(no subject)

From: Marshall Burns (Ennex  Corporation)
To: Gregory Pettengill (Cote Art & Engineering), Patrick Maley (Cubital  America Inc.)
Cc: RP-ML
Date: Saturday, February 18, 1995
Dear Greg and Pat,
Greg Pettengill wrote;
>  Second, is hybridizing of additive & subtractive methods.  Cubital is one of the
>very few examples that even hints at this possibility.  The goal of automatic part 
>production, will most likely be accomplished by a machine that will perform & use
>both modes to their best advantages.

Patrick M. Maley replied;
>Thank you for your comments about our systems.  I found your perception
>of Cubital's Solider, being both an additive and subtractive process, very
>enlightening.  This is a very inventive, and creative, look at our systems.

     I agree. A little while after my book came out, it occurred to me that I was wrong to list the Helisys LOM as the only hybrid additive/subtractive machine. I didn't worry about it too much though because it seemed that the additive aspects of the Solider were dominant. Now we have another additive machine that similarly uses a machining process to refine the layers: the Sanders Modeler. The combination of additive and subtractive processes is sure to be a powerful idea. But just wait 'til we get automated formative processes going strong! Then the combinations will be almost limitless.