# US 11,077,619 B2 · Three-dimensional shaping apparatus and method of manufacturing three-dimensional shaping object

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- Number: US 11,077,619 B2
- Document ID: US11077619B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/697,300
- Filed: 2019-11-27
- Published: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-11-28
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Kohei Yuwaki; Satoshi Yamazaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077619B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B22F 3/115: by spraying molten metal, i.e. spray sintering, spray casting
- B22F 10/18: by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
- B22F 10/22: Direct deposition of molten metal
- B22F 10/30: Process control
- B22F 12/53: Nozzles
- B22F 12/57: Metering means
- B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
- B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B22F 12/10: Auxiliary heating means
- B22F 12/33: translatory in the deposition plane
- B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
- B22F 2009/0888: {casting construction of the melt process, apparatus, intermediate reservoir, e.g. tundish, devices for temperature control}
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing portion plasticizing a material to generate a shaping material, a nozzle having a discharge port discharging the shaping material toward a table, a movement mechanism changing a relative position between the nozzle and the table, a discharge control mechanism provided in a flow path which connects the plasticizing portion to the nozzle and controlling a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, and a control portion controlling the plasticizing portion, the movement mechanism, and the discharge control mechanism to shape the three-dimensional shaping object. The control portion controls the discharge control mechanism so that when a relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a first discharge amount, and when the relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a second speed which is slower than the first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a second discharge amount which is smaller than the first discharge amount.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus shaping a three-dimensional shaping object, comprising:
a plasticizing member configured to plasticize a material to generate a shaping material;
a nozzle having a discharge port discharging the shaping material toward a table;
a flow path fluidly connecting between the plasticizing member and the nozzle, the shaping material flowing through the flow path along a shaping material flow direction;
a movement mechanism changing a relative position between the nozzle and the table;
a discharge control mechanism that includes a butterfly valve, a drive shaft, and a valve driver, the butterfly valve being a part of the drive shaft, the butterfly valve being provided in the flow path, the valve driver being configured to rotate the drive shaft, the butterfly valve being configured to control a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle;
a storage device configured to store a program; and
a processor configured to execute the program so as to:
change a relative position of the nozzle and the table at a first speed to discharge the shaping material on the table;
set a rotation angle of the butterfly valve to a first degree with respect to the shaping material flow direction to discharge a first discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle when the relative position of the nozzle and the table is changed at the first speed;
change the relative positon of the nozzle and the table at a second speed to discharge the shaping material on the table; and
set the rotation angle of the butterfly valve to a second degree with respect to the shaping material flow direction to discharge a second discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle when the relative position of the nozzle and the table is changed at the second speed,
wherein the second speed is slower than the first speed, and the second discharge amount is smaller than the first discharge amount.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the processor is configured to control the discharge control mechanism to adjust a discharge amount of the shaping material per unit volume in the three-dimensional shaping object to be constant during the relative position of the nozzle and the table changes is changed at the first and second speeds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a suction member connected to the flow path between the discharge control mechanism and the discharge port in the flow path, the suction member being configured to suck the shaping material into a branched path from the flow path and reserve the sucked shaping material in the branched path,
wherein the processor is configured to cause the suction member to suck the shaping material when discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped by controlling the discharge control mechanism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the processor is configured to control the suction member to eject a part of the reserved shaping material in the suction member to the flow path when the processor causes the nozzle to start discharging the shaping material,
after the suction member ejects the part of the reserved shaping material in the suction member to the flow path, the processor is configured to:
change the relative position of the nozzle and the table;
start supplying the shaping material from the plasticizing member toward the nozzle via the flow path by controlling the discharge control mechanism; and
eject a remaining of the reserved shaping material in the suction member to the flow path.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the plasticizing member includes a flat screw and a barrel,
the flat screw has a grooved surface on which a groove is formed,
the barrel includes a facing surface facing the grooved surface of the flat screw, a communication hole formed on the facing surface, and a heater, and
the plasticizing member is configured to generate the shaping material by melting at least a part of the material by rotation of the flat screw and heating by the heater and cause the shaping material to flow out of the communication hole to the flow path.

### Claim 6

A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional shaping object, comprising:
plasticizing a material to generate a shaping material;
discharging the shaping material from a nozzle towards a table via a flow path along a shaping material flow direction while changing a relative position of the nozzle and the table to form the three-dimensional shaping object; and
executing a program stored in a memory by a processor so as to:
control a discharge control mechanism to change a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, the discharge control mechanism including a butterfly valve, a drive shaft, and a valve driver, the butterfly valve being a part of the drive shaft, the butterfly valve being provided in the flow path, the valve driver being configured to rotate the drive shaft, the butterfly valve being configured to control the discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle;
change a relative position of the nozzle and the table at a first speed to discharge the shaping material on the table;
set a rotation angle of the butterfly valve to a first degree with respect to the shaping material flow direction to discharge a first discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle when the relative position of the nozzle and the table is changed at the first speed;
change the relative positon of the nozzle and the table at a second speed to discharge the shaping material on the table; and
set the rotation angle of the butterfly valve to a second degree with respect to the shaping material flow direction to discharge a second discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle when the relative position of the nozzle and the table is changed at the second speed,
wherein the second speed is slower than the first speed, and the second discharge amount is smaller than the first discharge amount.