KR20170075446A

KR20170075446A - Forming apparatus for forming three-dimensional objects

Info

Publication number: KR20170075446A
Application number: KR1020150185102A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 하원
Original assignee: 주식회사 포스코; 재단법인 포항산업과학연구원
Priority date: 2015-12-23
Filing date: 2015-12-23
Publication date: 2017-07-03

Abstract

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional object shaping apparatus for supplying energy to a base material supplied to a base substrate, melting the same, and supplying powder to a molten base material for processing. The apparatus includes an energy scanning unit for supplying the energy to the base material, A head connected to the material supply unit; And a cooling gas spraying unit for spraying the cooling gas onto the molten base material.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a forming apparatus for forming three-dimensional objects,

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional object molding apparatus.

Among the three-dimensional metal deposition process (or technology), DED (Direct Energy Deposition) is a technique of melting a material using a laser or the like as a heat source, supplying a material to molten metal, to be.

The most important part in the DED type three-dimensional laminating machine is a portion to which a heat source such as a laser, a metal material, and a protective gas for preventing oxidation are supplied and is generally called a head or nozzle (hereinafter referred to as a head).

In this head, a heat source is supplied to melt the metal, and metal powder (or wire material) to be laminated on the molten metal is injected to melt and coagulate, and oxidation and oxidation are prevented, and continuous lamination and molding are performed.

The basic mechanism is the melting of the metal by the heat source, the addition of the metal material to the molten liquid metal, the melting of the injected metal, the temperature drop and coagulation due to the movement of the heat source, The liquid metal must be of constant area and volume.

The molten liquid metal is in a liquid state and therefore moves by gravity, and the liquid metal surface is formed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of action of gravity.

Therefore, stacking in the DED system is possible only in the direction opposite to the direction in which gravity acts.

The DED type three-dimensional laminating machine is manufactured by combining with a multi-axis processing machine in order to overcome the disadvantage that the direction of stacking is limited.

The base plate to which the product is to be stacked is combined with the multi-axis processing machine and the lamination direction is rotated so as to be always maintained in the direction opposite to the direction in which gravity acts so that the liquid metal does not flow down by gravity.

Such a method is not a serious problem when the shape of the product to be formed by lamination is simple or not large. However, when the shape of the product to be molded is complicated or the size is large, a shape that can not be formed by rotation of the multi- The product can not be manufactured.

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional object shaping apparatus which is not limited in the stacking direction in the three-dimensional stacking step.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional object molding apparatus capable of molding a product having a complicated shape.

According to the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, there is no limitation in the stack direction in the three-dimensional stacking process.

Further, a product having a complicated shape can be molded.

1 is a schematic view of a three-dimensional object molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is an enlarged schematic view of part A of Fig. 1,
FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a process of forming a molding using a three-dimensional object molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive concept. Other embodiments falling within the scope of the inventive concept may be easily suggested, but are also included within the scope of the present invention.

The same reference numerals are used to designate the same components in the same reference numerals in the drawings of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a three-dimensional object molding apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion A of FIG.

3 is a schematic view illustrating a process of forming a molding using a molding device for molding a three-dimensional object according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a three-dimensional object forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base substrate 110, an energy scanning unit 130, a head 140, a material supply unit 150, And may include a curved portion 160.

The base substrate 110 forms a space for forming a three-dimensional object (hereinafter referred to as a molding object), and a base material 111 may be supplied to the base substrate 110.

The energy scanning unit 130 can form one layer of the molding by injecting the energy 131 into the base material 111 and melting it.

The energy scanning unit 130 may be a laser beam syringe that scans energy 131 using a laser beam.

The material supply unit 150 may be configured to store the powder 151 for forming a molding and supply the stored powder 151 to the molten base material 111. As the powder 151, a material such as a metal may be used.

A path through which the energy 131 scanned by the energy scanning unit 130 passes and a path for supplying the powder 151 stored in the material supply unit 150 to the molten base material 111 are formed inside the head 140 .

On the other hand, a protective gas 121 may be used to prevent oxidation from occurring during the molding process.

The protective gas 121 is stored in the protective gas supply unit 120 connected to the head 140 and may be injected into the base material 111 through a passage formed inside the head 140.

A process of forming a molding using the molding apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, a base material 111 is supplied to a base substrate 110, The energy 131 is scanned to melt the base material 111 on the base substrate 110.

When the base material 111 is melted, the powder 151 stored in the material supply unit 150 is supplied to the molten base material 111 through the passage in the head 140, and is melted and solidified. By repeating this, the structure of a specific shape can be formed by further laminating during the production of the molding.

When the base material 110 on which the base material 111 is placed is not horizontally arranged with respect to the paper surface, the base material 111 melted by the own weight is transferred to the base substrate 110 110).

Therefore, the base substrate 110 must be able to maintain a horizontal state. In this case, the stacking direction of the molding objects is opposite to the direction in which the gravitational force acts (direction from the ground to the upward direction).

As described above, when there is a limitation in the stacking direction in the process of forming a molding, it may be impossible to manufacture a product having a complicated shape.

However, the apparatus for forming a three dimensional object 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited in the stacking direction.

For this, a three dimensional object shaping apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling gas spraying unit 160 for supplying a cooling gas 165 to a molten base material 111.

The cooling gas spraying unit 160 functions to selectively cool a part of the liquid base material 111 by supplying a cooling gas 165 to the molten base material 111. [

When a part of the liquid base material 111 solidifies, the solidified part serves as a barrier for preventing the liquid base material 111 from flowing.

A part of the liquid base material 111 coagulates to serve as a barrier, so that the lamination direction of the molding objects is not limited to the direction opposite to the direction in which gravity acts.

For example, even if the energy 131 is scanned obliquely with respect to the base substrate 110, since the liquid base material 111 does not flow down by the barrier, it is possible to stack the liquid base material in a direction other than the direction opposite to the direction in which gravity acts .

Therefore, the three dimensional object shaping apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited in the stacking direction.

Since at least one of the head 140 and the base substrate 110 is configured to be rotatable so that the head 140 can be rotated, And the base substrate 110 can be changed.

Therefore, stacking in various directions is possible.

The cooling gas spraying unit 160 includes a cooler 161 for cooling the cooling gas 165, a spray nozzle 162 for discharging the cooled gas, a pipe 163 for connecting the cooler 161 and the spray nozzle 162, A rotation plate 164 for changing the position of the injection nozzle 162, and a control unit for controlling the position of the injection nozzle 162.

The injection nozzle 162 through which the cooled gas is discharged is arranged adjacent to the outer periphery of the molten liquid preform 111. The cooled gas may be an inert gas such as He or Ar.

The injection nozzle 162 is fixed to the rotation plate 164, and the rotation plate 164 is rotatably mounted on the head 140.

Accordingly, the injection nozzle 162 can be rotated about the head 140 by the rotation plate 164.

Since the injection nozzle 162 is rotatably provided, the injection nozzle 162 can be easily moved to a position for forming a barrier to the liquid base material 111. [

The control unit recognizes the point where the liquid base material 111 can flow and can control the position of the injection nozzle 162 so that the injection nozzle 162 is located at that point.

Since the gas discharged from the injection nozzle 162 is cooled by the cooler 161 and maintained at a low temperature, the liquid base material 111 in contact with the cooling gas 165 solidifies and solidifies, And serves as a barrier for preventing the base material 111 from flowing due to its own weight.

Through the above-described embodiments, the three-dimensional object molding apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited in the stacking direction in the three-dimensional lamination process.

Further, a product having a complicated shape can be molded.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

100: Three-dimensional object molding apparatus 110: Base substrate
120: protective gas supply unit 121: protective gas
130: energy scanning part 131: energy
140: Head 150: Material supply part
151: Powder 160: Cooling gas spraying part
161: cooler 162: injection nozzle
163: tube 164: rotating plate

Claims

A three-dimensional object shaping apparatus for supplying energy to a base material supplied to a base substrate and melting the same, and supplying powder to the molten base material for processing,
A head connected to an energy scanning part for supplying the energy to the base material and a material supply part for supplying the powder; And
And a cooling gas spraying unit for spraying the cooling gas onto the molten base material.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the energy scanning unit scans energy using a laser beam.

The method according to claim 1,
The cooling gas injection unit
A cooler for cooling the gas;
An injection nozzle through which cooled gas is discharged; And
And a pipe connecting the cooler and the spray nozzle.

The method of claim 3,
Wherein the injection nozzle is attached to the head so as to be rotatable about the head.

The method of claim 3,
And a rotary plate rotatably attached to the head, and to which the injection nozzle is fixed.

The method of claim 3,
And a control unit configured to change a position of the injection nozzle.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one of the head and the base substrate is rotatable so that an angle between the head and the base substrate is changed.

The method according to claim 1,
And a protective gas supply unit for storing a protective gas supplied to the molten base material to prevent oxidation.