Which additive manufacturing method involves cutting a shape in a thin layer of material and then fusing that with other layers?

The additive manufacturing method that involves cutting a shape in a thin layer of material and then fusing that with other layers is sheet lamination. In sheet lamination, layers of material are bonded together using adhesive or ultrasonic welding after being cut to shape, typically with a blade or laser. This process builds parts layer by layer, creating a solid object from flat sheets, which can be made from a variety of materials, including paper, metal, or polymer.

In contrast, powder bed fusion involves melting and fusing powdered material typically using a laser or electron beam, rather than cutting from sheets. Fused deposition modeling is a method where thermoplastic filaments are extruded through a nozzle to build up layers. Directed energy deposition utilizes focused energy to melt materials as they are deposited, typically in a powder or wire form, to create new layers. Each of these methods has its own unique processes and applications, but only sheet lamination has the characteristic of cutting a shape from a thin layer of material before bonding layers together.