Proto Labs Global Domination - Part III

Here's an positive story for a change, the chaps at Proto Labs are about to embark on the next stage of their plan to take over the world!

They have announced two areas of international expansion which in the light of all the doom and gloom around is worth pointing out, it's a shame the mass media can't focus on the good news that is out there, we'd probably all feel a little better if they did.

The first new operation is a new Japanese subsidiary named Proto Labs K.K. The facility will be located near Tokyo and is scheduled to be fully operational by mid-2009.

They are also planning to open a sales office in France in the second quarter of 2009. Given the success of the German office you can bet this one will fly too!

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3D Printing for the Masses

This first caught my eye in the summer of last year, Shapeways is a spin out from the Lifestyle Incubator of Royal Philips Electronics, yes that Philips. Its aimed at budding 3D artists, architects, product designers and consumers and enables anyone with any skill level to order a reasonably priced model of their 3D design.

The whole transaction is carried out online and enables users to create and to modify their designs, or import them from popular 3D modeling software. Then In a few clicks, Shapeways checks whether the object can be made and provides a real-time cost estimate.

10 days later, wherever you are in the world your model arrives to your home or office....simple as that.

Looks like the system is starting to take off, if the forum traffic and examples on the site (www.shapeways.com) are anything to go by. I still can't see the day when everyone has a 3d printer in their house, but this kind of thing does open the technology up to everyone and that is a rather cool thing indeed.

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Araldite Composites - Breaking the Mould

News has just arrived regarding the new Araldite® Highly Flexible Composite. This is a fibre re-inforced composite from Huntsman that, it is suggested, has the potential to break into a wide range of different markets, from car panel manufacture where speed and cost are of paramount importance to sports protection and fashion clothing.

The new material is described as having outstanding flexibility and strength as a result of a unique thermosetting resin system. It has similar material characteristics to elastomers - impact, abrasion and tear resistance with elongation and tensile resistance, but is very different in terms of material and production time costs.

Only a few consumable materials are required – resin and fibre – and, most importantly, just a single shell mould is required for component production.

Standard, well established direct composite production processes such as wet-lay up and infusion can be used to produce parts from this single shell mould quickly and cost effectively. The parts can then be cured for 24 hours at room temperature or in an oven for 1 hour at 60oC. Highly detailed parts can be rapidly produced using no specialist equipment and only a single mould.

The parts look good in the pic!

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Pay As You Go RP&M

A new, purpose built centre has opened in London to offer rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing facilities on a ‘pay-and-go’ basis. Engineering and manufacturing companies, large and small, as well as individuals in business or education, are being encouraged to use the facility. It is also open to designers from all fields, for example in the jewellery and furniture sectors, and to architects that may wish to build scale models of their new designs.

The four-story building will be an extension of the activities of Metropolitan Works, London’s first creative industries centre which currently operates on London Metropolitan University’s city campus in East London. Two additive layer manufacturing machines from EOS, one for laser-sintering plastic powders and the other for metal powders, were delivered during 2008. They joined other rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing processes on site from Z-Corp and Envisiontec.

An example of an engineering project currently being assisted by Metropolitan Works is a stainless steel component around one centimetre thick that has a mesh of sub-millimetre wide holes with material between them of 0.1 mm wall thickness. According to the Metropolitan Works technicians making the components from EOS GP1 powder, it would be very difficult to make the component in any way other than using EOSINT laser-sintering technology.

While the purpose of the previous component is confidential, another design produced in the same material is not. Created by acclaimed silversmith, Marianne Forrest, it is a watch with an innovative strap that takes inspiration from prehistoric vertebrae. Although hand finished, it would be almost impossible to make entirely by hand to such high precision.

Matthew Lewis, Manager of Metropolitan Works suggests “The new, pay-and-go centre offers a leading-edge, digital design and manufacturing workspace that is a flexible, economic alternative to renting workshops and studios on a fixed term basis. It is accessible to everyone – established businesses, creative practitioners, innovative thinkers and graduates – who can work alongside each other and feed off each other’s ideas."

We think it's an interesting spin on things, now not only can you get your RP model on demand, nothing new there, but you can also locate your office and workshop for the duration of your project right next door so you can keep an eye on it as it's produced - if it takes off the networking possibilities are really quite interesting indeed.

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DSM Somos® Introduces Software to Produce Reduced-Density Parts

This is an interesting one, DSM Somos®, one of the leading resin suppliers to the RP&M industry has announced that it will introduce a new software application allowing SL users to create light-weight prototypes having enhanced structural integrity.

Based on patented technology from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), TetraShell™ hollow build software will use MSOE's TetraLattice* technology to facilitate the manufacture of hollow stereolithography parts with variable skin thicknesses, supported by a patented and proprietary TetraLattice™ support structure. Potential application areas include investment casting patterns, reduced- density metal clad composite structures and light-weight large, thick-sectioned parts.

"Until now, hollow build SL software has been restricted primarily to investment casting pattern applications," says DSM Somos Product Development Manager, Brian Bauman. "The TetraShell software will allow SL part builders to widely vary wall thickness, as well as to adjust support parameters-and consequently opens doors previously closed to SL because of cost or weight considerations. Due to overall reduction of mass, the TetraShell hollow build style will create considerable material savings for customers with bulky parts, while at the same time increasing part accuracy."

The TetraShell software is a proprietary DSM Somos application module supported by Materialise's Magics™ software and can easily be used on all current SL equipment. Beta testing is now underway, with widespread availability of the software in conjunction with Somos resins expected by year end.

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ARRK Deliver on Husqvarna Flymo Project

Leading manufacturer Husqvarna recently called upon ARRK to assist in the development of their new rear collection lawnmower, the Multimo 360XC.
Husqvarna were in the process of designing a new lawnmower for their Flymo® range and needed a prototype model. Based on the brief ARRK proposed an ABS fabricated CNC model and within 14 days supplied a model comprising 25 CNC components in ABS and clear acrylic.

Following delivery the prototype was used to prove the design and fit of the components. An additional benefit was that Husqvarna were able to conduct actual field trials to cut grass and confirm the performance of the lawnmower. The use of ABS, with its high impact properties, allowed the lawnmower to endure the physical demands of the trials. This was vital to the success of the project and allowed the design team to optimise the cut and collection of the Multimo.

After successful trials ARRK was then commissioned to produce vacuum castings of all the components, resulting in 15 fully assembled lawnmowers being supplied. As all the models were going to be used for photo shoots and marketing meetings, ARRK used its PremCast* service to produce exhibition standard, reproduction castings. This ensured the model communicated the important product features to major retailers.

The vacuum castings were produced using colour matched polyurethane resins that were as close to final production material as possible. The components were fully finished, textured, assembled and then delivered to the client within four weeks.

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The TCT Additive Manufacturing Conference 2009 – Final Paper Call

This years TCT conference will explore more deeply than ever before the realities of additive manufacture and will look at whether the promises and reported benefits are actually fact or fiction.

Taking into account the recommendations of the steering committee and to better address the needs of industry, this year’s conference will reflect the true issues facing businesses that adopt such technologies.

The theme of this years TCT event is business critical and advanced technologies for product development and manufacturing and to this end the event organisers welcome paper submissions from parties who would be able to present a dynamic and original paper on the following key subjects:

• The business reasons for adopting additive technologies, looking at companies’ business models when using or considering using the technologies within the manufacturing process and how this affects ROI.

• Papers that present a definitive manufacturing application of additive fabrication.

• Technical and practical case studies that examine the day-to-day issues associated with the implementation of additive technologies within business— what can they be used for and how to get the most out of them, the realities of using and adopting these machines.

• Future Considerations including: economic, environmental and corporate social responsibilities. Looking at the implications of adopting this technology and the new business models that evolve from additive manufacture.

As a conclusion, the last session of the day will draw together equipment and material vendors and end-users to discuss the practicalities of this technology and how they can really be used to reduce cost, increase speed and improve efficiency.

The conference will once again be held at the prestigious and centrally located Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21st October 2009.

All submissions must be non-promotional in content and presented by companies that are utilising and/or researching the technologies for an industrial application. All papers will be reviewed by the conference steering committee to ensure that they meet the necessary and exacting requirements of TCT.

No vendor papers will be accepted from companies that sell machines, materials or associated services. Interested parties are initially requested to submit a detailed abstract (around 300 words) of their proposed paper on or before 6th March 2009. This should include the working title, all authors/contributors and their affiliations.

Please submit abstracts to Jenna Reid via email: jenna@rapidnews.com

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