Proto Labs, Inc.
Methods and software for manufacturing a discrete object from an additively manufactured body of material including a precursor to a discrete object and a reference feature(s)

Abstract:

An automated manufacturing system for manufacturing a discrete object is configured to manufacture a reference feature on a precursor to the discrete object. Reference feature is used to place the precursor at a subtractive manufacturing machine; the reference feature may be based on a locating feature at the subtractive manufacturing machine. Manufacturing reference feature is accomplished by automatedly detecting one or more critical-to-quality features and manufacturing the reference feature based on the one or more detected critical-to-quality features.