Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiromoto Satoh

Yukio Otsuka

Motoaki Ozaki

Soya Takagi

Yuji Okada

Masaru Ogura

Yoshizumi Senda

Masuo Shimizu

A method and apparatus for forming a laminated object using a laser-discharging means a laser beam, a material capable of forming a solid layer by receiving the laser beam, and a mask for interrupting the laser beam. The method includes the steps of: forming a layer of the material on a surface, covering the material with the mask, and discharging the laser beam onto the material covered with the mask to solidify the material and form the solid layer on the surface. The above cycle is repeated to produce a laminated object. The method and the apparatus are characterized in the adjusting at least one of a distance from the laser-discharging means to the mask and a distance from the mask to the material, so that the extent of the laser beam is adjusted and the dimension of the laminated object is adjusted.

Method for producing a laminated object and apparatus for producing the

After sand of one layer is loaded into a sand layer elevator (20), a shading mask (38) is positioned above the sand, and a diffused laser beam is irradiated from a diffused laser irradiating source (16). Thereby, a predetermined range of sand under the shading mask (38) is exposed and this exposed portion is cured. This operation is repeated for a predetermined number of sand layers and cured portions are piled up to directly form a 3-D sand mould. Particularly, a diffused laser beam is used to cure a wide range of sand at a time, thereby making sand mould mass-production possible.

Method for laminate forming a sand mould and a method for producing a

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Nagoya, Japan

Hiromoto Satoh