CNC Information

Cast Prototyping and Precise Cast Prototyping

The Cast Prototyping and Precise Cast Prototyping is a new webpage that was just added to the new Rapid Prototyping Information Website that has just been released. This new PCPro Technique Process webpage has all of the information you need to know on Cast Prototyping and PCPro Technique and the main information you need to know on Cast Prototyping. You can visit this Cast Prototyping webpage at: Cast Prototyping

 Here is an excerpt from the new Cast Prototyping and PCPro Technique webpage: 

“Researchers have developed a new rapid-prototyping technique that blends traditional casting methods with CNC milling which allows faster prototyping; the best thing is that it happens in a single machine. The technique is christened as “Precise Cast Prototyping” or PCPro and was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute For Material and Beam Technology, Dresden, Germany. Half of the mold is machine using CNC machining, then silicon or polyurethane material is poured into fill half the mold, this will be the lower half to render the shape of one half of the part, while the part still in the CNC mill. When the material is cured and hardened, the upper side of the component is milled. The process is targeted at components with simple geometry such as housings whose one side can be fairly easily machined on aluminum or epoxy mold half and the other complicated half is on the opposite side where it can be milled into the soft plastic. “

The new Cast Prototypes page is free information to members and non-members and can be found at:  Prototyping . However, users of Prototype Zone who decide to be members can join for free and receive two free E-Books on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer. Prototype Zone will be adding new information all the time on Rapid Prototyping so check back often in the forum and blog for the latest information at: Cast Prototyping

 About Prototype Zone: Prototype Zone is the leading information source and community website for all things about Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping. Visit the website to join for free and receive two free ebooks on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer.

Prototype Design and Prototype Development

The Prototype Design Process is a new webpage that was just added to the new Prototyping Website that has just been released. This new Prototype Design webpage has all of the information you need to know of Prototyping and Design Prototyping and the main information you need to know on Designing Prototyping Inventions. You can visit this Designing Prototyping Process webpage at: 3D Prototype

 Here is an excerpt from the new Prototyping and Designing webpage: 

“Designing: Designing is the process by which you will design a product in advance before actual production. Designing will help you to innovate, change, modify and invent. Designing involves the process of idea generation, conceptualizing and actual design development.

Prototyping: Prototyping is a process in which a working model or prototype is developed for the purpose of testing the various design aspects like features, ideas, viability, functionality, output and performance. The prototyping will help in getting a quick user feedback. Prototyping is considered to be an essential element of the process of system designing.

Designing and prototyping go hand in hand, as both are complementary. In prototyping, new prototypes are developed on the basis of the performance of earlier designs. The deficiencies or problems in the previous designs can be detected and corrected. The prototype is redesigned after refinement and successfully meets the designing goals like functionality, manufacturability, performance and robustness. After this, the product can be readily produced.”

The new Design Prototype page is free information to members and non-members and can be found at: Prototyping. However, users of Prototype Zone who decide to be members can join for free and receive two free E-Books on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer. Prototype Zone will be adding new information all the time on Rapid Prototyping so check back often in the forum and blog for the latest information at: Designing Prototypes

 About Prototype Zone: Prototype Zone is the leading information source and community website for all things about Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping. Visit the website to join for free and receive two free ebooks on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer.

How PCB Prototyping Works

PCB Prototyping Process is a new webpage that was just added to the new Prototyping Website that has just been released. This new webpage has all of the information you need to know of PCB Prototyping and the main information you need to know on Prototyping Technologies. You can visit this PCB Prototyping Process webpage at: PCB Prototyping

 Here is an excerpt from the new PCB Prototyping webpage: 

“Origin: Rapid prototyping has taken virtual designs through ‘animation modeling software’ or ‘computer aided design (CAD)’. Thereafter, transformation into virtual, thin, horizontal cross-sections takes place. Each cross-section then gets created in the physical space. This process goes on till the model gets completed. It is better known as WYSIWYG process. Let's understand this process in detail.

WYSIWYG: WYSIWYG as the abbreviation for ‘What You See Is What You Get’. It is used in ‘computing’ for describing a system wherein content looks similar to final product at the time of editing. It is generally used in word processors. However, this use is in the form of HTML (Web) authoring. The popularization of this phrase was carried out by the comedian ‘Flip Wilson’. His character ‘Geraldine’ used to say this very often to give an excuse against her idiosyncratic behavior.

This expression came to be applied later to computer-based applications as practicality in technology arrived. At times, it is phonetically spelt as ‘Wizzywig’ or ‘Wizywig’. It has also been used as a brand name for a ‘lighting design tool’ utilized in theatre industry to pre-visualize the shows and 3D CAD.

The process further : The additional fabrication causes the machine to read data from CAD drawing. After that, consecutive layers of powder, sheet material, or liquid are laid down. Likewise, a model gets built-up from a chain of cross-sections. Such layers, corresponding to CAD model’s virtual cross section, are then fused automatically or joined together for creating the ultimate shape. The basic advantage of additive fabrication goes to state that any geometric feature or shape can be created through this.”

The new PCB Prototyping page is free information to members and non-members and can be found at: Rapid Prototyping. However, users of Prototype Zone who decide to be members can join for free and receive two free E-Books on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer. Prototype Zone will be adding new information all the time on Rapid Prototyping so check back often in the forum and blog for the latest information at: Prototype Forum

About Prototype Zone: Prototype Zone is the leading information source and community website for all things about Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping. Visit the website to join for free and receive two free ebooks on Rapid Prototyping for a limited time offer.

Virtual Prototype, Virtual Prototypes, and all Virtual Prototyping

Virtual Prototyping is basically as simulation based refinement of a component by using a function based simulation. The technology is rapidly gaining prominence as the practice of choice amongst engineers, thanks to its ability to immensely shorten cycles and aid faster product development. Other major reasons for rapid proliferation of the technology include the widespread availability of low-cost computers and analysis tools and the ability to integrate multi-physics simulations into a single environment. These days, computer simulations are increasingly used to calculate and evaluate the kinetic and geometric reactions of a system to various external factors.

The fact that the results can be visualized in full 3D environment has further spurred the rise of this technology. This has finally set the stage for a brand new phase in product development; the engineer can now quantitatively assess the performance of a system by saving the expenses on the intermediate physical prototypes. Virtual Prototypes also permit a larger variety of tests to be carried out on the models, sans any risk of over-testing such as wearing out the component. This is a major boost to the process of redesign as the desired results could now be achieved a lot faster. Virtual Prototypes also facilitate the involvement of non-engineering staff such as sales personnel and management very early in the development process. In this way virtual Prototyping has gained acceptance as the weapon of choice for mechanical design system and is now widely used in sectors ranging from automotive, rail, aerospace to medical device designs. There is significant shortage of individuals trained in the methodology which seems to be the biggest crisis the mechanical design industry is facing.

Virtual Prototyping is the process of representing a 3D representation of your invention by the use of CAD softwares. Most prototyping companies allows their client to see the result online, in the comfort of your home you can get a 360 degree view of your component or flip it one end over another. Virtual prototyping is probably the most convenient means of communication between a designer and his customers. No matter where you are, you can do business with anyone in just about any part of the globe.

Cast Prototyping and Precise Cast Prototyping

Researchers have developed a new rapid-prototyping technique that blends traditional casting methods with CNC milling which allows faster prototyping; the best thing is that it happens in a single machine. The technique is christened as “Precise Cast Prototyping” or PCPro and was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute For Material and Beam Technology, Dresden, Germany. Half of the mold is machine using CNC machining, then silicon or polyurethane material is poured into fill half the mold, this will be the lower half to render the shape of one half of the part, while the part still in the CNC mill. When the material is cured and hardened, the upper side of the component is milled. The process is targeted at components with simple geometry such as housings whose one side can be fairly easily machined on aluminum or epoxy mold half and the other complicated half is on the opposite side where it can be milled into the soft plastic.

Cost Saving: The technique is touted to be an enormously cost effective as only one half of the tool is made and that too for low pressure casting. There are no runners; gate, venting and parting lines to be taken care of and besides these can be manufactured by toolmakers with lesser experience. Another advantage is that one half casting allows the air bubbles to escape freely; this translates into a more dense part and better surface finish. Since the casting is machined again it allows features such as threads and undercuts to be incorporated. The casting method shapes the outer surface of the component while precision CNC milling renders the inner contours. The fact that he casting can be milled allows for parts with totally different dimension to be manufactured from the same mold. This is because the second half of the mold exists only as a CAD/CAM model and tool path programming. Geometrical changes can be altered by just changing the parameters.

Time saving: Since the outer surface of the component are not machined the process saves a lot of time .Moreover the inner dimensions gain closer tolerances compared to prototypes manufactured by vacuum casting. The reason for this is that the finishing takes palce after the curing and shrinkage in conventional prototyping while in casting it’s done before the casting shrinks. CNC allows for achieving of tighter tolerances compared to casting technologies. Besides all the machining is done in a single setting so there is no chance of non-alignment of the outer and inner features. The PCPro technique manufactures a prototype in just 6 steps, while the vacuum method takes 15 steps.

Injection Molding

Approximately 30% of all plastic products in the world are produced by an injection molding process. Within this another 30% are produced using a custom injection molding technology. There are basically six steps involved in the normal injection molding process. The first step is the clamping of the mould, the clamping unit makes for one of the three units of the molding machine. The other two being the injection unit and the mold, once the clamping unit holds on to the mold, the molten plastic is injected into the mold by the injection unit. The plastic is fed in the form of tiny pellets onto a hopper. These are then allowed into a cylinder where they are heated into a molten state and injected into the mold. The steps that follow are referred to as dwelling phase. It basically involves making sure all the cavities in the mold are fully filled. The mold is then allowed to cool with the clamping intact. Finally the mold is opened and the component is ejected out. The biggest advantage of plastic injection molding is the cost factor of the produced parts, especially when you need large number of parts. The disadvantage is the cost of manufacturing the molds; a simple injection mold can cost you $3000 while the bigger complex ones can run into several hundreds of thousands.

Rapid Prototyping: Rapid Prototyping is the process of automated manufacturing of physical components using solid freeform fabrication. They are used in a wide range of applications, everything from medical to fine art. Rapid Prototyping machine works by taking virtual models from software and then converting it into extremely thin, horizontal cross-sections and then goes onto create each of the cross-section in physical space in a cyclic manner until the model is completed. Rapid Prototyping is a WYSIWYG process in which the virtual model bears identical resemblance to the finished physical model. Additional fabrications allows the machine to lay down layers of sheet, liquid or powder material and build up a series of cross-sections These layers are finally automatically fused together to render the final product.

DIY Rapid Prototype

Several DIY Rapid Prototyping techniques have come up off late. Making a 3D printer at home can prove to be quite cost-effective. The other names for such sort of prototyping are fabbing, three-dimensional printing, reprapping, and fabrication. RepRap is one such 3D printer. Let its making be studied in detail.

RepRap: RepRap is the abbreviation for Replicating Rapid-prototype. In other words, it can be said to be a Practical Self-copying Printer. RepRap would make metal, ceramic, and plastic parts. It’s itself made up of plastic. This is done in order to facilitate the making of multiple copies of its own self. The final product can be described as a 3-axis robot moving numerous material extruders. Fine filaments are produced by these extruders. The filaments are made up of their own working materials. This process has a paste-like consistency.

If one intends making plastic cones, RepRap would make use of the plastic extruder for laying down a 0.5 mm quickly hardening filament made from molten plastic for drawing the filled-in disc. The Plastic Intrusion Head would then be raised and the layer following that would be drawn, exactly on the top of 1st. This process keeps on repeating till the complete cone is formed. If making an Inverted Cone is on the agenda, the same procedure is followed. The only difference would be laying down the support material beneath the parts that are overhanging. The removal of support would take place after the completion of cone. Intermixture of conductors with plastic is allowed. This can help in the formation of circuits.

The process described above is known as Fused Deposition Modeling. These machines, though useful, are not very much prevalent. The software of the above process is believed to work on all the computer platforms, that too, free of cost.

3D CAD, 3D Printing, Rotocast

Since rapid prototyping came into being, many businesses provided with the service of prototype development. Earlier, such companies were known as service bureaus and they allowed the users to access the unproven and expensive technology. In the early period of rapid prototyping, these service bureaus provided with advantages of prototype development minus the soaring upfront expenses and major risks of applying a new technology that was relatively unverified and hovering on the brink of rapid obsolescence. In the beginning, the service bureaus provided file conversions for narrowing the operational gap amidst 2D data and 3D CAD models. Due to this, the large companies that had not yet transitioned to solid modeling were benefited greatly.

As the technology of rapid prototyping progressed, most of the service bureaus have undergone role modifications and they promise to deliver greater advantages beyond initial expense reduction and ownership risk. There are several companies worldwide offering the rapid prototyping services.

Advantages of Rapid Prototyping Services: The advantages of rapid prototyping services are by far many. The rapid prototyping services provide advanced rapid prototyping technologies. You can get a competitive edge in the process of product development, so that the product is marketed much faster. The rapid prototyping services allow the users and producers to achieve the designing and prototyping goals. The innovative product idea can be successfully realized into actual product of high quality with the help of rapid prototyping services. The rapid prototyping services deliver the finished product beginning from the product idea, conceptualization and prototype development. You can save money and time as well, as rapid prototyping allows the production on low volume basis directly from the designing data.

Electron Beam Melting

The technology is becoming very popular because it has the ability to build dense parts that are similar to any wrought material. Besides, the cost for manufacturing parts through this process is substantially less as compared to the other additive fabrication or metal based methods that are common employed. EBM has also opened the doors to configurations for several new designs. 

The technology is very useful as it can help produce parts using titanium within hours as opposed to days. The technology also creates low volume products, which are essential for the aerospace industry. The time and the cost factors involved in creating titanium products are major obstacles for the aerospace industry. However, with the help of EBM, ready to install titanium parts can be created in an efficient manner.

Working of Electron Beam Melting: Like the name suggests, the Electron Beam Melting device consists of an electron beam that has the ability to melt metal powder. The machine lays down layers of the powder metal successively, after reading data from 3 – D CAD model. The parts of the machines are computer controlled, and it builds the finished model by laying one layer over another, of the metal.

Laminated Object Manufacturing

Laminated Object Manufacturing or LMO is a system used for rapid prototyping. It consists of adhesive - coated layers of plastic or paper that are stuck together with the help of glue and then cut into an appropriate shape with the help of a laser cutter or a knife.

How does Laminated Object Manufacturing Work? The LMO is used to manufacture 3 - D objects that are cut on the basis of the geometrical data that is available with the system. The laser that is used in the LMO is a carbon dioxide laser that is capable of creating cross sections of 3 - D objects successively, from layers of foil, usually paper. The back of the 3 - D object that is created has a polyethylene coating on it.

The computer with the help of which the LMO runs, has the ability to slice a solid 3 - D model into 2 - D cross sections that are thin. Every cross section would have a thickness that is equivalent to the thickness of each of the materials that is used for the process of prototyping.

The system also consists of a rewinding and an unwinding roll. These are connected to each other with the sheet of the material that is being used to manufacture the prototype. The sheet is routed with the help if the idler rollers that are also present in the machine. The rolls are the ones that supply the material to the machine and also store it, if need be.

The laminated part of the prototype is built one a platform that is capable of incremental vertical movement. The movement of the platform is brought about by a stepping motor. On the top of the platform, is a heated roller that can both, heat and compress the stacks of sheets or ribbons that are placed on the lamination platform. The heated roller moves in a reciprocal manner and binds the ribbon material by heating it.

Stereolithography or SLA Info

Stereolithography or SLA is one of the most commonly used rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing technology for creating several parts with excellent surface finish and high accuracy. Stereolithography is a mechanism used to perform Stereolithography Apparatus. SLA creates plastic parts or even objects a layer by marking out a laser beam on the surface of the liquid photopolymer. This category of substances initially developed for packaging and printing industry, solidifies quickly wherever the laser beam hits. As one layer is being entirely marked out it lowers a small distance into the vat of the liquid photopolymer and a subsequent layer is marked out exactly on the top of the first layer.

The self cementing property of this particular substance causes the layers to merge with one another and finally form an absolute 3D object after lots of similar objects are created. Some of these objects have undercuts or overhangs that must be actually maintained during the procedure of fabrication by maintaining the structures. These structures are automatically or manually designed and later fabricated along with the objects. When the fabrication procedure is completed these objects are elevated from the vat of the liquid photopolymer and then the supports are removed. Stereolithography or SLA is being considered to provide one of the best surface finishes and exact accuracy of any technology of rapid prototyping. SLA is frequently regarded as the pioneer of the rapid prototyping business with the initial profit-making system was introduced in the year 1988. This particular system consists of a vat of photo-curable liquid photopolymer, a controlling system and an Ultra Violet Laser Beam. A podium is being lowered into the vat of the liquid photopolymer via the elevator system in such a way that the surface of the podium is the layer-width below the surface of the vat.

This laser beam then marks out the border lines and seals in the 2 dimensional cross segment of the model, hardening the resin anywhere it touches. As the layer is completed the podium sends down layer thickness where the resin flows over the first layer and then another layer is being created. This procedure continues until the entire model is completed. Once the entire model is completed the podium increases the vat and the extra resin is being drained.

Fused Deposition Modeling

FDM or Fused Deposition Modeling is said to be one type of a free-form fabrication technologies being developed Stratasys Inc. As this technology utilizes high force ABC plastic it is one of the most preferred technologies for prototyping plastic parts which require force. The Fused Deposition Modeling is a method of layered manufacturing which extrudes a very thin drop of plastic, just one layer at a time. A string of plastic is supplied into an extrusion cranium where this string is heated into a state of semi-liquid form and then extruded via a very tiny passage onto the other layer of the substance. Support substance is even being laid down in the same method.

How it Works? FDM is also said to be a solid based rapid prototype method which extrudes substances to build a model layer by layer. FDM is also the second most extensively utilized technology of rapid prototyping after SLA or Stereolithography. Actually, a plastic string is being released from a coil and then provides substances to an extrusion syringe. This syringe is then heated to melt the stored plastic it also has a mechanism that allows the flow of the melted plastic to turn on and off when required. This syringe is later mounted to a mechanical phase that can be shifted both in vertical and horizontal directions.

As the syringe is shifted over the desk in the much needed calculations it drops a thin drop of extruded plastic to create a single layer. This plastic later hardens immediately after being squeezed from the syringe and merges to the lower layer. This complete procedure continues within a chamber that is held at a temperature which is below the plastics melting point.

Selective Laser Sintering

Selective Laser Sintering or SLS is said to be a free-form manufacturing technology which is developed by 3D systems. SLS is a method of layered manufacturing which creates a solid 3D object by blending powdered substances along with carbon dioxide. In other words SLS is one of the famous mechanisms of Rapid Prototyping in which a laser beam carefully sinters or fuses the powdered substances such as elastomer, nylon etc. A thin layer of that powdered substances is being laid down and the laser sketches on the layer sintering together the elements hit by the laser. SLS can provide a persons manufacturing company with most important perimeter by producing metal or rapid plastic prototyping which narrowly matches their molded complements. Stereolithography V/S Selective Laser Sintering: One of the foremost benefits of Selective Laser Sintering over Stereolithography is that it constructs prototypes in powered materials such as nylon etc. It is likely to create structurally useful parts like functioning springs, living hinges and snap fit components along with nylon substances by utilizing Selective Laser Sintering. This procedure is actually very easy as there is no need of tooling or molding involved. The nylon substance utilized in SLS can easily be tapped, drilled and machined similar to those utilized in Stereolithography or SLA. These substances are fragile as they are curved with Ultra Violet light and created with liquid photopolymers. Since it has been introduced by DR Carl Deckard in the year 1989, this SLS technology has become one of the most recognized and utilized procedures for product development and rapid prototyping in most of the manufacturing industries. SLS technology has also become one of the most trusted and reliable forms of rapid prototyping due to its structural importance. SLS is generally helpful when a particular design has to be customized or is complex and requires being short run or functional production.

Procedure: In the procedure of SLS or Selective Laser Sintering, three dimensional parts are formed when an infrared laser beam fuses or sinters powdered substances. The ultimate object is being formed by continually sintering or fusing those thin layers by utilizing the infrared laser beam. This particular procedure is also known as additive manufacturing, creating parts which regularly enhances in size until it reaches the arranged size. These rapid prototypes are formed directly from the STL file acquired from three dimensional CAD models.

Reverse Engineering

Reverse Engineering can be defined as the process wherein a device’s, object’s, or system’s technological principles are discovered by analyzing its operation, function, and structure. It often refers to detaching something, say- a software program, electronic equipment, or mechanical device and carrying out the analysis of its workability in detail. This is done in order to manufacture a new program or device which performs the same function without doubling anything from original.

Motivation: Reasons behind the emergence of reverse engineering include interoperability, lost documentation which means loss or non-existence of documentation of the concerned device, product analysis, security auditing, exclusion of protection of copy, circumvention of restrictions regarding access, and fraud.

‘Reverse Engineering’ of ‘mechanical devices’ : With the ever-increasing popularity of CAD, ‘reverse engineering’ has proven to be a blessing for creation of ‘3D virtual model’ of the on hand physical part to be used in 3D CAE, CAM, CAD and many other soft wares. The measuring of physical object can be done by making use of ‘#D scanning technologies’ such as computed tomography, ‘structured light digitizers’, laser scanners, and CMMs. The data that is measured usually gets represented as ‘point cloud’. It is devoid of topological information. That’s why, the processing and modelling takes place into usable format like a ‘triangular faced mesh’, CAD model, or a collection of surfaces of NURBS. Applications such as Polyworks, Image ware, Geomagic, or Rapidform are used for processing the ‘point clouds’ into the formats that can be used in applications like 3D CAE, CAM, CAD or visualization.

3D Scanner

3D scanner: 3D scanning implies analyzing the real-world environment or objects for collecting data on their appearance, i.e. color and shape. Digital 3D models can be constructed from the data collected. Such devices are being used by the amusement industry extensively for producing video games and movies. This technology is more widely used in reverse engineering, industrial design, prototyping, keeping records of cultural artifacts, and computer vision. A number of technologies have been used for building the three-dimensional scanning devices. Every technology has limitations, costs, and advantages.

Functionality: The idea behind using a three-dimensional scanner is creating a Point Cloud of the Geometric Samples on the subject’s surface. The subject’s shape can then be extrapolated by using these points. If information regarding color is gathered at every juncture, the determination of colors on subject’s surface can be easily done. 3D scanners share analogy with cameras. If one tries to define a Spherical Coordinate System wherein the origin would be the scanner and vector would be drawn from front of it such that θ=0 and ¢=0, then every point in picture would be associated with θ and ¢. Combined with distance that corresponds to r component 3D position of every point in picture is described by the spherical coordinates.

Technology: 3D scanners consist of two types- non-contact and contact. Non-contact three-dimensional scanners could be divided further into 2 major categories- passive and active scanners.

Non-Contact Active: Some light or radiation is always emitted by active scanners. It is advised to detect the reflection of this light, as it would help in locating environment or an object. The kinds of emission possibly used include x-ray, ultrasound, or light.

Flexible Manufacturing

Rapid Manufacturing can be described as an ‘Additive Fabrication Technique’ to manufacture solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to precise points in the space for producing that part. At present, the practice of controlling the process of manufacturing with the help of computer by making use of mathematical model that has been created through the computer’s aid is being followed. Rapid manufacturing, if done with the help of Parallel Batch Production is capable of providing a huge advantage in terms of cost and speed in comparison with alternative techniques of manufacturing like die casting or Plastic Injection Molding.

Origin: Rapid Manufacturing process was first demonstrated at The AUTO FACT show. The venue was Detroit, MI. The year was 1987. This creation is attributed to 3D Systems Company. The technologies available now are inclusive of processes such as Laminated Object Manufacturing, Shape Deposition Manufacturing, and Selective Laser Sintering.

The present scenario: Rapid manufacturing might involve replacement parts, custom parts, series production, or Short Run Production. This process can be referred to as Rapid Prototyping only if the use of the part is for development. Rapid Manufacturing carried out for big products with Layer-based Manufacturing from composite materials, plastics, or metals is widely used for numerous industrial applications pertaining to aerospace (Boeing) and military (MPH-Optomec) sectors. Micro system applications and small products are well known in medicines, sensor technologies (micro TEC), and diagnostics. Batch production regarding tiny parts by techniques of rapid manufacturing like RMPD give vent to advantages related to time and cost.

Steel Fabrication Information

Steel Fabrication can be defined as an assortment of techniques of making solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to specific points in the space for production of that solid. Steel fabrication is also known as solid freeform fabrication, layered manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.

Techniques: Steel Fabrication is carried out using a number of techniques. Let some of them be studied in detail such as Electron Beam Melting, Fused Deposition Modeling, and Selective Laser Sinterting.

‘Electron Beam Melting’: EBM (Electronic Beam Melting) can be described as the ‘rapid prototyping’ for metals. It is better known as ‘rapid manufacturing’ method. The parts are manufactured by having the metal powder melted layer by layer through a beam of electron in high vacuum. The parts produced acquire strength, solidity, and are void-free as well. The electrons have a very high speed; around 5 to 8 times the light speed. The bombardment of these electrons takes place on the work material’s surface. This generates heat which is enough for melting the part’s surface and causing it to vaporize locally. Vacuum is required for the operation of EBM and Steel Fabrication. This means that the size of work piece is directly proportional to vacuum used. This technique works on composites, ceramics, non-metals, and as stated above, metals.

Fused Deposition Modeling: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) can be described as a kind of rapid manufacturing (RP) or rapid prototyping technology which is generally used in engineering design. S.Scott Crump had founded this technology in 1980s. It caught the commercial market in 1990. Like most of the RP processes, the principle of working of FDM is the ‘Steel Fabrication principle’. It states that the material has to be laid down in layers. The metal wire or plastic filament is then unwound and material is supplied through it to the extrusion nozzle that can turn off and on the flow.

The nozzle’ then is heated for melting the material. It could be moved in vertical and horizontal directions with the help of a mechanism which is numerically controlled. This numerical control is obtained through ‘Computer Aided Design’ software package. Like stereo lithography, the building of the model takes place from layers. This happens because the material starts hardening after getting extruded from nozzle.

Numerous materials are offered with diverse trade-offs between temperature and strength. One can use the FDM technology with polycaprolactone, polycarbonates, polyphenylsulfones, and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Temporary supports can be made by using a ‘water-soluble’ material. These supports are needed when manufacturing is still going on. The commercial applications include making prototypes of servo or stepper motors.

‘Selective Laser Sintering’: Selective Laser Sintering can be defined as an Steel type of rapid manufacturing wherein a ‘high power laser’ (like carbon dioxide laser) is used for fusing tiny particles of ceramic, metal, or plastic powders into mass representing the desired three-dimensional object. In comparison to other methods of rapid manufacturing, ‘selective laser sintering’ has the capacity of producing parts from several powder materials available. They include polymers (polystyrene and nylon), metals (composites, alloy mixtures, titanium, steel), and not to forget- green sand. This physical process could be liquid-phase sintering, partial melting, or full melting. 

Plastic Moulding Info on new Plastic Moulding Site

Additive fabrication can be defined as an assortment of techniques of making solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to specific points in the space for production of that solid. Plastic Moulding is also known as solid freeform fabrication, layered manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.

Techniques: Plastic Moulding is carried out using a number of techniques. Let some of them be studied in detail.

‘Electron Beam Melting’: EBM (Electronic Beam Melting) can be described as the Plastic Moulding for metals. It is better known as ‘rapid manufacturing’ method. The parts are manufactured by having the metal powder melted layer by layer through a beam of electron in high vacuum. The parts produced acquire strength, solidity, and are void-free as well. The electrons have a very high speed; around 5 to 8 times the light speed. The bombardment of these electrons takes place on the work material’s surface. This generates heat which is enough for melting the part’s surface and causing it to vaporize locally. Vacuum is required for the operation of EBM. This means that the size of work piece is directly proportional to vacuum used. This technique works on composites, ceramics, non-metals, and as stated above, metals.

Fused Deposition Modeling: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) can be described as a kind of rapid manufacturing (RP) or rapid prototyping technology which is generally used in engineering design. S.Scott Crump had founded this technology in 1980s. It caught the commercial market in 1990. Like most of the RP processes, the principle of working of FDM is the ‘additive principle’. It states that the material has to be laid down in layers. The metal wire or plastic filament is then unwound and material is supplied through it to the extrusion nozzle that can turn off and on the flow.

The nozzle’ then is heated for melting the material. It could be moved in vertical and horizontal directions with the help of a mechanism which is numerically controlled. This numerical control is obtained through ‘Computer Aided Design’ software package. Like stereo lithography, the building of the model takes place from layers. This happens because the material starts hardening after getting extruded from nozzle.

Numerous materials are offered with diverse trade-offs between temperature and strength. One can use the FDM technology with polycaprolactone, polycarbonates, polyphenylsulfones, and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Temporary supports can be made by using a ‘water-soluble’ material. These supports are needed when manufacturing is still going on. The commercial applications include making prototypes of servo or stepper motors.

‘Selective Laser Sintering’: Selective Laser Sintering can be defined as an additive type of rapid manufacturing wherein a ‘high power laser’ (like carbon dioxide laser) is used for fusing tiny particles of ceramic, metal, or plastic powders into mass representing the desired three-dimensional object. In comparison to other methods of rapid manufacturing, ‘selective laser sintering’ has the capacity of producing parts from several powder materials available. They include polymers (polystyrene and nylon), metals (composites, alloy mixtures, titanium, steel), and not to forget- green sand. This physical process could be liquid-phase sintering, partial melting, or full melting. 

Rapid Tooling Info

Rapid Tooling can be described as an ‘Additive Fabrication Technique’ to manufacture solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to precise points in the space for producing that part. At present, the practice of controlling the process of manufacturing with the help of computer by making use of mathematical model that has been created through the computer’s aid is being followed. Rapid manufacturing, if done with the help of Parallel Batch Production is capable of providing a huge advantage in terms of cost and speed in comparison with alternative techniques of manufacturing like die casting or Plastic Injection Molding.

Origin: Rapid Tooling process was first demonstrated at The AUTO FACT show. The venue was Detroit, MI. The year was 1987. This creation is attributed to 3D Systems Company. The technologies available now are inclusive of processes such as Laminated Object Manufacturing, Shape Deposition Manufacturing, and Selective Laser Sintering. 

The present scenario: Rapid Tooling might involve replacement parts, custom parts, series production, or Short Run Production. This process can be referred to as Rapid Prototyping only if the use of the part is for development. Rapid Manufacturing carried out for big products with Layer-based Manufacturing from composite materials, plastics, or metals is widely used for numerous industrial applications pertaining to aerospace (Boeing) and military (MPH-Optomec) sectors. Micro system applications and small products are well known in medicines, sensor technologies (micro TEC), and diagnostics. Batch production regarding tiny parts by techniques of rapid manufacturing like RMPD give vent to advantages related to time and cost.

Now days, collectibles, consumer products, orthodontics, dentistry, jewelry, motor sports, and automotives are being experimented with rapid manufacturing. Amazing results are expected in future. The world economy is becoming competitive day by day. Manufacturers are facing the challenge to deliver novel customized products faster than before for meeting customer demands. A late delivery or development might could mean failure of business. Rapid manufacturing has been devised with the objective of shortening the production cycle and design, and promising to revolutionize the age-old manufacturing procedures.

The initial Rapid tooling process: Before starting with the construction of product, a prototype or sample is required quite often as a portion of design cycle, for allowing evaluation, testing, or demonstration of proposed product. This process is iterative, as a chain of prototypes gets built up. These prototypes can then be used for testing various options.

Rapid Manufacturing is also inclusive of rapid application of tools needed for production on a large scale, like jigs, dies, and specially shaped molds. Several Layer manufacturing Processes are being developed now, by making use of a wide range of materials. Parts produced so far have proven to be steadily durable. The size has also been increasing. Due to all these successes, layer manufacturing is the most sought after technique for fabricating the parts for functional prototypes as well as production tools. The process of applying layer manufacturing for making components utilized in production can be called Rapid Tooling. It is being applied to investment casting, injection molding, and many processes related to mold casting.

3D Printers

In the 3D printers available in the market these days, generation of output takes place from programs of mapping which support 3D modelling programs or 3D CAD programs. Some companies have their own soft wares for PLY, VRML, and STK formats to allow 3D viewing, scaling and labeling of text, and fine-tuning preceding printing.

Working: All the 3D printers’ posses five basic process functions for creating a three-dimensional model.

First - The Print Surface is fed with a unique powder.

Second - The powder is spread on print surface by a roller at a preset depth. This process takes just a few seconds for its completion.

Third - Color is applied to the powder’s initial layer by the Standard Inkjet Print Heads.

Fourth - The solidification of powdered layer takes place.

Fifth - The lowering of print surface for powder’s another layer is enabled.

This process goes on repeating till the completion of the whole 3D model occurs. The mixture of Ink Jet Color and powder results in formation of a bond. The solidification occurs this way. So, if no printing is carried out at the specified layer or location, the powder retains its state, i.e. it does not get solidified. Once the printing process comes to a halt, the powder gets blown out, thereby leaving the output which is the reflection of the original model or drawing. Depending on complexity and size of output, this process takes around ½ an hour. These 3D printers do a commendable job, especially when pre-production examples or working prototypes of the specified objects are seen on the computer monitor.