METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT AND MOLDING DATA GENERATION METHOD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT

• US 20160075084A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: SAKURA, Shozo
• Granted Patent: US 9,694,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

A method for molding a three-dimensional object, includes building up layers formed of bonded powder to form a three-dimensional object; and forming a support below the three-dimensional object. The method is performed by a three-dimensional object molding apparatus that includes a powder lamination molding apparatus to form a three-dimensional object by building up layers formed of bonded powder; and a molding data generator to generate data for each layer of the three-dimensional object that the powder lamination molding apparatus laminates, in which a support is formed below the three-dimensional object.

Claims

1. A method for molding a three-dimensional object, comprising:

building up layers formed of bonded powder to form a three-dimensional object; and

forming a support below the three-dimensional object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing unsolidified powder between the three-dimensional object and the support.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support has the same external shape as that of the three-dimensional object as projected onto the support.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support has a size larger than that of the three-dimensional object as projected onto the support.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising setting a molding condition for molding the support different from a molding condition for molding the three-dimensional object.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

discharging liquid droplets of a molding liquid to the powder; and

forming a layer in which the powder is bonded, while using the liquid droplet for molding the support, other than the liquid droplet for molding the three-dimensional object.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is molded and dried before forming the layer of the three-dimensional object.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is a plate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is a tray.

10. A three-dimensional object molding apparatus comprising:

a powder lamination molding apparatus to form a three-dimensional object by building up layers formed of bonded powder; and

a molding data generator to generate data for each layer of the three-dimensional object that the powder lamination molding apparatus builds up,

wherein a support is formed below the three-dimensional object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes a computer to:

generate data for molding each layer of a three-dimensional object, wherein the three-dimensional object is formed by building up layers formed of bonded powder; and

generate data for molding a support below the three-dimensional object, other than the data for molding each layer of the three-dimensional object.