Patent ID: 7481647

Claim:
An apparatus for forming articles from successively-deposited and solidified layers of a liquid medium, comprising: platform having first and second opposed surfaces, the first surface being configured for the deposition thereon and the adhesion thereto of successive layers of the liquid medium, wherein the first surface comprises a material that adheres to the liquid medium as it solidifies, the adhesion between the first surface and the solidified liquid medium being sufficient to retain the successively-deposited layers on the first surface as each layer is solidified while permitting the removal of the article from the first surface without breakage; a plurality of openings in the platform, each of the openings extending through the first and second surfaces of the platform; and a punch having a plurality of projections, each configured to engage one of the openings in the platform, the punch being operable to insert the projections into the openings from the second surface of the platform so as to remove from the platform the articles formed on the first surface.