Patent ID: 7275925

Claim:
An apparatus for fabrication of articles, comprising: a stereolithography system structured for formation of material in at least a semisolid state in at least one layer to form a structure abutting a pre-existing workpiece located within a vision field above a platform of the stereolithography system, the platform having platen assembly alignment elements projecting therefrom; a machine vision system in operable communication with the stereolithography system including at least one camera oriented for detecting objects within the vision field; a computer in operable communication with both the stereolithography system and the machine vision system, the computer being programmed to respond to input from the machine vision system indicative of the presence, location and orientation of at least one workpiece in the vision field and to initiate and control the stereolithography system to form at least one structure of at least one layer of an at least semisolid material abutting the at least one workpiece; a first platen including a plurality of sets of alignment elements projecting therefrom, the sets of alignment elements configured and positioned for cooperatively engaging sets of alignment features of a like plurality of electronic component assemblies arranged in a plurality of mutually laterally spaced locations over the first platen, the first platen further including platen assembly alignment features engaged with the platen assembly alignment elements; and a second platen including a plurality of component cavities extending therethrough at a plurality of mutually laterally spaced locations corresponding to the locations over the first platen, the second platen further including a plurality of sets of alignment element receptacles configured and positioned to respectively receive therein the plurality of sets of alignment elements with the second platen superimposed on the first platen.