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  The ECOTOOLTM process uses a metal powder-ceramic binder system that is capable of withstanding the intense heat of molten glass. The picture to the right shows a detail of the bottom surface of the dish in the photo below. The process has been under development by the Danish Technological Institute and the TNO Industrial Research Institute in the Netherlands for several years.
Dr. Stuart Clyens of DTI says they have been working closely with a number of designers of glassware. Designers work in 3D CAD which is used to make a model by CNC or rapid prototyping. The model is subsequently placed in a frame and binder material is poured over it and allowed to stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours. During that time it hardens into a green compact. The model is then removed and the green compact is heat treated to converted it from a material with a tensile strength of less than 10MPa to one with a tensile strength of 300-400MPa. The shrinkage of the binder is very low, only 0.1-0.3%. Dr. Clyens says there appears to be no upper limit on the size of tool which can be manufactured, but they generally do not exceed 20 Kg simply because of the difficulties in handling. The ECOTOOLTM process has been used succesfully to manufacture plastic injection molding tools, tools for superplastic forming of aluminum, blow and vacuum forming tools and high pressure aluminum die casting tools.
All photos courtesy Dr. Stuart Clyens, Danish Technological Institute. The pictures of the process to make the vase above show molten glass being poured into the mold (A) at about 1100 deg C. The mold is then spun on a rotating table (B) to make the molten glass climb the walls of the mold to form the hollow center and the irregularly designed lip surfaces of the vase. The photo on the right (C) shows the vase being removed from the mold. For more info contact:
Danish Technological Institute
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