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Issue link: http://pty.epubxp.com/i/105397
...Continued from p. 33 provided high-quality prototypes was sold to another concern, after which the quality of prototypes declined signifcantly enough to be noticed by Currier's perspective customers. According to Gary Kieffer, v.p. of new product development, Currier spent a couple of years searching for a digital 3D printer that would best meet its needs. "As both an injection molder and blow molder of packages, we wanted to prove to our customers our product design capabilities with a 3D ft-form-function prototype that can be verifed before making a costly steel mold." The Objet30 unit can make parts within an envelope of 300 x 200 x 150 mm. Currier uses Durus White, a PP-like material that addresses a broad range of applications requiring PP's appearance, fexibility, strength, and toughness. Currier also use Vero White, an opaque, rigid, ABS-like material that offers toughness, dimensional stability, and greater detail visualization. Says Larry Jedik, designer/CAD engineer, "We make different size bottles for personal-care lotions. With the Objet30, if a bottle is too large, we make it in two pieces, which we then assemble. It all depends on the size and shape of the bottle. This unit allows us to print a 3D prototype up to 6.5-7.0 in. We have used a cardboard box to simulate the exact footprint of what we • • • • • can create on Objet30, which we present to customers to show the dimensional limitations. According to Currier sources, the RP unit essentially paid for itself when it helped the frm win the contract for a revised model of a hotel amenity package. Says Leone, "We made the modifcation to the package design—a blow molded bottle with an injection-molded closure—on CAD, sent it to the Objet30 printer, and, two hours later we were able to hand the customer a prototype of the revised product. Key in the redesign was our ability to design a closure that ft well into the container." Within the frst eight months, the Objet 30 was used to validate designs for 24 different packages, either injection or blow molded. But the number of actual prototypes produced during this time was much higher, as Currier typically makes as many as fve duplicates or variations of a design. Says Kieffer, "The beauty of this capability is that once a design has been approved, we can provide multiple 3D parts for our customers' internal use and to give to their customers, as well as duplicates for our business-development manager and our injection molding or blow molding tool makers." To date, Currier uses this unit to validate design geometry and build a prototype in hours or a day. Soon, Currier plans to use the 3D printer to make part fxtures for automatic quality inspection. Indoor Portable & Central Chillers Use Inside Plant Facility for Single Process or Plant Wide Cooling Microprocessor Controller and Display Small Footprint to save floor space Environment Friendly Refrigerants Internal Coolant Reservoir And Cirulation Pump Outdoor Central Chillers • Complete Outdoor Chilling System with Refrigerant Zones and Pumping System • For Use In Most Outdoor Climates • Central Unit for Plant Wide Cooling for Many Processes • Integral Air-Cooled Condenser Water Chillers with New Product Warranties, industry recognized components for Maximum Reliability, Economically Affordable capital equipment providing perfect bottom-line returns, and a network of factory trained technicians for Unbeatable Service. • Environment Friendly Refrigerants • Microprocessor Instrument Controls • Non-Ferrous Construction • Small Footprint • Factory Phone For information online 317-887-6352 www.Temptek.com Other Products: Temperature Control Units, Pump Tanks, Cooling Towers, Material Dryers, Loaders, Granulators 525 East Stop 18 Road Greenwood, Indiana 46142 44 february 2013 Plastics technology Phone: 317-887-6352 Email: sales@TempTek.com