Process for shaping a polymeric object

A process for shaping a polymeric object, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substantially flat horizontally positioned layer of a material, the layer being a film or sheet;
• (b) providing a layer of a thermoplastic powder onto the substantially flat horizontally positioned layer provided under (a);
• (c) exposing a pre-defined part of the thermoplastic powder to irradiation to heat the pre-defined part of the thermoplastic powder to a temperature at which the thermoplastic fuses or sinters onto at least a part of the substantially flat horizontally positioned layer of material;
• (d) terminating the exposure to irradiation;
• (e) providing a further layer of the thermoplastic powder onto the layer provided in the previous step of providing a layer of the thermoplastic powder;
• (f) exposing a pre-defined part of the thermoplastic powder of the layer provided under (e) to irradiation to heat the pre-defined part of the thermoplastic powder to a temperature at which the thermoplastic fuses or sinters onto at least a part of the flat layer of the material fused under the previous step of fusing or sintering;
• (g) terminating the exposure to irradiation;
• (h) repeating steps (e)-(g) for as many cycles as required to complete the shape of the desired polymeric object;
• (i) removing a fraction of the thermoplastic powder that has not been fused or sintered;
• and
• (j) optionally removing the substantially flat horizontally positioned layer as provided under (a) from the polymeric object;
• wherein the surface area of the substantially flat horizontally positioned layer of material is larger than the surface area of the layer produced under steps (c)-(h) having the largest surface area, wherein the process involves repeating steps (a)-(h) after step (h) for one or more further cycles, wherein the substantially flat horizontally positioned layer(s) of a material provided in the subsequent cycle(s) (a)-(h) is(are) positioned on top of the fused thermoplastic obtained from the preceding step (h).