• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.202-209
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• 2005

A new effective thick-layered RP process, Transfer-type Variable Lamination Manufacturing using expandable polystyrene foam (VLM-ST) has been developed with thick layers and sloped surfaces. VLM-ST has the innate advantages by virtue of its working principle: high building speed, low cost for introduction and maintenance of VLM-ST apparatus, little staircase surface irregularities of parts. Despite these advantages in VLM-ST, the surface roughness of VLM-ST parts is still inadequate to be used as RP master patterns for rapid tooling (RT). This paper describes the systematic and effective methodology to remove the laminated pattern and improve the surface roughness for VLM-ST parts. From the results of surface finishing of VLM-ST parts, it can be seen that the laminated pattern is completely removed and the surface characteristics such as surface roughness, surface hardness, and paintability are improved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.62-65
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• 2003

VLM-ST process requires an additional human interaction due to the manual stacking and bonding. Hence, building time, building cost and the part quality are dependent on the skill of labor. In this present work, a novel rapid prototyping (RP) process, as an automatic VLM-ST (VLM-STA), has been proposed to improve building efficiency of VLM-ST process and reliability of products. The apparatus of VLM-STA is designed to embody the process. Several characteristics of the proposed process and the apparatus are discussed. In order to examine the efficiency and the applicability of the proposed process, various three-dimensional shapes, such as a piston and a human head shape, are fabricated on the apparatus.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.212-221
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• 2003

In order to reduce the lead-time and cost, the technology of rapid prototyping (RP) has been widely used. A new rapid prototyping process, transfer-type variable lamination manufacturing process by using expandable polystyrene foam (VLM-ST), has been developed to reduce building time, apparatus cost and additional post-processing. At the same time, VLM Slicer, the CAD/CAM software for VLM-ST has been developed. In this study, algorithms for accuracy improvement of VLM-ST, which include offset and overrun of a cutting path and generation of a reference shape are developed. Offset algorithm improves cutting accuracy, overrun algorithm enables the VLM-ST process to make a shape of sharp edge and reference shape generation algorithm adds additional shape which makes off-line lamination easier. In addition, proposed algorithms are applied to practical CAD models for verification.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.109-119
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• 2004

Rapid prototyping (RP) technologies have been widely used to reduce the lead-time and development cost of new products. $VLM-_{ST}$ process has been developed to overcome the currently developed RP technologies such as a large building time, a high building cost, an additional post-processing and a large apparatus cost. $VLM-_{ST}$ process requires an additional human interaction due to the manual stacking and bonding. Hence, building time, building cost and the part quality are dependent on the skill of labor. A novel RP process, fully automated $VLM-_{ST}$ process ($VLM-_{ST}$), has been developed to improve building efficiency of the process and the human dependency of the part. The objective of this work is to propose a $VLM-_{ST}$ process and to develop an apparatus for implementation of the process. $VLM-_{ST}$ process and its apparatus have various technical novelties such as two step cutting using a rotating table, an automatic stacking method using two pilot holes and two reference shapes, a concept of automatic unit shape layer (AUSL), and an automatic bonding using the bonding roller and building magazine. In order to examine the efficiency and the applicability of the proposed process, various three-dimensional shapes, such as a piston, a human head shape and a human bust shape, were fabricated on the apparatus.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.428-432
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• 2003

The technical combination of RP and RT has a potential for rapid manufacturing of three-dimensional parts. In the present work a new RP system, $VLM-_{ST}$, is proposed to manufacture net shapes of 3D prototypes. ㅁ human head shape and a kob shape are manufactured by the $VLM-_{ST}$ apparatus. In addition, a new RT technology, which utilizes a RTV molding technique and a triple reverse process technique, is proposed to manufacture net shapes of 3D plastic parts using prototypes of $VLM-_{ST}$. A plastic part of the knob shape os produced by the proposed RT technology. The combination of the proposed RP and RT enables the manufacturing of a plastic knob within two days.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.50-53
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• 2003

Most companies use technologies such as stereolithography, selective laser sintering, and fused deposition modeling to make parts for such small consumer products as telephones, heads, and shoes. The largest part that the existing RP systems can make is only 600 mm in length. Because most RP systems build parts by depositing, solidifying, or sintering material point-by-point, making larger objects takes a long time. and in many cases, large objects won't fit the build size. A new effective thick-layered RP process. Transfer type Variable Lamination Manufacturing using expandable polystyrene foam (VLM-ST) has been developed with thick layers and sloped surfaces. In this paper, a scaledown model of F16 Fighter with the length of 800 mm is rapidly fabricated using the VLM-ST process. In order to build a CAD model of F16 larger than 600 mm in length, the approach in VLM-ST is to build larger parts in multiple sub-parts and then glue them together. The fabricated result shows that the VLM-ST process employing thick layers and sloped surfaces is adequate for creating the real-sized large objects in the diverse fields such as automobiles, electric home appliances, electronics. and etc.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.536-539
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• 2002

The reverse engineering (RE) technology can quickly generate 3D point cloud data of an object by capturing the surface of a model using a 3D scanner. In the rapid prototyping (RP) technology, prototypes are rapidly produced from 3D CAD models in a layer-by-layer additive basis. In this paper, a physical human head shape is duplicated using a new RP process, the Transfer-type Variable Lamination Manufacturing process using expandable polystyrene foam sheet (VLM-ST), after the point cloud data of a human head shape measured from 3D SNX scanner are converted to STL file. From the duplicated human head shape, it has been shown that the VLM-ST process in connection with the 3D scanner is a fast and efficient process in that shapes with free surface, such as the human head shape, can be duplicated with ease. Considering the measurement time and the shape duplication time, the use of 3D SNX scanner and the VLM-ST process is expected to reduce the lead-time fur the development of new products in comparison with the other existing RE-RP connected manufacturing systems.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.148-156
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• 2002

Most Rapid Prototyping (RP) processes adopt a solid Computer Aided Design (CAD) model, which will be sliced into thin layers of constant thickness in the building direction. Each cross-sectional layer is successively deposited and, simultaneously, bonded onto the previous layer; and eventually the stacked layers from a physical part of the model. A new RP process, the transfer-type Variable Lamination Manufacturing process using expandable polystyrene foam sheet (VLM-ST), has been developed to reduce building time and to improve the surface finish of parts with the thick layers and a sloping surface. This paper describes the generation of Unit Shape Layer (USL), the cutting path data of the linen. hotwire cutter for the VLM-ST process. USL is a three-dimensional layer with a thickness of more than 1 mm and a side slope, and it is the basic unit of cutting and building in the VLM-ST process. USL includes data such as layer thickness, positional coordinates, side angles of each layer, hotwire cutting speed, the heat input to the hotwire, and reference shape. The procedure of generating USL is as follows: (1)Generation of the mid-slice from the CAD model, (2)Conversion of the mid-slice into a simply connected domain, (3)Generation to the reference shape for the mid-slice, (4)Calculation of the rotation angle of the hotwire of the cutting system.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2002

The combination of rapid prototyping(RP) and rapid tooling(RT) has a potential for rapid manufacturing of three-dimensional parts. In the present study, a new RP system transfer type Variable Lamination Manufacturing using Expandable Polystyrene Foam (VLM-ST), is proposed to fabricate net shapes of three-dimensional prototypes. Various three-dimensional parts, such as a knob shape and a human head shape, are manufactured by the VLM-ST apparatus. In addition, a new rapid tooling technology, which utilizes a room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) molding technique and a triple reverse process technique, is proposed to manufacture net shapes of three-dimensional plastic parts using the prototypes of VLM-ST. A plastic part of the knob shape is produced by the proposed RT technology. The combination of the proposed RP and RT enables the manufacture of a plastic knob within two days.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.32-32
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• 2003