ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
A foam and carbon bicycle saddle created using the PolyMorphic moulding process Joshua Shires, co-founder at Fyous,
says: “The only input is a 3D CAD model of the part to be held, from which we can produce tooling that holds the part perfectly.” With a pin tool, manufacturers can
reinsert it into the forming machine to create a new mould, resulting in no waste for pin production. The mould does not need to be kept, but only the 3D CAD model must be retained. “Failure to use optimal work holding is
not only inefficient, expensive and time- consuming, it can result in slippage, safety risks, and increased chance of damaging parts,” Shires adds.
COST-EFFECTIVE CUSTOMISATION The ability to make cost-effective tooling at a rapid pace could be a large step forward for industries such as aerospace and automotive, however these sectors are not the sole beneficiaries as the technology can be applied across a wide range of industries. For example, Fyous’s technology
could be used to produce diabetes care products for the NHS and the broader medical industry. The NHS currently spends almost £1 billion per year on diabetic foot care across 4.9 million diabetics in the UK. Doctors can use the Fyous app to scan the feet of diabetes patients, generating millions of data points that are then used to create custom moulds for trainers. One industry that may have not
expected to use this technology is confectionery. Using the moulding process, users can create customised chocolate. Using the 3D CAD
app, companies can leverage the Polymorphic process to form moulds for pouring liquid chocolate into. This allows companies to create bespoke chocolates for customers, providing personalised products. Moulding processes are faster than
additive manufacturing for creating custom chocolate moulds. Previous methods would allow corporations to create custom chocolate moulds in factories, whereas the increase in moulding speed now offers the potential for customers to purchase customised chocolates on the shop floor using scans they took on the Fyous app.
MADE-ON-DEMAND More than ever complex pieces of machinery are required, and with today’s global economy, there is no capacity for downtime. Both companies and government infrastructure are increasingly seeing the benefits of
The PolyMorphic moulding process
paying higher initial costs to ensure high productivity, reduced lead times, and quicker repair times. The rail industry is starting to fully embrace this technology change as the impact it has on service is sizeable. Shires says: “We can now see
for the first time a way to realise the ‘made-on-demand’ model of consumer product manufacturing. The possibilities are limitless, and we are very excited to be right at the heart of this revolution.” Fyous’ Polymorphic moulding
technology now takes the advantages of additive manufacturing to new heights. Previously, the benefits of additive manufacturing’s timescales were largely confined to warehouses and manufacturing centres. Now, the ability to scan and produce a mould in under an hour opens this technology up to more applications closer to the end-user.
The technology can produce custom medial outsoles
www.engineerlive.com 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
