Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for constructing a three-dimensional object. There is provided a lamination unit for holding and pressing a block of material, a slicing unit for cutting the block to form a horizontal layer having a first working surface and a cut block having a second working surface; a profiling means for profiling at least one of the working surfaces into at least one planar element; and an electronic means for receiving XYZ information corresponding to the shape of the object, for processing the XYZ information into a plurality of computerized cross-sectional representations of the shape and for controlling the operation of the lamination means, the slicing means, and the profiling means. Formation occurs by providing the electronic means with the XYZ information, placing the block in a position for holding the first working surface and the cut block having the second working surface; profiling at least one of the working surfaces to form the planar element having a shape corresponding to the computerized cross-section representation at that slicing level; pressing the second working surface of the cut block against the first surface of the horizontal layer using the lamination means; and repeating the slicing and profiling steps until the object is formed. In another embodiment of the invention, the material holding, support and shaping means are used to fabricate objects which do not require lamination.

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First Claim