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Thermal stereolithography

  • US 5,695,707 A
  • Filed: 05/15/1995
  • Issued: 12/09/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer by layer basis, comprising the steps of:

  • supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object;

    separately containing a building material and a support material one of which is a selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature;

    maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable;

    selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material;

    applying the unselected material, while in a flowable state, to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material;

    removing at least one of the selected material or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; and

    repeating the selectively dispensing, applying and removing steps a plurality of times and separating the building and support material to form the three-dimensional object from a plurality of adhered layers.

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