Patent ID: 8348655
Filing Date: 2013-01-08
Classification: B29C,B33Y

Abstract:
1. An optical molding apparatus that molds an optically molded product by stacking cured layers, each cured layer being formed by emitting light according to cross-sectional-shape data of the optically molded product onto a surface of photo-curable resin, the optical molding apparatus comprising: an exposing unit that performs exposure on the photo-curable resin for each of small work areas defined by dividing an overall work area into a plurality of smaller areas, the overall work area being an area on which an optical molding operation is performed; and an exposure control unit that controls the exposing unit, wherein the exposure control unit includes a processing unit configured to execute a program that causes the exposure control unit to control the exposing unit such that, for a predetermined small work area, multiple layers in the photo-curable resin are collectively exposed to light emitted to the photo-curable resin during the same exposure, wherein the multiple layers are multiple successive layers in a stacking direction, and the predetermined small work area has substantially the same exposure pattern for each of the multiple layers.