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PRODUCTS MATERIALS IN DESIGN & PROTOTYPING
LIGHTWEIGHT SAF POLYPROPYLENE OFFERS UNIFORM SURFACE DENSITY
Tri-Tech 3D has made SAF Polypropylene (PP) available to its users. The latest in its range of Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) materials, SAF PP enables high nesting density while maintaining exceptional surface finish and dimensional accuracy. This makes it suitable for applications and industries ranging from automotive and industrial machinery to orthotics. This is designed to be used exclusively on the Stratasys H350, a powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) system – and can help deliver production-grade polypropylene parts for high-volume demands. It offers superior chemical resistance, and lightweight and watertight properties. Combined, these properties mean that, when used on the H350 platform, SAF PP achieves consistent quality and reliable results across large builds, supporting both prototyping in research and development (R&D) teams, and functional end part production on the factory floor. The new material also offers a high level of accuracy with uniform surface aesthetics and can maintain an exceptional surface finish, making it ideal for printing smooth end use parts. In addition, it offers high weldability and adhesion, meaning it can support the creation of even larger assemblies, such as automation components.
Tri-Tech 3D
www.tritech3d.co.uk/
PRINT BOTH METAL FILAMENTS AND COMPOSITES WITH NEW PRINT ENGINE
New from Markforged Holding Corporation is the FX10 Metal Kit, a print engine that brings metal printing capability to the FX10. The FX10 therefore becomes the world’s first industrial 3D printer that can print both metal filaments and composites with continuous fibre reinforcement, the company claims. “Customers no longer have to choose between a metal and a composite printer.
Years of R&D investment and field experience have come together to provide an all-in- one solution for 3D printing to provide immediate return on investment once installed on a factory floor,” said Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “The FX10 supercharges other equipment on the factory floor to be better utilised and run more efficiently, increasing productivity and reducing potential line down events.” The FX10 Metal Kit consists of a swappable print engine that includes a metal-specific print head, material feed tubes, routing back, and dual pre-extruders. An FX10 can be swapped between metal and composite as many times as needed, with the swap taking around 15 minutes.
Markforged Holding Corporation
www.markforged.com
NEW HIGH-SPEED MOULD-MAKING TECHNOLOGY TO ‘REVOLUTIONISE THE WORLD OF PROTOTYPING’
Fyous, inventor of a revolutionary new high-speed mould-making technology which uses a pin tool with 28,000 pins to create a mould in around twenty minutes, is set to unveil the technology for the first time. According to the company, the new technology is set to revolutionise the world of prototyping, customisable production and complex tool holding. The PolyMorphic 28k consists of the pin tool plus a forming machine into which it is inserted. A 3D CAD model of the mould to be formed is used to move the pins into position. The positioning of the pins is accurate to within 0.1mm. Once locked into position the pins can withstand six tonnes of pressure, making them perfect for use in vacuum forming, composite layup, composite bonding, workholding, and moulding polyurethane (PU) products. This ‘PolyMorphic moulding’ process is said to take around
twenty minutes, which is about fourteen times faster than 3D printing for an equivalent sized part. Once the pin tool has been used it can be reinserted into
the forming machine to create a new mould shape with zero waste. There is no need to store the mould, just the 3D CAD model. The pin tools are each about the size of a laptop or shoebox, and can be used together to make bigger moulds for multiple applications. Josh Shires, co-founder of Fyous, commented; “Today,
consumers are demanding more custom personalised products, but the challenges and costs that manufacturers face when needing to make small changes to moulds makes this prohibitively expensive. “PolyMorphic moulding is not only fast, but also has
virtually zero waste, making it highly sustainable. “This makes the system perfect for products that demand minor customisation, and for prototyping, which can be highly costly if you go through multiple iterations.” The technology is applicable in virtually every sector,
from aerospace and automotive to packaging and toys. Fyous
https://fyous.com/
The technology will be launched at Formnext in November
VERSATILE POLYAMIDES SUIT A RANGE OF INDUSTRIES
Protolabs has launched the new PAx Smooth Natural and PAx Vapour Smooth Natural materials, which complement its existing material portfolio for SLS manufacturing processes. These versatile polyamides can be used across a range of industries, with their low printing temperature meaning finished parts can be delivered more quickly. PAx Smooth Natural is characterised by
toughness and flexibility in any direction – even in the Z-plane. The material has a high level of long-term stability and durability, including compatibility with liquids and chemicals, which makes it possible to produce prototypes as well as end-user parts. Parts produced with PAx Smooth Natural are
42 DESIGN SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 2024
translucent and have a large, smooth surface, similar to that of injection- moulded plastics. Tolerances of ±0.30mm plus 0.002mm/mm can usually be achieved for well-designed parts up to 200mm. The material’s versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from film hinges and snap-fits to appliances, tools, housings and orthotics. PAx Natural Vapour Smooth, meanwhile, is an even more
translucent material due to the vapour smoothing process, which is more suitable for liquid, text or image displays. In terms of tolerances, areas of application and smooth surface, the two materials are very similar. Andrea Landoni, EMEA 3DP product manager at Protolabs, said: “The biggest
difference between the two materials lies in their light transmission, giving manufacturers greater choice in application. “Both materials are primarily used in the
automotive industry, medical technology and computer electronics.”
Protolabs
www.protolabs.com/en-gb/
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