Three-dimensional object printing apparatus and three-dimensional object printing method

A three-dimensional object printing method for a three-dimensional object printing apparatus including a head having a plurality of nozzles that eject a liquid to a printing region on a workpiece, and a movement mechanism that changes a relative position and posture between the workpiece and the head, the method comprising:

• a first printing operation of ejecting the liquid from the head to the workpiece while changing the relative position between the workpiece and the head through a first path;
• and
• a second printing operation of ejecting the liquid from the head to the workpiece while changing the relative position between the workpiece and the head through a second path, wherein
• the printing region includes
• a first band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head in the first printing operation, and a second band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head in the second printing operation, and
• when a width of a region in which a region of the first band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head at a first position in the first path and a region of the second band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head at a second position in the second path overlap with each other is set as a first overlapping width,
• a width of a region in which a region of the first band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head at a third position in the first path and a region of the second band region into which the liquid is ejected from the head at a fourth position in the second path overlap with each other is set as a second overlapping width,
• an angle formed by a vector representing a relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the first position and a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the second position is set as a first angle, and
• an angle formed by a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the third position and a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the fourth position is set as a second angle,
• the first angle is more than the second angle, and the first overlapping width is less than the second overlapping width.

A three-dimensional object printing apparatus comprising:

• a head having a plurality of nozzles that ejects a liquid to a printing region on a workpiece;
• a movement mechanism that changes a relative position and posture between the workpiece and the head;
• and
• a control portion that controls the head and the movement mechanism, wherein
• the control portion executes
• a first printing operation in which the head ejects the liquid into a first band region while the movement mechanism changes the relative position between the workpiece and the head through a first path, and
• a second printing operation in which the head ejects the liquid into a second band region while the movement mechanism changes the relative position between the workpiece and the head through a second path,
• when a width of a region in which a region of the first band region at a first position and a region of the second band region at a second position overlap with each other is set as a first overlapping width,
• a width of a region in which a region of the first band region at a third position and a region of the second band region at a fourth position overlap with each other is set as a second overlapping width,
• an angle formed by a vector representing a relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the first position and a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the second position is set as a first angle, and
• an angle formed by a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the third position and a vector representing the relative movement between the workpiece and the head at the fourth position is set as a second angle,
• the first angle is more than the second angle, and the first overlapping width is less than the second overlapping width.