• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.87-94
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• 2002

Most of Rapid Prototyping (RP) process adopt a solid Computer Aided Design (CAD) model, slicing into thin layers of uniform, but not necessarily constant, thickness in the building direction. Each cross-sectional layer is successive1y deposited and at the same time, bonded onto the previous layers; the stacked layers form a physical part of the model. The objective of this study is to develop a method for calculating the rotation angle ($$\theta$_x, $\theta$_y$) of hotwire of the cutting system in the three-dimensional space for the Variable Lamination Manufacturing process using expandable polystyrene foam sheet (VLM-S). In order to examine the applicability of the developed method to VLM-S, various three-dimensional shapes. such as a screw, an extruded cross, and free surface bodies such as miniatures of the monkey(a figure of Sonokong), were made using the data obtained form the method.

• 한국CDE학회논문집
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• 제7권3호
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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.

• 소성∙가공
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.500-508
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• 2001

The integration of Rapid prototyping (RP) and Rapid Tooling (RT) has the potential for rapid net shaping of thee-dimensional parts, which have a geometrical complexity. In this study, a new R)P process, (VLM-SP), was proposed to manufacture net shapes of three-dimensional prototypes and it was shown that VLM-SP is an effective and economic process through the comparison of building time, building cost and dimensional accuracy for the test parts with the commercial RP processes ; LOM and FDM. In addition, the metal parts, which are a spanner shape and a clover punch, were produced by the plaster casting as one of RT using the prototypes of VLM-SP.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제28권12호
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• pp.1958-1967
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• 2004

This paper describes the method to rapidly fabricate the large-sized physical model with the envelope model size of more than 600 mm${\times}$ 600 mm${\times}$ 600 mm using two type semi-automatic VLM-ST processes in connection with the reverse engineering technology. The fabrication procedure of the large-sized solid shape is as follows: (1) Generation of STL data from 3D scan data using 3D scanner, (2) generation of shell-type STL data by Boolean operation, (3) division of shell-type STL data into several pieces by solid splitting, (4) generation of USL data for each piece with VLM-Slicer, (5) fabrication of each piece by cutting and stacking according to USL data using VLM-ST apparatus, (6) completion of a shell-type prototype by zigzag stacking and assembly for each piece, (7) completion of a 3D solid shape by foam backing, (8) surface finish of a completed 3D solid shape by coating and sanding. In order to examine the applicability of the proposed method, the miniature of the Mount Rushmore Memorial has been fabricated. The envelope model size of the miniature of the Mount Rushmore Memorial is 1,453 mm${\times}$ 760 mm${\times}$ 853 mm in size. From the result of the fabricated miniature of the Mount Rushmore Memorial, it has been shown that the method to fabricate the large object using two type semi-automatic VLM-ST processes in connection with the reverse engineering technology are very fast and efficient.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.140-148
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• 2004

A novel rapid prototyping (RP) process, a full-automated transfer type variable lamination manufacturing process (Full-automated VLM-ST) has been developed. In the full-automated VLM-ST process, a vacuum chuck and a rectilinear motion system transfer the EPS foam material in the form of the plate with two pilot holes to the rotary supporting stage. The supplied material is then cut into an automated unit shape layer (AUSL) with a desired width, a desired length, a desired slope on the side surface, and a pair of reference shapes, which is called the guide shape (GS)’, including two pilot holes in accordance with CAD data through cutting in two steps using a four-axis synchronized hotwire cutter. Then, each AUSL is stacked by setting each AUSL with two pilot holes in the building plate with two pilot pins, and subsequently, adhesive is applied onto the top surface of the stacked AUSL by a bonding roller and pressure is simultaneously given to the bottom surface of the stacked AUSL. Finally, three-dimensional shapes are rapidly and automatically fabricated. This paper describes the method to generate guide shapes in AUSL data for the full-automated VLM-ST process. In order to examine the applicability of the method to generate guide shapes, three-dimensional shapes, such as a piston shape and a human head shape, are fabricated from the full-automated VLM-ST apparatus.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.120-128
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• 2007

In order to reduce the lead-time and cost, the technology of rapid prototyping(RP) has been widely used. This paper describes the methodology to fabricate a large object by using the principle of rapid prototyping. By laminating thick and sloping polystyrene foam plates, we can make the large model which has three dimensional, continuous surfaces faster and easier than conventional processes. Estimated error was much smaller than other RP products which have stepped effect. For accuracy improvement and post processing, machined metal plates are added between the thick plates. To keep the continuity of surface and strengthen the model, pilot holes and guide rods are applied. By the methodology described in this paper, a missile body with flush air intake was fabricated.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2002년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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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.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2004년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1414-1417
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• 2004

A thick-layered RP process, transfer-type variable lamination manufacturing using expandable polystyrene foam (VLMST) has been developed to have the advantageous characteristics such as high building speed, low cost for introduction and maintenance of VLM-ST apparatus, and little staircase surface irregularities of parts. However, VLM-ST has difficulty fabricating an axisymmetric shape and a large-sized freeform shape because of the limited sloping angles and small build size. The objective of this paper is to develop a multi-functional hotwire cutting system using EPS-foam (MHC). MHC employs a four-axis synchronized hotwire cutter with the structure of two XY movable heads and a turntable. In order to examine the applicability of the developed MHC apparatus, an axisymmetric shape, a polyhedral shape and a large-sized freeform shape were fabricated on the apparatus.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2002년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.274-278
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• 2002

Surface finishing is still indispensable for most rapid prototyping (RP) processes because of the inherent stair-stepped surface and shrinkage of the parts. These problems can be minimized in the $VLM-_ST$ Process, because it uses expandable polystyrene foam sheets, each of which has a thickness of3.9 mm and a linear-interpolated side slope. The use of thick layers, however, limits the process capability of constructing fine details. This study focuses on the design of post-processing tool for fine details of $VLM-_ST$ parts and investigation of thermal characteristics during EPS foam cutting using the post-processing tool. To calculate the heat flux from the tool into the foam sheet, the tool was modeled as a heat source of radiation for finite element analysis. Results of the analysis agreed well with those of the experiment.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제19권7호
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• pp.71-79
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• 2002

A new rapid prototyping process, Variable Lamination Manufacturing using a 4-axis-controlled hotwire cutter and expandable polystyrene foam sheet as a laminating material of the part (VLM-S), has been developed to reduce building time and to improve the surface finish of parts. The objective of this study is to reconstruct the surface of the original 3D CAD model in order to generate mid-slice data using the advancing front technique. The generation of 3D layers by a 4 axis-controlled hot-wire cutter requires a completely different procedure to generate toolpath data unlike the conventional RP CAD systems. The cutting path data for VLM-S are created by VLM-Slicer, which is a special CAD/CAM software with automatic generation of 3D toolpath. For the conventional sheet type system like LOM, the STL file would be sliced into 2D data only. However, because of using the thick layers and a sloping edge with the firstorder approximation between the top and bottom layers, VLM-Slicer requires surface reconstruction, mid-slice, and the toolpath data generation as well as 2D slicing. Surface reconstruction demands the connection between the two neighboring cross-sectional contours using the triangular facets. VLM-S employs thick layers with finite thickness, so that surface reconstruction is necessary to obtain a sloping angle of a side surface and the point data at a half of the sheet thickness. In the process of the toolpath data generation the surface reconstruction algorithm is expected to minimize the error between the ruled surface and the original parts..