Method of manufacturing three-dimensionally formed object and three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object includes: forming a layer using a flowable composition including constituent material particles of a three-dimensionally formed object and a flowable composition including support portion-forming particles for forming a support portion which supports the three-dimensionally formed object during the formation of the three-dimensionally formed object; and imparting energy to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles, in which in the imparting of the energy, the energy is imparted such that a temperature of the constituent material particles and a temperature of the support portion-forming particles are equal to or higher than a sintering temperature of the constituent material particles and are lower than a sintering temperature of the support portion-forming particles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object, the method comprising:
 forming a layer using a flowable composition including constituent material particles of a three-dimensionally formed object and a flowable composition including support portion-forming particles for forming a support portion which supports the three-dimensionally formed object during the formation of the three-dimensionally formed object; and   imparting energy to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles,   wherein in the imparting of the energy, the energy is imparted such that a temperature of the constituent material particles and a temperature of the support portion-forming particles are equal to or higher than a sintering temperature of the constituent material particles and are lower than a sintering temperature of the support portion-forming particles.   
     
     
         2 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the forming of the layer, the flowable composition including the constituent material particles and the flowable composition including the support portion-forming particles are ejected in the form of liquid drops to form the layer.   
     
     
         3 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 repeating the forming of the layer.   
     
     
         4 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the imparting of the energy is performed after completion of the repeating of the forming of the layer.   
     
     
         5 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 cleaning the three-dimensionally formed object after the imparting of the energy.   
     
     
         6 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 pre-imparting energy having a lower intensity, than the energy of the imparting of the energy to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles; and   removing the support portion-forming particles,   wherein the pre-imparting of the energy and the removing of the support portion-forming particles are performed before the imparting of the energy.   
     
     
         7 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein in the imparting of the energy, the energy is imparted in a state where the three-dimensionally formed object is supported by particles which are not sintered during the energy imparting in the imparting of the energy.   
     
     
         8 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the imparting of the energy, the same intensity of energy is imparted to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles.   
     
     
         9 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the imparting of the energy, different intensities of energy is imparted to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles.   
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally formed object according to  claim 1 ,
 the constituent material particles include at least one component of aluminum, titanium, iron, copper, magnesium, stainless steel, or maraging steel, and   the support portion-forming particles include at least one component of silica, alumina, titanium oxide, or zirconium oxide.   
     
     
         11 . A three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus comprising:
 an ejecting portion that ejects a flowable composition including constituent material particles of a three-dimensionally formed object;   an ejecting portion that ejects a flowable composition including support portion-forming particles for forming a support portion which supports the three-dimensionally formed object during the formation of the three-dimensionally formed object;   a control portion that controls the three-dimensionally formed object manufacturing apparatus to form a layer using the flowable composition including the constituent material particles and the flowable composition including the support portion-forming particles; and   an energy imparting portion that imparts energy to the constituent material particles and the support portion-forming particles,   wherein the energy imparting portion is adjusted to impart the energy such that a temperature of the constituent material particles and a temperature of the support portion-forming particles are equal to or higher than a sintering temperature of the constituent material particles and are lower than a sintering temperature of the support portion-forming particles.