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Rapid prototyping machine based on ceramic laser fusion

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Abstract

This paper proposes an automatic machine using a new process, ceramic laser fusion, for rapid fabrication of ceramic parts. The machine comprises three parts: a laser scanning system, a green layer paving system, and a control system. In order to control the working procedure of layer paving and scanning process, a process computer is connected to an X–Y table, a PLC and a path/laser controller. An even green layer of 0.15 mm thickness could be paved accurately using ceramic slurry by a layer paving device. After drying by an infrared heater, the green layer could be fused to form a ceramic layer by a CO2 laser and then a 3-D ceramic workpiece could be fabricated layer by layer automatically. The time spent on fabricating a 25×25×0.15 mm ceramic specimen was 3 min. The SEM micrograph of the melted ceramic layers shows that ceramic green layers can be fused together.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Hsin-Hung Huang for conducting the SEM analysis. Furthermore, this work was supported by the National Science Council of Taiwan under contract on NSC 91-2622-E-027-006-CC3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

    Hwa Hsing Tang, Fwu Hsing Liu & Wen Hsiang Lin

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Fwu Hsing Liu

Authors
  1. Hwa Hsing Tang
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  2. Fwu Hsing Liu
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  3. Wen Hsiang Lin
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Correspondence to Fwu Hsing Liu.

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Tang, H.H., Liu, F.H. & Lin, W.H. Rapid prototyping machine based on ceramic laser fusion. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 30, 687–692 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-005-0107-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-005-0107-9

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