Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shaping apparatus and a shaping method.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a three-dimensional shaping technique called additive manufacturing (AM), a three-dimensional printer, and rapid prototyping (RP) have been attracting attention (these techniques are collectively referred to as AM technology in the instant specification.)
The AM technology is a technology of slicing three-dimensional shape data relating to a shaping target object to generate a plurality of slice data, forming, based on the respective slice data, material layers (material images) using a shaping material, and successively stacking the material layers upon a stage and fixing same so as to shape a solid object.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0078013 (Specification) proposes a technology of heating thermoplastic base powder (shaping material) up to a melting temperature and then stacking layers, using a sheet-stacking-type shaping apparatus.