Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional article

An apparatus for forming at least one of a multi-kind and a multi-color three-dimensional article with plural curable materials of different kinds or colors based on three-dimensional information on the article, comprising:

• a stage for mounting thereon the three-dimensional article to be formed;
• plural tanks for accommodating the different kinds or colors of materials;
• an ink jet head unit having plural ink jet heads for jetting the respective curable materials in a droplet form along a flight passage of the materials to said stage to individually laminate the curable materials on said stage, the ink jet heads having different jetting amounts for the material, the flight passage being defined between said stage and said ink jet head unit, one of said ink jet heads having a large jetting amount for jetting the material to form a bulky portion of the article and another of said ink jet heads having a small jetting amount for jetting the material to form a fine portion of the article;
• an exposure unit for exposing the laminated materials on said stage to light to cure the materials;
• and
• a control unit for changing at least one of a jetting direction of the material jetted along the flight passage and a jetting amount of the material jetted from said ink jet head unit on the basis of the information to thereby control a jetting operation of the material.

A method for forming a three-dimensional article with curable material on the basis of a three-dimensional information on the article, comprising the steps of:

• laminating the material on a stage by an ink jet method at each of a plurality of layers;
• changing at least one of a jetting direction and a jetting amount of the material jetted from the stage in accordance with the information using at least two ink jet heads having different jetting amounts for the material, thereby controlling a jetting operation of the material;
• jetting a large amount of the material to form a bulky portion of the article and jetting a small amount of the material to form a fine portion of the article;
• and
• exposing the laminated material to light to cure the material, thereby forming the article.