JP7323426B2 - 3D additive manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus that stacks thin layers of powder material one by one on a stage for modeling.

In recent years, 3D additive manufacturing technology, in which thin layers of powder material are laid one after the other, has been attracting attention. ing.

In a conventional three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus, for example, a powder material is spread layer by layer on the upper surface of a stage, which is a powder table. Next, only the two-dimensional structural portion corresponding to one cross section of the modeled object is melted by a heating mechanism consisting of an electron beam or a laser in the powder material spread on the stage. Then, layers of such a powder material are stacked one by one in the height direction (Z direction) to form a modeled object.

Such a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus has a powder supply mechanism for supplying a predetermined amount of powder material to the stage. As a conventional powder supply mechanism, for example, there is one as described in Patent Document 1. Patent Literature 1 describes a container capable of containing a powdery material, and a first wall provided with a plurality of first openings connected to the container and at least partially covering an area to which the material is supplied. and a feeder that feeds the material of the receptacle from the plurality of first openings to the region in parallel to form a layer of material.

JP 2015-182295 A

However, in the technique described in Patent Literature 1, pressure is applied to the upper portion of the first opening, which is the discharge hole, from the powder material contained in the container. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the periphery of the discharge hole of the conventional powder supply mechanism. As shown in FIG. 10, above the discharge hole 101a formed in the discharge plate 101, a pressure vector from the powder material M1 is generated plane-symmetrically with respect to the central axis Q1 of the discharge hole 101a. Then, the pressure vector of the powder material M1 is balanced, and the powder material M1 may have an arch shape, that is, a so-called bridge M2 may be generated above the discharge hole 101a. Therefore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that a predetermined amount of powder material cannot be discharged from the discharge hole due to the formation of the bridge above the discharge hole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus capable of reliably supplying a predetermined amount of powder material in consideration of the above problems.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a stage on which powder materials for forming a modeled object are stacked, a modeling box in which the stage is arranged, a powder feed mechanism for feeding powder material to the stage or build box.
The powder supply mechanism includes a reservoir, a discharge member, a partition plate, and a movable mechanism. The reservoir stores the powder material. The discharge member is arranged below the reservoir in the vertical direction, and is provided with a discharge hole through which the powder material is discharged. The partition plate is arranged at the edge of the discharge hole on the upper surface of the discharge member and protrudes upward in the vertical direction. The movable mechanism moves the partition plate in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

According to the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reliably supply a predetermined amount of powder material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows typically the three-dimensional lamination-molding apparatus concerning the example of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus concerning the example of embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which looked at the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus concerning the example of embodiment of this invention from the upper side. It is the top view which looked at the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus concerning the example of embodiment of this invention from the lower side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 3, showing the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3, showing the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a sectional view showing the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and showing a state in which the movable plate is moved from the state shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and showing a state in which the movable plate is moved from the state shown in FIG. 6 ; It is an explanatory view showing the circumference of the 1st discharge hole in the powder supply mechanism of the three-dimensional additive manufacturing device concerning the example of an embodiment of the invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the circumference|surroundings of the discharge hole of the powder supply mechanism in the conventional three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the member which is common in each figure.

1. Configuration of Three-Dimensional Layered Manufacturing Apparatus First, referring to FIG. explain.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing the three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus of this example.

The three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 irradiates, for example, an electron beam to a powder material made of a metal powder such as titanium, aluminum, or iron to melt the powder material, and stacks layers in which the powder material is solidified. It is a device that forms three-dimensional objects.

As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a hollow processing chamber 2, a modeling box 3, a flat stage 4, a stage driving mechanism 5, a support base 6, and a powder transport mechanism 7. , an electron gun 8 , a powder tank 9 and a powder supply mechanism 10 . Here, a direction parallel to the surface 4a of the stage 4 is defined as a first direction X, and a direction orthogonal to the first direction X and parallel to the surface 4a of the stage 4 is defined as a second direction Y. A third direction Z is a direction perpendicular to the surface 4 a of the stage 4 .

A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the processing chamber 2 . The inside of the processing chamber 2 is maintained in a vacuum by evacuating the air in the processing chamber 2 with a vacuum pump. A modeling box 3 , a stage 4 , a stage driving mechanism 5 , a support table 6 , a powder conveying mechanism 7 and a powder tank 9 are arranged in the processing chamber 2 . An electron gun 8 is mounted on one end side of the processing chamber 2 in the third direction Z, that is, on the upper portion of the processing chamber 2 . At a position facing the electron gun 8 in the third direction Z, a modeling box 3 supported by a support table 6 is arranged.

The modeling box 3 has a cylindrical portion 3a and a flange portion 3b representing a reference plate. The axial direction of the tubular portion 3a is parallel to the third direction Z, and both ends of the tubular portion 3a in the third direction Z are open. A powder material M1 supplied by a powder conveying mechanism 7, which will be described later, and a modeled object formed by the powder material M1 are accommodated in the cylindrical hole of the cylindrical portion 3a.

The flange portion 3b is provided on the outer edge portion of the upper end portion, which is one end portion side in the third direction Z, of the tubular portion 3a. The flange portion 3b is bent substantially perpendicularly from the outer edge of the cylindrical portion 3a. The flange portion 3b is arranged parallel to the first direction X and the second direction Y. As shown in FIG.

The flange portion 3 b is supported by a support base 6 arranged inside the processing chamber 2 . Therefore, one axial end of the cylindrical portion 3a, that is, the upper end of the modeling box 3 is a fixed end, and the other axial end of the cylindrical portion 3a, that is, the lower end is a free end.

Further, powder tanks 9 for storing the powder material M1 are arranged at both ends of the flange portion 3b in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. The powder tank 9 is disposed on one end side of the flange portion 3b in the third direction Z, that is, on the upper side. A powder supply mechanism 10 for discharging a predetermined amount of powder material M1 is arranged on the side of the powder tank 9 facing the flange portion 3b. A predetermined amount of powder material M1 is supplied from the powder supply mechanism 10 toward the flange portion 3b. A detailed configuration of the powder supply mechanism 10 will be described later.

A powder conveying mechanism 7 is arranged between the powder tank 9 and the flange portion 3b. The powder conveying mechanism 7 conveys the powder material M1 supplied to the flange portion 3b to the stage 4 and covers the stage 4 with the powder material M1. The powder conveying mechanism 7 has an arm portion 21 , a leveling plate 22 and a guide mechanism 24 . The arm portion 21 is supported by the guide mechanism 24 so as to be movable along the first direction X. As shown in FIG.

The leveling plate 22 is fixed to the other end of the arm 21 in the third direction Z, that is, the end facing the stage 4 and the modeling box 3 . The leveling plate 22 extends parallel to the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. By moving the arm portion 21 and the leveling plate 22 along the first direction X, the powder material M1 is supplied to the one surface 4a of the stage 4, and the powder material M1 is moved in the third direction Z to a predetermined height. Flatten it with a thin cloth. As a result, a powder layer made of the powder material M1 is formed on the one surface 4a of the stage 4. As shown in FIG.

A stage 4 is slidably arranged along the third direction Z in the cylindrical hole of the cylindrical portion 3 a of the modeling box 3 . The stage 4 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape. A powder material M1 is layered on one surface 4a of the stage 4 on one end side in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. A slide member 14 having heat resistance and flexibility is provided at the side edge of the stage 4 . The sliding member 14 is slidably in contact with the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion 3a.

A shaft portion 4d is provided on the other surface of the stage 4 opposite to the one surface 4a. The shaft portion 4d protrudes from the other surface of the stage 4 toward the other side of the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. The shaft portion 4d is connected to a stage driving mechanism 5 arranged on the other end side of the modeling box 3 in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. The stage drive mechanism 5 movably supports the stage 4 along the third direction Z via the shaft portion 4d. As the stage drive mechanism 5, for example, a drive unit or the like that drives the shaft portion 4d composed of a rack and pinion or a ball screw is applied.

One surface 4 a of the stage 4 faces an electron gun 8 mounted in the processing chamber 2 . The electron gun 8, which is an example of a heating mechanism, follows a two-dimensional shape obtained by slicing a pre-prepared design object (a model represented by three-dimensional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data) at predetermined intervals. An electron beam L is emitted to the powder material M1. The electron beam L emitted from the electron gun 8 melts the powder material in the area corresponding to the two-dimensional shape.

2. Configuration of Powder Supply Mechanism Next, the detailed configuration of the powder supply mechanism 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. FIG.
2 is a perspective view showing the powder supply mechanism 10, FIG. 3 is a top view showing the powder supply mechanism 10, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the powder supply mechanism 10. As shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the powder supply mechanism 10 includes a storage portion 31 in which the powder material M1 is stored, a first movable plate 32, a second movable plate 33, a fixed plate 34, and a first movable plate. 32 and the second movable plate 33 , and a plurality of partition plates 36 .

The reservoir 31 is formed in a hollow container shape with one side open. The reservoir 31 extends in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The reservoir 31 has a pair of first side portions 31a, 31a facing in the first direction X and a pair of second side portions 31b, 31b facing in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. One surface of the pair of first side surface portions 31a, 31a and the pair of second side surface portions 31b, 31b is arranged parallel to the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. One end side of the storage part 31 in the third direction Z, that is, the upper end part in the up-down direction is open on one side. The powder material M1 is supplied from the powder tank 9 to the reservoir 31 .

A bottom plate 38 is fixed to the other end portion of the pair of second side surface portions 31b, 31b in the third direction Z, that is, the lower end portion in the vertical direction. The bottom plate 38 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The bottom plate 38 is formed with an opening 38a. The opening 38a is a through hole that penetrates the bottom plate 38 along the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. Also, the opening 38a is an elongated hole extending along the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The opening 38a faces a plurality of first discharge holes 32a provided in the first movable plate 32, which will be described later.

A movable mechanism 35 is arranged at one end of the storage portion 31 in the second direction Y, and a shaft support portion 39 is arranged at the other end of the storage portion 31 in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The shaft support portion 39 is arranged at the other end portion of the storage portion 31 in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG.

A first movable plate 32 is arranged on the other end side in the third direction Z of the bottom plate 38 in the reservoir 31 . The first movable plate 32 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape and extends along the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The first movable plate 32 covers the other end (lower end) side in the third direction Z of the opening 38 a provided in the bottom plate 38 .

The first movable plate 32 is formed with a plurality of first discharge holes 32a. The first discharge hole 32a is a through hole that penetrates the first movable plate 32 along the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. Also, the plurality of first discharge holes 32a are arranged in the second direction Y of the first movable plate 32 at predetermined intervals t1.

The first discharge hole 32a is an elongated hole having long sides. The long side of the first discharge hole 32a extends within the opening range in the first direction X of the opening 38a. The longitudinal direction of the first discharge hole 32a is inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. As a result, the length of the interval t1 can be shortened while widening the width of the first discharge hole 32a in the lateral direction. As a result, it is possible to suppress the formation of bridges of the powder material M1 around the first discharge holes 32a.

One end of the first movable plate 32 in the second direction Y protrudes toward one end in the second direction Y from the second side surface portion 31b arranged at one end of the storage portion 31 in the second direction Y. ing. A first movable shaft 42 is continuously formed at one end of the first movable plate 32 in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, a second movable shaft 43 is continuously formed at the other end of the first movable plate 32 in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The second movable shaft 43 is movably supported in the second direction Y by the shaft support portion 39 .

One end of the first movable shaft 42 in the second direction Y is inserted into the cylinder 41 that constitutes the movable mechanism 35 . A piston head 45 is formed at one end of the first movable shaft 42 . A movable mechanism 35 is configured by the cylinder 41 and the piston head 45 . The piston head 45 slides along the second direction Y on the inner wall surface of the cylinder 41 .

The cylinder 41 is formed with a first gas supply port 41a and a second gas supply port 41b. The first gas supply port 41a is formed on the other end side of the cylinder 41 in the second direction Y, and the second gas supply port 41b is formed on the one end side of the cylinder 41 in the second direction Y. ing.

A working gas (for example, nitrogen gas) is supplied to either one of the first gas supply port 41a and the second gas supply port 41b. When the working gas is supplied to the first gas supply port 41a, the piston head 45 is pressed by the working gas and moves in the cylinder 41 toward one end in the second direction Y (see FIG. 7). . Further, when the working gas is supplied to the second gas supply port 41b, the piston head 45 is pressed by the working gas and moves in the cylinder 41 toward the other end in the second direction Y (Fig. 5). Thereby, the first movable plate 32 moves along the second direction Y. As shown in FIG.

The working gas supplied to the cylinder 41 is not limited to nitrogen gas, but is appropriately set according to the environment in which the powder supply mechanism 10 is used. may apply.

Moreover, although the example which uses working gas using the cylinder 41 and the piston head 45 as the movable mechanism 35 was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. As the movable mechanism 35, a linear motion motor, a gear, a belt member, an elastic member, and other various mechanisms may be applied.

A second movable plate 33 is arranged at a predetermined interval at the other end of the first movable plate 32 in the third direction Z, that is, below in the vertical direction. The second movable plate 33 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape and extends along the second direction Y, like the first movable plate 32 .

A plurality of second discharge holes 33 a are formed in the second movable plate 33 . The second discharge hole 33a is a through hole that penetrates the second movable plate 33 along the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. The plurality of second discharge holes 33a are arranged in the second direction Y of the second movable plate 33 at predetermined intervals t1. The interval t1 between the plurality of second discharge holes 33a is set to the same length as the interval t1 between the plurality of first discharge holes 32a. Also, the plurality of second discharge holes 33a are formed at positions that do not face the plurality of first discharge holes 32a in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The second discharge hole 33a is a long hole extending within the opening range in the first direction X of the opening 38a, like the first discharge hole 32a. The longitudinal direction of the second discharge hole 33a is inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The inclination angles with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y in the second discharge hole 33a are set equal to the inclination angles with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y in the first discharge hole 32a.

Similarly to the first discharge hole 32a, by inclining the second discharge hole 33a with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y, the width of the second discharge hole 33a in the lateral direction is increased. The length of interval t1 can be shortened.

One end of the first movable plate 32 in the second direction Y and one end of the second movable plate 33 in the second direction Y are connected by a first connecting member 51 . The other end of the first movable plate 32 in the second direction Y and the other end of the second movable plate 33 in the second direction Y are connected by a second connecting member 52 . Also, the first connection member 51 and the second connection member 52 are fixed to the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 by connection screws 62 . As a result, the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 move along the second direction Y together.

A fixed plate 34 is arranged between the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 . The fixing plate 34 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape and extends along the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The fixed plate 34 is fixed to the other end in the third direction Z of the pair of first side portions 31a, 31a in the reservoir 31, that is, to the lower end in the vertical direction. The fixed plate 34 is formed with a plurality of communication holes 34a. The powder supply mechanism 10 defines the amount of the powder material M1 discharged from the powder supply mechanism 10 by the volume of the plurality of communication holes 34a.

The communication hole 34a is a through hole that penetrates the fixed plate 34 along the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. The plurality of communication holes 34a are arranged on the fixed plate 34 in the second direction Y with a predetermined interval t1. The interval t1 between the plurality of communication holes 34a is set to the same length as the interval t1 between the plurality of first discharge holes 32a and the plurality of second discharge holes 33a.

The communication hole 34a is an elongated hole extending within the opening range in the first direction X of the opening 38a, like the first discharge hole 32a and the second discharge hole 33a. The opening shapes of the first discharge hole 32a, the second discharge hole 33a, and the communication hole 34a are substantially the same. The communication hole 34a is inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y in its longitudinal direction. The inclination angles of the communication hole 34a with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y are set equal to the inclination angles of the first discharge hole 32a and the second discharge hole 33a with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y. ing.

As with the first discharge hole 32a and the second discharge hole 33a, the communication hole 34a is inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y, thereby widening the width of the communication hole 34a in the lateral direction. while the length of the interval t1 can be shortened.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 are arranged at the first position, the communication hole 34a is connected to the first discharge hole provided in the first movable plate 32. 32a along the third direction Z. Also, the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 are moved to one end in the second direction Y, and the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 are in the second position (see FIGS. 7 and 8). , the communication hole 34a communicates along the third direction Z with the second discharge hole 33a provided in the second movable plate 33. As shown in FIG.

A discharge member is configured by the first movable plate 32, the second movable plate 33, and the fixed plate 34 described above.

A plurality of partition plates 36 are fixed by fixing screws 61 to one end portion of the first movable plate 32 in the third direction Z, that is, the upper surface thereof. The partition plate 36 protrudes toward one end in the third direction Z (upward in the vertical direction). The partition plate 36 penetrates through the opening 38a of the bottom plate 38 and is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate 38 in the vertical direction at one end in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG.

Also, the partition plate 36 is arranged in the vicinity of the first discharge hole 32 a in the first movable plate 32 . Specifically, the partition plate 36 is arranged at the long-side edge of the first discharge hole 32a.

The partition plate 36 has a wall surface portion 36a formed on the side of the first discharge hole 32a and an inclined surface portion 36b facing the wall surface portion 36a. The wall surface portion 36a stands substantially perpendicularly from the upper surface of the first movable plate 32 and is substantially parallel to the third direction Z (vertical direction). Further, the wall surface portion 36a of the partition plate 36 is inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y in the same manner as the first discharge hole 32a. The wall surface portion 36a of the partition plate 36 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first discharge hole 32a.

The inclined surface portion 36b is formed on one end side of the partition plate 36 in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The inclined surface portion 36b is inclined with respect to the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. As a result, the powder material M1 deposited on the partition plate 36 slides down to the one end side in the third direction Z on the inclined surface portion 36b. Further, the angle formed by the inclined surface portion 36b and the upper surface portion of the first movable plate 32 can be made obtuse. can be prevented from remaining.

3. Operation Example of Powder Supply Mechanism Next, an operation example of the powder supply mechanism 10 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG.
7 is a sectional view showing a state in which the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 are moved from the state shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the state shown in FIG. 33 is a sectional view showing a state in which 33 is movable; FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the periphery of the first discharge hole 32a.

When the working gas is supplied to the second gas supply port 41b of the cylinder 41, as shown in FIGS. side to the first position. At this time, the first discharge hole 32a and the communication hole 34a communicate with each other. Further, the second movable plate 33 closes the opening of the communication hole 34 a on the side of the other end (lower end in the vertical direction) in the third direction Z. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the powder material M1 stored in the storage section 31 passes through the opening 38a of the bottom plate 38 and the first discharge hole 32a of the first movable plate 32 and is supplied to the communication hole 34a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a wall surface portion 36a of the partition plate 36 is erected substantially vertically at the edge of the first discharge hole 32a. Therefore, the pressure vector of the powder material M1 positioned around the first discharge hole 32a is asymmetric with respect to the central axis Q1 of the first discharge hole 32a. Thereby, the balance of the pressure vector of the powder material M1 positioned around the first discharge hole 32a can be broken by the wall surface portion 36a. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bridges of the powder material M1 above the first discharge holes 32a.

Next, when the working gas is supplied to the first gas supply port 41a of the cylinder 41, the piston head 45 is pressed by the working gas and moves in the cylinder 41 toward one end in the second direction Y. do. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate 33 connected to the piston head 45 via the first movable shaft 42 are directed toward one end in the second direction Y. to the second position.

The communication hole 34a and the second discharge hole 33a communicate with each other. Further, the first movable plate 32 closes the opening of the communication hole 34a on the side of one end in the third direction Z (upper end in the vertical direction). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the powder material M1 from being further supplied to the communication hole 34a from the reservoir 31 through the first discharge hole 32a. A predetermined amount of powder material M1 stored in the communication hole 34a is discharged from the second discharge hole 33a toward the modeling box 3 and the stage 4 (see FIG. 1). By repeating the operation described above, a predetermined amount of powder material M1 can be supplied from the powder supply mechanism 10 to the modeling box 3 and the stage 4 .

By forming the first discharge hole 32a, the second discharge hole 33a, and the communication hole 34a so that their longitudinal directions are inclined with respect to the first direction X and the second direction Y, the plurality of first discharge holes 32a , the interval t1 between the second discharge hole 33a and the communication hole 34a can be shortened. Thereby, the area in which the powder material M1 discharged from the second discharge hole 33a is not discharged in the second direction Y can be reduced. As a result, when the powder material M1 is leveled by the powder conveying mechanism 7, it is possible to suppress variations in the amount of the powder material M1.

Further, when the first movable plate 32 moves along the second direction Y, the partition plate 36 arranged near the first discharge hole 32a also moves. Then, the powder material M1 located around the first discharge hole 32a is pushed out by the partition plate 36. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if a bridge of the powder material M1 is formed around the first discharge hole 32a, the bridge of the powder material M1 can be destroyed by the partition plate 36. As a result, the first discharge hole 32a can be prevented from being clogged by the bridge, and a predetermined amount of powder material M1 can be reliably discharged and supplied.

Also, the partition plate 36 is inclined with respect to the second direction Y, which is the movement direction, similarly to the first discharge hole 32a. Therefore, the partition plate 36 moves along the second direction Y, and the force applied from the powder material M1 when pushing out the powder material M1 can be reduced. Thereby, the partition plate 36 can be moved smoothly.

Furthermore, when the partition plate 36 is moved, the powder material M1 positioned around the first discharge hole 32a can be stirred by the partition plate 36 . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the powder materials M1 from adhering to each other, and to suppress the enlargement of the particle size of the powder material M1.

Although an example in which the wall surface portion 36a of the partition plate 36 is formed substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the first movable plate 32 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the angle θ (see FIG. 9) formed by the wall surface portion 36a and the upper surface of the first movable plate 32, that is, the plane formed by the first direction X and the second direction Y may be 90 degrees or less. Just do it.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention described in the claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiments, examples were described in which metal powders such as titanium, aluminum, and iron were applied as the powder material. good too. Also, an example in which an electron gun for irradiating an electron beam is applied as a heating mechanism for preheating and melting the powder material has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As the heating mechanism, for example, a laser irradiation unit that emits a laser may be applied.

In the above-described embodiment, the partition plate 36 is fixed to the first movable plate 32, and the partition plate 36 is moved together with the first movable plate 32. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the movement of the plurality of partition plates 36 does not have to be interlocked with the movement of the first movable plate 32 and the second movable plate. That is, the plurality of partition plates 36 may be fixed to a member different from the first movable plate 32 and the partition plates 36 may be moved by a member different from the first movable plate 32 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the bottom plate 38 having the opening 38a was provided on one end side of the first movable plate 32 in the third direction Z, that is, above in the vertical direction. It is not limited to this, and the bottom plate 38 may not be provided. However, if the bottom plate 38 is not provided, a sealing mechanism is provided between the first movable plate 32 and the reservoir 31 to prevent the powder material M1 from entering between the first movable plate 32 and the reservoir 31. There is a need. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a bottom plate 38 fixed to the reservoir 31 between the reservoir 31 and the first movable plate 32 .

In this specification, words such as "parallel" and "perpendicular" are used, but these do not strictly mean only "parallel" and "perpendicular", but include "parallel" and "perpendicular". Furthermore, it may be in a "substantially parallel" or "substantially orthogonal" state within the range where the function can be exhibited.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Three-dimensional layered modeling apparatus, 2... Processing chamber, 3... Modeling box, 4... Stage, 4a... One surface, 5... Stage drive mechanism, 6... Support stand, 7... Powder conveying mechanism, 8... Electron gun (heating mechanism ), 9 powder tank 10 powder supply mechanism 31 reservoir 31a first side face 31b second side face 32 first movable plate (discharge member) 32a first discharge hole 33... Second movable plate (ejection member), 33a... Second ejection hole, 34... Fixed plate (ejection member), 34a... Communication hole, 35... Movable mechanism, 36... Partition plate, 36a... Wall surface portion, 36b... Inclination Surface portion 38 Bottom plate 38a Opening 39 Shaft support 41 Cylinder 41a First gas supply port 41b Second gas supply port 42 First movable shaft 43 Second movable Axle 45 Piston head 51 First connecting member 52 Second connecting member M1 Powder material M2 Bridge Q1 Central axis t1 Spacing

Claims (3)

a stage on which powder materials for forming a modeled object are laminated;
a modeling box in which the stage is arranged;
A powder supply mechanism that supplies powder material to the stage or the modeling box,
The powder supply mechanism is
a reservoir for storing the powder material;
a discharge member disposed below the reservoir in the vertical direction and provided with a discharge hole through which the powder material is discharged;
The discharge hole is an elongated hole, the longitudinal direction of which is inclined with respect to a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction. ,
A plurality of discharge holes are formed at predetermined intervals along the first direction.
3D additive manufacturing equipment. The ejection member is
a movable plate disposed below the reservoir in the vertical direction and having the discharge hole formed thereon;
a fixed plate arranged below the movable plate in the vertical direction and formed with a communication hole communicating with the discharge hole;
A movable mechanism for moving the movable plate along the first direction,
The three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge hole and the communication hole communicate with each other when the movable plate moves. A bottom plate facing the movable plate is fixed to the lower end portion of the storage portion in the vertical direction,
The three-dimensional layered manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the bottom plate has an opening facing the discharge hole.

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