Laminated Object Manufacturing - LOM Information


by Ryan Rounds - Date: 2008-06-26 - Word Count: 491 Share This!

Laminated Object Manufacturing or LMO is a system used forrapid prototyping. It consists of adhesive - coated layers of plastic or paperthat are stuck together with the help of glue and then cut into an appropriateshape with the help of a laser cutter or a knife.

 

How does Laminated Object Manufacturing Work? TheLMO is used to manufacture 3 - D objects that are cut on the basis of thegeometrical data that is available with the system. The laser that is used inthe LMO is a carbon dioxide laser that is capable of creating cross sections of3 - D objects successively, from layers of foil, usually paper. The back of the3 - D object that is created has a polyethylene coating on it.

 

The computer with the help of which the LMO runs, has the abilityto slice a solid 3 - D model into 2 - D cross sections that are thin. Everycross section would have a thickness that is equivalent to the thickness ofeach of the materials that is used for the process of prototyping.

 

The system also consists of a rewinding and an unwindingroll. These are connected to each other with the sheet of the material that isbeing used to manufacture the prototype. The sheet is routed with the help ifthe idler rollers that are also present in the machine. The rolls are the onesthat supply the material to the machine and also store it, if need be.

 

The laminated part of the prototype is built one a platformthat is capable of incremental vertical movement. The movement of the platformis brought about by a stepping motor. On the top of the platform, is a heatedroller that can both, heat and compress the stacks of sheets or ribbons thatare placed on the lamination platform. The heated roller moves in a reciprocalmanner and binds the ribbon material by heating it.

 

The machine also has an x-y table that carries and positionsthe mirrors that in turn reflect the beam that is emitted by the laser. Thetable also carries the lens that ultimately focuses the laser beam on thesurface of the stack that is laminated so as to cut the top most layer of thestack.

 

The scrap pieces that are produced as a result of thebuilding process stay on the platform itself. These are basically diced by thebeam of the laser into several squares in the cross hatched pattern. The scrapsserve as a support for the part. When the built part is removed from themachine, it is in the form of a block. The cross hatched scrap pieces can beeasily separated from the block.

 

Why Use the Laminated Object Manufacturing? The machine can be used to build larger modelsfor the purpose of sand casting or to understand the conceptual design ofsomething. Although Laminated Object Manufacturing is a great way to buildprototypes of large machines, it cannot be used to build hollow parts.Nevertheless, it is relatively less expensive and a much faster way of buildingrobust parts for rapid prototyping.

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