MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THREE-DIMENSIONALLY SHAPED OBJECT

• US 20100176539A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Satoshi, Higashi, Yoshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,163,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/497
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/42 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/08 by wave energy or particle radiation B29C64/00, B29C71/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

An equipment for metal-laser sintering process includes a powder layer forming unit, an irradiation unit which irradiates light beams, a correction target on which a correction mark serving as a fiducial in correction of the irradiation points of the light beams is formed, and an imaging camera which takes an image of the correction mark. The correction target is formed of a material which is melted by irradiation of light beam so as to be formed a through hole. The correction target is disposed on the substrate and the light beams are irradiated to penetrate the correction target so that the correction mark is formed. Subsequently, the imaging camera takes an image of the correction mark and the location of the correction mark is measured, and thus, correction of the irradiation points is performed. Since the correction mark is formed to be a through hole, contrast becomes clear so that location of the correction mark can be measured easily, and the correction of the irradiation points of the light beams can be performed easily.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles, the method comprising:

forming a powder layer by supplying pulverized material on a molding plate;

forming a sintered layer by irradiating light beams on the powder layer;

laminating the sintered layer by repeating the powder layer forming and the irradiation the method further comprising;

marking, by setting a correction target on a plate disposed on an irradiation face of the light beams, and forming a mark or marks on the correction target by irradiating laser beams having a same power so as to penetrate the correction target in the irradiation; and

measuring a position of the mark or positions of the marks formed in the marking and correcting irradiation points of the light beams based on deviation from a predetermined point,

wherein the plate has a cavity or cavities formed at a position or positions corresponding to the mark or marks.

3. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measuring of the position of the mark or of the marks in the correction is performed by illuminating the correction target and imaging the contrast due to the irradiation.

4. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 1 wherein in the marking, a plurality of the marks are formed independently of each other so as to not overlap.

5. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mark has or the marks have a cross-shape.

6. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mark has or the marks have a circular shape.

7. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 3, wherein in the marking, a plurality of the marks are formed independently of each other so as to not overlap

8. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 3 wherein the mark has or the marks have a cross-shape.

9. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 4 wherein the mark has or the marks have a cross-shape.

10. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 3, wherein the mark has or the marks have a circular shape.

11. The method of manufacturing three-dimensionally molded articles in accordance with claim 4, wherein the mark has or the marks have a circular shape.

2. (canceled)