76 TIME COMPRESSION
New generation of rapid manufacturing equipment
Significant advances in producing large numbers of parts simultaneously at speed and with high accuracy have been made using a radical new exposure system. Ole Hangaard reports.
S
tereolithography (SL) was first introduced in the late 1980s, and since then Huntsman Advanced Materials has been actively involved in pioneering SL resin development.
This year sees the start of a new period for industrial development in rapid production. Many systems have been developed over the years such as SLS, FDM and 3D printers offering users a range of choices. As a consequence of these technology developments, the global additive fabrication market has evolved into three major segments, with a clear distinction in what customers are looking for: n 3D Printers for Concept Modelling: Low cost and marginal performance material with small build envelope which has led to high numbers of unit sales in this segment.
n Mainstream Rapid Prototyping System: New machine sales in this segment have probably reached a plateau because of the limited progress in laser based technology in recent years. n Rapid Manufacturing Systems: Customers are looking for reliable and reproducible systems that offer accuracy and mass manufacture for personalised products. This is where the future lies.
O
ver the past 20 years, global companies have changed their global manufacturing strategies, which have laid the foundations for what many in future years may call the
‘rapid prototyping renaissance’. This renaissance now leads the way into real time rapid manufacturing of numerous and complex parts with great accuracy and cost savings. Rapid manufacturing will change the way things are
made. It will increase the degree of customisation that can be produced to match end user’s requirements, while still enabling mass production to eco-friendly standards. Customised parts can be produced by anybody in almost any part of the world – the fabrication of the future will not necessarily be in industrialised areas. The industry can only grow over the coming years. Rapid manufacturing will inevitably lead to a much
larger range of possible applications across a range of markets. A few examples of markets that will be affected by new rapid manufacturing technology are equipment and parts for the automotive, general industrial, food manufacturing, building and health sectors with items ranging from hearing aids to complex surgery. The list is endless. There is always pressure to bring new designs to market as quickly as possible. This is one of the main
Fig. 1. MLS MicroLightSwitch module.
Fig. 2. A close-up view of the MLS module.
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