depending on the amount of descent, the transfer rail 63 at the support position Po1 may interfere with the pallet 5. In that case, it becomes difficult to lower the pallet 5 (stage 61) and secure the predetermined gap G. Therefore, in this embodiment, rail retraction processing is performed to execute the retraction operation of the transfer rail 63 as follows.
[0034] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the rail retraction process. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63. Note that Figure 10(1) shows the same state as Figure 8(1). In the rail retraction process of Figure 9, the control unit 20 (CPU 20a) first determines whether or not it is the timing for the start of the molding of the substrate S (S200), and if it determines that it is not the timing for the start, it terminates the process. Note that the timing for the start of molding can be, for example, the timing when S120 is first executed in the substrate molding process of Figure 7. That is, it can be the timing when the stage 61 rises to support the pallet 5 and create a predetermined gap G when the molding of the substrate S begins.
[0035] When the control unit 20 determines in S200 that it is time to start molding the substrate S, it acquires the height position of the stage 61 when molding the final layer, that is, the height position corresponding to the final thickness of the molded object (S210). For example, the control unit 20 acquires the final thickness, which is the final thickness of the molded object, from the molding job information 92a, determines the top surface height of the substrate S when starting to mold the final layer from that final thickness, and acquires the height position of the stage 61 when molding the final layer based on that top surface height and a predetermined gap G.
[0036] Next, the control unit 20 performs an interference check between the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63 when the stage 61 is lowered to that height (S220), and determines whether or not there is interference (S230). The control unit 20 performs the interference check based on the height position of the pallet 5 when the stage 61 is lowered and the height position of the transfer rail 63 attached to the rail mounting part 60b. If the control unit 20 determines that there is no interference, it terminates the process. If the control unit 20 determines that there is interference, it performs a retraction operation by driving the rail cylinder 64 to move the pair of transfer rails 63 to their respective retraction positions Po2 (S240, see arrow in Figure 10(2)), and terminates the process. By performing this retraction operation, it is possible to prevent the transfer rail 63 from interfering with the pallet 5 during the substrate molding process. That is, even if the stage 61 is lowered to create a predetermined gap G each time the extrusion of one layer is completed, the transfer rail 63 will not interfere with the pallet 5. Therefore, the base material S can be fabricated by lowering the stage 61 to the lower limit position Hlo of the lifting range (Figure 10(3)), which allows the thickness of the fabricated object to be made as large as possible. Consequently, the constraint on the thickness of the fabricated object can be suppressed.
[0037] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. In this embodiment, the first inkjet head 31 corresponds to an example of the ejection unit of the present disclosure, the transfer rail 63 corresponds to an example of the support member, the stage 61 corresponds to an example of the mounting unit, the rail cylinder 64 corresponds to an example of the drive unit, and the control unit 20 corresponds to an example of the control unit. The transport unit 50 corresponds to an example of the transport unit. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of the control method of the molding apparatus of the present disclosure is also clarified by describing the operation of the molding apparatus 10.
[0038] In the molding apparatus 10 of this embodiment described above, the control unit 20 performs a molding process in which resin ink (liquid substance) is ejected while the pallet 5 (stage 61) is raised and lowered so that the gap between the object and the first inkjet head 31 is a predetermined gap G. In addition, to prevent the pair of transfer rails 63 from interfering with the pallet 5 during the molding process, a retraction operation is performed to move the pair of transfer rails 63 from the support position Po1 to the retracted position Po2. Therefore, when the pallet 5 is lowered to achieve the predetermined gap G, the pair of transfer rails 63 are prevented from interfering with both ends of the pallet 5, thus suppressing an increase in the constraint on the thickness of the molded object.
[0039] Furthermore, in the molding apparatus 10, the rail cylinder 64 moves the transfer rail 63 horizontally between the support position Po1 and the retracted position Po2 by the forward and backward movement of the rod 64a. Therefore, the retraction operation can be performed quickly without complicating the configuration for moving the transfer rail 63.
[0040] Furthermore, during the molding process, the control unit 20 lowers the pallet 5 to a predetermined gap G height position once the ejection of one layer (a predetermined number of layers) of resin ink from the substrate S is complete. Also, at the start of the molding process, the control unit 20 performs an interference check when the pallet 5 is lowered to a height position corresponding to the final thickness of the molded object, and if interference is detected, it performs a retraction operation of the pair of transfer rails 63. This ensures that the retraction operation is properly performed at the start of the molding process.
[0041] Furthermore, the molding apparatus 10 is equipped with a transport unit 50 that transports the pallet 5 along the X-axis direction (a predetermined direction) to load and unload the pallet 5 between the molding apparatus 10 and an adjacent mounting apparatus 80 (another apparatus). In addition, a pair of transfer rails 63 form a transport path for the pallet 5 so as to be continuous with a pair of belt conveyors 52 of the transport unit 50 when in the support position Po1. Therefore, in a system equipped with a pair of transfer rails 63 that support both ends of the pallet 5 for loading and unloading the pallet 5 between the mounting apparatus 80 and the molding apparatus, it is possible to suppress the increased constraint on the thickness of the molded object.
[0042] Further, when the pallet 5 is conveyed, the control unit 20 controls the stage elevating unit 62 such that the stage 61 descends to the lower limit position Hlo of the elevating range, and in the modeling process, controls the stage elevating unit 62 to be capable of descending to the lower limit position Hlo of the elevating range as a height position for achieving the predetermined gap G. Therefore, the modeling process can be executed by effectively utilizing the elevating range of the stage 61. Accordingly, an increase in constraints on the thickness of a modeled object can be suppressed without expanding the elevating range of the stage 61 (the stage elevating unit 62).
[0043] Here, in order to suppress constraints on the thickness of the modeled object, it is also conceivable to adopt a configuration in which a height Hb (see Fig. 4), which is the distance between the upper surface of the stage 61 and the upper surface of the apparatus base 10a, is increased, thereby increasing the descending amount (elevating range) of the stage 61. However, as the height Hb increases, the influence of the processing accuracy of the upper surface of the apparatus base 10a is more likely to appear in the inclination (runout) of the upper surface of the stage 61, and the inclination of the upper surface becomes large, which reduces the flatness of the modeled object. In contrast, in the present embodiment, retracting the transfer rail 63 increases the descending amount of the pallet 5 (stage 61), so there is no risk of such a decrease in flatness. That is, since constraints on the thickness of the modeled object are suppressed without reducing the flatness of the modeled object, the modelable thickness can be appropriately expanded.
[0044] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments at all, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure can be implemented in various aspects as long as it falls within the technical scope of the present disclosure.
[0045] In this embodiment, when the pallet 5 is transported, the stage 61 is lowered to the lower limit position Hlo, and during the molding process, the stage 61 is made capable of lowering to the lower limit position Hlo as a height position to create a predetermined gap G, but it is not limited to this. For example, when the pallet 5 is transported, the stage 61 is not limited to lowering to the lower limit position Hlo, but can be lowered to a position that does not interfere with the pallet 5. Also, during the molding process, the stage 61 is made capable of lowering to the lower limit position Hlo, but it is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to lower the stage 61 to a height position at least lower than when the transfer rail 63 is at the support position Po1. However, it is preferable to lower the stage 61 to the lowest possible height position to ensure the thickness of the molded object, as in this embodiment.
[0046] In this embodiment, a pair of transfer rails 63 located at support position Po1 form a transport path for the pallet 5, which is continuous with a pair of belt conveyors 52 of a transport unit 50 that loads and unloads the pallet 5 between adjacent mounting devices 80. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the pair of transfer rails 63 may form a transport path for the pallet 5 between a transport unit that loads and unloads the pallet 5 between another device other than the mounting device 80. Alternatively, since a pair of transfer rails 63 is necessary for the transfer of the pallet 5 by a second transfer unit 75 or the like, the transfer rails 63 may not form a transport path for the pallet 5 between other transport units.
[0047] In this embodiment, the control unit 20 performs interference detection at the start of the molding process and, if it determines that the pallet 5 and the transfer rail 63 are interfering with each other, it performs a retraction operation of the transfer rail 63. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the retraction operation of the transfer rail 63 may be performed when the molding process is executed without performing interference detection. Alternatively, interference detection may be performed at a different timing than the start of the molding process, and the retraction operation of the transfer rail 63 may be performed. Figure 11 is a flowchart of the rail retraction process in a modified example. In the modified example, the same steps as in the embodiment are given the same step numbers and their explanations are omitted.
[0048] In the rail retraction processing of the modified example, the control unit 20 (CPU 20a) first determines whether or not it is the timing to start modeling the next layer after the completion of discharging one layer of the base material S (modeling one layer) (S200b), and if it determines that it is not the timing to start the next layer, this processing is terminated. The timing to start modeling the next layer may be, for example, the timing of returning to S110 after determining that there is a next layer to be modeled in S150 in the base material modeling processing of FIG. 7. That is, to start modeling the next layer, the timing may be immediately before measuring the height of the upper surface of the already modeled layer and lowering the stage 61 to the height position corresponding to the predetermined gap G.
[0049] When the control unit 20 determines in S200b that it is the timing to start modeling the next layer, it acquires the lowering amount of the stage 61 for reaching the height position set in S110 of the base material modeling processing in FIG. 7, that is, the lowering amount when lowering the stage 61 in S120 (S210b). Then, in S220 to S240, the control unit 20 executes interference determination between the pallet 5 and the transfer rails 63 when the stage 61 is lowered by the lowering amount acquired in S210b, and if it is determined that interference occurs, the control unit executes the retraction operation of the pair of transfer rails 63, and terminates this processing.
[0050] As described above, in the modified example, when discharging of one layer is completed and the pallet 5 (stage 61) is lowered to the height position for the next layer, the control unit 20 executes interference determination to determine whether or not the pair of transfer rails 63 interferes with the pallet 5. Then, when it is determined that interference occurs, the control unit 20 causes the retraction operation of the pair of transfer rails 63 to be executed. Therefore, the retraction operation can be appropriately executed during the modeling processing.
[0051] In the embodiment and the modified example, after the discharging of the resin ink for one layer of the base material S is completed, the pallet 5 is lowered to the height position corresponding to the predetermined gap G; however, the present invention is not limited thereto, and after the discharging of the resin ink for predetermined layers of two or more layers of the base material S is completed, the pallet 5 may be lowered to the height position corresponding to the predetermined gap G.
[0052] In this embodiment, the rail cylinder 64 moves the transfer rail 63 horizontally by the forward and backward movement of the rod 64a, but this is not limited to this. For example, the drive unit for moving the transfer rail 63 is not limited to using the rail cylinder 64 (air cylinder), but may also be an electric actuator including a motor, etc. Furthermore, the transfer rail 63 is not limited to moving horizontally, but may also be moved vertically or rotated to retract it. For example, in Figure 5A, the right transfer rail 63 in support position Po1 may be rotated 90 degrees to the right to become retracted position Po2, and the left transfer rail 63 in support position Po1 may be rotated 90 degrees to the left to become retracted position Po2.
[0053] The method for controlling a molding apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises: a discharge unit for dispensing a liquid substance for molding an object onto a plate-shaped pallet; a pair of support members extending in a predetermined direction and supporting both ends of the pallet; a mounting unit that can raise and lower the pallet between the pair of support members; and a drive unit for moving the pair of support members between a support position in which the pair of support members support both ends of the pallet and a retracted position in which they are retracted from the support position, the method for controlling a molding apparatus comprising: (a) controlling the mounting unit and the discharge unit to perform a molding process in which a liquid substance is discharged while the pallet is raised or lowered to a height position in which the gap between the object molded on the pallet and the discharge unit is a predetermined gap; and (b) controlling the drive unit to perform a retraction operation to move the pair of support members to the retracted position so as not to interfere with the pallet during the molding process.
[0054] The control method for the molding apparatus of this disclosure can suppress limitations on the thickness of the molded object, similar to the molding apparatus of this disclosure. Various embodiments of the molding apparatus of this disclosure may be adopted in this control method, or steps may be added to realize the functions of the molding apparatus of this disclosure.
[0055] This specification also discloses a technical concept in which the "forming apparatus described in claim 1 or 2" in the original claim 5 has been changed to "forming apparatus described in claims 1 to 4".
[0056] This disclosure is applicable to the technical field of creating objects on a plate-shaped pallet.
[0057] 1 Production system, 5 Pallets, 10 3D printing device, 10a Device base, 11 Y-axis rail, 12 Housing, 20 Control unit, 20a CPU, 20b ROM, 20c RAM, 20d Timer, 22 Storage unit, 22a, 92a Printing job information, 24 Communication unit, 26, 88 Operation panel, 30 First ejection unit, 31 First inkjet head, 32 Second inkjet head, 33, 44 X-axis movement unit, 35 Flattening unit, 36 Roller, 37 Roller lifting unit, 40 Second ejection unit, 41 First dispensing head, 42 Second dispensing head, 43 Third dispensing head, 45 Lifting unit, 46 Height measuring unit, 50 Conveying unit, 52 Belt conveyor, 55 Curing unit, 57 Top heating unit, 59 Press heating unit, 60 Stage unit, 60a Unit body, 60b Rail mounting part, 61 Stage, 62 Stage lifting part, 63 Transfer rail, 64 Rail cylinder, 64a Rod, 64b Connecting member, 65 Clamper, 66 Clamp cylinder, 67 Stopper, 68 Stopper cylinder, 69 Y-axis movement part, 69a Slider, 70 First transfer unit, 71, 76 Pusher lifting part, 72, 77 X-axis movement part, 75 Second transfer unit, 80 Mounting device, 81 Transport unit, 82 Parts supply unit, 83 Mounting head, 85 XY axis movement part, 86 Parts camera, 87 Nozzle stocker, 90 Management device, 92 Storage unit, 92b Mounting job information, 94 Communication unit, 95 Display unit, 96 Input unit, B Bump, C Cavity, E Circuit, P Parts, S Substrate, U Underfill.
Claims
1. A molding apparatus comprising: a discharge unit for dispensing a liquid substance for molding an object onto a plate-shaped pallet; a pair of support members extending in a predetermined direction and supporting both ends of the pallet; a mounting unit on which the pallet is placed and which can be raised and lowered between the pair of support members; a drive unit for moving the pair of support members between a support position in which the pair of support members support both ends of the pallet and a retracted position in which they are retracted from the support position; and a control unit that controls the mounting unit and the discharge unit to perform a molding process in which the liquid substance is dispensed while the pallet is raised and lowered to a height position such that the gap between the object molded on the pallet and the discharge unit is a predetermined gap, and controls the drive unit to perform a retraction operation to move the pair of support members to the retracted position so that they do not interfere with the pallet during the molding process.
2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit moves the pair of support members horizontally between the support position and the retracted position.
3. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the placement unit to lower the pallet to the height position which is the predetermined gap each time the discharge of a predetermined layer of liquid material of the molded object is completed during the molding process, and at the start of the molding process, it determines whether the pair of support members will interfere with the pallet before the pallet is lowered to the height position corresponding to the final thickness of the molded object, and controls the drive unit to execute the retraction operation if it determines that interference will occur.
4. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the placement unit to lower the pallet to the height position which is the predetermined gap each time the discharge of a predetermined layer of liquid material of the molded object is completed during the molding process, and during the molding process, when the discharge of the predetermined layer of liquid material is completed and the pallet is lowered to the next height position, the control unit determines whether the pair of support members interfere with the pallet, and controls the drive unit to execute the retraction operation if interference is determined to occur.
5. A molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a transport unit for transporting the pallet along the predetermined direction so as to transport the pallet in and out between the molding apparatus and another apparatus adjacent to it, wherein the pair of support members, when in the support position, form a transport path for the pallet so as to be continuous with the transport unit.
6. The molding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the placement unit described above so that it descends to the lower limit position of the lifting range when the pallet is transported along the transport path, and controls the placement unit described above so that it can descend to the lower limit position as the height position for the predetermined gap during the molding process.
7. A method for controlling a molding apparatus comprising: a discharge unit for dispensing a liquid substance for molding an object onto a plate-shaped pallet; a pair of support members extending in a predetermined direction and supporting both ends of the pallet; a mounting unit that can raise and lower the pallet between the pair of support members; and a drive unit for moving the pair of support members between a support position in which the pair of support members support both ends of the pallet and a retracted position in which they are retracted from the support position, the method comprising: (a) controlling the mounting unit and the discharge unit to perform a molding process in which a liquid substance is discharged while the pallet is raised or lowered to a height position in which the gap between the object molded on the pallet and the discharge unit is a predetermined gap; and (b) controlling the drive unit to perform a retraction operation to move the pair of support members to the retracted position so as not to interfere with the pallet during the molding process.