Posts Tagged ‘Prototype Engineering’

Techniques for Additive Fabrication

Monday, November 17th, 2008

3D Rapid Prototyping

Prototyping 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. Additive fabrication is also known as solid freeform fabrication, layered manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.

Techniques: Additive fabrication 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 ‘rapid prototyping’ for metals. It is better known as Rapid Prototyping method. The parts are manufactured by having the metal powder melted layer by layer through a beam of electron in high vacuum. The parts that are produced during this process have plenty of solidity, are void-free, and acquire strength. 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. You will find that this heat that is generated is enough for getting the parts surface to melt and cause it to vaporize. 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’. The material, in this case, will need 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.

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3D Printer and 3D Printer Technologies

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

3D Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping can be referred to as method of getting virtual 3D model printed onto a 2D object. Rapid Prototyping falls in the category of ‘rapid prototyping’ technology. The function typically performed by 3D printers is that of printing consecutive layers on the previous ones for building up a 3D object. It is easier, more affordable, and faster to use 3D printers as compared to other technologies related to additive fabrication.

Technologies: Initially, production of a prototype required a lot of man-hours, tools, and experienced labor. For instance, after designing a novel Street Light Luminaire digitally, drawings used to be sent to accomplished craftsmen where the paper design used to be followed with utmost pains and a Rapid Prototyping used to be formed in wood through the utilization of the entire shop that is full of costly tools and working machinery. One can easily make out that this process consumed a lot of time. Moreover, the skillful labor was not all that cheap. These shortcomings necessitated the need of rapid prototyping.

Inkjet Printing System is one variation of 3D Printing. It involves binding of fine powder layers (resins, cornstarch, or plaster) by the way of printing a gum from inkjet print head as per the shape of every cross-section as spotted by the CAD file. This is the only technology allowing full color prototypes to be printed. This method is really believed by many to be the quickest.

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Is Rapid Prototyping going Overseas

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

3D Rapid Prototyping

Global Sources Group: There are very few companies dealing with Rapid Prototyping overseas. One of them is Global Sources Group. It can boast of offering overseas rapid manufacturing. Today’s fast world speaks of competition. The US is no exception. Since the last century this has been the dominate thing in the world. This has led to the emergence of Global Sources Group. The customer would always feel obliged by seeking the services of Global Sources Group, as this would result in substantial increase in his productivity and profit. This company is associated with factories across Vietnam and China. Thus, the required competitive edge that is needed in market of today is ensured.

Global Sources Group has the ability of designing the Rapid Prototyping within 10 days. Not only that, the patent of the new product acquired can be obtained within 4 weeks. Here, time is equated with money. In reality, you would airfreight the products over seas so you still get fast productivity and overseas has very high quality factories. This would thus take the client to the subsequent level.

Global Sources Group assists companies in Rapid Prototyping , right from design to manufacture. It specializes in manufacturing and ‘Art to Part Design’. This company has been into rapid prototyping for the last 20 years.

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Learning about Prototype Development

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Prototype Development

Designing and Rapid Prototyping have revolutionized the manufacturing processes in all industries nearly. There is not a single industry or process that is untouched by the technology of designing and prototyping.

Designing: Just as the name states, this is when you design a product before its in 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.

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The Basics of 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Prototype Development

In the Rapid Prototyping 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 Printing 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.

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