Surface shaping and finshing apparatus and method

A method for selectively treating the surface of a substrate with a material, said method comprising:

• (a) supporting a workpiece at a work station,
• (b) providing a source of fluent material for treating a select portion of a surface of the workpiece,
• (c) directing a stream of said fluent material toward the surface of the workpiece,
• (d) effecting controlled relative movement between said stream of fluent material and the workpiece to impinge a selected amount of said fluent material along a selected path on the select portion of the surface of the workpiece, and
• (e) bonding the fluent material contiguously to the select portion of the surface of the workpiece to produce a predetermined physical change on said select portion,
• (f) the fluent material source being a plasma that forms said fluent material.

A method for selectively treating the surface of a substrate with a material, said method comprising:

• (a) supporting a workpiece at a work station,
• (b) providing a source of fluent material for treating a select portion of a surface of the workpiece,
• (c) directing a stream of the fluent material toward the surface of the workpiece,
• (d) effecting controlled relative movement between said stream of fluent material and the workpiece to impinge a selected amount of the fluent material along a path on the select portion of the surface of the workpiece, and
• (e) bonding the fluent material contiguously to the select portion of the surface of the workpiece to produce a predetermined physical change on said select portion, and
• (f) heating said workpiece to a temperature effective to bond the fluent material to the surface of the workpiece along said path.

Apparatus for selectively treating the surface of a substrate with a material, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) first means for supporting a workpiece at a work station,
• (b) second means for providing a source of fluent material for treating a select portion of a surface of the workpiece,
• (c) third means for directing a stream of the fluent material toward the surface of the workpiece,
• (d) fourth means for effecting the controlled relative movement between the stream of fluent material and the workpiece to impinge a selected amount of said fluent material along a select path on the select portion of the surface of the workpiece, including means for programmably controlling said relative movement, and
• (e) fifth means for bonding the fluent material with the select portion of the surface of the workpiece to produce a predetermined physical change on said select portion.

Apparatus for selectively treating the surface of a substrate with a material, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) first means for supporting a workpiece at a work station,
• (b) second means for providing a source of fluent material for treating a select portion of a surface of the workpiece,
• (c) third means for directing a stream of the fluent material toward the surface of the workpiece,
• (d) fourth means for effecting the controlled relative movement between the stream of fluent material and the workpiece to impinge a selected amount of said fluent material along a select path on the select portion of the surface of the workpiece, and
• (e) fifth means for bonding the fluent material with the select portion of the surface of the workpiece to produce a predetermined physical change on said select portion, including means for heating the workpiece to a temperature effective to bond the fluent material to the surface of the workpiece along said select path.