Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a liquid discharging head that discharges liquid to a three-dimensional workpiece; a robot that has N movable portions and that changes a relative position of the liquid discharging head with respect to the workpiece, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2; and N encoders provided for the N movable portions to measure amounts of operations of the N movable portions, respectively. Correspondence information regarding a correspondence relationship between an output from a first encoder and a time during operation of the robot is stored. The first encoder is one of the N encoders. Discharging operation of the liquid discharging head is controlled based on an output from the first encoder and the correspondence information, while the robot is operated.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface provided with a nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles for discharging a liquid, a moving mechanism that changes a position of the liquid discharge head with respect to a three-dimensional workpiece, and a sensor that detects a positional relationship of the liquid discharge head with respect to the workpiece, in which when an axis parallel to a normal line of the nozzle surface is set as a first axis, an axis parallel to the nozzle surface and intersecting an extending direction of the nozzle array is set as a second axis, and an axis that intersects both the first axis and the second axis is set as a third axis, the sensor detects a relative positional relationship of the liquid discharge head with respect to the workpiece in a direction along the third axis.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a head that discharges a liquid, and a robot that changes relative positions and poses of a workpiece and the head. A first speed adjustment operation in which a moving speed adjusted while the robot moves a position of the head from a printing preparation position toward a printing start position closer to the print region than the printing preparation position, and a printing operation in which the head starts discharging the liquid at the printing start position and the robot changes a position and a pose of the head while the liquid is discharged from the head are executed, and an amount of change in the pose of the head per unit period during the first speed adjustment operation is less than an amount of change in the pose of the head per unit period during the printing operation.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a head that discharges a liquid to a three-dimensional workpiece, and a robot that includes an arm and a base portion coupled to one end of the arm, and changes relative positions of the workpiece and the head. The arm includes a plurality of joints and a tip portion that is the other end of the arm and supports the head, a first printing operation in which the robot moves a position of the head while the liquid is discharged from the head is executed, and the head moves away from the base portion during the execution of the first printing operation.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing method includes a first test printing step of printing a first test pattern in a first region of a workpiece by a head unit while a position of the head unit being changed by a robot, a first detection step of detecting the first test pattern, and a first printing step of printing a first pattern in the first region by the head unit based on a result detected in the first detection step while the position of the head unit being changed by the robot.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid to three-dimensional work, and a moving mechanism that changes a relative position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the work. The moving mechanism includes a number N (N is a natural number of 2 or greater) of joints rotatable around different rotational axes. When a printing operation that causes the liquid ejecting head to eject a liquid while causing the moving mechanism to change the relative position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the work is executed, the number of joints that rotate during the printing operation among the number N of joints is M (M is a natural number smaller than N).

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes: a liquid discharging head that discharges liquid to a three-dimensional workpiece; a robot that has N movable portions and that changes a relative position of the liquid discharging head with respect to the workpiece, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2; and N encoders provided for the N movable portions to measure amounts of operations of the N movable portions, respectively. Correspondence information regarding a correspondence relationship between an output from a first encoder and a time during operation of the robot is stored. The first encoder is one of the N encoders. Discharging operation of the liquid discharging head is controlled based on an output from the first encoder and the correspondence information, while the robot is operated.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface provided with a nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles for discharging a liquid, a moving mechanism that changes a position of the liquid discharge head with respect to a three-dimensional workpiece, and a sensor that detects a positional relationship of the liquid discharge head with respect to the workpiece, in which when an axis parallel to a normal line of the nozzle surface is set as a first axis, an axis parallel to the nozzle surface and intersecting an extending direction of the nozzle array is set as a second axis, and an axis that intersects both the first axis and the second axis is set as a third axis, the sensor detects a relative positional relationship of the liquid discharge head with respect to the workpiece in a direction along the third axis.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid to a three-dimensional workpiece, a moving mechanism that changes a position of the liquid discharge head relative to the workpiece, and a detection section that detects the position of the liquid discharge head relative to the workpiece, in which the apparatus executes a first detection operation in which the detection section detects a position on the first scanning path while the moving mechanism causes the liquid discharge head to scan relative to the workpiece along a first scanning path, and a first printing operation in which the liquid discharge head discharges the liquid to a first region of the workpiece while the moving mechanism causes the liquid discharge head to scan relative to the workpiece along a second scanning path based on a detection result by the detection section in the first detection operation.