If you’re at Toronto’s Discovery 12 show today, you may want to
check out the Additive Manufacturing panel discussion at 2:00 in
the Enbridge Theatre. Stratasys VP Jeff DeGrange will join
the panel of presenters. Learn how the additive manufacturing
industry is migrating from rapid prototyping to direct part
production.
Here’s the presentation description:
Rapid Prototyping - How
Increasing the productivity of your company decreases the time to
market
Recently,
we've seen an increase in requests for various types of inserts in
3D prototypes and production parts. With Fortus 3D Production Systems, a build can be
paused and objects can be inserted directly into a 3D printed part.
You can then resume the build and when it’s finished, your
object is embedded firmly into the final part; it can be partially
exposed outside the part for functionality or completely enclosed
within the part. The end result is some very cool looking and
functioning 3D...
Incorporating
Screw Threads Into FDM Parts
Screw threads are one of the most common components used for
fastening parts in an assembly or attaching pipe tubing together.
Here are five ways to incorporate screw threads into Fused Deposition Modeling parts, followed by some
useful applications.
Threads directly from the FDM machine Depending on the pitch and helical profile, it may be possible to
design your desired thread right into the CAD file. Typically,
large pitched threads on parts used for...
Many
years ago I was given the opportunity to design my first product.
The terms rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and 3D prototyping were foreign to me.
Although I felt confident in my abilities to design a complex piece
of equipment, I was ill-prepared when it came to making the parts I
needed.
We had a large in-house machine shop and I was assigned a
machinist to build my prototypes. I would bring him a drawing of a
part I’d worked on all day. He would bring me the part and I would
find an error...
This
is the first of many posts in a regular series from Stratasys
application engineers, who’ll offer technical advice, new ideas and
experienced reflections on Fused Deposition Modeling from an
engineering perspective.
One thing that’s true of rapid-prototyping machines across the
board is that some post-build processes must be done before a 3D
printed or rapid-prototyped part is ready to be used. The parts
have been built, but support removal and/or some additional post
processing is required.
Last
week Gardner Publishing, launched “Additive Manufacturing,” a
quarterly supplement to Modern Machine Shop and its sister
publication, MoldMaking Technology. A surprising move, since
these publications are aimed at CNC and mold-making facility
leaders.
By recalling hockey legend Wayne Gretsky’s secret to success,
Senior Editor, Peter Zelinski explains why
Gardner launched the publication. Gretsky said his secret was
to skate where the puck is going, not where it’s been. It involves
“seeing...
The Department of Defense STARBASE
youth program recently placed a large order – roughly $1 million –
with Stratasys for another batch of 3D printers. DOD STARBASE
locations nationwide now have more than 100 Dimension and uPrint 3D
printers being used as classroom technology. 3D printing or
rapid prototyping with FDM technoloogy helps the
program raise kids’ interest in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers.
Start the new year off right when you check
out all the great information at any of industry events noted here.
We frequently post links to events, shows and conferences centered
on rapid prototyping technology, digital manufacturing, 3D printing
and more, so check back often for the latest offerings.
At year-end there are always a ton
of “Top 10” and “Best of” lists. At Stratasys, we’ve compiled our
“Best of 2011 Webinars” list too. Whether you’re looking for
inspiration to maximize your existing additive manufacturing
equipment or justification to present your case for securing a
rapid prototyping system, grab a cup of coffee and spend a few
minutes with a few of Stratasys’ webinars
from 2011. We'd love to hear what other webinars you might like
to see -- leave your comments below.
At
Evektor s.r.o, headquartered at the international airport in
Kunovice, Czech Republic, size is no longer an issue when it comes
to producing prototypes for lightweight aircraft, automotive and
consumer components.
When outsourcing proved too time consuming and the costs to
produce large components such as airplane dashboard covers started
to soar, Evektor turned to Stratasys and its Fortus 900mc system --
a 3D production system which utilizes fused deposition modeling.
This in-house solution...
Until our economy turns around, will you
hunker down or invest in technology?
When the economy started to tank, Matt Hlavin, CEO of Thogus
Products, a 61-year-old manufacturing company rooted in injection
molding and heavily dependent on the automotive industry, chose not
to await economic recovery, but to invest in Fused Deposition
Modeling (FDM) technology and diversify. His decision has paid off
in spades.
With FDM in place, Thogus shifted to small-volume molding and
now competes with high-cost...
If you’re looking for a break from cold winter
weather, December and January offer several warm-weather industry
events. Check our events section
frequently, as we regularly post events interest, including events
centered around rapid prototyping technology, digital
manufacturing and 3D printing.
Today
Stratasys introduced a new soluble support material for its rapid
prototyping and direct digital manufacturing systems. It's called
SR-100 and it's for use with the polycarbonate (PC-10) formulation.
Without a soluble support material, the prototype's supports must
be manually removed. Automating the process speeds up the time to
get a finished part in hand. Dissolve time is only about 30-120
minutes.
Prior to this introduction, soluble support material was
available only for material...
As
additive manufacturing is used more frequently to
produce short-run production parts and manufacturing
tools, like jigs and fixtures, engineers need to consider how
well the parts hold their dimensions over time. The main
controlling factor in assessing dimensional stability is the
production material.
A Stratasys white paper, entitled "The
Accuracy Myth: Don't Make the Mistake of Confusing Resolution with
Accuracy" addresses the question of long-term stability of parts
produced by additive...
As OTTO, maker of precision controls
and communication devices, celebrated its 50th anniversary, it
tested a new capability: in-house rapid prototyping on a Fortus 3D
Production System. OTTO can design, test and manufacture devices
for its demanding military, public safety, medical and commercial
clients — all right at home on its Carpentersville, Ill., campus.
Machine Shop Manager John Lang, while considering bringing a Fused
Deposition Modeling system into the OTTO fold, used a trial...
What could you do in the time it takes to brew and drink a
pot of coffee?
Nestlé Nespresso S.A. can pour out a new iteration of
its highly-designed single-serve espresso machine with caffeinated
speed thanks to its Diminsion 3D rapid prototyping
machine.
If you're an espresso afficianado, then you know the care,
craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into each tiny cup.
More than 20 years ago Nestlé Nespresso developed a home-brewed
option that rivals the pours of trained baristas. The...
It’s
only natural that engineers working with additive
manufacturing / 3D printing should have focused on the
resolution of the manufacturing system in the days when "rapid
prototyping" was used to produce conceptual
models judged on appearance only. Today, additive
manufacturing is commonly used to produce tooling, functional
prototypes and low volume production parts that must meet the same
demanding dimensional requirements as traditional manufacturing
methods. In this changing environment,...Read More »
November offers a number of industry events that
may be of interest, including events centered around rapid
prototyping, technology, digital manufacturing and 3D printing. New
events are posted regularly, be sure to check back.
When making a business case to
purchase an additive manufacturing system the primary
focus is usually on the money that can be saved. Another
benefit that is more difficult to quantify is the ability to
produce prototypes faster, which in turn can result in the ability
to get your product to market faster. The problem is that it’s
sometimes difficult to quantify additive manufacturing’s
ability to make prototypes and production parts
faster. A white paper addressing this issue follows,
along...
Deploying a robot in space takes preparation. To help
astronauts train to use Robonaut 2 (R2), a humanoid helper,
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on its final flight, engineers
used RedEye On Demand's rapid prototyping service to create a
full-scale, high-fidelity mockup.
Created by high-tech
firm Wyle, R2 works alongside astronauts, taking over
repetitive and dangerous tasks. So the mockup had to duplicate the
geometry of the actual R2, with poseable limbs and an ability to
withstand rough...
Recently,
we've seen an increase in requests for various types of inserts in
3D prototypes and production parts. With 
Incorporating
Screw Threads Into FDM Parts
At
Evektor s.r.o, headquartered at the international airport in
Kunovice, Czech Republic, size is no longer an issue when it comes
to producing prototypes for lightweight aircraft, automotive and
consumer components.
As
additive manufacturing is used more frequently to
produce short-run production parts and manufacturing
tools, like jigs and fixtures, engineers need to consider how
well the parts hold their dimensions over time. The main
controlling factor in assessing dimensional stability is the
production material.
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