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To address the problems associated with laminated object manufacturing (LOM) using sheet metal as a modeling material, an approach of cutting the sheet metals by a new LOM process and connecting them by diffusion welding technology is proposed. The conventional LOM process and the new LOM process are compared with reference to the theoretical manufacturing error. A slicing algorithm for the new LOM process has been deduced. The conclusions drawn from the experiments and analysis are shrinkage in the stack direction is small; atom diffusion between two joints occurs clearly and new grains form; the shear strength of the welding zone is above 100 MPa; the micro-hardness of the welding zone is almost the same as that of the substrate. The fabrication of sample part suggests that the new LOM process with diffusion welding could be a useful method for the rapid manufacturing of metal parts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]