Prototyping Expands into Production

“If you’re thinking of Rapid Prototyping as useful for one-off components only, then you’re missing the big picture."

Rapid Prototyping is no longer confined to one-off parts, expanding into Direct Digital Manufacturing and the capabilities of rapid prototyping technologies like FDM are rapidly expanding this once specialised industry.

S

imon Bartlett, Senior Engineer at RapidPro works first hand at RedEye On Demand’s Australasian build centre. “Fused Deposition Modelling was originally popular with the prototyping sector for custom one-offs, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“FDM technologies can be used for Injection Moulding, Bridge Tooling, Paper Pulp Tooling, Blow Moulding, Direct Digital Manufacturing, Jigs and fixtures, “Go or No-Go” gauges and fully functional parts.”

F

DM is used when accuracy is paramount, and with large build platforms, repeatable, accurate build software and hardware as well as a broad range of thermoplastic materials, low volume manufacturing is now even more attainable with parts being produced in end use materials.

“E

ach prototyping and manufacturing technology has its merits, just as they all have their downfalls. Finding the right process for each project is about balancing the needs and requirements of the part. Is surface finish more important than accuracy? Is functionality paramount of should the part be full colour for form studies? There is a balance that needs to be found and this helps to select the right process and material.”

An Australian owned and operated manufacturing service bureau, RapidPro offers access to all digital manufacturing technologies to ensure the right process is found for each project, large or small.

“Over-moulding is another exciting growth area for us,” says Simon. “We can digitally manufacture parts and products in one build with varying shore hardness and materials. In one build we can produce a thermoplastic-like part, over-moulded with rubber-like features. Connex digital material technology also allows us to build transparent parts with coloured internals to represent a real 3D perspective of the internal mechanics of various items, including the human body.”

"

The evolution of rapid prototyping to production is very exciting, and with new technologies and materials available, we can think beyond just getting parts to market; we can also propel them into production, fulfilling every aspect of a product’s lifecycle .”

Delivering High Quantities of Prototypes Fast

Objective3D Direct Manufacturing produces parts using a range of additive and conventional manufacturing technologies. We offer tailored solutions for your project’s needs. If your project requires larger quantities of small parts – fast, Laser Sintering is the best technological solution for you. Per-part pricing is reduced as quantities increase, but there are more advantages to using Laser Sintering for small prototypes than price alone. Laser Sintering (LS) provides strong, versatile and geometrically intricate components made from filled and un-filled nylon materials that are ideal for fit and form verification and functional testing. Prototypes made with LS are created quickly and offer robust solutions for your project. FAST Delivery Laser Sintering can provide sturdy, functional prototypes as little as 24 hours. Multi-component designs can be incorporated into single structures, allowing engineers to produce complex features and geometries in one print, and elim

How Artec Space Spider helps measure the shape-shifting of birds in response to climate change.

Challenge: In the past century, researchers have been studying a variety of birds in Australia to see how their bodies have changed as a result of global warming in order to determine how to adjust. In order to document the exact dimensions of thousands of beaks of 86 different species of birds in museums in a fast, accurate, and convenient manner, they needed a fast, accurate, and convenient method. Solution: Artec Space Spider, Artec Studio Results: By using the handheld 3D scanner Artec Space Spider, each bird can be scanned in submillimeter colour 3D in approximately two minutes. This makes it easy to scan anywhere from 30-50 birds in one museum visit. Scan processing takes just under six minutes for each bird. PhD candidate Sara Ryding 3D scanning an Australian galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) with Artec Space Spider (image credit: Sara Ryding) One of the most startling impacts of global warming has taken place for decades now: multiple species of birds around the world have been

3D scanning and reverse engineering streamline original furniture design and production

MU Form Furniture Design is an Oakland-based company that designs, manufactures and distributes furniture products for the modern home and business. The company is never short of orders since good and original design is sought after by architects and interior designers. The main material MU Form works with is high-quality bent ply, which is one of the most widely used materials in this industry due to its ability to create a variety of shapes for chairs, stools, and tables. The company’s specialists seek to create great designs that pose a challenge for other manufacturers to copy or replicate. The V Dining Chair in red and grey, designed by MU Form’s Po Shun Leong. “Our designers are tasked to develop furniture designs that require a significant amount of trial and error by developing physical prototypes of chairs and stools,” says Mark Leong, CEO of MU Form. To produce a new original piece of furniture, MU Form would normally ship a physical prototype model to a factory

Objective3D | BLOG

Search This Blog