# US 11,440,248 B2 · Three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device

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- Number: US 11,440,248 B2
- Document ID: US11440248B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/918,174
- Filed: 2020-07-01
- Published: 2021-01-07
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-04
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Eiji Okamoto; Akihiko Tsunoya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440248B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
- B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
- B22F 12/50: Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads
- B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles
- B29C 64/218: Rollers
- B29C 64/236: for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
- B29C 64/241: for rotary motion
- B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40)
- B29C 64/255: Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
- B29C 64/264: Arrangements for irradiation
- B29C 64/321: Feeding
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B22F 12/41: characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
- B29C 64/35: Cleaning
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- 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

In a three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, when a unit is moved in a forward direction, powder is supplied from a first supply portion, a powder layer is formed by a first layer forming portion, a liquid is discharged to a shaping region from a head, and a shaping table is moved in a direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid is ended and before a second layer forming portion faces the shaping region, and when the unit is moved in a backward direction, the powder is supplied from a second supply portion, the powder layer is formed by the second layer forming portion, the liquid is discharged to the shaping region from the head, and the shaping table is moved in the direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the first layer forming portion faces the shaping region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, comprising:
a shaping table that includes a shaping surface of a three-dimensional shaped object, and the shaping table is configured to move the shaping surface in a shaping surface moving direction that intersects the shaping surface;
a unit configured to reciprocate in a reciprocating direction with respect to the shaping table and includes a first and second supply portion configured to supply powder, a first and second layer forming portion configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table using the powder, and at least one head configured to discharge a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object on the powder layer wherein,
the order of the components of the unit from a head side in a forward direction that is in the reciprocating direction is; the first supply portion, the first layer forming portion, the head, the second layer forming portion, and the second supply portion,
and an interval between the first layer forming portion and the head is greater than the length of the shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object and an interval between the second layer forming portion and the head is greater than the length of the shaping region of the three-dimensional shaped object; and
a control unit configured to control the unit and the shaping table, wherein
the control unit is configured to performs control such that,
when moving the unit in the forward direction and when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, supply the powder from the first supply portion, form the powder layer on the shaping table using the powder with the first layer forming portion, discharge the liquid to the shaping region from the head, and move the shaping table in a direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the second layer forming portion faces the shaping region, and
when moving the unit in a backward direction in the reciprocating direction and when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, supply the powder from the second supply portion, form the powder layer on the shaping table using the powder with the second layer forming portion, discharge the liquid to the shaping region from the head, and move the shaping table in the direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the first layer forming portion faces the shaping region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein
the binder is a resin cured by applying energy, and
the unit includes at least one energy applying portion for curing the binder.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein
the head includes a first head provided on a first layer forming portion side in the reciprocating direction and a second head provided on a second layer forming portion side in the reciprocating direction, and
the energy applying portion is provided between the first head and the second head in the reciprocating direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein
the energy applying portion includes a first energy applying portion and a second energy applying portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein
when an (n+1)th powder layer is to be formed after an n-th powder layer is formed on the shaping table with n being a natural number, the control unit controls the shaping table to move by a layer thickness of the (n+1)th powder layer in the direction separating from the unit when shaping a three-dimensional shaped object of the n-th layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein
when an (n+1)th powder layer is to be formed after an n-th powder layer is formed on the shaping table with n being a natural number, the control unit controls the shaping table to move by more than a layer thickness of the (n+1)th powder layer in the direction separating from the unit when shaping a three-dimensional shaped object of the n-th layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein
the first layer forming portion and the second layer forming portion are rollers having rotation shafts in a direction intersecting the shaping surface moving direction and the reciprocating direction, and
the control unit performs control to,
when moving the unit in the forward direction when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, rotate the first layer forming portion such that a shaping table side of the first layer forming portion faces the head side in the forward direction, and
when moving the unit in the backward direction when shaping the three-dimensional shaped object, rotate the second layer forming portion such that a shaping table side of the second layer forming portion faces a head side in the backward direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein
the interval between the first layer forming portion and the head in the reciprocating direction and the interval between the second layer forming portion and the head in the reciprocating direction are adjustable.