System and method for manufacturing articles using fluent material droplets

An automated system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article from a computer based representation of said article, as defined by three-dimensional coordinates in a predefined spatial environment, said system comprising:

• a support base movable for supporting said article as it is being made;
• a dispensing head positioned above said support base and having a dispensing orifice for depositing a fluent material as droplets upon said support base for forming said article;
• a heater disposed in heat transfer relation with said fluent material for maintaining said material in a fluent state to flow through said dispensing orifice;
• a servo assembly to operatively associated with said dispensing head and said support base for controlling the relative positions of said dispensing head and support base in said three-dimensional spacial environment so that said droplets are deposited in relation to said coordinates of said article in said spacial environment;
• a reciprocating motion mechanism for moving one of said dispensing head and support base relative to each other to a dispensing position where said droplets are deposited, whereby said article is formed;
• and
• said dispersing head and support base having a plurality of relative vertical positions during formation of said article which includes first relative vertical positions at which said droplets begin to form from said dispensing orifices and second relative vertical positions in which said dispensing head and support base are closer together so that said droplets are deposited by surface tension upon said article being formed.