Resposes to questions on BPM's 3D Object Printer

From: Roger Orban (BPM  Technology, Inc.)
To: RP-ML
Date: Monday, December 4, 1995
Subject: Resposes to questions on BPM's 3D Object Printer
     Over the last month and a half there have been many questions relating  to BPM Technology and our 3D Object Printer.  I have not had the time  to respond due to my travel schedule, and am now responding to these  inquiries.  Below are my responses.

Patent Position of Various Desktop Jetting Systems
     BPM Technology owns, not licenses the Masters Patent.

What is the Value of BPM’s 5 Axis Build Process
     Our 5 axis build process provides the ability to build part with the  true curvature of the object as opposed to the stair stepping effect  from 2 1/2 axis processes.  Our patented build process CAN (continuous  articulation to surface normals) allows us to build geometry to surface  normals.  The benefits are:
    -Eliminates finishing steps to remove the stair step effect;
    -Provides part fidelity;
    -Reduces material waste.
     Our 5 axis build process provides the ability to build parts without  extensive support structures.  Our 3D Object Printer can build parts  such as a hollow cube and other objects as merely a skin around air.  The benefits are:
   -Efficient use of build material produces low cost models (approximately $1.00 per part);
   -Eliminates the time consuming removal of support structures and cleanup;
   -Efficient use of build material provides for faster build times.

BPM 3D Object Printer Speed
     One of our Product Development Objectives was that the average model  build overnight in our 10”x 8” x 6” build envelope.  We have achieved  this objective for models of average complexity.  An engineer can  execute the print command at the end of his work day, and can retrieve  his model first thing in the morning for a design review meeting.
     We continue to work on increasing the speed of our 3D Object Printer,  and expect a significant increase in speed from existing technology by  this time next year.

Raster vs. Vector Build Process
     Raster is not necessarily faster.  BPM experimented with several raster  and vector prototypes before we came to the conclusion that the vector  build process offered greater value for precision, accuracy, and  extensibility for the future.  The raster build process, which is and  always be a 2 1/2 axis build operation, requires that parts be built  solid.  Raster uses more material, and therefore requires significant  numbers of jet heads to provide speed.  Due to the number of heads  required in an array, trade-offs in feature and  surface detail result.
     In contrast, our 5 axis vector positioning allow for us to build  objects with the least amount of material required.  With current  technology, we expect to achieve a significant increase in speed by  this time next year from software improvements alone.   Our current  technology also allows us to increase the amount of material deposited  three-fold, which can provide upwards of a 250% increase in build rate.  Further, there is ongoing research on several 5 axis multiple head  configurations which will provide a quantum leap in build times.

.stl vs. Direct Slicing of CAD Geometry
     In the last few days, several messages have been  posted regarding  issues with .stl files.  These issues, among others are the reason BPM  Technology has announced the development of printer interfaces for the  major CAD systems (Pro/Engineer will be available 4/96) that will take  NURBS databases for direct slicing, eliminating tesselation as an  interim step.  In reference to comments that were made about the  difficulties of direct slicing of  B-Rep models, we have been at work  for some time on these challenges and have overcome most of them.

Applications for Color 3D Object Printing
     In keeping with our direction of our 3D Object Printer as the natural  evolution in communication of design intent, we are looking at several  applications for color object printing.  For example, think about the  power of printing FEA results files with color contours and deformed  geometry for design review meetings to communicate design failures.

3D Fax Capability
     BPM Technologies’ 3D Object Printer has an integral modem that provides  a 3D fax-like capability.  In our market research, this  functionality  was high on the wish list of Fortune 500 companies that work closely  with and rely on their suppliers/subcontractors for design content.