METHOD FOR PRODUCING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT AND FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20180133979A1
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: OKAWA, Masakatsu
• Granted Patent: US 11,084,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2795/00 Printing on articles made from plastics or substances in a plastic state
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/264 Arrangements for irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/00 Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0007 Manufacturing coloured articles not otherwise provided for, e.g. by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/405 Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening

Abstract

The thickness of a surface decoration layer is increased without significantly deteriorating the representation of the tone and the gradation of the color. A method for producing a three-dimensional object includes forming a surface decoration layer 11 using white material 15, at least one coloring material 13 other than white, and clear material 14, and using the at least one coloring material 13 and the clear material 14. The surface decoration layer 11 includes a plurality of layers formed by building a plurality of layer bodies one above the other. At least one of the layer bodies is formed with the white material 15 in at least one location among the lowermost layer of the surface decoration layer 11 and a region of an internal formation region 12 close to the surface decoration layer 11. The internal formation region constitutes an internal portion of the three-dimensional object. The plurality of layers constituting the surface decoration layer 11 includes the same color. When the plurality of layers are deposited, the density of the color visually recognized when the three-dimensional object is observed is adjusted to be greater than the density of the color of each of the plurality of layers.

Claims

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

injecting a plurality of materials in fine particles to form layer bodies corresponding to cross-sections obtained by slicing an object to be formed into a plurality of parallel surfaces, the plurality of materials comprising white material, at least one coloring material other than white, and clear material that solidify in accordance with a predetermined condition after being extruded from a nozzle, injecting the plurality of materials comprising;

forming a surface decoration layer using the at least one coloring material and the clear material, the surface decoration layer comprising a plurality of layers formed by building the plurality of layer bodies one above the other, the plurality of layers constituting the surface decoration layer comprising the same color;

adjusting such that, when the plurality of layers are deposited, the density of the color visually recognized when the three-dimensional object is observed is greater than the density of the color of each of the plurality of layers; and

forming at least one of the layer bodies with the white material in at least one location among the lowermost layer of the surface decoration layer and a region of an internal formation region close to the surface decoration layer, the internal formation region constituting an internal portion of the three-dimensional object;

successively depositing the layer bodies to form the three-dimensional object.

2. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of layers constituting the surface decoration layer is a colored layer to which the color is applied by a density obtained by equally dividing a predetermined desired density.

3. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the layer bodies formed with the white material is formed in at least one location among the lowermost layer of the surface decoration layer and a region in the internal formation region adjacent to the surface decoration layer.

4. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein, when an average diameter of a dot of the coloring material formed by a liquid droplet that is extruded from the nozzle and is solidified is compared with the thickness of the surface decoration layer formed by depositing the plurality of layers, the thickness of the surface decoration layer is greater than the average diameter of the dot.

5. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the surface decoration layer formed by depositing the plurality of layers is equal to or more than 50 μ

m.

6. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein, in the plurality of layers constituting the surface decoration layer, the dot positions of the coloring material of the same color are prevented from being aligned among at least adjacent two of the layer bodies.

7. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of materials includes an ultraviolet curable ink.

9. The method for producing a three-dimensional object according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the layer bodies formed with the white material is formed in at least one location among the lowermost layer of the surface decoration layer and a region in the internal formation region adjacent to the surface decoration layer.

8. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object, the apparatus comprising:

injecting a plurality of materials in fine particles to form layer bodies corresponding to cross-sections obtained by slicing an object to be formed into a plurality of parallel surfaces, the plurality of materials comprising white material, at least one coloring material other than white, and clear material that solidify in accordance with a predetermined condition after being extruded from a nozzle, injecting the plurality of materials comprising;

forming a surface decoration layer using the at least one coloring material and the clear material, the surface decoration layer comprising a plurality of layers formed by building the plurality of layer bodies one above the other, the plurality of layers constituting the surface decoration layer comprising the same color;

adjusting such that, when the plurality of layers are deposited, the density of the color visually recognized when the three-dimensional object is observed is greater than the density of the color of each of the plurality of layers; and

forming at least one of the layer bodies with the white material in at least one location among the lowermost layer of the surface decoration layer and a region of an internal formation region close to the surface decoration layer, the internal formation region constituting an internal portion of the three-dimensional object; and

successively depositing the layer bodies to form the three-dimensional object.