J

l. t

ChafJ/er I Introduction

Rapid Manuf'acturing

Historical Perspectives

This section is

ba~ed

~-

on [Rcaman, 1997].

The roots of RP can be traced to two technical areas [Beaman, 1997]: topography
and photosculpturc.
l.

Topography. A layered method was proposed by Blanther as early as 1890

[Bianthcr, I !!92] for making moulds tor topographical relief maps. Both positive
and negative 3D surfaces wen: to be assembled from a series of wax plates cut
along the topographical contour lines (Figure l.l). This method was further
retined by Perera [Perera, 1940], Zang [Zang, 1964] and Gaskin [Gaskin, 1973].
MatRubara [Matsubam, 1972] described a layer rn11nufacturing process to fonn
casting moulds. The layers or the moulds arc produced rrorn reliactory particles
coated with a photopolymer resin. The resin is selectively cured using light.
Similarly, DiMatteo [DiMatteo, 1976] proposed a process lor layer
manutacturing ?D objects lrorn contoured metallic sh<:ets that are rormed using
a milling culler. Nakagawa rcp011ed the use of lamination techniques for
fabrication of blanking tools [Nakagawa ct al., 1979], press li.Jm1ing tools
[Kunicda and Nakugawa. 19!:\4] an<l injection inoulJing tools [Nakagawa ct al.,
19R5J

1'/wtnscu/pture. This is a technique [Bogart, 1979] proposed in the I 9 h wntury

r,w c;e:tting replica~ of 3D objects. The technique involves photographing the
,,bj<:d sinmltanc:ously with 24 cameras equally spaced arnnnd a circular roon1

1
and then using the si lhouctte of each photograph to carve I /24' ' nf a cylindrical
portion of the object. Attempts were made by other developers lt3ae~t:. l 91)4;
Mnntcuh, 1924] to improve the technique by allevi:Hing tilL~ manual carving
. steps. Morioka !"Morioka, 1935; Morioka, 1944] proposed the us..: of structured
lighting to create contour lines of an object photographically and then using
these lines to cut and build the object from shed~. ln 1956, Munz [Munz, 11156 J
patmted a layer manufacturing system for fabricating the cross-sections of a
scanned object by selectively exposing a transparent photo emulsion (Figure
1.2). The system produces the layers by lowering a piston in a cylinder and
adding appropriate amount~ of photo emulsion and fixing agent.

D. zs, 1956

2,77S,7S8

Q. J MUMZ
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J. E. llLA NTHER.
MANUf\GTURr. Of CONTOOR RGLIEF MAPS.

Patented May 3, l8C2.

No. 473.Q01.

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Figurt: 1.1 A mdhud ilr making mnt:l,:s for topographical relief maps [Rlnnthcr,

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Figure 1.2 The layer m<tnufacturing systl~lll proposed h.y Munz [1956]