Computer Aided Manufacturing of 
Laminated Engineering Materials 

CAM-LEM is a novel solid freeform fabrication process developed at CAM-LEM, Inc. and Case Western Reserve University, both located in Cleveland, Ohio.

The CAM-LEM system enables direct fabrication of ceramic and metal components with arbitrarily complex internal and external geometries.

In the CAM-LEM process cross-sectional shapes of individual laminae are cut from sheet-stock, robotically assembled and tacked into 3-D objects.  A lamination step joins the layers into intimate contact.  During the subsequent firing process, as required for all ceramics or powdered-metals, the joints fuse in a manner that leaves them indistinguishable from the base material.

Research at CWRU focuses on development of the mechanical process including a uniqe 4-axis laser cutting system to cut sloped edges on the layers in order to optimize surface finish.