Posted to News on 18th Jul 2007, 20:11
Desktop rapid prototyping machine costs less to operate
Unimatic is launching a new prototyping and production machine, Called Next Factory DigitalWax, that can take ideas from concept to production extremely rapidly. This will be useful for organisations that wish to use rapid prototyping for the creation of silicon/rubber moulds or to cast (through investment/lost wax casting) the output from its CAD designs. The technology is suitable for the production of small and accurate parts, particularly if a high-quality surface finish is required.
To use the machine, a small tray is filled with a proprietary photosetting polymer resin and an ultraviolet laser selectively hardens areas of it to create a pattern of the CAD model. The models are very high quality, with excellent surface finish and no residual ash left after burnout, so they can be used directly for moulds or casting.
Thanks to the layer-by-layer model building technique, there are almost no limits to the geometric complexity of the pattern being produced: undercuts, cavities, 'gossamer' thin surfaces and curvilinear edges are all achievable without secondary operations.
Simple and low-cost
The key to DigitalWax is its simplicity. The machine itself is compact and very quiet in operation; designed as desktop units, they can be operated in an office or workshop environment. Operation is so simple that little training is required, and the processes involved are clean and fast. Furthermore, the material costs are said to be so low that there is no barrier to the production of as many models as are needed.
Martin Stevens of Unimatic says: "One of the critical aspects of the DigitalWax design is that it does not use jets to lay down the model-making material, so there is nothing to get blocked, nothing to go wrong. Because the resin comes in liquid form, there is no long delay while it melts either. And because it sets hard immediately, there is no dwell time while the model hardens."
In fact the overall speed of production is such that new designs can be realised within a day. This means that considerable cost can be cut from production processes, improving cash flow and reducing capital employed.
Models available
There are three versions of DigitalWax, the 010, 010+ and 015. Where the 010 is dedicated to producing rubber and silicon moulds, the others (as well as being able to produce patterns for moulds) are suitable for making models for lost wax/invest casting. The 015 provides high-speed processing with a laser traverse of up to 80mm/s, so is suitable for customers requiring a higher output.
All have a generous working area of 200x200x60mm, large enough to accommodate multiple items at one go (depending on the size of the items, of course). Externally, the largest unit is only 600x430x400mm, which is comparable with a desktop printer/scanner/fax.
Stevens adds: "I have seen the development of rapid prototyping machines over the years. DigitalWax represents a significant step in the maturation of the technology. Its models are superb, it requires little training, there is little to go wrong (ensuring high up time) and it will make a measurable contribution to its owner's bottom line in very short order."
