KR20200034014A - 3d printer and method for printing three dimensional structur using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a 3D printer and to a three-dimensional structure output method using the same. The 3D printer comprises: a first material supply part; a main stage; a layer forming part; a light irradiation part; and a second material supply part, wherein the first material supply part provides a first material only to an auxiliary stage, the layer forming part provides the first material on the auxiliary stage in a form of a layer to the main stage, the light irradiation part is positioned on an upper portion of the main stage and irradiates light to the first material in the form of a layer, and the second material supply part forms a pattern by providing a second material on the cured first material.

Description

3D printer and 3D printing method using the same {3D PRINTER AND METHOD FOR PRINTING THREE DIMENSIONAL STRUCTUR USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a 3D printer and a three-dimensional structure output method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a 3D printer capable of effectively outputting a three-dimensional structure having a fine channel and a three-dimensional structure output method using the same.

A 3D printer is a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional structure, and there are a cutting-type 3D printer that forms a three-dimensional structure by engraving raw materials, and a stacked 3D printer that forms a structure by stacking materials layer by layer. Since the stacked 3D printer is a method of stacking materials, it has a higher efficiency of material use than a cut 3D printer, and has the advantage of being capable of forming a sophisticated structure, and thus has attracted great attention as a next-generation process technology.

The stacked 3D printer can be used for material jetting, material extrusion, binder jetting, direct energy deposition, powder bed fusion, Various methods such as sheet lamination and photo-curing methods exist.

The material spraying method sprays a material in a solution form and hardens the material using ultraviolet rays to form a structure. Material extrusion is a method of forming a structure by heating a material at a high temperature to push a material having high flowability under high pressure. Adhesive spraying is a method of forming a structure by spraying a liquid adhesive on a powdered material to bond the powder. Direct irradiation with high energy is a method of forming structures by melting raw materials with a laser or the like and attaching them to each other. Powder lamination and melting is a method of forming a structure by melting and curing a powder material by injecting a laser or the like onto the material in powder form. Sheet lamination is a method of forming a structure by laminating materials in the form of thin films with heat or adhesives. The photocuring method is a method of forming a structure by irradiating light to a photocurable material and curing it.

However, the above-described 3D printer of the lateral type method has many limitations in outputting a three-dimensional structure having a fine structure. For example, 3D printers such as material spraying, material extrusion, adhesive spraying, and high energy direct irradiation output a three-dimensional structure using a nozzle, so that the position or ejection force of the nozzle can be precisely controlled to output a precise structure. Technology is required. In addition, when precisely controlling the position or injection force of the nozzle, there is a disadvantage that the output speed of the structure is reduced.

In particular, in the case of a three-dimensional structure having a fine hole or an arch shape, many problems occur due to gravity before the material hardens or adheres to the fine hole or the ceiling portion of the arch. This crushing problem may occur.

Accordingly, there is a need to develop a 3D printer capable of stably and rapidly outputting a structure having a fine structure.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned background technology is the technical information acquired by the inventor for the derivation of the present invention or acquired in the derivation process of the present invention, and is not necessarily a known technology disclosed to the general public before filing the present invention. .

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0606457

One embodiment of the present invention has an object to provide a 3D printer capable of outputting a three-dimensional structure having a fine structure and a three-dimensional structure output method using the same.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention has an object to provide a 3D printer capable of outputting a three-dimensional structure composed of different materials and a three-dimensional structure output method using the same.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, according to an aspect of the present invention, a 3D printer includes a first material providing unit, a main stage, a layer forming unit, a light irradiation unit, and a second material providing unit. The first material providing unit provides the first material only to the auxiliary stage. The layer forming unit provides the first material on the auxiliary stage in the form of a layer on the main stage. The light irradiation unit is positioned on the main stage and irradiates light to the first material in the form of a layer. The second material providing portion forms a pattern by providing a second material on the cured first material.

The first material includes a ceramic or metal particle and a photocurable resin composition in which the ceramic or metal particles are dispersed, and the first material providing unit discharges the storage unit in which the first material is stored, and the first material in the storage unit. It may include a first discharge portion, a milling portion for milling the first material of the first discharge portion, and a second discharge portion for discharging the milled first material.

The first material providing unit may be configured to provide the first material having a viscosity of 5,000cp to 100,000cp.

The layer forming unit horizontally moves from the first area of the auxiliary stage to the second area of the auxiliary stage spaced apart from the first area in a direction transverse to the main stage, and the first as the layer forming unit moves horizontally. The material may be formed of a first layer having a height corresponding to the gap between the layer forming portion and the main stage.

When the first layer on the main stage is cured by the light irradiation unit, the main stage descends by a length corresponding to the height of the first layer, and when the main stage descends, the layer forming unit is the auxiliary stage Horizontally moving from the second region to the first region of the auxiliary stage in a direction crossing the main stage, and as the layer forming portion is moved horizontally, the remaining first material on the auxiliary stage moves to the second layer as the main stage. Can be provided further.

The layer forming unit, a blade configured to coat the first material on the main stage, a blade body fixing one end of the blade, and horizontally moving the body in a direction crossing the main stage on the main stage It may include a blade drive configured to.

The layer forming unit includes a roller configured to coat the first material on the main stage, a rotating shaft fixing the roller, and a roller driving unit configured to move the rotating shaft and the roller in a direction transverse to the main stage. can do.

The 3D printer further includes a film disposed on the auxiliary stage and the main stage, and configured to be able to move up and down, and the layer forming unit is in contact with a first blade contacting an upper surface of the film, and an upper surface of the film, It may include a second blade configured to be movable in a direction transverse to the upper surface of the main stage.

The second material providing unit may include a nozzle that sprays the second material in the form of a liquid drop, and a robot arm that moves the nozzle on the main stage.

The second material providing unit includes a nozzle for spraying the second material in the form of a liquid droplet, a nozzle fixing unit configured to fix the nozzle and move on a two-dimensional plane parallel to an upper surface of the main stage on the main stage, and It may include a rail that guides the movement path of the nozzle fixing portion.

The auxiliary stage surrounds the main stage, and when the main stage is raised to the highest height, the upper surface of the auxiliary stage may be located on the same surface as the upper surface of the main stage.

One inner surface of the auxiliary stage may be spaced from 0.1 mm to 10 mm from the outer surface of the main stage facing one inner surface of the auxiliary stage.

In the auxiliary stage, when the layer forming portion provides the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage, it is in contact with the outer surface of the main stage, and when the main stage moves up and down, the outer surface of the main stage It can be configured to be spaced from.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer includes providing a first material in a slurry form to a first region of an auxiliary stage using a first material providing unit, and a layer forming unit of the auxiliary stage. Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region and the second region spaced from the first region, using a light irradiation unit Forming a substructure by curing the first material in the form of a layer, forming a pattern with a second material on the substructure using a second material providing portion, and using the layer forming portion to form the second material Providing the first material in a layer form to cover the pattern formed of, and the light irradiation unit Curing said first material covering said second material by using, a step of forming the upper structure.

In the step of providing the first material in a layer form so as to cover the pattern formed of the second material using the layer forming unit, an upper surface of the pattern made of the second material is positioned on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage. Or lowering the main stage such that the upper surface of the pattern is positioned lower than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage, and horizontally moving the layer forming portion between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage, It may include the step of providing the first material in the form of a layer to cover.

The step of forming the lower structure by curing the first material in the form of a layer using the light irradiation part may include: (a) irradiating light to the first material in the form of a layer by using the light irradiation part; Curing the first material, (b) lowering the main stage such that the top surface of the cured first material is located on the same surface as the top surface of the auxiliary stage, and (c) the layer forming portion is assisted. Further providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving between the first area and the second area of the stage, (d) using the light irradiation unit to form the first layer-like Curing the first material further provided by irradiating the material with light, and the total height of the cross-sections formed by curing of the first material To be output may include the step of repeating the steps of (b) to (d) until the height of the lower structure.

The step of forming a pattern with a second material on the cured substructure using the second material providing part may include using the second material providing part until the height of the pattern reaches a desired height. It may include the step of providing repeatedly.

Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming portion in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage comprises: Contacting the film disposed on the auxiliary stage with the first material, and while fixing the first blade in contact with the top surface of the film, separating the second blade from the first blade to traverse the main stage The step of horizontally moving in a direction, and curing the first material in the form of a layer using the light irradiation unit, thereby forming the substructure, by irradiating light on the film using the light irradiation unit. By curing the first material provided in the form of a layer under the film, the phase The step of forming a pattern with a second material on the lower structure cured using the second material providing unit includes forming the base structure, the film, the first blade and the second blade. Ascending from the main stage, positioning the second material providing portion on the lower structure, and forming a pattern of the second material on the cured lower structure using the second material providing portion. It can contain.

Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming portion in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage comprises: By horizontally moving the first plate and the second plate of the auxiliary stage, contacting the first plate and the second plate with the outer surface of the main stage, and the layer forming portion and the first plate of the auxiliary stage And coating the first material on the main stage by horizontally moving it between the second plates in a direction transverse to the main stage, and curing the first material in a layer form using the light irradiation unit. By doing so, the step of forming the lower structure, the light The step of using the ejection curing the first material, and wherein the first plate and the main stage of the second outer plates may comprise apart from the side.

After the step of forming the upper structure by curing the first material covering the second material using the light irradiation part, the sintered three-dimensional structure at a temperature of 1000 ° C. or higher after the output is completed, wherein the second material is made of the The method may further include removing the pattern.

According to any one of the above-described problem solving means of the present invention, a 3D printer and a three-dimensional structure output method using the same according to an embodiment of the present invention can output a structure of a ceramic or metal material and a structure of a polymer plastic material at a time. .

In addition, according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, the problem of mixing the first material and the second material is minimized, and the use efficiency of the material can be improved.

In addition, according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, the main stage may not friction with the auxiliary stage in the process of ascending and descending, so that the movement of the main stage can be precisely and smoothly controlled, and the main stage is worn This can be minimized.

In addition, according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, in a structure having a fine channel or hole, problems in which the channel or hole collapses or the channel or hole is struck downward may be minimized.

The effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1.
3 is a perspective view schematically showing a first material providing unit of FIG. 1.
4 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A to 6J are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8A to 8D are cross-sectional views illustrating a three-dimensional structure output method using a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10A to 10D are cross-sectional views illustrating a 3D printer output method using a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily practice. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and like reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, it is not only "directly connected", but also "indirectly connected" with another member or element in between. Includes. Also, when a part “includes” a certain component, this means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise specified.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the 3D printer shown in FIG. 1.

A 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device capable of forming a three-dimensional structure, and is a three-dimensional structure output device capable of sequentially outputting cross-sections of a three-dimensional structure based on an input 3D drawing.

1 and 2, the 3D printer 100 includes a first material providing unit 110, a main stage 120, an auxiliary stage 140, a layer forming unit 130, a light irradiation unit 150, and 2 includes a material providing unit 160.

The main stage 120 provides an output space of a three-dimensional structure, and is a configuration that supports the output structure, and includes a molding stage 121, a shaft 123, and a stage driving unit 125.

The molding stage 121 provides a space in which the structure is formed, and is configured in the form of a plate capable of supporting the structure. The molding stage 121 may have an area that is greater than or equal to the area of the bottom surface of the three-dimensional structure that is finally output. 1, a square-shaped molding stage 121 is illustrated, but the molding stage 121 may be configured in various shapes such as a circular shape, an oval shape, and a polygonal shape.

The shaft 123 fixes the molding stage 121 and is connected to the stage driving unit 125 to raise or lower the molding stage 121. The shaft 123 has sufficient rigidity so that the molding stage 121 is not tilted or shaken, and is firmly coupled to the molding stage 121.

The stage driving unit 125 is connected to the shaft 123 to provide a driving force such that the molding stage 121 is raised or lowered. The stage driving unit 125 may be configured as a motor that raises or lowers the shaft 123, and the stage driving unit 125 may be electrically connected to a power supply unit (not shown). As the molding stage 121 is moved up and down by the stage driver 125 and the shaft 123, cross-sections of structures on the molding stage 121 may be sequentially stacked, and a three-dimensional structure may be output.

The auxiliary stage 140 is a stage surrounding the main stage 120. The auxiliary stage 140 is not raised or lowered, and when the main stage 120 is raised to the highest height, the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 is positioned on the same surface as the upper surface of the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120. Is fixed.

The auxiliary stage 140 includes an opening accommodating the molding stage 121, and an inner surface of the opening of the auxiliary stage 140 extends to the bottom surface of the molding stage 121 to form a basket 170.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, one inner surface of the opening of the auxiliary stage 140 is spaced by a predetermined distance d from the outer surface of the molding stage 121 facing it. Specifically, one inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and the outer surface of the molding stage 121 may be spaced from 0.1 mm to 10 mm.

The auxiliary stage 140 provides a space in which the first material M1 is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first material M1 is provided from the first material providing unit 110 to the first area A of the auxiliary stage 140. Here, the first region A is an area adjacent to the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120 and may be an area between the first material providing unit 110 and the molding stage 121. The first region A of the auxiliary stage 140 has a sufficient area so that the first material M1 is sufficiently stacked. For example, the area of the first region may have a sufficiently large area so that the first material M1 does not flow into the basket 170. Accordingly, the first material M1 is not directly provided to the molding stage 121, but may be provided only to the auxiliary stage 140.

As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary stage 140 may include an outer wall surrounding the outside of the auxiliary stage 140 so that the first material M1 does not flow out of the auxiliary stage 140. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and when the area of the auxiliary stage 140 is sufficiently large, the problem that the first material M1 flows out of the auxiliary stage 140 hardly occurs, the outside of the auxiliary stage 140 is not generated. The surrounding outer wall can be omitted.

The light irradiation unit 150 is configured to irradiate light on the molding stage 121 to cure the first material M1 on the molding stage 121. The light irradiation unit 150 is positioned above the molding stage 121 and may irradiate light of infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, or visible rays.

The light irradiation unit 150 may be configured as a laser or beam projector that irradiates light only in a specific area. At this time, since the first material M1 is hardened only in a specific region to which light is irradiated, a structure made of the first material M1 may be formed in a specific region to which light is irradiated. Details of this will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6J.

 When the light irradiation unit 150 is composed of a laser, light is intensively irradiated to a specific point, and the light irradiation unit 150 may partially cure the first material M1 by moving the light irradiation point. In addition, when the light irradiation unit 150 is configured as a beam projector, light may be irradiated on a plane basis. In this case, photocuring reactions occur simultaneously and structures can be quickly formed on the molding stage 121.

The layer forming unit 130 provides the first material M1 provided on the auxiliary stage 140 in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120. The layer forming unit 130 includes a blade 133, a blade body 131, and a blade driving unit 135.

The blade 133 is spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 to apply the first material M1 located in the first area of the auxiliary stage 140 on the molding stage 121. The blade 133 has a length equal to or greater than the width of the molding stage 121 so that the first material M1 can be applied to the molding stage 121 with a uniform thickness, and output on the molding stage 121 It can be made of a material having an appropriate elastic force so as not to damage the structure.

The blade body 131 fixes one end of the blade 133 so that the blade 133 is not bent or bent.

The blade driving unit 135 horizontally moves the blade body 131 on the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120 in a direction crossing the molding stage 121. For example, the blade driving unit 135 may horizontally move the blade body 131 on the main stage 120 in a direction crossing the main stage 120 in a piston manner. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the blade driving unit 135 may be configured to move on the rail to move the blade body 131 horizontally.

Since the blade 133 of the layer forming unit 130 is spaced a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and horizontally moved in the direction crossing the main stage 120 on the main stage 120, the main stage ( The molding material 121 of 120) may be provided with a first material M1 in the form of a layer having a specific thickness. In this case, the thickness of the layer provided to the molding stage 121 may be greater than or equal to the distance between the blade 133 and the auxiliary stage 140. For example, the blade 133 may be spaced from the auxiliary stage 140 by 20 μm to 50 μm, and the first material M1 may be provided on the molding stage 121 in a thickness of 20 μm to 50 μm.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a layer forming unit 130 including a blade 133, a blade body 131, and a blade driving unit 135 is illustrated, but according to some embodiments, the layer forming unit 130 It may be configured in the form of a roller rather than a blade 133. In this case, the layer forming unit 130 moves the roller configured to coat the first material M1 on the main stage 120, the rotating shaft for fixing the roller, and the rotating shaft and the roller in a direction transverse to the main stage 120. It may include a driving unit. When the layer forming unit 130 is configured in the form of a roller, the first material M1 may be provided in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121 while the roller rotates around the rotation axis.

The first material providing unit 110 provides the first material M1 on the auxiliary stage 140. For example, the first material providing unit 110 may be configured to provide the first material M1 in the form of a slurry to the first region of the auxiliary stage 140. The first material (M1) in the form of a slurry has a viscosity of 5,000cp to 100,000cp, and preferably a viscosity of 10,000cp to 50,000cp.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first material (M1) includes a surface-treated ceramic or metal particle (P) and a photocurable resin composition (R) in which the particles are dispersed. The surface-treated ceramic or metal particles (P) do not aggregate with each other for a long time in the photocurable resin composition (R), and can maintain a dispersed state, and the surface-treated ceramic or metal particles (P) are photocurable resin compositions Since it includes a functional group that reacts easily with (R), when light is irradiated, it can be combined with the photocurable resin composition (R) to form a three-dimensional structure stably.

On the other hand, the surface-treated ceramic or metal particles (P) may be contained in a proportion of 60 to 90wt% based on the total weight of the first material (M1), the photocurable resin composition (R) is the first material (M1 ) Based on the total weight of 10 ~ 40wt% may be contained. That is, the main component of the first material M1 is ceramic or metal particles P, and the photocurable resin composition R is contained in the form of an auxiliary binder.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first material providing unit 110 may be configured to provide the first material M1 in the liquid or powder state to the first region of the auxiliary stage 140.

The first material providing part 110 includes a storage part 111, a first discharge part 113, a milling part 115, and a second discharge part 117. A detailed description thereof will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

The second material providing unit 160 is configured to directly provide the second material on the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120. The second material is a resin composition that is naturally cured or light cured and is composed of a polymer material. The second material providing part 160 includes a nozzle 163, a nozzle fixing part 161, and a robot arm 165.

The nozzle 163 sprays the second material onto the upper surface of the molding stage 121. The nozzle 163 may be configured to spray the second material in the form of a liquid drop. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the nozzle 163 may be configured to partially melt the second material in a solid state and provide it to the molding stage 121.

The nozzle fixing part 161 fixes the nozzle 163 and supplies a second material to the nozzle 163.

The robot arm 165 moves the nozzle fixing portion 161 and the nozzle 163 on the molding stage 121. The robot arm 165 is composed of a plurality of arms, and one end of each of the plurality of arms is connected to an axis of rotation. Each of the plurality of arms is rotatable relative to the rotation axis, and by controlling the rotation of the arms, the nozzle fixing portion 161 and the nozzle 163 can be moved to any position on the molding stage 121. .

3 is a perspective view schematically showing a first material providing unit of FIG. 1. Since the first material providing part 110 shown in FIG. 3 is the same as the first material providing part 110 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in describing the first material providing part 110, FIGS. See also 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, the first material providing unit 110 includes a first material storage unit 111, a first discharge unit 113, a milling unit 115, and a second discharge unit 117.

The first material storage unit 111 stores the first material M1, and the first discharge unit 113 converts the first material M1 stored in the first material storage unit 111 to the milling unit 115. Discharge. In this case, the bottom surface of the first material storage unit 111 may have a funnel shape curved toward the first discharge unit 113 so that the first material M1 is smoothly discharged to the first discharge unit 113.

The milling unit 115 mills the first material M1 discharged through the first discharge unit 113. The ceramic or metal particles P aggregated together in the first material M1 by the milling unit 115 may be crushed, and the first material M1 milled by the milling unit 115 may be ceramic or metal particles. The dispersibility of (P) can be further improved.

The second discharge part 117 discharges the first material M1 milled through the milling part 115 to the first region of the auxiliary stage 140. The second discharge part 117 may provide the first material M1 at an appropriate flow rate so that the first material M1 is sufficiently provided on the auxiliary stage 140. In addition, the shape of the second discharge portion 117 may be elongated so that the first material M1 is uniformly supplied to the first region of the auxiliary stage 140.

Although the first material providing unit 110 is fixed to one side of the auxiliary stage 140 in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first material providing unit 110 is separated from the auxiliary stage 140 It can be configured to be movable. For example, the first material providing unit 110 may be configured in the form of a nozzle spraying the first material M1 in the form of a slurry on the auxiliary stage 140, in this case, the first material providing unit 110 Can be configured to provide the first material M1 to the first area while moving on the auxiliary stage 140.

The 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention provides the first material providing unit 110 and the first material M1 in the form of a layer to the main stage 120 providing the first material M1. Since the layer forming unit 120 and the second material providing unit 160 providing the second material are included, structures composed of different types of materials can be efficiently output. That is, a general photocurable 3D printer forms a three-dimensional structure by dipping a molding stage in a water tank in which a liquid photocurable resin composition is stored and irradiating light to the water tank. In this case, since only the photocurable resin composition composed of one material can be stored in the water tank, there is a disadvantage that a structure composed of different materials cannot be output. On the other hand, a method of using two or more water tanks to output a structure composed of different materials may be considered, but in this case, as the molding stage is immersed in two or more water tanks, there is a problem that the materials in the water tank are contaminated by mixing different materials. Can occur.

On the other hand, there is a method of directly outputting a three-dimensional structure using two separate nozzles for the first material and the second material, but since the nozzle must spray the material for all areas corresponding to the cross-section of the structure individually, the structure output It has the disadvantage of taking a lot of time.

In contrast, according to the 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first material M1 is provided to the auxiliary stage 140 through the first material providing unit 110, and through the layer forming unit 130 The first material M1 is provided to the main stage 120 in the form of a layer, and the second material may be provided by the second material providing unit 160. That is, the first material M1 is provided on the main stage 120 in the form of a layer to be cured, and the second material is provided on the cured first material M1. In this case, since the first material M1 is cured by a photocuring method, a three-dimensional structure can be manufactured at a high speed. In addition, since the second material is provided in a nozzle manner on the cured first material M1, a procedure of dipping the main stage 120 in a separate water tank to output a structure composed of the second material may be omitted. Thus, structures composed of different materials can be effectively output, and the problem of mixing the first material and the second material can be minimized.

In addition, a certain amount of the first material M1 is provided to the auxiliary stage 140 and is provided to the main stage 120 in the form of a layer by the layer forming unit 130. In this case, since the output of the three-dimensional structure is possible using a small amount of the first material M1, the use efficiency of the material can be improved.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, as the inner surface of the opening of the auxiliary stage 140 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the molding stage 121, the outer surface of the molding stage 121 when the lifting and lowering of the molding stage 121 And the phenomenon that the inner surface of the opening of the auxiliary stage 140 is rubbed can be minimized, and the problem that the shaping stage 121 is worn can be minimized. In addition, the problem that the three-dimensional structure output on the molding stage 121 rubs against the inner surface of the opening of the auxiliary stage 140 while the molding stage 121 is raised or lowered is separated from the molding stage 121. .

In this case, the separation distance between the molding stage 121 and the auxiliary stage 140 is the diameter of the metal or ceramic particles P included in the first material M1 and the design of the molding stage 121 and the auxiliary stage 140 It may be determined in consideration of the tolerance of the top. As mentioned above, the separation distance d between the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and the outer surface of the molding stage 121 may be 0.1 mm to 10 mm.

If the separation distance d between the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is less than 0.1 mm, the ceramic or metal particles P in the first material M1 are auxiliary stages. Friction may be induced between the inner surface of the 140 and the outer surface of the molding stage 121, and the auxiliary stage 140 and the molding stage 121 may be worn. In addition, since the outer surface of the molding stage 121 and the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 rub against each other, the rising or falling of the molding stage 121 may not be smooth, and the position of the molding stage 121 may be refined. You may not be able to adjust it smoothly.

On the other hand, if the separation distance (d) between the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is greater than 10mm, the separation distance (d) is too large, the molding stage through the layer forming unit 130 In the process of providing the first material M1 on the layer 121 in the form of a layer, the first material M1 may not be supplied to the molding stage 121 properly.

In addition, the 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a structure using a first material (M1) comprising a ceramic or metal particles (P) and a second material made of a polymer, and thus a three-dimensional structure having a fine structure This can be output stably and effectively. Details of this will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 to 6J.

4 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention. Except for the second material providing unit 460 in the 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention, the configurations of the 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are the same. Therefore, redundant description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 4, the second material providing part 460 includes a nozzle 463, a nozzle fixing part 461, a first rail 465 and a second rail 467.

The nozzle 463 sprays the second material onto the upper surface of the molding stage 121, and the nozzle fixing part 461 fixes the nozzle 463.

The first rail 465 extends in a direction transverse to the auxiliary stage 140 and the molding stage 121, and the nozzle fixing part 461 is configured to move along the first rail 465.

The second rail 467 is connected to one end of the first rail 465 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the first rail 465. One end of the first rail 465 is configured to move along the second rail 467, whereby the nozzle fixing part 461 and the nozzle 463 can be moved along the second rail 467.

The first rail 465 and the second rail 467 extend in a direction perpendicular to each other. Since the first rail 465 is moved along the second rail 467, and the nozzle fixing portion 461 is configured to be moved along the first rail 465, the nozzle 463 is an upper surface of the molding stage 121 You can freely move on a two-dimensional plane (ie, xy plane) parallel to.

According to some embodiments, a third rail extending in the height direction (ie, the z-axis direction) of the 3D printer 400 and connected to one end of the second rail 467 may be further installed. In this case, the second rail 471 and the first rail 465 may move in the height direction of the 3D printer 400 along the third rail, and the height of the nozzle fixing part 461 may be adjusted.

The 3D printer 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a second rail 467, a first rail 465 moved along the second rail 467, and a nozzle height moved along the first rail 465. And a second material providing unit 460 having a government portion 461. Accordingly, the movement of the nozzle 463 may be precisely controlled as the second material providing unit 460 moves in a rail manner. That is, the position of the nozzle 463 can be accurately controlled by adjusting the positions of the first rail 465 and the nozzle fixing part 461 so as to correspond to coordinates on the 3D drawing to which the second material is to be supplied.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6A to 6J are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Since the 3D printer output method in FIGS. 5 to 6J uses the 3D printers shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in describing FIGS. 5 to 6J, FIGS. 1 and 2 are referred together.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, a first material is provided to the first area of the auxiliary stage using the first material providing unit (S510).

Referring to FIG. 6A, the first material M1 in the form of a slurry is discharged from the storage 111 of the first material providing unit 110 to the first discharge unit 113 and milled through the milling unit 115. It is provided to the first region A of the auxiliary stage 140 through the second discharge unit 117. Since the first material M1 provided through the first material providing unit 110 has a viscosity of 5,000 cp to 100,000 cp, it does not flow down to the separation space between the auxiliary stage 140 and the molding stage 121, and the auxiliary material The first area A of the stage 140 is sufficiently accumulated.

Referring back to FIG. 5, in the method of outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, the first material is main by horizontally moving the layer forming unit in a direction crossing the main stage between the first area and the second area spaced from the first area. It is provided in the form of a layer on the stage (S520).

Referring to FIG. 6B, the layer forming unit 130 horizontally moves in a direction crossing the main stage 120 in the first region A. Since the blade 133 of the layer forming unit 130 is spaced by a predetermined distance from the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120, the height corresponding to the separation space between the blade 133 and the molding stage 121 is increased. A layer of the first material M1 to have is formed on the molding stage 121.

On the other hand, since the outer surface of the shaping stage 121 and the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 are spaced from 0,1 mm to 10 mm, a part of the first material M1 in the process of forming a layer of the first material M1 Can flow down into the space between the auxiliary stage 140 and the molding stage 121. In this case, the basket 170 collects the flowing first material M1 to suppress the first material M1 from flowing into another configuration.

Referring back to FIG. 5, in the method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, a lower structure is formed by curing the first material in the form of a layer using a light irradiation unit (S530).

Referring to FIG. 6C, light is irradiated to the first material M1 on the molding stage 121 through the light irradiation unit 150. The first material (M1) is composed of a surface-treated ceramic or metal particle (P) and a photocurable resin composition (R), and the light irradiation unit 150 induces a photopolymerization reaction of the photocurable resin composition (R), The first material M1 is cured.

The light irradiation unit 150 irradiates light only to a specific portion of the molding stage 121. In this case, the first material M1 in the form of a layer can be cured only in a specific part, whereby a first cross-section of the underlying structure is formed.

Meanwhile, the layer forming unit 130 may be spaced apart from the molding stage 121 so as not to reflect or scatter light emitted from the light irradiation unit 150. In some embodiments, the layer forming unit 130 may be positioned to be elevated to a position higher than the position of the light irradiation unit 150 so as not to interfere with the light of the light irradiation unit 150.

Referring to FIG. 6D, after curing of the first material M1 is completed, the molding stage 121 is lowered by a length corresponding to the total height of the cured layer. As described with reference to FIG. 6C, since one layer of the first material M1 is cured on the molding stage 121, the molding stage 121 is lowered by a length corresponding to the thickness of the first material M1 layer. .

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is spaced apart by 0.1mm to 10mm from the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140, the molding stage 121 in the process of the lowering of the molding stage 121 The outer surface of the and the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 may not rub against each other, and the descending position of the molding stage 121 may be precisely and smoothly adjusted. In addition, since the outer surface of the first material M1 cured in the molding stage 121 and the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 are separated by a sufficient distance, the first cured in the process of the molding stage 121 descending The problem that the material M1 is rubbed against the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 and separated from the molding stage 121 can be suppressed.

Referring to FIG. 6E, the layer forming unit 130 is horizontally moved between the first region A and the second region B of the auxiliary stage 140, and the first material is placed on the lowered molding stage 121. (M1) is additionally provided in the form of a layer. Specifically, the layer forming unit 130 that has been moved to the second area B of the auxiliary stage 140 is moved back to the first area A. As described with reference to FIG. 6B, a portion of the first material M1 accumulates in the second region while the layer forming unit 130 moves from the first region to the second region of the auxiliary stage 140. After the layer of the first material M1 on the molding stage 121 is cured, the molding stage 121 is lowered, and the layer forming unit 130 is moved back from the second region to the first region. In this case, the first material M1 accumulated in the second region is applied onto the molding stage 121 in the second region of the auxiliary stage 140 by the blade 133 of the layer forming unit 130 and hardened. A first material M1 in the form of a slurry is additionally provided on the first material M1.

In this case, in order to move the first material M1 accumulated on the right side of the blade 133 of the layer forming portion 130 to the left side of the blade 133, the layer forming portion 130 may be raised and lowered again. have. For example, the layer forming unit 130 moved to the second region B is raised, and the first material M1 accumulated on the right side of the blade 133 may naturally flow down. Thereafter, the layer forming unit 130 descends in close contact with the outer wall of the auxiliary stage 140, and the first material M1 that flows down naturally may be collected to the left side of the blade 133. Subsequently, as the layer forming unit 130 is moved from the second region B to the first region A, the first material M1 collected on the left side of the blade 133 is formed in the form of a layer to form the molding stage 121. Can be provided in addition to.

In some embodiments, the layer forming unit 130 may be moved as much as possible to be in close contact with the outer wall of the auxiliary stage 140, and the layer forming unit 130 may accumulate on the right side of the blade 133 as it is in close contact with the outer wall. One material (M1) flows into the space between the blade 133 and the auxiliary stage 140 may be collected on the left side of the blade (133). Subsequently, as the layer forming unit 130 is moved from the second region B to the first region A, the first material M1 collected on the left side of the blade 133 is formed in the form of a layer to form the molding stage 121. Can be provided in addition to.

On the other hand, since the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is spaced a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140, a part of the first material M1 is molded while the first material M1 is additionally provided. It may flow down into the space between the outer surface of the stage 121 and the inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140. In this case, the basket 170 collects the flowed first material M1 so that the flowed first material M1 does not flow into another configuration.

Referring to FIG. 6F, light is irradiated on the molding stage 121 through the light irradiation unit 150, and the first material M1 additionally provided is cured. Since the curing process of the first material M1 additionally provided is the same as the curing process of the first material M1 described with reference to FIG. 6C, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Thereby, a second cross-section of the underlying structure is formed.

The processes of lowering the molding stage 121, providing the first material M1 in the form of a slurry, and curing the first material M1 provided through the light irradiation unit 150 are completed in the substructure to be finally output. Can be repeated until In this case, the molding stage 121 is lowered such that the top surface of the cured sections is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140.

Referring to FIG. 5 again, in the method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, a pattern is formed of a second material on a cured lower structure using a first material providing unit (S540).

Referring to FIG. 6G, the lower structure BS is formed through the above-described processes, and the second material is provided on the lower structure BS in the form of a pattern PT using the second material providing unit 160. . The second material is composed of a polymer material that is naturally cured or photocured. Accordingly, the pattern PT of the second material discharged through the nozzle 163 of the second material providing unit 160 may be cured to form a pattern PT structure.

Referring back to FIG. 5, the 3D printer output method using a 3D printer provides a first material in a layer form so as to cover a pattern formed of a second material using a layer forming unit (S550).

Referring to FIG. 6H, the molding stage 121 is lowered so that the first material M1 may be provided in a layer form. In this case, the molding stage 121 may be lowered such that the upper surface of the pattern PT is positioned on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 or the upper surface of the pattern PT is positioned lower than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140. .

When the molding stage 121 is lowered, the layer forming unit 130 is horizontally moved between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage 140. As the layer forming unit 130 moves horizontally, the blade 133 of the layer forming unit 130 may provide the first material M1 in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121.

On the other hand, since the molding stage 121 is lowered so that the upper surface of the pattern PT is lower than or equal to the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140, damage to the pattern PT by the blade 133 can be minimized. If the upper surface of the pattern PT is positioned higher than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140, the pattern PT and the layer forming unit (in the process of providing the first material M1 by the layer forming unit 130) The blade 133 of the 130 may be rubbed to cause a problem that the pattern PT is damaged. However, since the molding stage 121 is lowered so that the upper surface of the pattern PT is positioned lower than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140, a problem that the pattern PT is damaged by the blade 133 can be minimized.

Referring back to FIG. 5, in the method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, an upper structure is formed by curing the first material covering the second material using the light irradiation unit (S560).

Referring to FIG. 6I, the first material M1 is provided in a layer form to cover the pattern PT formed of the second material, and the light irradiation unit 150 is applied to the first material M1 on the molding stage 121. Irradiated to cure the first material M1. Through this, a first cross-section of the upper structure covering the pattern PT is formed.

Similar to the process in which the lower structure is formed, the molding stage 121 is lowered by a predetermined distance, and the first material M1 in the form of a slurry is additionally provided on the lowered molding stage 121. That is, since the layer forming unit 130 is horizontally moved between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage 140, the first material M1 on the auxiliary stage 140 is transferred to the molding stage 121 in the form of a layer. Is provided. Thereafter, the first material M1 is cured through the light irradiation unit 150, and a second cross-section of the upper structure is formed. The above-described process is repeatedly performed, whereby the upper structure is completed.

Referring to FIG. 6J, the three-dimensional structure output by the 3D printer may be inserted into the sintering furnace 680 to perform a post-treatment process. Specifically, the three-dimensional structure having the output completed may be sintered by being exposed to a temperature of 1000 ° C or higher. As previously mentioned, the lower structure (BS) and the upper structure (TS) were formed of a first material (M1) comprising ceramic or metal particles and a photocurable resin composition. In the sintering process, the resin composition is all removed. , Ceramic or metal particles are sintered to form a rigid structure. Meanwhile, since the pattern PT is formed of a second material made of a polymer, the pattern PT can be removed at a temperature of 1000 ° C. Therefore, a channel corresponding to the shape of the pattern PT is formed between the upper structure TS and the lower structure BS after the post-treatment process. If the pattern PT has a size of several micro-units, the final structure may be a structure including micro-channel microchannels.

The 3D printer output method using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a lower structure BS using a first material M1, forms a pattern PT using a second material, and again The upper structure TS is formed using the first material M1, and all patterns PT are removed through a post-treatment process. Accordingly, a channel corresponding to the pattern PT may be stably formed, and the output resolution of the three-dimensional structure may be further improved.

When a general 3D printer outputs a structure having a channel, the structure corresponding to the channel does not form a structure, and the area corresponding to the channel outputs the lower structure and the upper structure so as to be an empty space. In this case, since the structure corresponding to the upper portion of the channel does not have a supporting structure at the lower portion, problems that may collapse or smash in the output process may occur. In particular, in the case of a photocurable 3D printer, since the three-dimensional structure is output using a liquid material, the above-described problems may occur more frequently. Therefore, a three-dimensional structure having a fine channel, hole, or arch-shaped structure may not be accurately output by a 3D printer.

However, in the 3D printer output method using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pattern PT is formed using a second material before the upper structure TS is formed, and the upper structure TS is formed. It has a characteristic. That is, a pattern PT is formed in a region corresponding to the channel, and the first material M1 in the form of a slurry is applied on the pattern PT. Accordingly, the problem that the upper region of the channel collapses or the upper region of the channel is struck can be minimized. Meanwhile, since the pattern PT can be completely removed in a high temperature post-treatment process, a channel can be stably provided in a space corresponding to the pattern PT. Therefore, fine channels having a size consistent with the design can be stably formed.

In addition, the 3D printer output method using a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a first material M1 in a layer form on the molding stage 121 using the layer forming unit 130. In this case, since the appropriate amount of the first material M1 is provided to the molding stage 121 by the layer forming unit 130, the use efficiency of the first material M1 may be improved, and the cured first material ( Since the second material can be directly provided on the M1) through the second material providing unit 160, there is an advantage that a structure composed of different materials can be easily output.

7 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention. 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention, except for including the first layer forming unit 730A, the second layer forming unit 730B and the film 780, the pattern shown in Figures 1 and 2 Since it is the same as the 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, a duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7, the film 780 is disposed on the auxiliary stage 140 and is disposed to surround the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer forming portion 730B. For example, the film 780 is configured to contact the first blade of the first layer forming portion 730A and the second blade of the second layer forming portion 730B, and is flat between the first blade and the second blade. It is configured to form. The film 780 is spaced from the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140, and the first material providing unit 110 provides a first material between the lower surface of the film 780 and the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140.

The film 780 is configured to allow elevation. For example, the film 780 may rise to a position higher than the height of the second material providing unit 160 and descend to contact the upper surface of the molding stage 121. When the film 780 is raised to a position higher than the height of the second material providing unit 160, the second material providing unit 160 is inserted between the film 780 and the molding stage 121 to form the molding stage 121 ) May be provided with a second material, and when the film 780 is lowered, the second layer forming unit 730B moves horizontally in a direction crossing the main stage 120, and on the molding stage 121 In the first material is provided in the form of a layer.

The film 780 is formed of a transparent, elastic material, and one or both ends of the film 780 may be wound on a roll. Since the film 780 is formed of a transparent material, light irradiated from the light irradiation unit 150 may pass through the film 780 to reach the first material located under the film 780 and harden the first material. I can do it.

In addition, since the film 780 is wound on a roll, when the first layer forming portion 730A or the second layer forming portion 730B is moved in a direction crossing the main stage 120, the film 780 It can be released from the silver roll and expanded between the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer forming portion 730B. Specifically, the second layer forming portion 730B may be moved away from the first layer forming portion 730A, and in this case, the film 780 may be released from the roll along the second layer forming portion 730B. The plane formed by the film 780 between the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer forming portion 730B may be extended. In addition, the first layer forming portion 730A may be moved away from the second layer forming portion 730B, in which case the film 780 may be released from the roll along the first layer forming portion 730B. The plane formed by the film 780 between the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer forming portion 730B may be extended. On the other hand, when the gap between the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer forming portion 730B becomes narrow, the film 780 may be configured to be wound again on a roll, and the first layer forming portion 730A Between the and the second layer forming portion 730B, the plane formed by the film may be reduced.

In some embodiments, the film 780 may be formed of a material having excellent elasticity. In this case, as the gap between the second layer forming portion 730B and the first layer forming portion 730A increases, the film 780 may increase due to elastic force, and the second layer forming portion 730B and the first The plane formed by the film 780 between the layer forming portions 730A may be extended.

The first layer forming unit 730A is configured to be able to move up and down, and includes a first blade. The first layer forming portion 730A is raised together with the film 780 when the film 780 is raised, and descended together with the film 780 when the film 780 is lowered. The first blade contacts the top surface of the film 780 and fixes one end of the film 780. The first blade has a length sufficient to prevent the film 780 from being wrinkled or curled. For example, the first blade may have a length greater than the width of the molding stage 121 and may have a length less than the width of the film 780.

 The second layer forming unit 730B and the first layer forming unit 730A may be close to or spaced apart from each other. For example, the second layer forming unit 730B may be horizontally moved in a direction crossing the molding stage 121 so as to move away from or closer to the first layer forming unit 730A, and the first layer forming unit 730A may also be The molding layer 121 may be horizontally moved to move away from or close to the second layer forming unit 730B.

The second layer forming unit 730B includes a second blade, and the first blade and the second blade are spaced apart by the same length from the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140. The height of the first blade and the height of the second blade from the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 are the same, and the film 780 may expand between the first blade and the second blade to form a plane. The second blade has a length greater than the width of the molding stage 121 and may have a length smaller than the width of the film 780. In this case, since the length of the second blade is larger than the width of the molding stage 121, the plane formed by the film 780 between the first blade and the second blade has a larger area than the upper surface of the molding stage 121. .

The 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention provides the first material using the film 780, the first layer forming unit 730A, and the second layer forming unit 730B, so that the first material is uniform. It may be provided in the form of a layer having a top surface. 8A to 8D are referred together for a detailed description.

8A to 8D are cross-sectional views illustrating a three-dimensional structure output method using a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the first material providing unit 110 provides the first material M1 on the first area of the auxiliary stage 140, and the film disposed on the first area of the auxiliary stage 140 780 is in contact with the first material (M1). Specifically, when the first material M1 is provided in the first region of the auxiliary stage 140, the first layer forming portion 730A, the second layer forming portion 730B, and the film 780 descend, and the film ( The lower surface of 780) is in contact with the first material M1.

8B, the first blade of the first layer forming portion 730A is fixed, and the second blade of the second layer forming portion 730B is spaced apart from the first blade, and the second blade is the main stage ( 120). As the second blade moves horizontally, the film 780 expands between the first blade and the second blade, and the first material M1 in contact with the lower surface of the film 780 is a molding stage 121 along the second blade ) In the form of a layer. That is, the first material M1 is coated from the lower surface of the film 780 onto the upper surface of the molding stage 121, and the film 780 is expanded while forming a plane between the first blade and the second blade, The upper surface of the first material M1 coated on the upper surface of the molding stage 121 may be a uniform plane with almost no bending.

On the other hand, the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from one inner surface of the auxiliary stage 140 facing it, but the surface tension between the first material (M1) and the film (780) in the form of a slurry By the first material (M1) can be maintained in contact with the lower surface of the film 780, the first material (M1) is not flowing down the separation space between the auxiliary stage 140 and the molding stage 121 You can. Accordingly, the first material M1 may be uniformly provided on the entire upper surface of the molding stage 121.

Referring to FIG. 8C, the light irradiation unit 150 irradiates light on the top surface of the film 780. The light irradiated from the light irradiation unit 150 passes through the film 780 made of a transparent material and is irradiated to the first material M1 in the form of a layer provided under the film 780, and cures the first material M1. . As the first material M1 is cured, a first cross-section of the underlying structure is formed.

Referring to FIG. 8D, after curing of the first material M1 is completed, the first layer forming portion 730A moves horizontally in the direction crossing the molding stage 121 so as to be closer to the second layer forming portion 730B. do. As the first layer forming portion 730A is moved toward the second layer forming portion 730B, the film 780 is dried on the roll, and the plane formed by the film 780 between the first blade and the second blade is Is reduced. On the other hand, as the plane formed by the film 780 shrinks between the first blade and the second blade, the film 780 sequentially falls from the surface of the cured first material M1. That is, as the first layer forming portion 730A is moved toward the second layer forming portion 730B, the lower surface of the film 780 may be sequentially separated from one side to the other side of the cured first material M1, The cured first material M1 is not separated from the molding stage 121 and may remain stably on the molding stage 121.

Thereafter, the molding stage 121 is lowered. The molding stage 121 may be lowered so that the layer of the cured first material M1 is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140. That is, the molding stage 121 may be lowered by a distance corresponding to the layer thickness of the cured first material M1.

After the shaping stage 121 is lowered, the shaping stage is such that the first layer forming portion 730A moves away from the second layer forming portion 730B while the second layer forming portion 730B positioned in the second region is fixed. It may be horizontally moved in a direction transverse to (121). In this case, the plane of the film 780 formed between the first blade and the second blade is expanded, and the first material M1 along the film 780 may be provided in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121. .

Meanwhile, in this case, the first layer forming portion 730A and the second layer are formed such that the first material M1 accumulated on the right side of the second layer forming portion 730B is accumulated on the left side of the first layer forming portion 730A. The forming portion 730B and the film 780 may be raised and lowered again. Specifically, when the first layer forming portion 730A, the second layer forming portion 730B, and the film 780 are raised, the first material M1 accumulated on the right side of the second layer forming portion 730B is It can flow to the left, and the first layer (730A), the second layer (730B) and the film 780 are lowered from the right side of the flowed down first material (M1), the first material (M1) It may accumulate on the left side of the first layer forming portion 730A. Then, the first layer forming portion 730A is moved away from the second layer forming portion 730B in a direction transverse to the molding stage 121, so that the film 780 can be expanded again, and the first material ( M1) may be provided in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121 along the lower surface of the film 780.

Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 8C, light is irradiated onto the film 780 through the light irradiation unit 150, and a layer of the first material M1 provided under the film 780 may be cured.

Thereafter, the expanded film 780 may be reduced again by moving the second layer forming portion 730B close to the first layer forming portion 730A in a direction crossing the molding stage 121. As the film 780 shrinks, the film 780 is sequentially separated from the cured first material M1, and a second cross-section of the underlying structure is formed.

Thereafter, the shaping stage 121 is further lowered by the thickness of the second cross-section, and by repeatedly performing the above-described process, cross-sections of the sub-structure are formed until a sub-structure having a desired thickness is output.

Referring to FIG. 8E, after the output of the lower structure BS is completed, the pattern PT of the second material is formed on the lower structure BS cured through the second material providing unit 160. Specifically, the first layer forming portion 730A, the second layer forming portion 730B, and the film 780 are raised from the main stage 120. In this case, the first layer forming unit 730A, the second layer forming unit 730B, and the film 780 may be raised to a position higher than the height of the second material providing unit 160.

Thereafter, the second material providing unit 160 is positioned on the molding stage 121 of the main stage 120. The second material is sprayed on the upper surface of the lower structure BS through the nozzle 163 of the second material providing unit 160, and the pattern PT of the second material is formed on the lower structure BS.

When the pattern PT is formed, the molding stage 121 is lowered such that the upper surface of the pattern PT is positioned on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140 or lower than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140. Thereafter, the first layer forming portion 730A, the second layer forming portion 730B, and the film 780 are lowered, and the first material M1 is provided in a layer form to cover the pattern PT. The provision of the first material M1 can be made by the same method as described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B.

As described with reference to FIG. 8C, light is irradiated on the film 780 and the first material M1 under the film 780 is cured, thereby forming a first cross-section of the upper structure.

Subsequently, as described with reference to FIG. 8D, the molding stage (such that the film 780 is sequentially separated from the first section, and the upper surface of the first section of the upper structure is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage 140. 121) descends. Then, by repeatedly performing the above-described steps, an upper structure is formed.

According to a 3D printer and a method for outputting a three-dimensional structure using the same according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first material M1 is the film 780, the first layer forming unit 730A, and the second layer forming unit 730B Since it is provided by, the first material M1 may be provided as a layer having a uniform plane. That is, the film 780 is expanded between the first blade of the first layer forming portion 730A and the second blade of the second layer forming portion 730B, and the film 780 is interposed between the first blade and the second blade. Form a uniform plane. Accordingly, the first material M1 in contact with the lower surface of the film 780 is provided as a layer having a uniform plane.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first material M1 in the form of a slurry can be minimized to flow through the separation space between the molding stage 121 and the auxiliary stage 140. Specifically, since the first material M1 is provided in the form of a slurry on the molding stage 121, the first material M1 may flow down into the space between the molding stage 121 and the auxiliary stage 140. . In this case, the thickness of the first material M1 provided in the form of a layer may not be uniform because the first material M1 flows in an area corresponding to the edge of the molding stage 121. In addition, after the pattern PT of the second material is formed on the lower structure BS, when the first material M1 is additionally provided to form the upper structure, the first material M1 in the form of a slurry is Flowing from the edge of the pattern PT may not form a uniform thickness on the upper surface of the pattern PT. However, in the 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first material M1 is provided through the film 780 and is produced by the surface tension between the lower surface of the film 780 and the first material M1. One material (M1) can maintain a state in contact with the lower surface of the film (780). Accordingly, the first material M1 may be prevented from flowing into the space between the molding stage 121 and the auxiliary stage 140, and the first material M1 may be disposed at the edge of the pattern PT of the second material. ) Can be suppressed from flowing down. Accordingly, the overall thickness or shape of the lower structure BS and the upper structure may be uniform.

9 is a perspective view schematically showing a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary stage 940 is composed of a first plate 941, a second plate 943 and a third plate 945, and the first plate 941 and the first 2, the plate 943 is the same as the 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except that it is configured to be horizontally moved, so a duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9, the auxiliary stage 940 includes a first plate 941, a second plate 943, and a third plate 945. The first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are disposed to face each other with the molding stage 121 interposed therebetween. The third plate 945 is disposed to contact the first plate 941 and the second plate 943.

The first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are configured to be horizontally movable. Specifically, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are horizontally moved so as to contact the outer surface of the molding stage 121 or to move away from the outer surface of the molding stage 121.

In this case, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 may be connected to the plate driving unit, respectively, to enable horizontal movement of the first plate 941 and the second plate 943.

The first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are moved to contact the outer surface of the molding stage 121 when the first material on the auxiliary stage 940 is provided to the molding stage 121, and the first plate 941 After curing of the material is completed, it can be moved away from the outer surface of the molding stage 121.

In the 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention, since the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 of the auxiliary stage 940 are configured to be horizontally movable, the first material is formed on the molding stage 121. In the course of being provided in the flow between the first plate 941 and the molding stage 121 and the space between the second plate 943 and the molding stage 121 can be suppressed. 10A to 10D are referred together for detailed description.

10A to 10D are cross-sectional views illustrating a 3D printer output method using a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10A, a first material M1 in the form of a slurry is provided on the first plate 941 of the auxiliary stage 940 through the first material providing unit 110.

Referring to FIG. 10B, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are horizontally moved to contact the outer surface of the molding stage 121. The first plate driver 990A horizontally moves the first plate 941, and the second plate driver 990B horizontally moves the second plate 943.

When the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 contact the outer surface of the molding stage 121, the first material M1 is transferred to the molding stage 121 in the form of a layer through the layer forming unit 130. Is provided. In this case, since there is no space between the first plate 941 and the molding stage 121, the first material M1 may not flow down between the first plate 941 and the molding stage 121.

Referring to FIG. 10C, the light irradiation unit 150 irradiates light on the molding stage 121, and the first material M1 on the molding stage 121 is cured to form a first cross-section of the lower structure.

Referring to FIG. 10D, after curing of the first material M1 is completed, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are horizontally moved away from the outer surface of the molding stage 121. Accordingly, a space is formed between the molding stage 121 and the first plate 941 and between the molding stage 121 and the second plate 943.

After the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are horizontally moved, the molding stage 121 is lowered. Since the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are spaced apart from the outer surface of the molding stage 121, the outer surface of the molding stage 121 is the first plate ( 941) and the friction with the second plate 943 can be suppressed.

When the descending of the molding stage 121 is completed, as shown in FIG. 10B, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are horizontally moved again to contact the outer surface of the molding stage 121.

Thereafter, the layer forming unit 130 horizontally moves in a direction transverse to the main stage 120 to provide the first material M1 in the form of a layer on the molding stage 121.

As described with reference to FIGS. 10C to 10D, the first material M1 is cured on the molding stage 121 to form a second cross-section of the lower structure, and the first plate 941 and the second plate ( 943) is spaced from the outer surface of the molding stage 121.

The above-described steps are repeatedly performed until a substructure having a thickness to be output is formed.

After the lower structure is output, a pattern PT of the second material is formed on the lower structure BS through the second material providing unit 160 as described with reference to FIG. 6G. Then, as described with reference to FIGS. 6H to 6I, the first material M1 is additionally provided to cover the pattern PT, and the first material M1 is cured to output the upper structure.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary stage 940 includes a first plate 941 and a second plate 943, and the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are the first material While the (M1) is provided, it comes into contact with the outer surface of the molding stage 121. Accordingly, the first material M1 flowing down between the outer surface of the molding stage 121 and the first plate 941 and between the outer surface of the molding stage 121 and the second plate 943 can be suppressed. Accordingly, the thickness of the lower structure can be uniformly formed, and the three-dimensional structure can be output precisely.

In addition, after curing of the first material M1 is completed, the first plate 941 and the second plate 943 are spaced apart from the outer surface of the molding stage 121. Accordingly, in the process of the molding stage 121 descending, the outer surface of the molding stage 121 may be suppressed from rubbing with the first plate 941 and the second plate 943, and the descending of the molding stage 121 This can be precisely and smoothly adjusted, and wear or defects of the molding stage 121 can be minimized.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and it should be interpreted that all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof are included in the scope of the present invention. do.

100, 400, 700, 900: 3D printer 110: first material providing unit
111: storage unit 113: first discharge unit
115: milling unit 117: second discharge unit
120: main stage 121: molding stage
123: shaft 125: stage driving unit
130: layer forming portion 131: blade body
133: blade 135: blade drive
140, 940: auxiliary stage 150: light irradiation unit
160, 460: Second material providing unit 161, 461: Nozzle fixing unit
163, 463: nozzle 165: robot arm
465: first rail 467: second rail
730A: first layer forming unit 730B: second layer forming unit
780: film 941: first plate
943: second plate 945: third plate
990A: first plate drive 990B: second plate drive

Claims (20)

A first material providing unit that provides the first material only to the auxiliary stage;
A main stage disposed adjacent to the auxiliary stage and configured to be able to move up and down;
A layer forming unit providing the first material on the auxiliary stage in a layer form on a main stage;
A light irradiation unit positioned on the main stage and irradiating light to the first material in the form of a layer; And
And a second material providing portion for forming a pattern by providing a second material on the cured first material. According to claim 1,
The first material includes a ceramic or metal particles and a photocurable resin composition in which the ceramic or metal particles are dispersed,
The first material providing unit may include a storage unit in which the first material is stored;
A first discharge portion for discharging the first material of the storage portion;
A milling unit milling the first material of the first discharge unit; And
And a second outlet for discharging the milled first material. According to claim 1,
The first material providing unit is configured to provide the first material having a viscosity of 5,000cp to 100,000cp, a 3D printer. According to claim 1,
The layer forming unit horizontally moves from the first area of the auxiliary stage to the second area of the auxiliary stage spaced apart from the first area in a direction transverse to the main stage, and the first as the layer forming unit moves horizontally. The material is formed of a first layer having a height corresponding to the gap between the layer forming portion and the main stage, 3D printer. According to claim 4,
When the first layer on the main stage is cured by the light irradiation unit, the main stage descends by a length corresponding to the height of the first layer,
When the main stage descends, the layer forming unit horizontally moves from the second region of the auxiliary stage to the first region of the auxiliary stage in a direction transverse to the main stage, and as the layer forming portion moves horizontally, 3D printer, wherein the remaining first material on the auxiliary stage is further provided to the main stage in a second layer. According to claim 1,
The layer forming unit,
A blade configured to coat the first material on the main stage;
A blade body fixing one end of the blade; And
And a blade driver configured to move the body on the main stage in a direction transverse to the main stage. According to claim 1,
The layer forming unit,
A roller configured to coat the first material on the main stage;
A rotating shaft fixing the roller; And
And a roller driver configured to move the rotating shaft and the roller in a direction transverse to the main stage. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a film disposed on the auxiliary stage and the main stage, and configured to be able to move up and down,
The layer forming unit,
A first blade contacting the top surface of the film; And
A 3D printer comprising a second blade that is configured to move in a direction transverse to the top surface of the main stage, in contact with the top surface of the film. According to claim 1,
The second material providing unit,
A nozzle for spraying the second material in the form of a liquid droplet; And
And a robot arm that moves the nozzle on the main stage. According to claim 1,
The second material providing unit,
A nozzle for spraying the second material in the form of a liquid droplet;
A nozzle fixing unit configured to fix the nozzle and move on a two-dimensional plane parallel to an upper surface of the main stage on the main stage; And
3D printer, including a rail for guiding the movement path of the nozzle fixing portion. According to claim 1,
The 3D printer, wherein the auxiliary stage surrounds the main stage, and when the main stage is raised to the highest height, the upper surface of the auxiliary stage is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the main stage. According to claim 1,
3D printer, one inner surface of the auxiliary stage is spaced 0.1mm ~ 10mm from the outer surface of the main stage facing one inner surface of the auxiliary stage. The method of claim 12,
In the auxiliary stage, when the layer forming portion provides the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage, it is in contact with the outer surface of the main stage, and when the main stage moves up and down, the outer surface of the main stage 3D printer, configured to be spaced from. Providing a first material in the form of a slurry to a first region of the auxiliary stage using the first material providing unit;
Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming portion in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region of the auxiliary stage and the second region spaced from the first region. step;
Curing the first material in the form of a layer using a light irradiation unit, thereby forming a lower structure;
Forming a pattern with a second material on the lower structure using a second material providing unit;
Providing the first material in a layer form to cover the pattern formed of the second material using the layer forming unit; And
And curing the first material covering the second material using the light irradiation unit, thereby forming an upper structure. The method of claim 14,
The step of providing the first material in a layer form so as to cover the pattern formed of the second material using the layer forming unit,
Lowering the main stage such that the upper surface of the pattern made of the second material is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage, or the upper surface of the pattern is positioned lower than the upper surface of the auxiliary stage; And
And providing the first material in a layer form to cover the pattern by horizontally moving the layer forming unit between the first area and the second area of the auxiliary stage, and outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer. Way. The method of claim 14,
The step of forming the lower structure by curing the first material in the form of a layer using the light irradiation unit,
(a) curing the first material in the form of a layer by irradiating light to the first material in a form of a layer using the light irradiation part;
(b) lowering the main stage such that the upper surface of the cured first material is located on the same surface as the upper surface of the auxiliary stage;
(c) providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming portion between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage;
(d) curing the first material provided further by irradiating light to the first material provided further using the light irradiation unit; And
And repeating the steps of (b) to (d) until the total height of the cross-sections formed by curing the first material becomes the height of the substructure to be output, and outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer. Way. The method of claim 14,
Forming a pattern with a second material on the lower structure cured using the second material providing unit,
And repeatedly providing the second material until the height of the pattern reaches a desired height using the second material providing unit. The method of claim 14,
Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming unit in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage,
Contacting the film disposed on the auxiliary stage to the first material; And
The step of moving the second blade away from the first blade in a state in which the first blade in contact with the upper surface of the film is fixed and horizontally moved in a direction crossing the main stage,
The step of forming the lower structure by curing the first material in the form of a layer using the light irradiation unit,
And forming a lower structure by irradiating light on the film using the light irradiation unit to cure the first material provided in a layer form under the film,
Forming a pattern with a second material on the lower structure cured using the second material providing unit,
Raising the film, the first blade, and the second blade from the main stage;
Positioning the second material providing portion on the lower structure; And
And forming a pattern with the second material on the lower structure cured using the second material providing unit. The method of claim 14,
Providing the first material in the form of a layer on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming unit in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first region and the second region of the auxiliary stage,
Contacting the first plate and the second plate with the outer surface of the main stage by horizontally moving the first plate and the second plate of the auxiliary stage; And
Coating the first material on the main stage by horizontally moving the layer forming portion in a direction transverse to the main stage between the first plate and the second plate of the auxiliary stage,
The step of forming the lower structure by curing the first material in the form of a layer using the light irradiation unit,
Curing the first material using the light irradiation portion; And
And separating the first plate and the second plate from the outer surface of the main stage. The method of claim 14,
After curing the first material covering the second material using the light irradiation unit, after forming the superstructure,
A method of outputting a three-dimensional structure using a 3D printer, further comprising removing the pattern made of the second material by sintering the three-dimensional structure in which the output is completed at a temperature of 1000 ° C or higher.

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