Patents Assigned to TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
  • Publication number: 20180147779
    Abstract: This invention effectively suppresses a decrease in shaping accuracy based on a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object and shaping plate. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a linear funnel that recoats the material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus also includes an electron gun that generates an electron beam. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus further includes a shaping base material on which the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is to be shaped. The thermal expansion coefficients of the shaping base material and three-dimensional laminated and shaped object are equal or have a difference not more than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Masahiro YAMADA, Takayuki KATAOKA
  • Publication number: 20180147654
    Abstract: This invention effectively suppresses the generation of scattered electrons such as secondary electrons and backscattered electrons. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a linear funnel that recoats a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a shaping surface on which the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is to be shaped. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus also includes an electron gun that generates an electron beam. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus further includes an anti-deposition cover made of a metal and formed between the shaping surface and the electron gun. In addition, the three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a DC power supply that applies a positive voltage to the anti-deposition cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Shinichi KITAMURA, Hironobu MANABE
  • Publication number: 20180147666
    Abstract: An overall apparatus is downsized by reducing the size of a light beam branching structure. There is provided an optical processing head including an optical element group that guides a processing light beam from a light source to a process surface, and a light beam branching portion that branches reflected light of the processing light beam from the process surface and an observation light beam for observing a state of the process surface. The light beam branching portion is arranged on a light beam path of the processing light beam, and includes, between the optical element group and the process surface, a half mirror that guides the observation light beam to an observation optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hiroshi OHNO, Mitsuo SASAKI, Kazuyuki MASUKAWA, Yuji SASAKI, Satoshi TSUNO, Takashi OBARA
  • Publication number: 20180141121
    Abstract: A high-precision three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped based on a captured image. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material ejector that ejects a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a shaping table, a light beam irradiator that irradiates the ejected material with a light beam, an image capturer that captures a molten pool formed by irradiating the ejected material with the light beam, a scanning direction determiner that determines a scanning direction of the light beam with respect to a shaped object based on a change in a position of the shaping table, a detector that detects the molten pool based on an image captured by the image capturer and the scanning direction, and a shaping controller that controls at least one of an output of the light beam and a scanning speed of the light beam based on the detected molten pool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Haruhiko NIITANI
  • Publication number: 20180141159
    Abstract: The shaping precision is improved without performing finishing processing. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material ejector that ejects a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a shaping table on which the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, a light beam irradiator that irradiates the ejected material with a light beam, a cutter that cuts a bead formed when the material irradiated with the light beam is melted and solidified, and a controller that controls ejection of the material by the material ejector, irradiation with the light beam by the light beam irradiator, and cutting of the bead by the cutter. The cutter cuts an upper surface of the bead by a dimension which is smaller than a laminating height and is ½ or less of a bead thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Haruhiko NIITANI, Satoru AKAMA, Tomohiro WAKANA
  • Publication number: 20180133840
    Abstract: The temperature of a molten pool is measured based on an image captured by an infrared camera or the like. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus include a material ejector that ejects a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a light beam irradiator that irradiates the ejected material with a light beam. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes an image capturer that captures a molten pool of the material formed by irradiating the ejected material with the light beam. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a temperature deriving unit that derives a temperature of the molten pool based on a luminance of an image of the molten pool captured by the image capturer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Keiichi NORIYAMA, Hirohisa KURAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180133958
    Abstract: A rise in temperature of a work (laminating base material) is controlled and the occurrence of thermal deformation is suppressed. There is provided a three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus having the following arrangement. That is, the three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material ejector that ejects a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a work on which the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a light beam irradiator that irradiates the ejected material with a light beam. Furthermore, the three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a jig to which the work is detachably attached. The jig includes a channel supplied with a cooling medium for cooling the work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Haruhiko NIITANI, Yoshihito FUJITA
  • Patent number: 9959613
    Abstract: This specification discloses an optical processing head including a light guide portion that guides, to a process surface, a ray for processing. The light guide portion is further configured to guide, to the process surface, a ray for inspection different in wavelength from the ray for processing. The optical processing head further includes an inspection portion that inspects the state of the process surface based on reflected light of the ray for inspection reflected by the process surface. With the optical processing head, the state of the process surface can be easily inspected even during optical processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Takashi Obara, Yuji Sasaki, Mitsuo Sasaki, Kazuyuki Masukawa
  • Publication number: 20180112067
    Abstract: The present invention is a granular material that can be well recoated regardless of the type of the granular material, and enables a refractory aggregate in an unprinted portion to be used without any regeneration process, in the manufacture of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped mold. This granular material is a granular material for use in three-dimensional laminated mold shaping, and obtained by adding a material that causes a hydration reaction having a moisture absorbing function and generates a catalytic effect to a coating material mixed with or coated with an acid as a catalyst which activates and hardens an organic binder for binding the granular material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Yasuhiro NAGAI, Kosuke TAKESHITA, Toshimitsu OKANE
  • Publication number: 20180093347
    Abstract: Deterioration of a shaped object is prevented. There is provided an optical processing nozzle including an optical system in which a condensing point is adjusted to a processing point, a first set of fluid mixture discharge pipes that discharges, to the processing point, a material/purge gas fluid mixture obtained by mixing a purge gas in a powder processing material, and a second set of purge gas discharge pipes that discharges a purge gas having a purge function to the first set of fluid mixture discharge pipes, each of the fluid mixture discharge pipes of the first set being associated with each of the purge gas discharge pipes of the second set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Go OBARA, Hiroshi OHNO
  • Publication number: 20180085999
    Abstract: A system of this invention is a three-dimensional laminating and fabricating system that suppresses, in advance, a squeezing blade from getting caught on a surface of a laminated and fabricated object. The three-dimensional laminating and fabricating system includes a laminating and fabricating unit that includes a squeezing blade configured to spread a laminating material on an upper layer of a laminated and fabricated object, and an irradiator configured to irradiate the laminating material, and fabricates each layer of the laminated and fabricated object as an aggregate of cell regions, and a laminating and fabricating controller that controls the laminating and fabricating unit such that a scanning direction in which the irradiator irradiates the laminating material in the cell region changes with respect to a moving direction of the squeezing blade during laminating and fabricating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Koichi AMAYA, Tetsushi MIDORIKAWA, Takeshi YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20180065179
    Abstract: Excessive evaporation of powder is prevented. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes an electron gun that generates an electron beam; a primary main deflector that deflects the electron beam one- or two-dimensionally; at least one lens that is provided between the electron gun and the primary main deflector and focuses the electron beam; a sub-deflector that is provided between the electron gun and the primary main deflector, deflects the electron beam one- or two-dimensionally, and has a deflection area smaller than the deflection area of the primary main deflector and the scanning speed higher than a scanning speed of the primary main deflector; and a controller that controls deflection directions and the scanning speeds of the primary main deflector and the sub-deflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Kazuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20180065172
    Abstract: Provided is a granular material which generates no harmful gas at the time of pouring, reduces a gas defect as one of casting defects, and is readily reusable after pouring, in the manufacture of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped mold. This granular material is a granular material for use in a three-dimensional laminated and shaped mold manufacturing apparatus, and includes magnesium sulfate. The amount of magnesium sulfate included in the granular material is 1 to 10 pts·mass with respect to 100 pts·mass of the granular material. The amount of water included in the granular material is 0.1 mass % or less except for crystallization water of magnesium sulfate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Yasuhiro NAGAI, Yuuki HATORI, Yoshikazu OOBA, Toshimitsu OKANE
  • Publication number: 20180015564
    Abstract: A recoater that is two-dimensionally driven is cooled by a simple structure. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes at least one material spreader that spreads a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object, a temperature measurer that measures a temperature of the material spreader, at least one cooler that cools the material spreader and is provided at a standby position at which the material spreader stands by while the material is not spread, and a controller that controls the material spreader. The controller moves the material spreader to the standby position to bring the material spreader and the cooler into contact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Kazuhiro HONDA
  • Publication number: 20180015666
    Abstract: In a three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus, a material is quantitatively spread without clogging a supply port with the material. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material spreader that spreads a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object on a spread surface, and includes at least one tapered portion in which a diameter decreases from an upstream side to a downstream side. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus also includes at least one vibration ball that is arranged in the tapered portion of the material spreader and vibrates, and a vibration controller that controls vibration of the vibration ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Kazuhiro HONDA
  • Publication number: 20180015565
    Abstract: Overheating of and unintended melting of powder is suppressed, and thus the shaping accuracy is improved. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes an electron gun that generates an electron beam, at least one primary deflector that deflects the electron beam one- or two-dimensionally, at least one lens that is provided between the electron gun and the primary deflector and focuses the electron beam, a secondary deflector that is provided between the electron gun and the primary deflector, and deflects the electron beam one- or two-dimensionally, and a controller that controls the deflection directions and scanning speeds of the primary deflector and the second deflector. The controller controls the deflection direction and scanning speed of the second deflector while the scanning speed of the primary deflector is lower than a predetermined speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Kazuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20180009166
    Abstract: A dissimilar material joined three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped using a three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material supplier that supplies materials of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object to a shaping surface, an irradiator that irradiates the materials with a light beam, and a controller that controls the material supplier. The three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is a joined member obtained by joining dissimilar materials. The controller controls the material supplier to form a graded composition of the materials in a boundary region between the dissimilar materials of the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Yasushi FUKASE
  • Publication number: 20180009164
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaped object using a plurality of materials can be shaped, and replenishment of the materials is implemented during shaping without stopping an apparatus. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, at least two material spreaders that are provided in the shaping chamber and spread materials of the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object, at least two material suppliers that supply the materials to the material spreaders, a controller that controls movements of the material spreaders and the material suppliers, and a beam irradiator that irradiates the materials with a beam. The material spreaders and the material suppliers are respectively paired, and the controller controls the movements of the material spreaders and the material suppliers so that each of the material spreaders is supplied, at a predetermined timing, with the material from a paired one of the material suppliers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Kazuhiro HONDA
  • Patent number: 9863803
    Abstract: This invention is directed to reliably condensing weak light by a sensor arranged at a position spaced apart from a processing position. The optical processing head includes a light guide that guides light for irradiating a processing position. The optical processing head further includes a light transmitter that has one end arranged near the distal end of the light guide and the other end connected to a photodetector, condenses reflected light traveling from the processing position, and transmits it to the photodetector. The optical processing head includes at least one light transmitter as its feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Yoshihito Fujita, Saneyuki Goya
  • Patent number: 9855704
    Abstract: A powder is spread in two directions, that is, the advancement and retraction directions of a powder recoater. The powder recoater according to this invention includes a hopper that stores a powder, and a cylindrical powder supplier that has a side surface close to or in contact with the bottom surface of the hopper and includes a supply path for the powder. The powder recoater according to this invention further includes a pivoting unit that causes the powder supplier to pivot. In the powder recoater according to this invention, the center axis of the supply path is displaced from the center axis of the powder supplier in the radial direction of the powder supplier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hideaki Miyano, Yoshikazu Ooba, Yousuke Katou, Koukichi Suzuki, Yuya Daicho