JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #47 - March/April 2009 - 110

KNOW-HOW Manufacturing A new generation of rapid manufacturing equipment Significant advances have been made in producing large numbers of parts simultaneously at high speed and with high accuracy by using a brand new MLS MicroLightSwitch® based exposure system. The system operates via a computercontrolled micro-mechanical shutter system to selectively expose a larger surface area of radiation-curable resin to UV in a single step. Rapid manufacturing will change the way things are made. It will increase the degree of customisation that can be achieved to match end user requirements, whilst still enabling mass production to eco-friendly standards. Customised parts can be produced by anybody in almost any part of the world – the future does not necessarily lie in industrialised areas. The industry can only grow over the coming years. Rapid manufacturing will inevitably lead to a much wider array of possible applications across a range of markets. A few examples of markets that will be affected by the new rapid manufacturing technology are equipment and parts for the automotive, general industrial, food manufacturing, building and health sectors. Items will range from hearing aids to complex surgery. The list is endless. OLÉ HANGAARD, TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER, HUNTSMAN ADVANCED MATERIALS tereolithography (SL) was first introduced in the late 1980’s. Since then, Huntsman Advanced Materials has been actively involved in pioneering SL resin development. 2009 will see the start of a new industrial revolution in rapid production. Many systems offering users a range of choices have been developed over the years, such as SLS, FDM and 3D printers. As a result of these technology developments, the global additive fabrication market has evolved into three major segments, clearly demonstrating the different customer requirements: S Araldite®Digitalis – A brand new system There is always pressure to bring new designs to market as quickly as possible. This is one of the main constraints for design engineers and their prototyping partners. A team of engineers and chemists have been working closely together to develop this brand new machine and complementary photopolymer. Combined with a strong background in UV chemistry, this integrated system enhances the total offering to customers. 1) 3D printers for concept modelling: Low-cost, marginal performance equipment with a small build envelope, which has led to high numbers of unit sales in this segment. 2) Mainstream rapid prototyping systems: New machine sales in this segment have probably reached a plateau because of the limited progress in laser-based technology in recent years. 3) Rapid manufacturing systems – the way forward: Customers are looking for reliable, reproducible systems that offer accuracy and mass manufacture capabilities for personalised products. This is where the future lies. Over the last 20 years, global companies have changed their global manufacturing strategies, laying the foundations for what may be called the rapid prototyping renaissance. This renaissance is now leading the way into the real-time rapid manufacturing of numerous complex parts with great accuracy and cost savings. A revolutionary new exposure system: MLS MicroLightSwitch® MLS MicroLightSwitch® modules are at the heart of Araldite®Digitalis. Based on the entirely new MEMS (microelectro mechanical system) technology, which is neither based on lasers nor on light reflecting MEMS technology as used in 3D printers, the MLS MicroLightSwitch® makes Araldite® Digitalis superior to any other radiation curing technique on the market. A laser can only expose one point at a time, drawing line by line 110 jec composites magazine / No47 March-April 2009

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #47 - March/April 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #47 - March/April 2009