FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Tsenter
Vice President
Sales & Marketing
NEWS RELEASE
tel: 818-761-6500
fax: 818-761-6116
PROTOMIX SYSTEM FOR PLASTIC PART DUPLICATION
STUDIO CITY, CALIFORNIA: April 9, 1997: CAMATTINI - North America, a
division of NEST Technologies, announced today three U.S. service
bureaus with the Protomix System. The following companies have
installed the Protomix machines in order to complement their Rapid
Prototyping capabilities, and to offer an expanded range of services to
their customers:
West Coast: PML, Inc., contact Mr. David Tolin
201 W. Beach Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302
tel: 310-671-4345, fax: 310-671-0858
e-mail: info@pmli.com
web site: http://www.pmli.com
RP Capabilities: LOM, CNC, Reverse Engr.
Mid West: Conceptual Reality, L.L.C., contact Mr. Drew Brown
3130 Old Farm Lane, Ste.3 , Walled Lake, MI 48390
tel: 810-926-8820, fax: 810-926-8830
e-mail: conreality@greatid.com
RP Capabilities: SLA-250, FDM-1650
East Coast: InterPRO, L.L.C., contact Mr. Kevin Dyer
630 Industrial Park Rd, Deep River, CT 06417
tel: 860-526-5869, fax: 860-526-8056
e-mail: interpro@mci2000.com
RP Capabilities: 3 SLA-250’s, Actua
The Protomix System is a self-contained vacuum casting and polyurethane
injection machine developed especially for production of silicone molds
and polyurethane plastic components with various mechanical properties.
Silicone molds and polyurethane plastic parts are typically used in the
product development process for verification of fit and function, prior
to making substantial investments in permanent tooling for mass
production. In some cases, a small batch of final products is
manufactured using polyurethane materials.
The Protomix System accepts a master model from various Rapid
Prototyping systems such as Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser
Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Laminated Object
Manufacturing (LOM), Sanders Prototype, Cubital, EOS, etc. Hand carved
or CNC machined patterns are also used in the first step which involves
the creation of a silicone mold. Silicone is poured around the master
model reproducing all of the features, details, and even surface texture
of the master. The silicone mold is then de-aired inside the Protomix
vacuum chamber and cured in the oven.
Within hours, the silicone mold is cut along the parting line and the
master is removed, leaving a void in the silicone. Now, the mold is
ready for injection inside the Protomix machine. The vacuum chamber
removes the air from the mold, and then the two-component polyurethane
material is injected inside the mold with a pneumatic gun. As soon as
the mold is filled with resin, the vacuum is released and the mold is
placed in the oven for curing of polyurethane. Depending on the type
of resin, the curing cycle ranges from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Then the
mold is opened and the finished plastic part is removed.
The Protomix System is unique in its ability to inject de-aired material
inside a vacuum. This eliminates the trapped air bubbles which are
common with conventional casting methods. Also, since the materials are
pre-measured in two-component de-aired cartridges, the Protomix machine
is a very clean system to operate. The cartridge system also makes the
mechanical properties of final components much more consistent and
predictable than ever before.
This compact and easy to use system eliminates the need for numerous
years of experience in mold-making and polyurethane material
formulation, bringing the prototyping and short run production
capability directly into an engineering lab in order to reduce
"time-to-market" for new products.
Availability of different polyurethane resins enables the engineers to
produce parts with a diverse range of properties such as: rigid plastic
(similar to ABS), heat resistant plastic (up to 250°F), optically clear
(lenses), and elastic (rubber-like) parts. The materials are
pre-packaged in cartridges, so going from one type of material to the
next is as easy as loading a different cartridge into the injection gun.
The Protomix System and Materials are manufactured by CAMATTINI, spa. of
Italy in association with Shell Italia, spa. With over 20 years of
experience in resin formulation, CAMATIINI, spa., in association with
NEST Technologies, has now entered the North American market with full
marketing, sales, and technical support network.
The above products will be exhibited at the Rapid Prototyping &
Manufacturing Exhibition organized by the Society of Manufacturing
Engineers in Dearborn, Michigan during April 22-24, 1997 as well as
during the Conference of the Association of Professional Model Makers
which will take place on June 14-17, 1997 in Redondo Beach, California.
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-- CAMATTINI - North America a division of NEST Technologies 3849 Ridgemoor Drive Studio City, California 91604Tel: 818-761-6500 Fax: 818-761-6116 e-mail: nest@primenet.com web site: http://www.primenet.com/~nest/
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