Hi DA:
The use of multiple technologies (additive with subtractive) are being studied in a
number research settings and I have attached a few references below.
I suspect, however, that you are specifically referring to the use of CNC with an RP
technique to form appropriate sections of a mold. I don't know that anyone has done much
to address this issue specifically. It's fairly common to do this when a particular
situation calls for it, but if anyone has studied this in a disciplined fashion, I'm not
immediately aware of it.
If you've already searched Mom (the mother of all RP bibliographies), you've done a
pretty thorough search. That's where the papers below come from.
I would recommend several additional sources:
-
Protoform - Their Space Puzzle Molding technology is sometimes used with selective laser
sintering parts. They might be a good source of info.
-
EOS and 3D Systems - For the same reason, but from the other point of view.
-
Check recent dissertations. Seems to me that this is the kind of problem that a Masters
degree candidate would study. We're several months behind on getting this material into
Mom, so I'd want to look for material from the last couple of years. Dissertations
sometimes take a while to appear in public.
I send best regards.
Ed
Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping
