Keywords
Citation
Rigelsford, J. (2003), "3D laser cutting", Assembly Automation, Vol. 23 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2003.03323dad.010
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
3D laser cutting
3D laser cutting
Keywords: Cutting lasers, Rapid prototyping, Patents
Applicant: Hanmin Shi, ChinaPatent number: US2002100750Publication date: 1 August 2002Title: Rapid prototyping method using 3D laser inner cutting
A novel method for cutting three-dimensional objects from solid blocks of transparent material by laser inner cutting is presented. The method is particularly useful for rapidly producing prototypes of solid or hollow shell objects. The method enables a computer- generated CAD file defining an object to be directly converted to the described object. A CAD surface model is sliced and the data from the sliced model used as input to a numerically controlled machine. As only the surface of the volume being cut from the solid block must be scanned by the laser beam, the process is much faster than other rapid prototype manufacturing techniques where a laser beam is required to scan every point inside the shape being formed. This saves both time and electrical energy over methods of the prior art. It is another object of the invention to provide a rapid prototyping method using a laser beam wherein all cutting is accomplished in a single scan of the surface of the object being formed. In a preferred embodiment the laser system comprises a pulsed ND-YAG laser.