Part fabricating apparatus

A part fabricating apparatus comprising:

• holding means for holding an object to be machined immersed in an electrolytic solution disposed in a container;
• a plurality of machining electrodes each for subjecting a surface of the object to an electrochemical reaction to electrolytically machine the surface of the object, each of the machining electrodes having a sharp-edged tip and being coated with an insulator except for the sharp-edged tip;
• machining electrode holding means for holding the plurality of machining electrodes;
• machining electrode changing means for arbitrarily changing between the plurality of machining electrodes held by the machining electrode holding means;
• spacing changing means for detecting and changing a spacing between the surface of the object and a preselected one of the machining electrodes;
• a potential/current control unit for controlling a potential/current on the preselected machining electrode;
• electrolytic solution changing means for supplying a first electrolytic solution for subjecting the surface of the object to be machined to a removal process to fabricate a cast mold, supplying a second electrolytic solution for depositing a first metal on a surface of the cast mold to form a first metal layer, and supplying a third electrolytic solution for depositing a second metal inside the cast mold to form a part;
• three-dimensional shape information memory means for storing three-dimensional arbitrary shape information;
• and moving position control means for moving the preselected machining electrode or the object along an arbitrary three-dimensional shape based on three-dimensional arbitrary shape information stored in the three-dimensional shape information memory means.

A part fabricating apparatus comprising:

• an object disposable in an electrolytic solution during use of the apparatus;
• at least one machining electrode for subjecting a surface of the object to an electrochemical reaction to electrolytically machine the object to fabricate a part cast mold having a cavity, the machining electrode having a sharp-edged tip and being coated with an insulator except for the sharp-edged tip;
• first means for electrolytically depositing a first metal in the cavity of the part cast mold to form a first metal layer;
• second means for electrolytically depositing a second metal different in kind from the first metal on the first metal layer to form a part;
• three-dimensional shape information memory means for storing three-dimensional arbitrary shape information;
• and
• moving position control means for moving the machining electrode or the object along an arbitrary three-dimensional shape during machining of the object or depositing of the first metal layer based on three-dimensional arbitrary shape information stored in the three-dimensional shape information memory means.