System and method for rapid fabrication of arbitrary three-dimensional objects
AssigneeSynerdyne Corporation
InventorMark S. Knighton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus is disclosed. A housing encloses a work area having at least two distinct zones including a fabrication zone and an assembly zone. Digital data defining geometry for a three-dimensional object to be fabricated is passed via an interface to a processor within the housing. A fabrication mechanism in the fabrication zone to fabricates sub-elements where each sub-element corresponds to a portion of the object substantially consistent with the digital data. An assembly mechanism in the assembly zone joins the sub-elements in relative alignment to form the object defined by the geometry.
Claims20
A three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus comprising:
- a housing enclosing a work area having at least two distinct zones including a fabrication zone and an assembly zone;
- an interface in the housing to receive digital data defining a geometry for a three-dimensional object to be fabricated;
- a fabrication mechanism in the fabrication zone to fabricate sub-elements, each sub-element forming a portion of the object substantially consistent with the digital data for a corresponding portion of the geometry;
- and
- an assembly mechanism in the assembly zone to join the sub-elements in relative alignment to form the object defined by the geometry.
A three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus comprising:
- a housing enclosing a work area;
- an interface in the housing to receive digital data defining a geometry for a three dimensional object to be fabricated;
- and
- a fabrication mechanism to form a portion of the object by addition of a thermoplastic material, substantially consistent with the digital data for a corresponding portion of the geometry;
- wherein the thermoplastic material is thermally bonded such that a resultant object has substantially isotropic material properties.
A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object comprising:
- transmitting geometric data describing an object to be fabricated to a processor within a housing;
- forming a layer of the object in a first zone of a work area within the housing;
- and
- attaching the layer to a previously assembled portion of the object in a second distinct zone within the work area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.