From: Martin CM Wong [IC] (icmwong@inet.polyu.edu.hk)
Date: Fri May 23 2003 - 03:46:02 EEST
Dear Gillot,
I got a message from Prof Alain Bernard about your research. We are
doing trials in making magnesium prototypes (AZ91) using differential
pressure casting method for the past five months. This method is one of
the investment casting methods using plaster to embed the wax pattern.
The wax pattern is burnt away in an oven and put in a vacuum chamber,
the magnesium metal is heated under inert gas protection and the molten
metal is poured into the plaster flask with slightly pressurised inert
gas. We are using SLA to make the master pattern then through silicone
rubber mould to duplicate the wax patterns. We are using this process
in making very intricate metal prototypes with very thin wall thickness
down to 0.8mm with Aluminum, Bronze & Brass and nominal tolerance of +/-
0.1mm for parts under 100mm.
Martin Wong
Rapid Tooling & Manufacturing Unit
"Enabling technologies for small batch
Plastic & Metal parts manufacturing"
Industrial Centre
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hunghom, Hong Kong
CHINA
Tel.: (852) 2766 7625
Fax: (852) 2334 4634
E-mail: icmwong@polyu.edu.hk
>>> <geir@iti.is> 5/23/03 1:21:39 AM >>>
Dear Fr$*HNVnNV|ic Gillot,
I can send you a presentation I made from last year
EuroMold at RAPTIA seminar, about the possibilities
one have to make prototypes in magnesium.
(It is 3.2 Mbyte in PowerPoint format.)
Most common way to produce a single magnesium
prototype, is to use investment casting from another RP part.
Several RP service-bureaus in Europe offer investment
casting of magnesium parts from prototypes.
If you want to make a prototype using magnesium
high-pressure die casting, you have to make a die using
conventional methods, or you can use SLS sintering with 20 micron
steel powder. I suggest you contact dr. Richard Hague
(r.hague@lboro.ac.uk) at Loughborough University for
more practical info on rapid tooling for magnesium
high-pressure die casting.
Check AGIL cast AG of Switzerland (www.agilcast.ch).
They produce equipment for vacuum investment casting
of magnesium, which have similar material properties as one
made with HPDC.
I am also told that Z-Corp (www.zcorp.com) can produce
pouring mould for magnesium directly using 3D printing
and a new technique called Z-Cast. We have not tried it
yet, so we have no experience with it.
Best regards,
Geir
====================================
Mr. Geir Gudmundsson
Project Manager - Production and Automation
Materials and Environmental Department
IceTec (Technological Inst. of Iceland)
Keldnaholti
112 Reykjav$*HN]W
Iceland
Tel: (+354) 570 7100; Direct: (+354) 570 7192
Mobile: (+354) 899 1832; Fax: (+354) 570 7111
|---------+------------------------------->
| | Fr$*HNVnNV|ic Gillot |
| | <gillot@bretagne.ens|
| | -cachan.fr> |
| | Sent by: |
| | owner-rp-ml@rapid.lp|
| | t.fi |
| | |
| | |
| | 22.05.2003 14:29 |
| | |
|---------+------------------------------->
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|
|
| To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
|
| cc:
|
| Subject: rapid tooling for magnesium part
|
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Dear list,
Well, I'm currently working on a project aiming at building Mg part
(AZ91) using some RT process.
So I was wondering if anybody has ever heared or worked on a way to
manufacture prototype part in Mg. More specifically, what sort of RT
process you (will) use to build such part... and why ?
Regards
--
>< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< ><
GILLOT Fr$*HNVnNV|ic
IRCCyN / ENS Cachan Antenne Ker Lann
FRANCE
Tel: 02 99 05 93 09
Fax: 02 99 05 93 05
>< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< ><
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