Sheet Lamination Flashcards
What is sheet lamination?
Sheets of material are bonded to form an object
What are some examples of non-AM lamination?
Laminate flooring
Plywood
Automotive windscreens
Briefly describe the sheet lamination process
Uses any sheet material (metal, paper, plastic) that is bonded together
A tool for cutting (typically a knife or laser) is used for cutting out the profile for that particular layer
Another layer is deposited and the process is repeated
How does sheet lamination with paper work?
roll of white paper and adhesive
colour applied by inkjet printing
simpler cutting system (knife)
How does sheet lamination work for plastic sheets?
PVC film instead of paper
not capable of full colour
but can swap out for colour films
Is it possible to use sheet lamination for metals?
Ultrasonic metal welding (USW)
System deposits metal foils layer by layer
Layers are then contour or profile milled using 3 axis CNC
hybrid technology (subtractive and additive)
Originally developed for placing armour onto vehicles
Advantages - low temp, embed sensitive structures
What are some advantages of sheet lamination?
Paper and PVC systems are based on knife edges and are office safe.
No additional support systems needed (paper+PVC)
Simple set up and operation
Low cost materials
Build can be paused without creating weaknesses or errors
Scalable for large parts
Multiple parts can be nested
No atmospheric control requirements
No powder materials
Relatively fast
What are some disadvantages of sheet lamination?
Removal of support blocks can lead to part damage and is time consuming
Sealing of paper and PVC is required to prevent moisture ingress which can distort the part
Difficult to produce enclosed volumes as supporting material cannot be removed
Hybrid is wasteful of material
lack of material choice
Layer height cannot be changed without changing the material
Part resolution is also linked to sheet thickness
