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The ability to manufacture geometrically complex parts without tooling is a major advantage of additive fabrication technology. That leads some writers to pre-sell rapid manufacturing as the next industrial revolution. Maybe it is. We’ll have to see how it all works out a few years from now.

In the meantime, though, its progress in reaching that goal depends on improvements to both materials and machinery. Basic problems such as material stability and strength, as well as accuracy and resolution need to be more competitive before additive methods take over applications from conventional technologies. Recent photopolymer material introductions by DSM Somos illustrate how material changes can lead in that direction:

NanoForm 15120 is a composite stereolithography material which offers enhanced performance by using non-crystalline nano-particle technology. DSM says its properties include high stiffness and heat resistance, and heat deflection temperatures of more than 500 deg F (265 deg C) are possible. German based service bureau VG Kunststofftechnik was an early user. The company’s initial focus has been on small, detailed parts for the electronics, aerospace and medical industries, as well as for water-technology specialists such as Hansa and Grohe. VG often produces up to 200 directly manufactured parts for limited series production. According to VG founder and Managing Director Dr. Volker Griessbach, the material’s accuracy, low water absorption and surface qualities deliver the precision and detail which the electronics industry requires, as well as guarantees the dimensional stability of the parts. In addition, he says, NanoForm has a water-resistant surface and can withstand temperatures as high as 250 deg C. In one automotive test project for Siemens, VG produced 1000 electromagnetic coils in one week. The parts were reeled-up, mounted, soldered and plastic coated. This enabled Siemens to save approximately $40,000 in tooling costs and allowed their test program to move forward four months ahead of schedule.

VG Kunststofftechnik uses NanoForm 15120 to produce up to 200 directly manufactured parts for pre-series and limited series production. Here, prototypes of water filters for Grohe and coil bobbins for Siemens. (Photo courtesy of DSM Somos and VG Kunststofftechnik.)

Cyrille Vue, Managing Director of Groupe Erpro, speaking of DSM’s ultra-low modulus ULM 17220, says: "For the first time, the rapid prototyping (RP) industry has a rubber-like material which combines excellent mechanical properties, surface quality and detail with a resistance to both temperature and hydrocarbons."

Erpro is a Paris-based engineering and rapid prototyping service organization. The company says it has been able to overcome some of the deficiencies inherent in other elastomeric-like RP materials, such as accuracy and surface quality. They’ve also cut out the time and cost of vacuum casting parts, which formerly was their standard route for producing flexible prototypes.

Photos above and below, right: Erpro uses Somos ULM(tm) 17220 to create detailed, rubber-like prototypes of profiles, gaskets, and pipes.
Insets show details of parts in each photo. (Photos courtesy of DSM Somos and Erpro. )

Erpo, whose clients include Renault, Visteon, Delphi and other companies, has produced a variety of parts using the material including profiles, gaskets, sealants pipes and blower wheels. One of their most innovative developments has been a two-component, under-the-hood part combining a blower wheel made from ULM and a rigid pipe made from Somos' White 14120 material.

"While we understand that ULM parts cannot be exposed to extremely high temperatures, customer feedback confirms that the material is capable of withstanding exposures of up to 80-90 deg C without compromising key performance properties such as its flexibility and tear-strength," says Vue. He further adds that since the material is water-resistant in contrast to comparative selective laser sintering (SLS) materials, they’ve been able to use it for many additional applications.

For more info Contact:

Ms. Eva Montgomery, Mktg. Manager
DSM Somos
1122 St. Charles St.
Elgin. IL 60120
800-223-7191
847-697-0400
847 468-7785 FX
eva.montgomery@dsm.com

Dr. Volker Griessbach, Managing Director
V.G. Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Ludwig-Richter-Straße 38
09131 Chemnitz
Germany
+49 371/ 471 61-0
+49 371/ 471 61 61 FX
info@vg-kunst.de

ERPRO
10, rue Charles Cros
ZAE
95320 St-Leu-La-Foret
France
+33 (1) 34 14 62 67
+33 (1) 34 15 00 80 FX
contact@erpro.fr