# US 11,999,111 B2 · Method for manufacturing three-dimensional shaped object, three-dimensional shaping system, and information processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,111 B2 - Document ID: US11999111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/822,258 - Filed: 2022-08-25 - Published: 2023-03-02 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-27 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Satoshi Yamazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999111B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 10/22: Direct deposition of molten metal - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - B22F 10/85: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B22F 12/00: Apparatus or devices specially adapted for additive manufacturing; Auxiliary means for additive manufacturing; Combinations of additive manufacturing apparatus or devices with other processing apparatus or devices - B22F 12/53: Nozzles - B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)} - B28B 17/0081: {Process control} - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) - 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 ## Abstract A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object includes: a stacking step of stacking a layer by discharging a shaping material from a nozzle while moving the nozzle with respect to a stage in accordance with shaping data with which a three-dimensional shaped object is shaped, the shaping data including path information indicating a movement path of the nozzle with respect to the stage and discharge amount information indicating a discharge amount of the shaping material in the movement path; and a data changing step of adding a cleaning command for cleaning the nozzle to the shaping data based on information included in the shaping data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object, comprising: a stacking step of stacking a layer by discharging a shaping material from a nozzle while moving the nozzle with respect to a stage in accordance with shaping data with which a three-dimensional shaped object is shaped, the shaping data including path information indicating a movement path of the nozzle with respect to the stage and discharge amount information indicating a discharge amount of the shaping material in the movement path; and a data changing step of adding a cleaning command for cleaning the nozzle to the shaping data based on information included in the shaping data, wherein a timing of adding the cleaning command is determined according to at least one of the discharge amount of the shaping material, a discharge time of the shaping material, a number of times of the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle, a length of the movement path, a number of the shaped layers, and a shaping time and, when the timing of adding the cleaning command is determined according to the discharge amount of the shaping material, adding the cleaning command to the shaping data based on an integrated discharge amount that is based on the discharge amount information corresponding to the movement path, and then resetting the integrated discharge amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command selected from a plurality of types of the cleaning commands having different cleaning intensities is added to the shaping data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command is added to the shaping data, so that cleaning is performed at a timing at which a layer of a shaping target is switched. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command is added to the shaping data, so that cleaning is performed at a timing at which the nozzle used for shaping the layer is switched. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command is added to the shaping data, so that cleaning is performed at a timing at which the nozzle is moved to a distant position in the layer with respect to the stage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 5, wherein the shaping data includes a stop command that controls a flow rate adjusting unit to stop discharging the shaping material from the nozzle, and a restart command that controls the flow rate adjusting unit to restart discharging the shaping material from the nozzle, adding the cleaning command to shaping data between the stop command and the restart command, the flow rate adjusting unit disposed in a flow path upstream of the nozzle and having a valve that rotates within the flow path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command is added to the shaping data, so that a frequency at which cleaning is executed increases as shaping time elapses. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein in the data changing step, the cleaning command is added to the shaping data, so that a frequency at which cleaning is executed changes in accordance with the shaping material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, further comprising: a measuring step of measuring a discharge state of the nozzle after cleaning is performed in accordance with the cleaning command. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 9, further comprising: a step of performing cleaning in which an intensity of cleaning is changed when the discharge state measured in the measuring step does not reach a predetermined discharge state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, further comprising a step of executing a cleaning process according to the cleaning command, in the step of executing the cleaning process, before cleaning the nozzle, measuring an discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, and determining whether or not the discharge amount is within the reference range, end the cleaning process when the discharge amount is within the reference range, perform cleaning the nozzle when the discharge amount is outside the reference range. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 1, wherein when the timing of adding the cleaning command is determined according to the discharge amount of the shaping material, adding the cleaning command to shaping data when the integrated discharge amount exceeds a first threshold value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object according to claim 12, the first threshold value becomes smaller as the shaping time becomes longer. ### Claim 14 A three-dimensional shaping system comprising: a three-dimensional shaping device; and an information processing apparatus, wherein the three-dimensional shaping device includes a discharge unit configured to discharge a shaping material from a nozzle while moving the nozzle with respect to a stage in accordance with shaping data with which a three-dimensional shaped object is shaped, so as to stack a layer, the shaping data including path information indicating a movement path of the nozzle with respect to the stage and discharge amount information indicating a discharge amount of the shaping material in the movement path, and the information processing apparatus includes a data changing unit configured to add a cleaning command for cleaning the nozzle to the shaping data based on information included in the shaping data and resetting an integrated discharge amount that is based upon the discharge amount information corresponding to the movement path, wherein the data changing unit is configured to determine a timing of adding the cleaning command according to at least one of a discharge time of the shaping material, a number of times of the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle, a length of the movement path, a number of the shaped layers, and a shaping time. ### Claim 15 An information processing apparatus configured to supply shaping data to a three-dimensional shaping device configured to stack a layer by discharging a shaping material from a nozzle while moving the nozzle with respect to a stage in accordance with the shaping data with which a three-dimensional shaped object is shaped, the shaping data including path information indicating a movement path of the nozzle with respect to the stage and discharge amount information indicating a discharge amount of the shaping material in the movement path, the information processing apparatus comprising: a data changing unit configured to add a cleaning command for cleaning the nozzle to the shaping data based on data included in the shaping data and resetting an integrated discharge amount that is based upon the discharge amount information corresponding to the movement path, wherein the data changing unit is configured to determine a timing of adding the cleaning command according to at least one of a discharge time of the shaping material, a number of times of the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle, a length of the movement path, a number of the shaped layers, and a shaping time.