METHOD FOR PRODUCING THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOLDED OBJECT

• US 20190308242A1
• Filed: 03/01/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sodick Company Limited (Plustech, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sodick Company Limited (Plustech, Inc.)
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, Itaru
• Granted Patent: US 11,285,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/32 of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/50 Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/66 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/77 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/30 Platforms or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/67 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/194 during lay-up
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

The method for producing a three-dimensional molded object comprises a placing step, a molding step, and an upper surface processing step. The placing step is a step of placing a base plate and a mounting plate within a molding region. A first material powder layer is formed on the base plate; and the base plate is fixed to the mounting plate at a central part of the base plate to an extent that the base plate is not displaced. The molding step is a step of laminating sintered layers to form a sintered body. The sintered layers are laminated by repeatedly spreading material powder to form a material powder layer and irradiating the material powder layer with a beam to form the sintered layer. The upper surface processing step is a step of planarizing an upper surface of the sintered body to form a processed surface.

Claims

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

a placing step of placing a base plate and a mounting plate within a molding region, wherein;

a first material powder layer is formed on the base plate; and

the base plate is fixed to the mounting plate at a central part of the base plate to an extent that the base plate is not displaced;

a molding step of laminating sintered layers to form a sintered body, wherein the sintered layers are laminated by repeatedly spreading material powder to form a material powder layer and irradiating the material powder layer with a beam to form a sintered layer; and

an upper surface processing step of planarizing an upper surface of the sintered body to form a processed surface.

2. The method for producing a three-dimensional molded object of claim 1,

wherein, in the upper surface processing step, the processed surface is formed by planarizing the upper surface of the sintered body while the base plate on which the sintered body is formed is fixed on the mounting plate within the molding region.

3. The method for producing a three-dimensional molded object of claim 1, further comprising:

a first rear surface processing step of planarizing a rear surface of the base plate with the processed surface as a reference plane, after the upper surface processing step.

4. The method for producing a three-dimensional molded object of claim 1, further comprising:

a second rear surface processing step of fixing a plurality of support columns on an upper surface of the base plate, planarizing upper surfaces of the plurality of support columns to form horizontal planes respectively having a same height, and planarizing a rear surface of the base plate with the horizontal planes as a reference plane, after the upper surface processing step.