Laminated Object Manufacturing

Profiles of object cross sections are cut from paper using a CO2 laser as shown in Fig. 3. The paper is unwound from a feed roll (A) onto the stack and bonded to the previous layer using a heated roller (B). The roller melts a plastic coating on the bottom side of the paper to create the bond. The profiles are traced by an optics system that is mounted to an X-Y stage (C). The process generates considerable smoke. Either a chimney or a charcoal filtration system is required (E) and the build chamber must be sealed.

After cutting the geometric features of a layer is completed, the excess paper is cut away to separate the layer from the web. The extra paper of the web is wound on a take-up roll (D). The method is self-supporting for overhangs and undercuts. Areas of cross sections which are to be removed in the final object are heavily cross-hatched with the laser to facilitate removal. It can be time consuming to remove extra material for some geometries.

The finish and accuracy are not as good as with some methods, however objects have the look and feel of wood and can be worked and finished in the same manner.

Several companies provide variations of LOM technologies: For example, Kira's Paper Lamination Technology (PLT) uses a knife to cut each layer instead of a laser and applies adhesive to bond layers using the xerographic process. Solido Ltd. of Israel (formerly Solidimension) also uses a knife, but instead bonds layers of plastic film with a solvent. This technology is sold in the US by 3D Systems as the InVision^TM LD. Other variations include Thick Layer Lamination from Stratoconception of France, Precision Stratiform Machining from Ford Research, and Adaptive-Layer Lamination developed by Landfoam Topographics. These are hybrids of additive and subtractive CNC technologies which seek to increase speed and material versatility by cutting the edges of thick layers to avoid stair stepping.

The principal US commercial provider of laser-based LOM systems, Helisys, ceased operation in 2000. However the company's products are still sold and serviced by a successor organization, Cubic Technologies.