JPH04366620A - Optical shaping method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent cutting-apart of a shaped body and peeling-off from a base in the middle of shaping and make an irregular-shaped body shapable, in a method where a target shaped body is shaped by laminating curing layers in order by repeating a process in which the cured layer is formed on the base by applying a beam to the photosetting resin, the base is moved at a fixed pitch and after the cured layer is covered with the photosetting resin, the beam is applied to the same. CONSTITUTION:A precured layer 2 is shaped beforehand and a shaped body 1 is shaped. Shaping is performed by combining supporting bodies 3, 4 with each other between cured layers and between the cured layer and a base 21. The precured layer 2 and supporting bodies 3, 4 are removed after completion of the shaping. With this construction, a stuck area to the base 21 is secured by the precured layer 2 and peeling between the shaped body 1 and base 21 is prevented. An irregular-shaped part is supported stably by the supporting bodies 3, 4. Apparent sectional area becomes large by the supporting bodies 3, 4 and cutting-apart of the shaped body by ply separation between the cured layers is prevented.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical modeling method for producing a cured product having a desired shape by irradiating a photocurable resin with a beam of light.

0002

[Prior Art] A light beam is irradiated onto a photocurable resin to cure the irradiated portion, and this cured portion is continued horizontally, and a photocurable resin is further supplied above it and cured in the same manner. An optical modeling method in which the cured body is made to continue in the vertical direction by repeating this process to produce a cured body in the desired shape is disclosed in JP-A No. 60-247515, 6.
It is publicly known from No. 2-35966, No. 62-101408, etc. It is also known to use a mask instead of scanning the beam.

This type of optical modeling method includes a container containing a photocurable resin, a device for irradiating light into the container,
Some have a base that is movable within the container. This optical modeling method will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 7, a photocurable resin 12 is contained in a container 11. As shown in FIG. A transparent window 13 made of a transparent plate such as quartz glass is provided on the bottom of the container 11.
The light emitting part 15 with a built-in lens, the optical fiber 16, and the light emitting part 15 are moved in the X-Y direction (X, Y are two orthogonal directions) in a horizontal plane so as to irradiate the light beam 14 toward the transparent window 13. X-Y moving device 17 and optical shutter 18 to move the
, a light source 20, etc., is provided.

A base 21 is installed inside the container 11, and the base 21 can be raised and lowered by an elevator 22. These moving device 17 and elevator 22 are controlled by a computer 23.

When producing a cured body using the above-mentioned apparatus, first, the base 21 is positioned slightly above the light-transmitting window 13, and the light beam 14 is scanned along the horizontal cross section of the object. This scanning is carried out by a computer-controlled X-Y moving device 1.
7.

[0007] After irradiating the entire horizontal cross section of the target shape (in this case, the portion corresponding to the bottom or top surface), the base 21 is raised by a predetermined pitch, and the cured layer 24
After flowing an uncured photocurable resin between the light-transmitting window 13 and the light-transmitting window 13, the same light irradiation as described above is performed. By repeating this procedure, a cured body (shaped body) having the desired shape is obtained as a multilayer laminate.

In contrast to the method shown in FIG. 7 in which the luminous flux 14 is irradiated from the bottom side of the container 11, a method is also known in which the luminous flux 14 is irradiated from above the liquid surface of the photocurable resin. In this method, as shown in FIG. 8, a photocurable resin is interposed between a base 21 or a hardened layer 24 thereon and a liquid surface 12a to a predetermined thickness, and then a light beam 14 is irradiated to form the desired shape. After forming the hardened layer 24 on one horizontal section of the object, the base 21 is lowered by a predetermined pitch, and other operations are the same as those in FIG. 7.

A method is also known in which the light beam is scanned by tilting a mirror that reflects the light from the light source toward the modeling section, instead of moving the light emitting section 15 in the X-Y direction.

0010

In the conventional method described above, depending on the shape of the object to be formed, it may not be possible to form the object simply by moving the base on which the cured layer is laminated.

That is, for example, when a shaped body 30 having the shape shown in FIG. 9 is to be formed on the base 21, the broken line A1
The hardened layer between A2 and A2 becomes a completely unsupported layer and cannot be modeled.

In particular, by the method of laminating the cured layer by moving the base in the direction away from the light-transmitting window, as shown in FIG. The horizontal cross-sectional area (hereinafter simply referred to as "cross-sectional area") changes greatly in the lamination direction, and the cured layer that adheres to the base, that is, the first cured layer (hereinafter referred to as "first cured layer") The cured layer that is sequentially laminated after the first layer is sometimes referred to as the "second layer,""thirdlayer," etc.) and the base. When it is necessary to form a hardened layer over an area, the adhesive force between the transparent window and the hardened layer is greater than the adhesive force between the base and the first layer,
The modeled object may peel off from the base while it is being modeled. Furthermore, layers of the cured material may peel off during the modeling process, resulting in separation of the modeled object.

That is, as shown in FIG.
When laminating the layers 24n in this order, when pulling up the base 21 to form the n+1st layer after curing the nth layer 24n, the base 21 and the first without peeling off the layer 24a, and
In order to peel off the n-th layer 24n and the light-transmitting window 13 and pull up the base 21 without peeling between the cured layers 24, it is necessary to maintain the following adhesive force relationship. Ru. fg<fw<fp Fg<k・Fw<Fp Here, fp is the adhesive force between the cured layers, and fw is the first layer 24a
and the base 21, fg is the adhesive force between the n-th layer 24n and the light-transmitting window 13, Fp, Fw, and Fg are the cross-sectional area of each cured layer, A, and the cross-sectional area of the first layer ( This is base 21
is equal to the adhesive area of ) is A1, the cross-sectional area of the second layer is A2, and the cross-sectional area of the nth layer is An. Note that the above k is a safety factor. Fp=(any of A1 to An)×fpFw=A1
×fw Fg=An ×fg The above fg, fw, and fp are determined based on the base 21 according to the type of photocurable resin so that the relationship fg<fw<fp holds.
and is set in advance by selecting the material of the transparent window.

However, even if the relationship fg<fw<fp holds true, if An is excessively large with respect to A1, the relationship Fg<k・Fw cannot be maintained, and A1 and An compared to 24a and 24
If the cross-sectional area of the hardened layer between Fg and n is too small,
It becomes impossible to maintain the relationship <k・Fw<Fp.

[0015] For this reason, when the base 21 is pulled up, the molded object is divided due to peeling between the hardened layers 24 during the molding process, and the base 21 and the first layer 24a are peeled off.

Similarly, in the method shown in FIG. 8 in which the base is lowered to form a laminated cured layer, if the adhesive strength to the base is insufficient, distortion may occur, or the layer may peel off during modeling and may move. You may be inclined. Furthermore, separation of the shaped object may occur due to peeling of the cured layer during modeling.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide an optical modeling method that can reliably model any shaped object.

[0018]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The optical modeling method according to claim 1 provides a movable base in a container, and forms a cured layer by irradiating light onto a photocurable resin housed in the container. The optical system is formed on a base, then the base is moved at a predetermined pitch, the cured layer is covered with a photocurable resin, and then light is irradiated, and this process is repeated to stack the cured layers to form the desired shape. In the objective modeling method, a support disposed so as to span between the cured layers or between the cured layer and the base is modeled together with the shaping of the objective shaped body, and after the shaping of the objective shaped body is completed. The method is characterized in that the support body is separated from the target shaped body.

[0019] The optical modeling method of claim 2 provides a movable base in a container, and forms a cured layer on the base by irradiating light to the photocurable resin contained in the container, In an optical modeling method, the base is then moved at a predetermined pitch to cover the cured layer with a photocurable resin, and then light is irradiated and this process is repeated to stack the cured layers to form the desired shape. Prior to forming the first hardened layer of the shaped body, a pre-hardened layer is formed, the target shaped body is built so as to overlap the pre-hardened layer, and then the pre-hardened layer is separated from the target shaped body. It is characterized by

[0020] The optical modeling method according to claim 3 is the optical modeling method according to claim 2, in which the support body disposed so as to span between the pre-cured layer and the cured layer of the target shape object is The supporting body is characterized in that it is formed at the same time as the shaping of the shaped body, and that the support is separated from the shaped body after the shaping of the target shaped body is completed.

[0021]

[Operation] In the optical modeling method according to claim 1, since the support is also modeled so as to span between the cured layers or between the cured layer and the base during modeling, it is possible to produce a shaped object of any shape. However, by supporting the cured layer that is not supported by the base via a support, it is possible to perform stable and reliable modeling, and after the modeling is completed, by separating this support part, it is possible to create a model with the desired shape. can be obtained. Furthermore, by increasing the apparent cross-sectional area of the cured layer in the support forming portion by the cross-sectional area of the support, peeling between the cured layers and peeling between the base and the first layer when the base is moved can be prevented.

In the optical modeling method of claim 2, since a pre-cured layer is formed between the first layer and the base in advance, this pre-cured layer ensures a large adhesion area between the base and the shaped object, Peeling between the base and the first layer can be prevented. By separating this pre-cured layer after the completion of modeling, a shaped object of a desired shape can be obtained.

According to the method of claim 3, claims 1 and 2
The effects of the above methods can be achieved at the same time.

[0024]

[Embodiment] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the base 21 and the vicinity of the transparent window 13, showing one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, the shaped body 1 is formed into hardened layers 1a, 1b, 1c, (1d, 1d', 1d''), (1
When modeling by laminating layers (e, 1e', 1e''), 1f, 1g, and 1h, a pre-cured layer 2 is first formed on the base 21. Then, on this pre-cured layer 2,
Support layers 3a, 4a and cured layer 1a, support layers 3b, 4
b and hardened layer 1b, support layers 3c, 4c and hardened layer 1c
are laminated, and further hardened layers 1d, 1d' and 1d'', 1e
, 1e' and 1e'', 1f, 1g and 1h.

In this way, by forming the pre-cured layer 2 in advance, the shaped object 1 and the base 21 are bonded to the pre-cured layer 2.
A wide bonding area can be secured through the bonding, and peeling between the base 21 and the shaped object 1 (cured layer 1a) during modeling can be prevented.

[0026] In addition to shaping the hardened layers 1a to 1c,
Support body 3 and support body layer 4a consisting of support body layers 3a to 3c
By modeling the support 4 made of ~4c, the cured layers 1d' and 1d'' are stably supported with respect to the pre-cured layer 2 by the supports 3 and 4, respectively, and the shaped body does not wobble. It is possible to perform high-precision modeling with good workability without any problems.Furthermore, the support 3,
4, the cross-sectional area of the hardened layers 1a to 1c is significantly smaller than the cross-sectional area of the hardened layers 1f to 1h. Between hardened layers 1a and 1b, between 1b and 1c, 1c and 1d
Although there is a possibility that the shaped body 1 may be split between the parts, by forming the supports 3 and 4, the apparent cross-sectional area of each part is increased by the cross-sectional area of the supports 3 and 4, and as a result,
A large interlayer adhesion force can be ensured, and separation of the shaped object can be prevented.

2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
The figure is a sectional view showing another example of the support and the shaped body. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the support 31 is shaped so as to span between the protrusion of the shaped body 1A and the base 21. In the example shown in FIG. 3, supports 32 and 33 are formed between the umbrella-shaped portion of the object 1B and the base 21. In the example shown in FIG. 4, supports 34, 35, 36, and 37 are formed for the formed object 1C. Fifth
In the illustrated example, supports 38 and 39 are formed in the recessed portions of the formed object 1D. In the example of FIG. 6, the recess of the shaped body 1E and the base 21
A girder-shaped support body 40 is formed so as to span between the two.

In any of the embodiments, it is possible to stably form the irregularly shaped portion of the object, and by increasing the apparent cross-sectional area of the object, it is possible to prevent the object from being separated during the forming process.

[0029] In order to reliably prevent the shaped body from being divided by the support, the minimum cross-sectional area Amin must be A with respect to the maximum cross-sectional area Amax of the hardened layer constituting the shaped body.
It is required that max/Amin≦5-20. The magnitude of the numerical value changes depending on the degree of change in the cross-sectional area of the hardened layer that constitutes the shaped object. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, when molding a molded object 1D in which Amax /Amin >5 to 20, the supports 38 and 39
The apparent cross-sectional area is increased by the cross-sectional areas As1 and As2 of the support, and Amax / (Amin + As1 +
It is important to set As2)≦5 to 20.

Similarly, in order to reliably prevent separation between the base and the hardened layer (first layer), the cross-sectional area A1 of the first layer must be
It is necessary that Amax/A1≦1.5. The size of the numerical value varies depending on the shape of the object. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG.
/A1 > 1.5 to 3, the cross-sectional area As3 of the supports 32 and 33 is
and increase the apparent cross-sectional area by As4, Amax / (A1 + As3 + As4 )≦1.5
It is important to set the value to 3. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a pre-cured layer may also be formed.

[0031] The illustrated examples are all examples of the present invention, and it goes without saying that other shapes of the pre-cured layer and support may be employed in the present invention.

[0032] The optical modeling method of the present invention is as follows:
It is possible to apply not only to the optical shaping apparatus shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 8 but also to any optical shaping apparatus. In addition to the XY moving device, a tilting mirror can also be used to scan the light beam. Instead of scanning the light beam, a mask may be used to irradiate the light.

In the present invention, as the photocurable resin, various resins that are cured by light irradiation can be used, such as modified polyurethane methacrylate, oligoester acrylate, urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, photosensitive polyimide, and amino alkyd. can be mentioned.

[0034] As the light, various types of light such as visible light and ultraviolet light can be used depending on the photocurable resin used. The light may be normal light, but by using laser light, the energy level can be increased and the molding time can be shortened.
It is possible to obtain the advantage that modeling accuracy can be improved by utilizing good light convergence.

[0035]

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the optical modeling method of the present invention, even if the shaped object is an irregularly shaped object, it can be stabilized by preventing the object from splitting or peeling off from the base during modeling. Moreover, it is possible to reliably and efficiently perform modeling with high dimensional accuracy and shape accuracy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of essential parts showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a different embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an optical shaping device applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an optical shaping device applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an example of a shaped body.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the relationship of adhesive force during modeling.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Modeled object 2 Precured layer 3 Support 4 Support 12 Photo-curable resin 13 Translucent window 14 Luminous flux 15 Light output part 16 Optical fiber 20 Light source 21 Base 22 Elevator 24 Hardened layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1: A movable base is provided in a container, a cured layer is formed on the base by irradiating the photocurable resin contained in the container with light, and then the base is moved at a predetermined pitch. In an optical modeling method in which a cured layer is covered with a photocurable resin, light is irradiated, and this process is repeated to stack the cured layers to form a target shaped object, between the cured layers or between the cured layers. A support disposed so as to straddle between the layer and the base is modeled at the same time as the object-shaped object is formed, and the support is separated from the object-shaped object after the object-shaped object is formed. optical modeling method. 2. A movable base is provided in a container, a cured layer is formed on the base by irradiating the photocurable resin contained in the container with light, and then the base is moved at a predetermined pitch. In the optical modeling method, which covers the cured layer with a photocurable resin, irradiates it with light, and repeats this process, the first cured layer of the target shape is layered to form the target shape. Prior to forming, a pre-cured layer is formed, a target shape is formed so as to overlap the pre-cured layer, and then the pre-cured layer is separated from the target shape. Modeling method. 3. The optical modeling method according to claim 2, wherein a support disposed so as to span between the pre-cured layer and the cured layer of the target-shaped object is formed at the same time as the target-shaped object is formed. An optical modeling method characterized in that the support body is separated from the target shaped body after the shaping of the target shaped body is completed.