Characterization of the laminated object manufacturing (LOM) process

Abstract

Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) is a rapid prototyping process where a part is built sequentially from layers of paper. Studied in the present paper are the precision and accuracy of the LOM process and the dimensional stability of LOM parts. The process was found to exhibit both constant and random sources of error in the part dimensions. The dimensional error was the largest normal to the plane of the paper, exacerbated by the moisture absorption and subsequent swelling. The key process parameters were identified and optimized for sufficient bonding and cutting accuracy.