Plastics Technology

FEB 2013

Plastics Technology - Dedicated to improving Plastics Processing.

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free!) for them to be able to see and touch their product is a great way to land a deal. In-house RP makes this easy and doesn't really cost that much." Many customers use RP parts for product testing and the Spectrum team will provide careful guidance, as RP parts don't really replicate the properties of injection molded parts. Inappropriate testing could condemn an otherwise sound design, cautions Erwin. Spectrum also uses RP, usually stereolithography (SLA), for fxture designs (assembly, ultrasonic welding, heat staking) to get a leg up so that they are 95% ready when the frst parts come off the molds. "I'm able to reduce my fxture build time from weeks down to a few hours, adding fnishing touches and really compressing a product development cycle," Erwin notes. Nakari says the decision whether to injection mold or use RP/AM depends on the customer's needs and the intended end use. Material is typically the frst deciding criterion. "If a specifc material, such as PEEK or another implantable medical resin or a specifc engineered plastic is required, then QuickTurn tooling and molding is likely the logical choice. Unless the quantity requirements are so low that CNC machining is a viable option. So we look at quantity as the second factor in determining the best solution." He adds that if material is a fexible factor at this stage of development, Spectrum will consider other RP methods such as SLA, 3D printing, SLS, or casting either silicone or urethane, taking into consideration cost, mechanical properties, and cosmetics. Thogus' rp+m lounge includes the Fortus 900 (the largest Stratasys FDM machine) and examples of parts printed on that machine, including the ABS table legs and rounded wall shelving. Thogus ProducTs With the formation of its two new companies, rp+m and Jalex Medical, Thogus (thogus.com) is continuously evolving and redefning itself. Acquiring in-house RP/AM capabilities had been on the radar for some time, according to marketing manager Dana Foster. "Our president, Matt Hlavin, followed Stratasys for 10 years (stratasys.com) and saw the value AM would add for our customers. We wanted to be more than just one more molder among 8000 in the U.S., not to mention the rest of the world. Not only were we able to provide quotes, but we were able to show up at our customer with a quote and their part in our hand. Our customer would be able to touch and feel their part before spending money on tooling. It also enables us to show easily whether there are issues with a part design or how a part should be redesigned for manufacturability. "It was an easy decision to purchase our frst Stratasys FDM machine in 2009. Growing beyond that was driven by customers who were willing to pay for the service and our ability to use the process in-house. As an injection molder, we were quickly able to produce holding fxtures for quality inspection and assembly, as well as components for robot end-of-arm-tooling." Currently Thogus' rp+m company has six Stratasys FDM machines and one Objet Connex500 inkjet-style 3D printer. 32 February 2013 Plastics technology Currier Plastics' Jedik (left) and Kieffer (right) check prototype packaging printed by the frm's Objet30 digital 3D printer. From the start, the company also saw the value of equipping itself with every material that Stratasys offers—ABS, PC, PC/ ABS, Ultem polyetherimide (PEI), and polyphenylsulfone (PPSU)—so that it would be able to handle the concept ideation, functional prototyping, prototype tooling, end-of-arm tooling, and fnal production for clients. Is demand for AM creeping up on RP? Engineering manager Patrick Gannon says the parts made on the Stratasys FDM units by rp+m for Thogus clients are primarily AM production parts. For rp+m's outside (non-Thogus) customers, Gannon expects an even split this year between prototype and production parts, whereas last year it was about 65% RP/35% AM. "We're working on projects this year developing new materials to allow the use of AM parts for the aerospace industry."

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