CNC punch press/laser builder sets up in Japan

German builder of CNC punch press, laser cutting and profiling and sheet metal working equipment, Trumpf, has invested US$14 million in a 4500m2 production plant in Japan.

Europe's largest machine tool manufacturer is to develop and produce sheet metal working automation concepts in Fukushima, Japan Trumpf, based in Ditzingen, Germany believed it is the first German machine tool manufacturer to launch production on Japanese soil

Head of the Trumpf Machine Tool and Power Tool Division, Dr Mathias Kammueller, said: "We are crowning 30 successful years with our Japanese sales and service company by setting a further milestone.

Our new subsidiary Trumpf Manufacturing Japan produces and also develops automation and warehousing concepts".

The new production site is located in Fukushima, 250km north of Tokyo.

Before the opening on April 22, 2008, six months of extensive reconstruction and renovation work had to be accomplished on the former site of an automotive industry supplier.

The excellent infrastructure with access to train and highways played an important role in the location selection.

In the first investment phase, 35 employees will work in a 4,500m2 production plant.

It is located on a 31.000m2 area that allows a further extension.

So far Trumpf has invested more than US$14 million.

The products manufactured in Fukushima are primarily aimed at application in Japan.

In combination with the compact and automated Trumpf sheet metal processing machines these comply especially well with the requirements of the Japanese market due to their comparatively small foot print.

The new production site will work closely with local suppliers to increase competitive advantage.

Trumpf told manufacturingtalk that Japan is among the top five markets worldwide.

The company's involvement in the 'land of the rising sun' has a long tradition.

In 1977, Trumpf started off with sales and services of machine tools for the local market.

Today, the company offers its complete range of products and reached sales of EUR 100 million (1.55 billion Yen) in fiscal year 2006/07.

Around 180 employees work for Trumpf in Japan including those of the new production site in Fukushima.

Dr Kammueller said: "The country represents a vital building block in our growth strategy for Asia.

Localizing production is another well thought-out step within this long-term expansion strategy".

At this week's MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition in the UK, the new managing director for Trumpf in the UK, Hartmut Pannen, told manufacturingtalk that the Japanese plant will also serve Asia and the Americas.

Trumpf had, in 2007, also set up an automation systems plant in the Czech Republic not far from Plsen.

Pannen added that Trumpf has a full order book and has exhibited an annual growth rate of 15%/year over the last 20 years.

Turnover in 2007 had reached EUR 1.98bn and the company forecasted more growth during 2008.

CNC punch press/laser builder sets up in Japan

Automated CNC laser cutter is very flexible

Trumpf showed its compact, flexible TruLaser 2030 CNC 3.2kW sheet material cutting and profiling cell with automated work handling and higly durable laser resonator.

Trumpf's TruLaser 2030 was shown at this week's MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham, UK It is sold as an 'off the shelf' automated machine that includes Trumpf's latest laser resonator, cutting process and automated material handling

Its integral load and unload equipment provides a compact and highly productive flexible manufacturing cell.

The flat bed laser has the high powered 3.2kW TruCoax CO2 diffusion-cooled laser that delivers exceptional beam quality.

This is a compact and highly durable laser whose high-frequency excitation requires minimal gas consumption by comparison with direct current excitation.

Thanks to its magnetic turbo radial blowers the laser also requires little maintenance.

The laser will cut mild steel up to 20mm thick, stainless steel up to 10mm and aluminium up to 8mm thick.

One common laser head will cut different thicknesses.

The laser head is also lighter, having a body of titanium.

* Operation - to start production the vacuum frame of the TruLaser 2030 lifts the blank sheet from the loading station, moves it onto the workstation and places it on the cutting table.

The frame then leaves the work area and prepares the next blank for processing.

At the end of the production cycle and unloading forks remove the finished parts including any sheet skeletons.

Other key features of the TruLaser 2030 include the following.

• A moving enclosure that provides safe operation with easy access to the processing area.
• The machine is available in two working area sizes allowing fabricators to use the material size that best fits their needs.
• The options are 3m x 1.25m or 3m x 1.5m; Z axis is 115mm.

Automated CNC laser cutter is very flexible

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is now finding applications in numerous consumer products, ranging from sunscreen and cosmetics to sporting goods and guitar strings.

Heavily filled with non-crystalline nanoparticles, Nanotool resin is one of the Protocomposite materials available from DSM Somos (Fig.1). When cured, it is a ceramic-like material with a flexural modulus of 10500MPa, a heat deflection temperature of 260°C (at 0.46MPa after thermal post-cure), a Shore D hardness of 94 and very low linear shrinkage.DSM Somos says the resin also offers excellent side wall quality, which reduces the amount of finishing time required and makes it attractive for applications that requiring highly finished parts. As well as being suitable for rapid tooling used in injection moulding applications, Nanotool is also suitable for the production of high-quality models for wind tunnel testing and parts that can be metal-plated as prototypes for cast metal components (metal casting).

Nanotool can be used with the stereolithography process to create tooling inserts capable of moulding hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of parts from thermoplastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers, high-impact polystyrene, ABS, polycarbonate and glass-filled nylon (Fig.2). These moulded parts would typically be used for performance testing or marketing studies, though the quality and structural integrity of the parts mean that they can also be suitable as production parts for short-run applications, provided the relatively long moulding cycle time of 60–120s is acceptable. For tooling that would traditionally require extensive electro-discharge machining, the rapid tooling process is likely to be more cost-effective than machined metal tooling. In addition, turnaround times can be very short, with moulded parts available in as little as three to five days.

As a guideline, DSM Somos suggests that Nanotool should be used for components up to approximately 100mm in size with ribs no less than 1.6mm thick due to the relatively brittle nature of the material. A minimum draft angle of 2degrees is recommended and, although sharp corners can be produced, the company cautions that this can reduce the life of the tool. For complex components, hand loaded cores can be used, and metal inserts remain an option for tall or thin-walled features that would be difficult to tool in Nanotool. So far we have discussed the use of Nanotool for rapid tooling, but the other application for which this material is proving popular is known as Metal Clad Composite (MC2) production (Fig.3). By coating a Nanotool part with a base layer of copper then a greater thickness of nickel, properties very similar to die cast or investment cast components can be created – but at a fraction of the cost. A metal-to-resin ratio of 20-30percent is said to result in a tensile strength similar to metals such as aluminium, zinc and magnesium. Alternatively, a coating of nickel just 0.05mm thick can be sufficient to provide good shielding against electromagnetic interference. In both cases, MC2 components are being used successfully for testing and real-world applications.

DSM Somos says that MC2 parts can be three or four times less expensive than parts that are investment cast or machined from solid, depending on the size and complexity. Furthermore, MC2 parts can be created in as little as one week. Prior to launching Nanotool, DSM Somos was already marketing Nanoform15120, which is another material taking advantage of nanotechnology. Similar in some ways to Nanotool, Nanoform15120 is a composite stereolithography material that incorporates non-crystalline nanoparticles to enhance its physical properties. In particular, Nanoform 15120 offers high stiffness, heat deflection temperatures of 265°C or more, exceptional dimensional stability and low moisture absorption.

DSM Somos is not alone in using nanotechnology to develop improved materials for rapid prototyping and manufacturing; 3D Systems proclaimed that its Accura Bluestone material was the first commercially available engineered nanocomposite resin for stereolithography (SLA) systems when it was launched in 2004. Accura Bluestone is capable of creating parts with high-stiffness, high temperature resistance, excellent dimensional accuracy and good resistance to moisture.

Capable of resisting temperatures as high as 250°C, the material is suitable for both high-temperature environments – such as in electronics enclosures and automotive engine bays – as well as for creating injection mould tooling. Other applications that benefit from the high stiffness and accuracy include wind-tunnel testing for the motorsports and aerospace industries, and the production of inspection and assembly jigs and fixtures. The combination of part accuracy and moisture resistance means Accura Bluestone can also be used for water-contact components in pumps and similar products. Post-cured Accura Bluestone has a tensile modulus of 7600 to 11,700MPa (!), a flexural modulus of 8300 to 9800MPa and a Shore D hardness of 92. Tempering technology Having reviewed some of the rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing materials that utilise nanotechnology, it is also worth highlighting a novel technique that makes use of nanotechnology to modify the properties of parts built from conventional rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing materials. RP Tempering is described as a solid freeform additive technology developed by Par3 Technology for use with parts built using stereolithography, laser sintering, fused deposition modelling and 3D printing systems. Whereas parts built using these systems are normally relatively fragile, the RP Tempering technology enables toughness to be improved (Fig.4). In addition, Par3 has developed alternative treatments for enhancing electromagnetic shielding, flame retardance and chemical resistance.

As well as modifying a component’s bulk characteristics, RP Tempering also enables living hinges to function, snap fits to be used numerous times, and self-tapping screws to be inserted into screw bosses.

To use RP Tempering, the part has to be built with a series of tunnels and surface grooves, depending on the part’s geometry. The tunnels are subsequently injected with the RP Tempering compound that contains multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Coating techniques are also used to apply RP Tempering compounds to the exterior and/or interior walls of the component.

When RP Tempering was first introduced, it was necessary to modify the CAD model prior to creating the STL file for rapid prototyping. However, Materialise has incorporated special functions in its 3-matic software that enables the tunnels and other features to be added directly to an STL file in a process that takes around 15minutes. In Europe, the Temperman Initiative has been established to promote RP Tempering, which is available through a number of service bureaux. The Temperman website has a series of short videos that illustrate very clearly the dramatic improvements that RP Tempering can make to components.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology brings ancient sarcophagus to life

Nanotechnology brings ancient sarcophagus to life

(Nanowerk News) It was long believed that the statues and relief's of Greek and Roman antiquity were left in their natural state and unpainted, unlike contemporary works from other advanced civilizations like the Egyptians. Archaeologists have known for some time that this popular misconception of Western art was largely a renaissance creation. Classical marble carvings would have been painted originally, although it is rare for any of the polychromy to have survived to the present day. In most cases the colouring has been completely weathered and worn away over the centuries.

Breathing new life into the past

To illustrate this breakthrough in the understanding of ancient art, it was decided to show the world how vibrant these works of art would have looked in their original form. This involved creating reproduction pieces for a special travelling exhibition organized by the Glyptothek museum in Munich, Germany. The project was led by archaeologist Prof. Vinzenz Brinkmann, a leading authority in this field. It represents more than two decades of research on the polychromy of ancient sculpture, undertaken by the leading authorities in museums around the world, in collaboration with scholars from different countries. Paint fragments were analysed using modern techniques such as infrared spectroscopy and recreated with authentic pigments by Prof. Brinkmann and his team. With more than 20 full-size coloured reconstructions of important Greek and Roman works, 'Multicoloured Gods' breaks new ground as the first large-scale effort to recreate the original appearance of ancient sculpture. Starting off in Munich, the exhibition has toured major European cities and is now in the US.

The Alexander Sarcophagus

One of the exhibition's centre pieces is a section of the Alexander Sarcophagus attributed to the 4th Century BC Lydian King Abdalonymos. An ally of Alexander, Abdalonymos had the marble sarcophagus adorned with bas-relief depictions of scenes from the life of his great hero battling against the Persians. This relic, discovered in Lebanon and now housed in the museum of Istanbul, was one of those rare finds containing fragments of original colours, which were painstakingly analyzed and reproduced. It is believed that the Alexander Sarcophagus, was painted by Nicias, a renowned artist of the period who showed Alexander in a vivid red tunic, magenta cape and golden lion-skin headdress.

Preserving and reconstructing with Stereolithography

The first challenge with the sarcophagus was to make a replica section that was precise in every detail. The second challenge was to use a material with hardness and surface qualities similar to marble. A silicone mould could not be used to make an impression due to the danger that the precious paint fragments would be removed by the mold. It was therefore decide to use a scanning technology to generate a three dimensional data set. This was then used to build a more or less consistent 3D-file which could be used for producing the replica by stereolithography (SL), a process that uses photopolymer liquid resins which solidify when exposed to UV laser light. A software program transfers the designer's 3-D CAD model, or in this case a laser scanned file, into an electronic file for SL machines, composing the information into thin cross sections or layers. A laser beam then traces each layer onto the surface of a vat of photopolymer resin, building the part in repeated layers until a solid replica of the original is completed.

Alphaform AG, a German based specialist service bureau was approached by Professor Brinkmann's team to reproduce the part. Alphaform had previously created pieces of art for well known artists like Andrew Barov and the "Bayrische See- und Schlösserverwaltung" - an institution responsible for preserving pieces of art and ancient buildings in the south of Germany. As Alphaform Director Ralf Deuke recalls: "These kind of projects are far removed from our usual rapid prototyping work, for example for automotive and Formula 1 where we receive well designed files with good surfaces."

"The project generated a number of specific challenges: The scan contained a lot of defects due to a combination of the protective glass cover and the space limitations around the original piece in the Istanbul museum. Another big challenge was that the file generated thousands of supports. Some structural supports are necessary while the part is being manufactured using the SL process but not thousands! We therefore had to use our experience and know-how to find a good compromise and produce a file that the machines were able to handle and which showed minimal defects."

NanoTool for precision detailing

To faithfully reproduce the fine detail of the piece also required an SL material with hardness and surface qualities similar to marble. Although Alphaform also use laser sintering techniques [SLS] they decided to use SL because of its superior surface finish and detail resolution. Being thermoplastics, SLS materials can't reproduce mineral-like qualities. The material that could was the SL photopolymer NanoTool® from DSM Somos: a high modulus material designed for high-end engineering applications - in automotive and wind-tunnel testing as well as for rapid tooling. NanoTool is heavily filled with non-crystalline nanoparticles allowing for faster processing. Being a virtually zero shrinkage polymer, build lines don't detract from the smooth finish.

"We have a lot of experience with NanoTool for the rapid prototyping of F1 aero sections and other parts that need high surface quality," continued Deuke, "it provides extremely fine detail resolution compared to other SL materials. Professor Brinkmann evaluated the material and found it easy to finish and paint - far superior to the plaster normally used to create replicas."

"After first creating a small section less than half a meter wide [shown above] we move on to replicating a full three meter side of the sarcopghagus. The complete piece was built in three sections which were then seamlessly fitted together. Without rapid prototyping it would have been impossible to create this part. It's ironic that a material and process designed for next generation prototyping and rapid manufacturing has replicated a 2,500 year old sarcophagus!"

About DSM Somos

DSM Somos is one of the world's leading material suppliers to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography liquids used for the creation of three-dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data. Somos' patented ProtoFunctional® materials are used by a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications.

DSM Somos is an unincorporated subsidiary of DSM Desotech-a world leader in the development of UVcurable materials-and a member of the global DSM family.

About Alphaform AG

With wholly owned subsidiary companies in German, Finland and the UK, Alphaform AG has evolved from a Rapid Prototyping service company into a production company of the future. Utilizing the most advanced production techniques, Alphaform customize the development and mass production of parts for a range of end-markets such as automotive, E&E, and medical. Services include rapid prototyping, metal coating, rapid tooling and small scale serial production.

Source: DSM Somos

Nanotechnology brings ancient sarcophagus to life

The Ink Jet Printing technology is also sometimes called Ballistic Particle Manufacturing. Other systems providers use considerably different techniques, but they all rely on squirting a build material in a liquid or melted state which cools or otherwise hardens to form a solid on impact. One example of the technology variations available in these so-called phase change inkjets is provided by 3D Systems. This company produces an inkjet machine, called the ThermoJet Modeler (formerly Actua), based on technology from Spectra, Inc. which utilizes several hundred nozzles. By contrast, the Solidscape machine uses a single jet each for build and support materials, and it serves as an introduction here. Plastic object, wax and support materials, are held in a melted liquid state at elevated temperature in reservoirs (A). The liquids are fed to individual jetting heads (B) through thermally insulated tubing. The jetting heads squirt tiny droplets of the materials as they are moved side by side in the required geometry to form the layer of the object. The heads are controlled and only place droplets where they are required to. The materials harden by rapidly dropping in temperature as they are deposited. After an entire layer of the object is formed by jetting, a milling head (C) is passed over the layer to make it a uniform thickness. Particles are vacuumed away as the milling head cuts and are captured in a filter (D). The operation of the nozzles is checked after a layer has been fabricated by depositing a line of each material on a narrow strip of paper and reading the result optically (E). If all is well, the elevator table (F) is moved down a layer thickness and the next layer is begun. If a clog is detected, a jetting head cleaning cycle is carried out. If the clog is cleared, the problem layers are milled off and then repeated. After the object is completed, the wax support material is either melted or dissolved away. The Solidscape system is capable of producing fine finishes, but to do so results in slow operation. Thus, there is a tradeoff between fabrication time and the amount of hand finishing required. Fused Deposition Modeling Figure 1 is a schematic of this method. A plastic filament, approximately 1/16 inch in diameter, is unwound from a coil (A) and supplies material to an extrusion nozzle (B). The nozzle is heated to melt the plastic and has a mechanism which allows the flow of the melted plastic to be controlled. The nozzle is mounted to a mechanical stage (C) which can be moved in horizontal and vertical directions. As the nozzle is moved over the table (D) in the required geometry, it deposits a thin bead of extruded plastic to form each layer. The plastic hardens immediately after being squirted from the nozzle and bonds to the layer below. The entire system is contained within an oven chamber which is held at a temperature just below the melting point of the plastic. Thus, only a small amount of additional thermal energy needs to be supplied by the extrusion nozzle to cause the plastic to melt. This provides much better control of the process. Support structures must be designed and fabricated for any overhanging geometries and are later removed in secondary operations. Several materials are available for the process including a nylon-like polymer and both machinable and investment casting waxes. The introduction of ABS plastic material has led to greater commercial acceptance of the method. It provides better layer to layer bonding than previous materials and also has a companion support material which is easily removable by simply breaking it away from the object. Laminated Object Manufacturing Figure 2 presents a schematic of this method as implemented in systems sold by Helisys. Profiles of object cross sections are cut from butcher paper using a laser. The paper is unwound from a feed roll (A) onto the stack and bonded to the previous layer using a heated roller (B). The roller melts a plastic coating on the bottom side of the paper to create the bond. The profiles are traced by an optics system that is mounted to an X-Y stage (C). The process generates considerable smoke. Either a chimney or a charcoal filtration system is required (E) and the build chamber must be sealed. After cutting the geometric features of a layer is completed, the excess paper is cut away to separate the layer from the web. The extra paper of the web is wound on a take-up roll (D). The method is self-supporting for overhangs and undercuts. Areas of cross sections which are to be removed in the final object are heavily cross-hatched with the laser to facilitate removal. It can be time consuming to remove extra material for some geometries. The finish and accuracy are not as good as with some methods, however objects have the look and feel of wood and can be worked and finished in the same manner. Variations on this method have been developed by many companies and research groups. Kira's Paper Lamination Technology (PLT) uses a knife to cut each layer instead of a laser and applies adhesive to bond layers using the xerographic process. Other variations include Thick Layer Lamination from Stratoconception of France, Precision Stratiform Machining from Ford Research, and Adaptive-Layer Lamination developed by Landfoam Topographics. These are hybrids of additive and subtractive CNC technologies which seek to increase speed and material versatility by cutting the edges of thick layers to avoid stair stepping. Solid Ground Curing The early versions of the system weighed several tons and required a sealed room. Size has been decreased and the system has been sealed to prevent exposure to photopolymers, but it's still very large. Please see the discussion on stereolithography for a description of photopolymers. Instead of using a laser to expose and harden photopolymer element by element within a layer as is done in stereolithography, SGC uses a mask to expose the entire object layer at once with a burst of intense UV light. The method of generating the masks is based on electrophotography (xerography). This is a two cycle process having a mask generation cycle and a layer fabrication cycle. It takes about 2 minutes to complete all operations to make a layer: 1. First the object under construction (A) is given a coating of photopolymer resin as it passes the resin applicator station (B) on its way to the exposure cell (C). 2. A mask is generated by electrostatically transferring toner in the required object cross sectional image pattern to a glass plate (D) An electron gun writes a charge pattern on the plate which is developed with toner. The glass plate then moves to the exposure cell where it is positioned above the object under construction. 3. A shutter is opened allowing the exposure light to pass through the mask and quickly cure the photopolymer layer in the required pattern. Because the light is so intense the layer is fully cured and no secondary curing operation is necessary as is the case with stereolithography. 4. The mask and object under fabrication then part company. The glass mask is cleaned of toner and discharged. A new mask is electrophotographically generated on the plate to repeat the cycle. 5. The object moves to the aerodynamic wiper (E) where any resin that wasn't hardened is vacuumed off and discarded. 6. It then passes under a wax applicator (F) where the voids created by the removal of the unhardened resin are filled with wax. The wax is hardened by moving the object to the cooling station (G) where a cold plate is pressed against it. 7. The final step involves running the object under the milling head (H). Both the wax and photopolymer are milled to a uniform thickness and the cycle is repeated until the object is completely formed within a wax matrix. Secondary operations are required to remove the wax. It can either be melted away or dissolved using. Stereolithography The implementation shown in figure 3 is used by 3D Systems and some foreign manufacturers. A moveable table, or elevator (A), initially is placed at a position just below the surface of a vat (B) filled with liquid photopolymer resin (C). This material has the property that when light of the correct color strikes it, it turns from a liquid to a solid. The most common photopolymer materials used require an ultraviolet light, but resins that work with visible light are also utilized. The system is sealed to prevent the escape of fumes from the resin. A laser beam is moved over the surface of the liquid photopolymer to trace the geometry of the cross-section of the object. This causes the liquid to harden in areas where the laser strikes. The laser beam is moved in the X-Y directions by a scanner system (D). These are fast and highly controllable motors which drive mirrors and are guided by information from the CAD data. The exact pattern that the laser traces is a combination of the information contained in the CAD system that describes the geometry of the object, and information from the rapid prototyping application software that optimizes the faithfulness of the fabricated object. Of course, application software for every method of rapid prototyping modifies the CAD data in one way or another to provide for operation of the machinery and to compensate for shortcomings. After the layer is completely traced and for the most part hardened by the laser beam, the table is lowered into the vat a distance equal to the thickness of a layer. The resin is generally quite viscous, however. To speed this process of recoating, early stereolithography systems drew a knife edge (E) over the surface to smooth it. More recently pump-driven recoating systems have been utilized. The tracing and recoating steps are repeated until the object is completely fabricated and sits on the table within the vat. Some geometries of objects have overhangs or undercuts. These must be supported during the fabrication process. The support structures are either manually or automatically designed. Upon completion of the fabrication process, the object is elevated from the vat and allowed to drain. Excess resin is swabbed manually from the surfaces. The object is often given a final cure by bathing it in intense light in a box resembling an oven called a Post-Curing Apparatus (PCA). Some resins and types of stereolithography equipment don't require this operation, however. After final cure, supports are cut off the object and surfaces are sanded or otherwise finished. Stereolithography generally is considered to provide the greatest accuracy and best surface finish of any rapid prototyping technology. Work continues to provide materials that have wider and more directly useable mechanical properties. Selective Laser Sintering The process is somewhat similar to stereolithography in principle as can be seen from figure 4. In this case, however, a laser beam is traced over the surface of a tightly compacted powder made of thermoplastic material (A). The powder is spread by a roller (B) over the surface of a build cylinder (C). A piston (D) moves down one object layer thickness to accommodate the layer of powder. The powder supply system (E) is similar in function to the build cylinder. It also comprises a cylinder and piston. In this case the piston moves upward incrementally to supply powder for the process. Heat from the laser melts the powder where it strikes under guidance of the scanner system (F). The CO2 laser used provides a concentrated infrared heating beam. The entire fabrication chamber is sealed and maintained at a temperature just below the melting point of the plastic powder. Thus, heat from the laser need only elevate the temperature slightly to cause sintering, greatly speeding the process. A nitrogen atmosphere is also maintained in the fabrication chamber which prevents the possibility of explosion in the handling of large quantities of powder. After the object is fully formed, the piston is raised to elevate the object. Excess powder is simply brushed away and final manual finishing may be carried out. No supports are required with this method since overhangs and undercuts are supported by the solid powder bed. This saves some finishing time compared to stereolithography. However, surface finishes are not as good and this may increase the time. No final curing is required as in stereolithography, but since the objects are sintered they are porous. Depending on the application, it may be necessary to infiltrate the object with another material to improve mechanical characteristics. Much progress has been made over the years in improving surface finish and pororsity. The method has also been extended to provide direct fabrication of metal and ceramic objects and tools. This article was written by C. Kaan Senol in 2003.

Rapid Prototyping and Direct Digital Manufacturing Services Now Available in Australasia

We've posted on RedEye RPM before; they are the service bureau arm of Stratasys, who manufacture various types of 3D print gear. This announcement ensures strong access to 3D print services for those in Australia and surrounding regions. Details about the service can be found at this post.

RedEye RPM ’s new location in Melbourne, Australia offers fused deposition modeling® technology to Australia and New Zealand

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RedEye RPM (www.redeyerpm.com), a provider of rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing services, today announced the expansion of its operations to a new location in Melbourne, Australia.

Our FDM technology will give designers and engineers in Australasia a new opportunity to quickly produce functional prototypes and parts, ” said Jeff Hanson, manager of business development for RedEye RPM. “ A great deal of design and development is performed in that region. Our partnership with RapidPro allows us to produce parts for testing, concept validation and even end-use in a number of industries, including aerospace, automotive and medical; through to consumer and white goods. ”

RedEye RPM is a business unit of Stratasys, the creator of FDM technology, an additive fabrication process that uses production-grade thermoplastic materials to build functional, durable models and parts in one piece. RapidPro, the Melbourne-based rapid-prototyping group, will serve as the host facility for RedEye RPM (Australia) and will run and maintain the systems.

"The Australasian market can now enjoy the benefits of the prototypes and/or short-run production parts being generated by top-end FDM machines in high-performance engineering materials," says Simon Bartlett, managing director of RapidPro.

From its Australian manufacturing center, RedEye RPM Australasia can build and ship parts throughout Australia and New Zealand. RapidPro will build models and parts in a range of engineering thermoplastic materials, such as a 140+ degree C (300 degree F) polyphenylsulfone material and a material approved for medical (meet ISO 10993-1) applications.

About RedEye RPM

RedEye RPM, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc., provides rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing services worldwide. With more than 80 systems in its facilities, RedEye RPM produces low-volume models and functional parts made from one of the largest selections of thermoplastic materials available for rapid prototyping, such as ABS, polycarbonate, ISO-certified PC and more. From digital files, RedEye builds models and parts of any size, while maintaining design accuracy, and allows for multiple iterations throughout the design process. For instant online quoting or more information, visit au.redeyerpm.com.

Stratasys Inc., Minneapolis, manufactures additive fabrication machines for 3D printing, prototyping, and direct digital manufacturing. According to Wohlers Report 2007, Stratasys supplied 41 percent of all such systems installed worldwide in 2006, making it the unit market leader for the fifth consecutive year. Stratasys owns the RapidPrototyping process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM). The process creates functional prototypes and end-use parts directly from any 3D CAD program, using ABS plastic, polycarbonate, PPSF, and blends. The company holds more than 180 granted or pending additive fabrication patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, education, electronic, and consumer product industries. On the Web: www.Stratasys.com; www.DimensionPrinting.com; and www.RedEyeRPM.com.

About RapidPro

RapidPro is a specialist prototype and short run production supplier to all industries. The key to their success is understanding customers requirements and brain storming the ideal solution. In going through this process they apply the latest “

Forward Looking Statement

All statements herein that are not historical facts or that include such words as “expects ”, “anticipates ”, “projects ”, “estimates ” or “believes ” or similar words are forward-looking statements that we deem to be covered by and to qualify for the safe harbor protection covered by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our belief that we have the largest part-building service claim is based on the number of dedicated machines. Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties; these include the continued market acceptance and growth of our Dimension^TM line, Prodigy Plus, FDM Maxum^TM, FDM Vantage^TM, and Titan^TM product lines; the size of the 3D printing market; our ability to penetrate the 3D printing market; our ability to maintain the growth rates experienced in this and preceding quarters; our ability to introduce and market new materials such as PC-ABS and the market acceptance of this and other materials; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the timely development and acceptance of new products and materials; our ability to effectively and profitably market and distribute the Arcam product line; the success of our recent R&D initiative to expand the rapid manufacturing capabilities of our core FDM technology; the success of our RedEye RPM^TM and other parts services; and the other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC Reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 10-Q filed throughout 2007.

Design of Experiment ” problem solving techniques, using Six Sigma methodologies. The result - a complete Rapid Prototyping solution. All done through a team of engineers with over 40 years of combined experience in a wide variety of design and development roles. More than just a part supplier, better thought of as an extension to your engineering team. On the web www.rapidpro.com.au and redeyerpm.com.au Rapid Prototyping and Direct Digital Manufacturing Services Now Available in Australasia

Nanotechnology and rapid prototyping/manufacturing

Leading suppliers of materials for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing are finding that nanoparticles can dramatically alter the properties of finished components. Paul Stevens looks at what is available on the market and how another nanotechnology-based process is enhancing the properties of parts built from standard materials.

Nanotechnology is now finding applications in numerous consumer products, ranging from sunscreen and cosmetics to sporting goods and guitar strings. In the field of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing, nanotechnology is also now offering advantages to new product development teams.

In this article we will look at materials for tooling and model building, as well as an innovative technology that improves the performance of standard materials used for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing.

Heavily filled with non-crystalline nanoparticles, Nanotool resin is one of the Protocomposite materials available from DSM Somos. When cured, it is a ceramic-like material with a flexural modulus of 10,500 MPa, a heat deflection temperature of 260˚C (at 0.46 MPa after thermal post-cure), a Shore D hardness of 94 and very low linear shrinkage.

DSM Somos says the resin also offers excellent side wall quality, which reduces the amount of finishing time required and makes it attractive for applications that requiring highly finished parts. As well as being suitable for rapid tooling used in injection moulding applications, Nanotool is also suitable for the production of high-quality models for wind tunnel testing and parts that can be metal-plated as prototypes for cast metal components (metal casting).

Nanotool can be used with the stereolithography process to create tooling inserts capable of moulding hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of parts from thermoplastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers, high-impact polystyrene, ABS, polycarbonate and glass-filled nylon. These moulded parts would typically be used for performance testing or marketing studies, though the quality and structural integrity of the parts mean that they can also be suitable as production parts for short-run applications, provided the relatively long moulding cycle time of 60–120 s is acceptable. For tooling that would traditionally require extensive electro-discharge machining, the rapid tooling process is likely to be more cost-effective than machined metal tooling. In addition, turnaround times can be very short, with moulded parts available in as little as three to five days.

As a guideline, DSM Somos suggests that Nanotool should be used for components up to approximately 100 mm in size with ribs no less than 1.6 mm thick due to the relatively brittle nature of the material. A minimum draft angle of 2 degrees is recommended and, although sharp corners can be produced, the company cautions that this can reduce the life of the tool. For complex components, hand loaded cores can be used, and metal inserts remain an option for tall or thin-walled features that would be difficult to tool in Nanotool.

Nickel plating

So far we have discussed the use of Nanotool for rapid tooling, but the other application for which this material is proving popular is known as Metal Clad Composite (MC2) production. By coating a Nanotool part with a base layer of copper then a greater thickness of nickel, properties very similar to die cast or investment cast components can be created - but at a fraction of the cost. A metal-to-resin ratio of 20-30 per cent is said to result in a tensile strength similar to metals such as aluminium, zinc and magnesium. Alternatively, a coating of nickel just 0.05 mm thick can be sufficient to provide good shielding against electromagnetic interference. In both cases, MC2 components are being used successfully for testing and real-world applications.

DSM Somos says that MC2 parts can be three or four times less expensive than parts that are investment cast or machined from solid, depending on the size and complexity. Furthermore, MC2 parts can be created in as little as one week.

Prior to launching Nanotool, DSM Somos was already marketing Nanoform 15120, which is another material taking advantage of nanotechnology. Similar in some ways to Nanotool, Nanoform 15120 is a composite stereolithography material that incorporates non-crystalline nanoparticles to enhance its physical properties. In particular, Nanoform 15120 offers high stiffness, heat deflection temperatures of 265˚C or more, exceptional dimensional stability and low moisture absorption.

DSM Somos is not alone in using nanotechnology to develop improved materials for rapid prototyping and manufacturing; 3D Systems proclaimed that its Accura Bluestone material was the first commercially available engineered nanocomposite resin for stereolithography (SLA) systems when it was launched in 2004. Accura Bluestone is capable of creating parts with high-stiffness, high temperature resistance, excellent dimensional accuracy and good resistance to moisture.

Capable of resisting temperatures as high as 250˚C, the material is suitable for both high-temperature environments – such as in electronics enclosures and automotive engine bays - as well as for creating injection mould tooling. Other applications that benefit from the high stiffness and accuracy include wind-tunnel testing for the motorsports and aerospace industries, and the production of inspection and assembly jigs and fixtures. The combination of part accuracy and moisture resistance means Accura Bluestone can also be used for water-contact components in pumps and similar products.

Post-cured Accura Bluestone has a tensile modulus of 7600 to 11 700 MPa, a flexural modulus of 8300 to 9800 MPa and a Shore D hardness of 92.

Tempering technology

Having reviewed some of the rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing materials that utilise nanotechnology, it is also worth highlighting a novel technique that makes use of nanotechnology to modify the properties of parts built from conventional rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing materials. RP Tempering is described as a solid freeform additive technology developed by Par3 Technology for use with parts built using stereolithography, laser sintering, fused deposition modelling and 3D printing systems. Whereas parts built using these systems are normally relatively fragile, the RP Tempering technology enables toughness to be improved considerably. In addition, Par3 has developed alternative treatments for enhancing electromagnetic shielding, flame retardance and chemical resistance.

As well as modifying a component’s bulk characteristics, RP Tempering also enables living hinges to function, snap fits to be used numerous times, and self-tapping screws to be inserted into screw bosses.

To use RP Tempering, the part has to be built with a series of tunnels and surface grooves, depending on the part's geometry. The tunnels are subsequently injected with the RP Tempering compound that contains multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Coating techniques are also used to apply RP Tempering compounds to the exterior and/or interior walls of the component.

When RP Tempering was first introduced, it was necessary to modify the CAD model prior to creating the STL file for rapid prototyping. However, Materialise has incorporated special functions in its 3-matic software that enables the tunnels and other features to be added directly to an STL file in a process that takes around 15 minutes. In Europe, the Temperman Initiative has been established to promote RP Tempering, which is available through a number of service bureaux. The Temperman website has a series of short videos that illustrate very clearly the dramatic improvements that RP Tempering can make to components.

Nanotechnology has already found its way into hundreds of consumer products because of the diverse benefits that are available. As the foregoing illustrates, nanotechnology is also starting to make an impact on the world of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing.

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Nanotechnology and rapid prototyping/manufacturing