Automated manufacturing system using thin sections
First Claim
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1. A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object directly from design that comprises:
- a. means for receiving electronic sectional data corresponding to an electronic representation of the object to be manufactured;
b. means for exposing a charged electro-photographic element with an electromagnetic radiation pattern corresponding to said electronic section to form an electrostatic latent image on said electrophotographic element;
c. means for applying a plurality of forming powders to said electrostatic latent image contained on said electrophotographic element to form a physical lamina;
d. means for transferring said physical lamina to an intermediate support;
e. means for causing said physical lamina to become tacky;
f. means for transferring and bonding said physical lamina to previously formed laminae, and building up a physical replication of said object in a step-wise fashion whereby the three dimensional object is auto-matically formed from a composite of laminae.
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Abstract
A method for automatically manufacturing objects directly from computer aided design, whereby the computer programming electronically sections the designed object into many thin planar sections which are physically reproduced as laminae formed from sheet materials or powders by one of the embodiments of the invention. The thin planar laminae thus formed are bonded to form a sandwich creating the object as designed.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object directly from design that comprises:
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a. means for receiving electronic sectional data corresponding to an electronic representation of the object to be manufactured; b. means for exposing a charged electro-photographic element with an electromagnetic radiation pattern corresponding to said electronic section to form an electrostatic latent image on said electrophotographic element; c. means for applying a plurality of forming powders to said electrostatic latent image contained on said electrophotographic element to form a physical lamina; d. means for transferring said physical lamina to an intermediate support; e. means for causing said physical lamina to become tacky; f. means for transferring and bonding said physical lamina to previously formed laminae, and building up a physical replication of said object in a step-wise fashion whereby the three dimensional object is auto-matically formed from a composite of laminae. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object directly from design whereby planar slices of the design of said three-dimensional object are sequentially formed and joined to create a replica of the design of said three-dimensional object, said system comprising:
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a. means for deriving graphic image data output defining successive adjacent cross-sections of the design of said three-dimensional object to be manufactured; b. a sheet of curable polymer; c. means for spraying a pattern of catalyst or hardener upon said sheet of curable polymer initiating a curing process, said pattern corresponding to said graphic image data, whereby said sheet of curable polymer is selectively cured to form a physical lamina corresponding to said graphic image data; d. means for moving said lamina relative to the forming means; e. means for transferring and joining said physical lamina to previously formed laminae as they are formed and building up a physical replication of said design of said three-dimensional object in a step-wise fashion whereby said three-dimensional object is automatically formed from a composite of laminae.
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9. An automated manufacturing system using thin sections comprising:
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a. means for deriving graphic image data output, said graphic image data defining successive adjacent cross-sections of a three-dimensional object to be manufactured; b. means for exposing a charged electro-photographic element with an electromagnetic radiation pattern corresponding to said graphic image data, to form an electrostatic latent image on said electrophotographic element; c. means for applying a plurality of forming powders to said electrostatic latent image contained on said electro-photographic element to form a physical lamina; d. means for moving said physical lamina relative to the forming means; e. means for causing said physical lamina to become tacky; f. means for transferring said physical lamina to previously formed laminae; g. means for joining said laminae as they are formed and building up a physical replication of said object in a step-wise fashion whereby said three-dimensional object is automatically formed from a composite of laminae. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification