Rapid Prototyping & Rapid Manufacturing

Production Cast Urethane Appearance Models & Low Volume Production RTV silicone mold-making is one of the fastest, most accurate and cost effective ways to create duplicates of a prototype part in quantities from one up to hundreds of pieces. Silicone molds capture the finest detail and textures present on the original part while preserving the integrity of part geometry when it comes time to remove it from the mold. Polyurethanes imitage elastomers, high impact materials and glass filled materials and deliver parts in any color or surface textures. Urethanes can be machined, sanded, glued, painted or have color cast into the specific part and satisfy a number of uses: Sales and marketing models Conceptual models Pre-production parts Low-volume production Functional and fit-check models Insert molding

[terminology]

Stereolithography Building 3D Plastic Parts One Llayer At A Time Stereolithography is a common rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping technology for producing parts with high accuracy and good surface finish. Stereolithography is an additive fabrication process utilizing a vat of liquid UV-curable photopolymer "resin" and a UV laser to build parts a layer at a time. On each layer, the laser beam traces a part cross-section pattern on the surface of the liquid resin. Exposure to the UV laser light cures, or, solidifies the pattern traced on the resin and adheres it to the layer below. After a pattern has been traced, the Stereolithography Apparatus's (SLA's) elevator platform descends by a single layer thickness, typically 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm (0.002" to 0.006"). A resin-filled blade sweeps across the part cross section, re-coating it with fresh material. On this new liquid surface the subsequent layer pattern is traced, adhering to the previous layer. A complete 3-D part is formed by this process. After building, parts are cleaned of excess resin by immersion in a chemical bath and then cured in a UV oven or Postcure Aparatus.