Re: RP for Ceramics and Metals

From: jim@paramountind.com
Date: Thu Feb 05 1998 - 21:34:24 EET


     Yokov wrote...
     "The combined technologies were supposed to "offer the potential to
     injection mold metal and ceramic parts with complex shapes within days
     of concept development . . . " [blah, blah]"
     
     Is anyone using this process?
     
     
     Reply:
     
     Yes... but not with 3D AIM.
     
     The Allied ceramic material is commercially available. Allied has
     begun to line up custom molders willing to run their ceramic
     feedstock. The material processing uses standard injection molding
     presses. Processing temperature is 120oF. Material is water based.
     This can cause serious flashing unless parting lines and shutoffs are
     <.001" match. We've produced many resin composite molds to run their
     materials. AIM is just another way of building low cost tooling.
     AIMs particular benefit is one of its weaknesses. That is AIM
     materials are very low temperature tolerant. AIMs second weakness,
     not unlike other resin based processes, is lack of thermal
     conductivity as required for standard thermo plastic resin processing.
      Because Allied's ceramic is processed at very low temperatures mold
     thermal conductivity is a non-issue. The one remainig point is press
     clamp tonnage per square inch is high because of the presence of
     water. Resin molds can crack under high clamp tonnage if not
     absolutely flat and parallel.
     
     What applies to Allied's ceramic basically applies to their metals.
     Another interesting point with their metals is the ability to produce
     parts with extremely high accuracy. Four place decimal range.
     Unfortunately the mold needs to be more accurate then the part
     requirements. So anything short of precision tooling when high
     tolerance is required rules out all RP type processes.
     
     Allied is interested in promoting their new materials. 3D AIM was a
     way to expand their market penetration. By no means is AIM a
     necessity to process their product.
     
     Hope this info helps.
     
     
     Regards to all,
     
     Jim Williams
     Paramount Industries, Inc.
     2475 Big Oak Road
     Langhorne, PA 19047
     215.757.9611
     215.757.9784 fax

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: RP for Ceramics and Metals
Author: Yakov Horenstein <yakov@planet.it> at INTERNET
Date: 2/2/98 8:39 AM

Last Autofact, 3D Systems announced an agreement with AlliedSignal's Powder
Injection Molding Group to explore market interest in a new tooling
application combining 3D's Direct AIM and Allied's newly developed metal
and ceramic powdered materials. The combined technologies were supposed to
"offer the potential to injection mold metal and ceramic parts with complex
shapes within days of concept development . . . " [blah, blah]
     
Is anyone using this process?
     
----------------------
Yakov Horenstein
Milano, Italy
     
     
     
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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