Re: 3-D Printing

From: M. Burns (marshall@ennex.com) ((marshall@ennex.com))
Date: Fri Jul 18 1997 - 05:03:21 EEST


On 17 Jul 1997, Brock Hinzmann wrote:
> Several people have looked at the use of dual/intersecting laser beams to
> achieve 3-D printing in a block of (optically) clear gel. One of those
> was a spinoff from Battelle (I want to say it was Formigraphic Engines
> Technology, but I may be confusing two separate concepts) and I have seen a
> patent in Japan. Neither seems to have made any headway.

     Yes, it was Formigraphic Engine, and it was one of the oldest
projects in automated fabrication, going back at least to 1967. Dual-beam
laser curing (or multiple-beam laser curing as portrayed in the recent
movie "Face-Off") is a really difficult problem, but it has some
intriguing advantages. I expect to see it working one day, but it may be
quite some time.

     For a review of efforts in this area in the U.S., Japan, and Europe,
see the article in Rapid Prototyping Report in July 1993.

Best regards,
Marshall Burns
marshall@ennex.com

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