• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.149-158
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• 2004

In most RP processes, the inherent stair-stepped surfaces and shrinkage-induced warping of the parts require post processing such as surface finishing. To minimize such defects, VLH-ST, a newly developed RP process, employs a 3.9-mm thick expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam sheet and a hot wire to contour it to have slant linear-interpolated sides. The use of relatively thick sheets for layers, however, limits the process capability of constructing fine details, especially smaller than the layer thickness. This study is focused on the development of a post processing method fo fine details of VLM-ST parts. The post-processing tool was designed to meet all the requirements for the desirable post processing. It adopted a hot wire as a means of melting the EPS foam sheet. Various basic experiments on the post processing were carried out to obtain the optimal process conditions. The dominant process parameters such as the radiated heat input, the tool speed, and the gap between the tool tip and the foam sheet (tool height) were considered in the experiments. The effectiveness of the developed post-processing method fo forming or engraving fine details on the VLM-ST parts has been thus demonstrated. The experiments on engraving several sets of letters, such as CANESM, 인간, and 한국과학기술원, on the EPS foam sheet were carried out. In addition, a flowery shape was engraved on a three-dimensionally curved surface of a pottery-shape VLM-ST part.

• 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.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2002년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.599-602
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• 2002

A novel rapid prototyping (RP) process, an automated transfer type variable lamination manufacturing process (Automated VLM-ST) has been developed. In Automated VLM-ST, a vacuum chuck and linear moving system transfer the plate type material with two pilot holes to the rotation stage. A four-axis synchronized hotwire cutter cuts the material twice to generate Automated Unit Shape Layer (AUSL) with the desired width, side slopes, length, and two reference shapes in accordance with CAD data. Each AUSL is stacked on the stacking plate with two pilot pins using the pilot holes in AUSL and the pilot pins. Subsequently, adhesive is supplied to the top surface of the stacked AUSL by a bonding roller and pressure is simultaneously applied to the bottom surface of the stacked AUSL. Finally, three-dimensional shapes are rapidly fabricated. This paper describes the procedure for generating the cutting path data (AUSL data) f3r automated VLM-ST. The method for the generation of the Automated Unit Shape Layer (AUSL) in Automated VLM-ST was practically applied and fabricated for a various shapes.

• 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.

• 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 2003년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.569-572
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• 2003

In VLM-ST process, the fine detailed shape processing process is needed due to the use of thick sheets for layers. The developed process perform the fine detailed shape processing in VLM-ST parts using non-contact hot tool. To predict the heat-affected zone and temperature distribution of VLM-ST parts in detailed shaping, the heat flux from the tool to the surface was calculated for the finite element analysis by modeling the tool as a heat source of radiation. The dominant process parameters such as the radiated heat input, the tool speed, and the gap between the tool tip and the foam sheet (tool height) were considered in the analysis. The results showed a good agreement with the experiments.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제19권7호
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• pp.97-105
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• 2002

The use of rapid prototyping (RP) has reduced time to market, cut total costs and improved product quality by giving design and manufacturing teams the opportunity to verify and fine tune designs before committing them to expensive tooling and fabrication. In order to improve their unique characteristics according to the working principles, Variable Lamination Manufacturing process (VLM-ST) and corresponding CAD/CAM software (VLM-Slicer) is developed. The objective of this study is to improve the accuracy of VLM-ST process, and it can be done by offset fur cutting error correction, cutting path overrun fur sharp edge and reference shape generation for off-line stacking. It has been shown that, through the verification experiments for given practical shapes, the proposed algorithms are effective for diverse categories of three-dimensional shapes.

• 한국소성가공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소성가공학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.190-194
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• 2001

The integration of rapid prototyping and tooling has the potential for the rapid net shape manufacturing of three-dimensional parts with geometrical complexity. In this study, a new rapid prototyping process, transfer type of Variable Lamination Manufacturing (VLM-ST), was proposed to manufacture net shape of 3-D prototypes. In order to examine the efficiency and applicability of the proposed process, various 3-D parts, such as a world-cup logo, and extruded cross and a knob shape, were fabricated on the apparatus. In addition, the new rapid tooling process, which is a triple reverse process, was proposed to manufacture of 3-D functional part using VLM-ST prototypes and the plastic part of the knob shape was produced by the new rapid tooling process.

• 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.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 1997년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1047-1050
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• 1997

Rapid Prototyping(RP) is an efficient method for rapid design verification and trial manufacturing. In order to improve their unique characteristics according to the working principles. Variable Lamination Manufacturing process and corresponding CAD/CAM system is developed. The objective of this study is to improve dimensional accuracy of VLM-ST process, and it can be done by offset for cutting error correction, cutting path correction for sharp edge and reference shape generation. To verify the proposed algorithms, they applied to three-dimensional shapes, such as spanner and mechanical part.