IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,413,809
Granted Patent B2
US 11,413,809 · App. 16/912,260 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Three-dimensional shaping device and method for manufacturing three-dimensional shaped object

Inventors: Taki Hashimoto (Shiojiri, JP); Kohei Yuwaki (Tsukuba, JP); Atsushi Majima (Matsumoto, JP)
B29C64/118B29C64/209B29C64/241B29C64/245B29C64/295B29C64/314B29C64/321B29C64/343B29C64/393B29C64/35B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,413,809
App. No.
16/912,260
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a plasticization unit configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using a rotating screw; a drive unit configured to rotate the screw; a supply flow path through which the shaping material flows; a nozzle configured to discharge the shaping material; a discharge amount adjusting mechanism configured to switch between stop and restart of discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle by a valve portion provided in the supply flow path; a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path between the plasticization unit and the valve portion; and a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure which is measured. The control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped, and a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control.

Claims (78)

1. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:

a plasticization unit having a screw and configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using the screw;

a drive unit configured to rotate the screw;

a supply flow path communicating with the plasticization unit and through which the shaping material flows;

a nozzle communicating with the supply flow path and configured to discharge the shaping material;

a discharge amount adjusting mechanism having a valve portion provided in the supply flow path, and configured to switch between stop and restart discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle by driving the valve portion;

a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path; and

a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure measured by the pressure measuring portion, wherein

the control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism,

a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control, and

the control unit is configured to

change a rotation speed of the screw according to the measured value under the first control, and

rotate the screw at a preset rotation speed under the second control.

2. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit is configured to, under the first control,

decrease the rotation of the screw when the measured value exceeds a target value of the pressure, and

increase the rotation of the screw when the measured value falls below the target value.

3. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit is configured to, under the first control,

decrease the rotation of the screw when the measured value exceeds a first threshold value which is greater than a target value of the pressure,

increase the rotation of the screw when the measured value falls below a second threshold value which is smaller than the target value, and

not adjust the rotation of the screw when the measured value is equal to or less than the first threshold value and equal to or more than the second threshold value.

4. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

under the first control, the control unit calculates a moving average value of the pressure using a plurality of measured values, and adjusts the rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to the moving average value.

5. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the screw of the plasticization unit is a flat screw having a groove forming surface on which a groove through which the material is supplied is formed, and

the plasticization unit

includes a barrel having a facing surface which faces the groove forming surface, with an opening portion of the supply flow path being provided on the facing surface, and

plasticizes the material between the flat screw and the barrel into the shaping material, such that the shaping material flows from the opening portion into the supply flow path.

6. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the valve portion has a recessed portion configured to communicate with the plasticization unit and the nozzle, and

the discharge amount adjusting mechanism rotates the valve portion about a rotation shaft intersecting a direction from the plasticization unit toward the nozzle to change a position of the recessed portion, so that a flow path cross-sectional area of the supply flow path is changed to adjust a flow rate of the shaping material to be supplied to the nozzle.

7. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit adjusts, under the first control, the rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit referring to a table in which a relationship between a rotation speed of the screw and the measured value is expressed.

8. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a heating portion configured to heat the shaping material of the supply flow path between the valve portion and the nozzle, wherein

the control unit adjusts, under at least one of the first control and the second control, a temperature of the heating portion according to the measured value.

9. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit controls the drive unit under a third control during a period after a maintenance operation of the three-dimensional shaping device and before starting shaping a three-dimensional shaped object, among a period when the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism, and

the degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the third control.

10. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:

a plasticization unit having a screw and configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using the screw;

a drive unit configured to rotate the screw;

a supply flow path communicating with the plasticization unit and through which the shaping material flows;

a nozzle communicating with the supply flow path and configured to discharge the shaping material;

a discharge amount adjusting mechanism having a valve portion provided in the supply flow path, and configured to switch between stop and restart discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle by driving the valve portion;

a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path; and

a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure measured by the pressure measuring portion, wherein

the control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism,

a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control,

a suction portion configured to suck the shaping material is coupled to the supply flow path between the valve portion and the nozzle, and

the control unit adjusts, under the first control, the rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit without using the measured value which is measured during a period when the shaping material is sucked by the suction portion.

11. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:

a plasticization unit having a screw and configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using the screw;

a drive unit configured to rotate the screw;

a supply flow path communicating with the plasticization unit and through which the shaping material flows;

a nozzle communicating with the supply flow path and configured to discharge the shaping material;

a discharge amount adjusting mechanism having a valve portion provided in the supply flow path, and configured to switch between stop and restart discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle by driving the valve portion;

a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path; and

a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure measured by the pressure measuring portion, wherein

the control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism,

a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control, and

the control unit is configured to,

under the first control, decrease the rotation of the screw when the measured value exceeds a first threshold value which is greater than a target value of the pressure, and increase the rotation of the screw when the measured value falls below a second threshold value which is smaller than the target value, and

under the second control, decrease the rotation of the screw when the measured value exceeds a third threshold value which is greater than the target value, and increase the rotation of the screw when the measured value falls below a fourth threshold value which is smaller than the target value, and

a difference between the third threshold value and the fourth threshold value is greater than a difference between the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

12. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:

a plasticization unit having a screw and configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using the screw;

a drive unit configured to rotate the screw;

a supply flow path communicating with the plasticization unit and through with the shaping material flows;

a nozzle communicating with the supply flow path and configured to discharge the shaping material;

a discharge amount adjusting mechanism having a valve portion provided in the supply flow path, and configured to switch between stop and restart discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle by driving the valve portion;

a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path; and

a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure measured by the pressure measuring portion, wherein

the control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharging of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped by the discharge amount adjusting mechanism,

a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control,

under the first control and the second control, the control unit calculates a moving average value of the pressure using a plurality of measured values, and adjusts the rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to the moving average value, and

the number of samples of measured values used to calculate the moving average value under the second control is larger than the number of samples of measured values used to calculate the moving average value under the first control.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2020
From: YUWAKI, KOHEI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053457/0840 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2020
From: HASHIMOTO, TAKI; MAJIMA, ATSUSHI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053042/0598 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-120736 · Jun 28, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200406531A1 · Dec 31, 2020
Cited By (2)
US 12,220,859 US 12,508,767