View the Index...

1. INTRODUCTION ..... 3

Applications ..... 4

Engineering ..... 4
Rapid Manufacturing ..... 4

Metal Parts ..... 4
Ceramic Parts ..... 5
Plastic Parts ..... 5

Manufacturing Tooling ..... 6
Medical Applications ..... 6
Art and Architecture ..... 7

Alternative Processes & Technologies ..... 7

Stereolithography ..... 10

Selective Laser Sintering ..... 11

Three Dimensional Printing ..... 13

Fused Deposition Modeling ..... 14

Inkjets ..... 15
    Thermal Phase-Change Inkjets ..... 15
    Photopolymer Phase Change Inkjets ..... 16

Laminated Object Manufacturing ..... 17

Laser Powder Forming ..... 18

3D Printers vs. Rapid Prototyping Machines ..... 19
    What is the difference between an RP machine & a 3D printer? ..... 19

3D Printers Selling for Less Than $20,000 ..... 21
    Which is the best 3D printer? ..... 21

Extending Additive Fabrication Material Capabilities ..... 24

Do I really need Additive Fabrication? Do I have other choices? ..... 31

What are the limitations? ..... 34

Accuracy ..... 34

Stairstepping ..... 34
Absolute Accuracy / Precision ..... 36
Finishes ..... 37
Resolution ..... 38
Secondary Operations ..... 40
Speed ..... 43

What's all this going to cost? ..... 44

Materials ..... 44
    Plastics ..... 44
    Metals ..... 46
    Other Materials ..... 49

OK, it looks like Additive Fabrication is appropriate.
Now what? ..... 51

Service Bureaus and How to Select One ..... 51

Engineering ..... 55

Concept Modeling ..... 56
Concept Models For Parts Which Will Eventually Be Injection Molded ..... 56
Quick Print / Concept Models ..... 57
Functional Testing of Plastic Parts ..... 57
Metal Tooling and Parts; Injection Molds ..... 58
Sand Casting ..... 59
Investment Casting ..... 60
Die Casting ..... 61

Rapid Manufacturing ..... 62

Plastic Parts ..... 62
Metal Parts ..... 63
Technologies for Specialized RM Applications ..... 64

Medicine and Dentistry ..... 65

Art, Architecture, Industrial Design ..... 67

Scientific Applications ..... 72

Introduction ..... 77

Definition ..... 77
Present Status ..... 77
Advantages and Disadvantages ..... 77

Arguments Against Mass customization ..... 79

Market Potential ..... 80

Technologies for rapid manufacturing ..... 81

Applications of Rapid Manufacturing ..... 83

Tooling ..... 83
Industrial Applications ..... 83

Other Applications in Industry ..... 85
Biological, Biomedical and Chemistry Applications ..... 87

Arrays and Chips ..... 87
Biological Equipment ..... 87
Transportation ..... 88

Aerospace ..... 88
Marine ..... 90
Automotive ..... 90
Architecture and Construction ..... 92

Architectural Models ..... 92
Architectural Components ..... 92
Building Construction ..... 93
Post-Post-(Post?) Modernism ..... 93
Military Weapons and Parts ..... 94
Medical ..... 95

Prosthetics and Implants ..... 95
Tissue Engineering ..... 97
Pharmaceuticals ..... 97
Dental Applications ..... 98
Medical Devices ..... 99
Sports ..... 102
Consumer Items ..... 103

Sculptural Products ..... 103
Fashion Items and Home Furnishings ..... 103
Textiles ..... 105
Electronics ..... 106

MICE and Direct Writing ..... 107
Photonics ..... 108
Advanced Materials ..... 108

Challenges, Barriers and Research Directions ..... 110

Rapid Manufacturing; A Brief Synopsis ..... 115

Rapid Tooling; An Application of Rapid Manufacturing ..... 116

Plastic or Polymer Parts ..... 117

Injection Molds & Metal Parts ..... 119

Commercially-available Processes ..... 120
Alternative Approaches ..... 126
Rapid Injection Molding ..... 128
Under Development, Dormant or Abandoned Processes ..... 129

Metal Castings ..... 132

Investment Castings ..... 132
Sand Castings ..... 134
Die-Castings ..... 135

Rapid Tooling & Metal Parts by Additive Fabrication Technology Comparison Tables ..... 136

Scanning Technologies at a Glance ..... 144

Mechanical Touch-probe Systems ..... 145
Laser-based Systems ..... 145

Line and Spot Scanners / Triangulation ..... 145
Dual-Capability Systems ..... 146
Other Types of Laser Systems ..... 146
Other Types of Tracking Systems ..... 146
Structured-light or Broadband-source Systems ..... 147
Seeing Inside - Internal Viewing Technologies ..... 147
3D Metrology Systems for Manufacturing ..... 148
Scanners for Very Large Objects & Surveying Applications ..... 148

RE Scanner & Digitizer Technology Comparison Charts ..... 149

Overview and a Bit of History ..... 155

RP Products and Services ..... 156

Rapid Prototyping Customers ..... 156
Rapid Prototyping Market Drivers ..... 156

Competition Overview ..... 157

Major US-Based Vendors ..... 158

3D Systems ..... 158
Stratasys ..... 160
Z Corporation ..... 162
Solidscape, Inc. ..... 162
Cubic Technologies Inc. ..... 163
Desktop Factory ..... 163

Europe ..... 164

EOS GmbH ..... 164
Arcam AB ..... 165
Envisiontec GmbH ..... 165
MCP-HEK Tooling GmbH ..... 166
Sintermask Technologies AB ..... 166
Materialise NV ..... 167

Israel ..... 167

Objet Geometries Ltd. ..... 167
Solido Ltd. ..... 168

Asia ..... 169

Japan ..... 169
China ..... 169
Korea ..... 170
Singapore ..... 170

Rapid Manufacturing ..... 171

1. Repairing Equipment Directly on the Battlefield ..... 171
2. Personalized Hearing Aids; a Perfect Fit for the Patient and the Technology ..... 172
3. Manufacturing Complex, High-value Parts ..... 173
4. Light fabricates Little Lady Liberty ..... 174
5. MMD Contest Winners Point to Future Applications ..... 176

Rapid Tooling ..... 178

6. Creating Large Rapid Tooling ..... 178
7. New Materials Improve Stereolithography Molds ..... 179

Medicine and dentistry ..... 182

8. Critical Technology to Separate Conjoined Twins ..... 182
9. RP Makes This Lady Smile ..... 183
10. Picturing Heart Disorders ..... 184
11. Replacing Severely Injured Bones ..... 185

Scientific visualization and anthropology ..... 187

12. Modeling Anthrax Proteins in Color ..... 187
13. Reconstructing the Face of a Murder Victim ..... 188
14. Putting a Face on the Distant Past ..... 189
15. The Face of a Time Traveler ..... 190
16. Rapid Prototyping Fabricates Up a Storm ..... 191
17. Building a Small World ..... 193

Art, architecture and Industrial Design ..... 195

18. House Beautiful - Martian Style ! ..... 195
19. Fabricating Furniture and Fashion ..... 197
20. Reproducing Large and Historic Art Works ..... 199

References and Contact Information for Chapter 9. ..... 200

What's all this name stuff anyway? ..... 203

Glossary ..... 209

Rapid Prototyping Acronyms ..... 215

Directory of Selected Industry Resources ..... 217

Additive Fabrication Systems & Technology Providers ..... 217
Material Manufacturers & Material Finishing Technology Providers ..... 220
Do-it-yourself & Open Source Additive Fabrication Hardware & Information ..... 221
Rapid Injection Molding Vendors ..... 221
Reverse Engineering & Scanning Equipment Vendors ..... 222
RP Software Vendors ..... 224
Industry Organizations and Additional Information Sources ..... 226