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The excess material supports overhangs and other weak areas of the part during fabrication. The cross-hatching facilitates removal of the excess material. Once completed, the part has a wood-like texture composed of the paper layers. Moisture can be absorbed by the paper, which tends to expand and compromise the dimensional stability. Therefore, most models are sealed with a paint or lacquer to block moisture ingress.
The LOM developer continues to improve the process with sheets of stronger materials such as plastic and metal. Now available are sheets of powder metal (bound with adhesive) that can produce a "green" part. The part is then heat treated to sinter the material to its final state.
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