Patent attributes
An apparatus and method of fabricating a three-dimensional model which reduces occurrence of one a hairline crack(s), stress fracture(s), break(s), flaw(s) and/or other imperfection(s) in the final three-dimensional model. The method comprising the steps of selecting the model material, selecting the sacrificial material, and adding at least one additive to the sacrificial material for at least one of increasing the thermal conductivity, decreasing a coefficient of thermal expansion or decreasing an ability of the sacrificial material to transmit stress to the model material. The three-dimensional composite model is built by depositing a plurality of layers one on top of another. Following completion of the three-dimensional composite model, using at least one of the increase in the thermal conductivity, the decrease in the coefficient of thermal expansion and the decrease in the ability of the composite sacrificial material to transmit stress to the model material for removing the composite sacrificial material from the model material without creating any hairline crack(s), stress fracture(s), break(s), flaw(s) and/or other imperfection(s) in the final three-dimensional model.
