Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing method for metal powder sintered component

Abstract

Manufacturing equipment for a metal powder sintered component includes: a powder layer forming portion that supplies metal powder to form a powder layer; a light beam irradiator that irradiates a give point on the powder layer with light beams to sinter the powder layer and thus form a sintered layer; and a cutter that cuts a shaped object in which sintered layers are integrally stacked. The light beam irradiator has a scan head X shaft that moves a scan head in X direction parallel to a surface irradiated with light beams and a scan head Y shaft that moves the scan head in Y direction, so that the scan head moves in a direction parallel to the irradiated surface to perform irradiation with light beams. Since the scan head moves parallel to the irradiated surface, the irradiated area can be increased. Since the irradiation height can be small, the accuracy of light beam scanning can be enhanced.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component using manufacturing equipment comprising: powder layer forming means that supplies metal powder to a substrate to form a powder layer; light beam irradiation means that irradiates a given point on the powder layer, which is formed by the powder layer forming means, with light beams so as to sinter the powder layer and thus form a sintered layer; and a controller that controls operations of the respective means, wherein a three-dimensionally shaped metal powder sintered component is manufactured by repeating formation of the powder layer and formation of the sintered layer to form a shaped object with a number of sintered layers integrated, characterized in that
 the light beam irradiation means comprises a scan head having at least two scan mirrors that reflect and direct the light beams for scanning, angles of the scan mirrors being controllable,   the scan head moves in at least one direction of any direction parallel to a surface irradiated with the light beams and a direction normal to the irradiated surface,   the irradiated surface is divided into a number of formation areas, and the scan head is moved in turn in the divided formation areas for irradiation with light beams, and   the division is made so that a boundary between formation areas of a sintered layer formed under an irradiated surface does not overlap a boundary between formation areas of the irradiated surface.   
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the manufacturing equipment comprises cutting means that repeatedly cuts a surface layer of a surface part and an unwanted part of the shaped object at least one time in process of the formation of the shaped object,   the cutting means has a milling head that moves in a direction parallel to and in a direction normal to the irradiated surface, and   the scan head moves by milling head moving means that moves the milling head.   
     
     
         12 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 11 , characterized in that
 the controller has: first adjustment data to adjust, to set values, a light beam irradiation position and a diameter of focused light beams in a case where the scan head is positioned at an irradiation height closest to the irradiated surface; and second adjustment data to adjust, to set values, a light beam irradiation position and a diameter of focused light beams in a case where the scan head is positioned at an irradiation height farthest from the irradiated surface, and   adjustment data for a case where the scan head is positioned at an arbitrary irradiation height is determined by interpolation from the first adjustment data and the second adjustment data, so that irradiation with light beams is performed using the determined adjustment data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 11 , characterized in that
 the scan head irradiates a surface portion of a shaped object with light beams from a position close to the irradiated surface, and irradiates a center portion of a shaped object with light beams from a position far from the irradiated surface.   
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 11 , characterized in that
 the controller causes the scan head to perform irradiation with light beams from a number of irradiation heights set in advance based on adjustment data according to the respective irradiation heights to adjust light beam irradiation positions and diameters of focused light beams to set values.   
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 11 , characterized in that
 the irradiated surface is divided into a number of formation areas, and the scan head is moved to formation areas not adjacent to each other in turn within the divided formation areas, for irradiation with light beams.   
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 11 , characterized in that
 the irradiated surface is sectionalized into configuration areas corresponding to a center portion, a surface portion, and an intermediate portion between the center portion and the surface portion, respectively, of a shaped object to be formed, each of the configuration areas sectionalized is further divided into a number of formation areas, and the scan head is moved to formation areas not adjacent to each other in turn within the divided formation areas, for irradiation with light beams.   
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the controller has: first adjustment data to adjust, to set values, a light beam irradiation position and a diameter of focused light beams in a case where the scan head is positioned at an irradiation height closest to the irradiated surface; and second adjustment data to adjust, to set values, a light beam irradiation position and a diameter of focused light beams in a case where the scan head is positioned at an irradiation height farthest from the irradiated surface, and   adjustment data for a case where the scan head is positioned at an arbitrary irradiation height is determined by interpolation from the first adjustment data and the second adjustment data, so that irradiation with light beams is performed using the determined adjustment data.   
     
     
         18 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the scan head irradiates a surface portion of a shaped object with light beams from a position close to the irradiated surface, and irradiates a center portion of a shaped object with light beams from a position far from the irradiated surface.   
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the controller causes the scan head to perform irradiation with light beams from a number of irradiation heights set in advance based on adjustment data according to the respective irradiation heights to adjust light beam irradiation positions and diameters of focused light beams to set values.   
     
     
         20 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the irradiated surface is divided into a number of formation areas, and the scan head is moved to formation areas not adjacent to each other in turn within the divided formation areas, for irradiation with light beams.   
     
     
         21 . The method of manufacturing a metal powder sintered component according to  claim 10 , characterized in that
 the irradiated surface is sectionalized into configuration areas corresponding to a center portion, a surface portion, and an intermediate portion between the center portion and the surface portion, respectively, of a shaped object to be formed, each of the configuration areas sectionalized is further divided into a number of formation areas, and the scan head is moved to formation areas not adjacent to each other in turn within the divided formation areas, for irradiation with light beams.