Rapid Tooling System - Technologies and Industrial Applications

By Jon T Smith

The term Rapid Tooling (RT) is used to describe a process which either uses a Rapid Prototyping (RP) technique as a medium to create a mold quickly or uses the Rapid Prototyping process directly to fabricate a tool for a limited volume of prototypes. RT takes less tooling time and cost than a conventional tool. It can be used to make multiple parts out of alternative materials. The rapid tooling processes include the following:

  • Composite Injection
  • Kirksite Injection
  • Silicone Vacuum Cast
  • Zinc and Aluminum Plaster Cast
  • Spray Metal Injection
  • Sand Cast

Rapid tooling is becoming a new model for the industry. It's used as prototype tooling and used mainly for low-volume production. Depending on the part design and the choice of the material being injected, there can be numerous parts developed through this technique. The rapid prototype tooling services creates precise molds faster and with high-speed milling capabilities.

The RT machines can run up to 42,000 RPMs and can have a tolerance of .0002". It is the most accurate method of any rapid prototyping equipment used for rapid tooling. RT is not about the process but it is all about fast results that can be achieved and success is gained by employing a leading-edge technology.

It is the combination of tools, methods, processes and people that makes the solution rapid. Rapid tooling is the result of an additive process driven by 3D (Dimensional) CAD (Computer Aided Designs and requires little or no machining. The use of "rapid tooling" in work area attracts the attention of buyers and consequences are direct increase in sales.

EMS USA provides rapid prototyping services, such as stereolithography (SLA), rapid tooling, rapid manufacturing

Rapid Prototyping Building Materials

By Low Jeremy

Rapid prototyping is the process used to generate three-dimensional models that do not require any machining or tooling. Instead, rapid prototyping makes use of cutting edge technology that allows a physical object to be formed by adding a material layer by layer until the desired shape is achieved. This additive process is being used instead of building prototypes by cutting away material through machining which is subtractive.

Rapid prototyping allows more flexibility than machining because the even complex model designs does not suffer any limitations during its production. Rapid prototyping enables engineers and product designers to generate three dimensional models quickly and accurately.

Different rapid prototyping systems make use of a variety of materials to create different three dimensional objects. A common material used is prototyping wax. This material is usually ideal when engineers and designers require small quantities of casting parts to create intricate patterns without the use of tooling.

Prototyping wax can also be used together with other types of prototyping materials in order to make the resulting prototype work better with different casting methods that make use of metals as well as non-metals. Combining prototyping wax with other materials to create the models will also be ideal for low-temperature furnaces and vacuum plaster casting methods.

A rapid prototyping modeling process utilizing prototyping wax to create a wax pattern can be advantageous in some ways. Forming and de-waxing a shell mold made from prototyping wax can be done quite rapidly using normal casting procedures. Using this type material simplifies in a way the model-making process that helps you to get your products to be developed and be released in the market faster.

Aside from prototyping waxes, there are also other materials being used for a number of rapid prototyping processes. One such material is thermoplastics. If product engineers are looking forward in creating durable prototype parts that might require aggressive functional testing, thermoplastics can be the ideal material to use for rapid prototyping. Thermoplastic materials have effective heat and chemical resisting properties that make them the best choice for models that undergo aggressive product testing procedures.

Not only that, thermoplastics also provide excellent surface finish to prototype models. They are also machinable and weldable when required. Thermoplastics can also be joined mechanically or with the use of special adhesives. Other prototyping material choices available include powdered metals for injection molding, and for directly creating metal prototype parts, Polycarbonate and polyphenylsulfone materials for forming durable, high-strength, and functional prototypes that are to be used for testing and final design verification.

Low Jeremy maintains http://prototyping.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

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