Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Kazunori Kawai

Takaharu Echigo

Keisuke Takahashi

Akio Shimoda

Tadashi Yoshida

A 3-dimensional object-forming apparatus is provided which may avoid lowering of irradiation efficiency of laser light due to fumes and so forth while avoiding lowering of quality of the formed object. A shroudincludes an inside partition wall portionthat demarcates an inside space Swhich extends from one end openingto another end opening, and an outside partition wall portionthat opens in the other end openingof a shroudon an outside of the inside space Sand demarcates, together with the inside partition wall portion, an outside space Swhich closes in a position closer to the one end openingthan the other end openingof the shroud. A ventilation area of the inside space Sin the other end openingof the shroudis larger than the ventilation area of the inside space Sin an upstream portion closer to the one end openingthan the other end opening

3-dimensional object-forming apparatus

The three-dimensional object building apparatus includes a powder delivering unit that delivers a powder on an object building area, a powder flattening device that flattens the powder delivered from the powder delivering unit to form a powder layer, and a light beam radiating unit that is disposed above the object building area and radiates a light beam on the powder layer to sinter or melt solidify the powder for building an object. The three-dimensional object building apparatus also includes a transferring mechanism that moves the light beam radiating unit in three-dimensional directions, and a shroud that moves integrally with the light beam radiating unit and surrounds a space above an area of the powder layer that is smaller than the object building area around a radiation of the light beam. The powder delivering unit and the powder flattening device move integrally with the light beam radiating unit.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Kazunori Kawai