Solid Freeform Fabrication is a set of manufacturing processes that are capable of producing complex freeform solid objects directly from a computer model of an object without part-specific tooling or knowledge. In essence, these methods are miniature manufacturing plants which come complete with material handling, information processing and materials processing. As such, these methods require technical knowledge from many disciplines; therefore, researchers, engineers, and students in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, and Manufacturing Engineering and Materials and Computer Science will all find some interest in this subject. Particular subareas of concern include manufacturing methods, polymer chemistry, computational geometry, control, heat transfer, metallurgy, ceramics, optics, and fluid mechanics. History of technology specialists may also find Chapter 1 of interest. Although this book covers the spectrum of different processes, the emphasis is clearly on the area in which the authors have the most experience, thermal laser processing. In particular, the authors have all been developers and inventors of techniques for the Selective Laser Sintering process and laser gas phase techniques (Selective Area Laser Deposition). This is a research book on the subject of Solid Freeform Fabrication.

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Solid freeform (SFF) and additive fabrication processes are defining a revolutionary approach for materials manufacturing, leading to a capability for producing parts quicker, cheaper and with more functionality than previously thought possible. The key aspect of these direct fabrication techniques is the ability to deposit or build up material only where it is required to produce finished or nearly finished parts. While tremendous engineering progress has been made in this field, materials issues associated with layer-wise additive processes are just beginning to be addressed in a comprehensive manner. This book brings together experts in the SFF field to discuss recent developments in the processing of ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites, with a focus on the processing-structure-property relationships associated with these freeform and additive fabrication techniques. Topics include: organics, composites and laser CVD; direct metal fabrication; ceramic freeform fabrication; and ceramic freeform and layered direct fabrication.