Forming apparatus and method for producing formed body

A forming apparatus, comprising:

• a stage;
• a supply unit configured to intermittently or continuously supply a precursor containing an inorganic material onto the stage, the precursor comprising an organic binder in which the inorganic material has been dispersed or an organic coating surrounding the inorganic material;
• a heat source unit comprising a thermal solidification heat source and a degreasing heat source, the thermal solidification heat source configured to perform thermal solidification of the inorganic material of the precursor supplied from the supply unit to the stage, the degreasing heat source configured to degrease the organic binder or the organic coating by applying heat to the precursor, the degreasing heat source being different than the thermal solidification heat source;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the supply unit and the heat source unit so that the heat source for thermal solidification performs thermal solidification of the precursor on the stage, during a period ranging from the start of the supply of the precursor by the supply unit to the stop of the supply of the precursor, to form a formed body, the control unit being configured to control the degreasing heat source so that degreasing of the precursor is performed before thermal solidification of the precursor by the thermal solidification heat source,
• wherein at least one of the height and direction of the supply unit is changeable, and thereby a height of the next supply position by the supply unit can be selected to be the height or a different height from the current supply position without performing a forming process layer-by-layer, and
• wherein at least one of the height and direction of the heat source unit is changeable, and thereby a height of the next irradiating position by the heat source unit can be selected to be the height or a different height from the current irradiation position without performing a forming process layer-by-layer.