JPH068341A - Optical modeling method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Irradiate a region corresponding to one cross section of the desired shape of the photosensitive material, and add a liquid layer for one layer on it.
In an optical modeling method in which the step of irradiating light again is repeated, the time required for adding a liquid layer is shortened. [Constitution] A bottomed body is immersed in a photosensitive substance and gradually raised. When the bottomed body is raised, the liquid flows in and it becomes possible to re-irradiate immediately after the rise.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical molding method using light and a photocurable fluid material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a model corresponding to a product shape required for mold making, or a model for controlling copying in cutting or for an electrode for die-sinking electric discharge machining is manufactured by hand or by an NC milling machine or the like. It was performed by the NC cutting process used. However, there is a problem that it requires a lot of labor and skill in the case of manual machining, and in the case of NC machining, it is necessary to create a complicated machining program in consideration of conversion and abrasion for changing the shape of the cutting edge of the cutting tool. In addition, there is a problem that further finishing may be required in order to remove the step generated on the processed surface. In order to solve such a problem, a method of selectively irradiating a photocurable resin with light to obtain a desired solid has been proposed. This method will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional technique. First, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), a photocurable fluid substance 4 is put in a container 1 so as to have an appropriate depth, and then, as shown in FIG. As shown in (), the light is irradiated from above the substance 4 through the optical lens 20 to concentrate the light in the substance 4. In this state, the light concentration portion is moved with respect to the container, and light irradiation is selectively performed according to the shape of the modeled object to be obtained. At this time, the depth of the substance 4 is set to a depth at which a continuous cured portion 60 extending to the upper and lower surfaces of the substance 4 is obtained by the light irradiation. If the depth is more than this, the hardened portion 60 separates from the bottom surface of the container 1 and the hardened portion formed is caused to settle, and an accurate shaped body cannot be obtained. Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), a photo-curable substance 4 is further added, and light irradiation is selectively performed from above the substance 4 as shown in FIG. 2 (d). At this time, the substance 4 is added to the cured portion 60 so as to have the same depth as described above. Further, the light irradiation is performed on the newly formed cured portion 61.
Is continued to the previously formed cured portion 60. Furthermore, by repeating the addition of the photocurable substance 4 and the formation of the cured portion by light irradiation, a solid having a desired shape can be formed. Although FIG. 2 shows an example of adding a liquid as a technique for forming a liquid layer on the cured portion 60, an example of forming a liquid layer on the cured portion 60 by sinking the cured portion 60 in the liquid is also available. Are known.

[0004]

When a liquid layer is formed on the hardened portion 60 by the above-mentioned conventional technique, the viscosity of the liquid is generally high, and therefore when a thin liquid layer is to be obtained, the liquid on the hardened portion 60 is to be obtained. It takes a long time until the thickness becomes uniform. Therefore, it is difficult to shorten the modeling time. Therefore, the present invention has found a method capable of shortening the time required by devising the step of forming the liquid layer on the cured portion 60.

[0005]

The above object of the present invention is to store a photocurable fluid substance which is cured by light in a container,
In an optical modeling method for modeling a solid having a desired shape in the photocurable fluid substance by selectively irradiating light from above, a hollow or solid bottomed body having translucency in the vertical direction is described above. Between the bottom surface of the bottomed body and the top surface of the container bottom by immersing in the photocurable fluid substance in the container,
By irradiating light from above (for example, laser light irradiation) with the substance to a depth such that a continuous cured portion extending to the upper and lower surfaces of the substance is obtained, and irradiating light from above the bottomed body, By forming a hardened portion that extends to the upper and lower surfaces of the substance, and then by slightly pulling up the bottomed body, there is formed a depth corresponding to the depth between the top surface of the hardened portion and the bottom surface of the bottomed body. By adding the substance around the bottom body and irradiating the portion to which the substance is added from above the bottomed body with light, a cured portion that continuously extends from the cured portion is formed, and It is solved by a method of repeating the addition and curing steps to form a solid of the desired shape.

As the photocurable fluid substance, various substances which are cured by irradiation with light can be used. Examples thereof include modified polyurethane methacrylate, oligoester acrylate, urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, photosensitive polyimide and aminoalkyd. You can As the light, various lights such as visible light and ultraviolet light can be used depending on the photocurable substance used.
The light may be ordinary light, but by using laser light, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the energy level can be increased to shorten the modeling time and the modeling accuracy can be improved by utilizing good condensing property. it can. Further, the photocurable fluid substance may be mixed with a modifying material such as a pigment, a ceramic powder or a metal powder in advance.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the method according to the present invention is being carried out. First, as shown in FIG.
A box-shaped bottomed body 9 having a liquid-tight bottom wall and a side wall is dipped in the photocurable fluid substance 4 inside, and is fixed between the bottom surface 90 of the bottomed body 9 and the top surface 10 of the container bottom. Depth photocurable fluid material 4
Are to be accommodated. As described above, this depth is set to a depth at which a continuous cured portion extending to the upper and lower surfaces of the substance 4 can be obtained by light irradiation from above. In this state, as shown in FIG. 1B, by irradiating light from above the bottomed body 9 through the optical lens 20, the light is concentrated in the substance 4, and the light is selectively irradiated. A cured portion 60 is obtained. For this reason,
The bottom wall of the bottomed body 9 is assumed to be transparent to the irradiation light. Next, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the bottomed body 9 is slightly pulled up. As a result, the substance 4 around the bottomed body 9
Are flowed into and added to the bottom of the bottomed body 9. At this time, the substance 4 quickly flows into the bottom of the bottomed body 9 and can be re-irradiated immediately after the bottomed body is lifted. The amount of pulling up is determined so that the depth of the substance 4 added between the upper surface of the existing hardened portion 60 and the bottom surface 90 of the bottomed body is the same as that described above. In addition, the lens 20 that constitutes the light source and the bottom surface 9 of the bottomed body
In order to keep the distance from 0 constant, the light source device 2 is raised by the same distance as the bottomed body 9. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1D, the light is focused and selectively irradiated as described above so that a cured portion 61 continuous with the cured portion 60 is obtained from above the bottomed body 4. Furthermore, by repeating the addition of the photocurable substance 4 below the bottom surface 90 by pulling up the bottomed body 9 and the formation of the cured portion by light irradiation, a solid having a desired shape can be obtained. In this example, the bottomed body 9 and the light source device 2
However, it goes without saying that the container 1 may be lowered instead of this. In any case, changes in these relative positions can be controlled by an appropriate positioning mechanism. According to the example of FIG. 1, since the liquid surface of the photocurable substance 4 to be cured is covered by the bottomed body bottom surface 90, it is possible to prevent the influence of the atmosphere in the container, such as components and dust in the air. Is obtained.

[0008]

As is apparent from the above, according to the present invention, since a liquid layer having a predetermined thickness is formed on a cured portion by pulling up a bottomed body by a predetermined distance, it is possible to form a liquid layer having a predetermined thickness. The time required can be shortened. In the conventional technique, after adding a liquid or lowering a cured portion, it took a considerable time for the thickness of the liquid layer thereon to become uniform and stable. Therefore, according to the present invention, the modeling time is shortened and the application of the optical modeling method is greatly expanded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view schematically showing an apparatus for carrying out an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Light source device 4 Light curable fluid substance 6 Solid of desired shape 9 Bottomed body 60, 61 Cured part 90 Bottom bottomed body

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B29K 105: 24

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical molding in which a photocurable fluid substance that is cured by light is contained in a container, and a solid having a desired shape is formed in the photocurable fluid substance by selectively irradiating light from above. In the method, by immersing a hollow or solid bottomed body having a light-transmitting property in the vertical direction in the photocurable fluid substance in the container, the bottom surface of the bottomed body and the top surface of the container bottom are separated. In between, the substance is housed so as to have a depth such that a continuous cured portion extending to the upper and lower surfaces of the substance is obtained by irradiation with light from above, and the upper and lower surfaces of the substance are irradiated by irradiating light from above the bottomed body. The bottomed body is formed so that a depth corresponding to the depth is formed between the top surface of the bottomed body and the bottom surface of the bottomed body by slightly raising the bottomed body. Add the substance of the surface, above the bottomed body To form a hardened portion continuously extending from the hardened portion by irradiating the portion to which the substance has been added from the above, and repeating the addition and curing steps of these photocurable substances to form a solid having a desired shape. An optical modeling method characterized by.