What Is Laminated Object Manufacturing?

There are a number of different technologies that can fit under the additive manufacturing umbrella. Though common ones like FDM and SLA are well-known in the industry, others may be more niche. Take for example, Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), a unique rapid prototyping process that combines both additive and subtractive elements, making it a distinctive player in the 3D printing landscape.

The history of LOM traces back to its development in 1991, when a company called Helisys introduced laminated object manufacturing, a process in which sheets of material were fused together, and a digitally guided laser was used to cut out the desired objects. Later, in 2003, brothers Conor and Fintan MacCormack developed their version of the process. They used standard office paper and an inkjet printer to print the designs, gradually building up the object layer by layer. Then, they employed a tungsten blade to cut away the excess paper, revealing the final design.

The discontinued Helisys LOM-2030 Rapid Prototype Modeling Machine, built in 1997 (Photo credits: KJ Auktion)

The MacCormack brothers took their innovation to the commercial realm through their company, Mcor Technologies. They continued to enhance the process by introducing CMYK color printing to create more vibrant objects suitable for promotional or visual prototyping purposes. This new approach, known as selective deposition lamination (SDL), involved color printing the sheets of paper before selectively gluing and cutting them. The adhesive was applied only to the areas corresponding to the design, making it easier to cut the final object from the waste material. But how has it continued to develop since then? When is it used? To better understand this interesting process, we took a closer look at Laminated Object Manufacturing in the guide below.