72 TIME COMPRESSION
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precision custom parts primarily for medical and dental applications. Equipped for automated, pushbutton data processing of hundreds of files at a time, the iPro 8000 MP SLA Precision Center is suitable for the rapid mass- customisation of parts such as orthodontics, implant drill guides, dental restorations, hearing aid shells and ear moulds.
loyal automotive customers’ desire to build bigger, better and faster. Paired with our growing portfolio of Accura Pro plastics, the iPro 9000 XL SLA Center is a versatile system for a variety of automotive, aerospace, construction and investment casting applications.” 3D Systems’ Clearvue Plastic, mentioned above,
is the most recent addition to the Accura family. It produces virtually colourless parts for a wide range of applications, including automotive headlamp lenses, hydraulic and pneumatic functional models, and form, fit and function parts and prototypes (Fig. 3). It also enables designers and engineers to visualise internal structures and simulate lenses and other optical components. According to 3D Systems, Clearvue offers outstanding flexibility and durability, with a modulus range that bridges two of the most widely used thermoplastics – ABS and polypropylene. Such are the material’s properties that it can even be used to produce parts for testing snap-fit assemblies.
Fig. 2. These samples on the build platform of the iPro 9000 XL SLA Center illustrate the size of parts that can be produced within the machine’s 1500 x 750 x 550 mm build envelope.
Another system announced by 3D Systems towards
the end of 2008 was the iPro 9000 XL SLA Center for the production of extra-large, high-definition parts for prototyping and end-use applications (Fig. 2). With the ability to build parts up to 1524mm long, the iPro 9000 XL SLA Precision Center is suitable for applications requiring large, single-piece parts. Its 1500 x 750 x 550 mm build envelope is claimed to be the largest commercially available for stereolithography. Building large monolithic parts without any seams or joins results in improved aesthetics, better durability and lower cost. As with the other two machines
described above, the iPro 9000 XL SLA Center uses the Proscan digital scanning system and builds parts from Accura materials. Lee Dockstader, vice president and
general manager of stereolithography products at 3D Systems, says: “It is exciting to think about all of the industries that can benefit from the extra-large, uni-part manufacturing capability of the new iPro 9000 XL SLA Center and all of the new applications that this manufacturing capability has made possible. With this system, we can build an entire car bumper in one piece, specifically addressing our
water-resistant material that is already widely used in the medical device industry. Developing advanced biocompatible stereolithography resins for the medical industry is becoming increasingly important; according to Wohler’s Report 2008, the medical/dental industry is the third-largest user of additive manufacturing after consumer products/electronics and automotive, but it is growing at a faster rate than either of the others. Originally introduced by DSM Somos in 2007,
F Watershed XC soon found favour in the medical industry
or biomedical or skin-contact applications, DSM Somos now has USP (United States Pharmacopeia) Class VI approval for its Watershed XC 11122 resin, which is a clear,
Fig. 3. Colourless and durable, Clearvue Plastic from 3D Systems enables form, fit and functional parts and prototypes to be produced.
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