1998 / Solid Freeform Fabrication Proceedings
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Author Christian Nelson, Jason Kepler, Rick Booth, Phillip Conner, DTM Corporation
Source Solid Freeform Fabrication Proceedings, 1998, pp 451-460
Abstract The "RapidTool" Short Run (SR) Tooling Process using the Copper Polyamide material provides a route to mold inserts for injection molding made directly in the Selective Laser Sintering machine. The STL files for the mold inserts are shelled and conformal cooling lines and ejector pin guides are added before SLS processing. Sintering of the material in the SLS machine provides quick metal/plastic tooling with good thermal conductivity. Final preparation of the tooling inserts includes sealing the surface with epoxy, final finishing using sandpaper, and backing up the shells with a metal alloy. The Copper Polyamide SR Tooling inserts are used to mold several hundred parts with common plastics with injection cycle times similar to conventional molding cycle times. (Auth abstract) [References: 10]
Solid Freeform Fabrication Proceedings can be obtained from: The Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium
or contact:
The University of Texas at Austin
Laboratory for Freeform Fabrication / Texas Materials Institute
Mechanical Engineering Dept.
c/o The Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium
MC C2200
Austin, TX 78712-1063 USA
512-471-3026; 512-471-7681 FX; Email: sffsymp@uts.cc.utexas.edu