Does anyone use a LOM Nachine for making Models or Patterns? There is one for sale on EBAY and I would like to find out What kind of surface and tolerance you are getting. I want to make patterns that can be used for sand casting Aluminum Parts.
--Do you mean a stereolithography machine? I'm holding out for a kit..
Nope. LOM is "Laminated Object Manufacturing". Essentially a roll of paper with an adhesive and a laser, it builds the object up in paper thickness layers, the laser cuts the outline of the part and divides the waste up into small squares, then the paper is cut and the roll advances, covering the object with a new sheet, it is pressed down onto the part, the laser cuts, etc. When done, the waste is broken off and you have the part.
Not a real high precision model (I don't have specs), but you can get good sized objects relatively inexpensively. Z height particularly difficult to control. Slow. Parts resemble wood when done, and have the same problem with water absorption and dimensional instability because of it. Fair amount of sanding to finish the parts, and they must be laquered/shellacked. Lots of waste (the whole sheet size is used whether you need it or not (IIRC).
Warning: Legacy process, I don't think the machines are made any longer, may be difficult to get parts and material for it.
-- HTH,
--Mitch
laquered/shellacked.
OH, BTW, now that I recall, I did see a new version of this process at the Euromold last year, it uses PVC sheets (better dimensional stability and thickness control), and the machine was relatively inexpensive, but it was also relatively small. Still sizeable stairsteps to sand off.
And LOM can also mean Layered Object Manufacturing, just to be precise.
-- Cheers,
--Mitch
--Yeah, I've seen it. Still extremely kewl and I'll take a kit to build one of them, too! ;-)
All ya gotta do is.. Adapt a Z axis to an X-Y plotter and include a method of dispensing a small pellet of material that adheres and solidifies fairly quickly (instead of depositing a speck of sheet material which is largely wasted) .
WB ................
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