Patent ID: 6261506
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: B29C,B33Y

Abstract:
A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis from a solidifiable medium, the object having an upward facing skin surface defined by at least one skin layer, a downward facing skin surface defined by at least one further skin layer and at least one intermediate layer between said upward and downward facing skin surface layers, the method comprising:defining a width dimension N;determining whether at least one of a downward-facing skin surface and an upward-facing skin surface of the object has a width less than N;determining the number of layers for at least one of said upward facing skin surface and said downward facing skin surface, dependent on the determination of whether the surface has a width less than N, wherein the number of layers for surface having a width greater than N is greater than the number of layers for a surface having a width less than N;forming said upward and downward facing skin surfaces with the number of layers determined in said layer number determining step; andforming at least one intermediate layer between the upward and downward facing skin surfaces while forming the three-dimensional object.