Product category:
Fast prototyping equipment, pattern-making and services
News Release from: EOS Electro Optical Systems | Subject: Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 July 2005
Stronger, complex moulds laser-sintered
faster
Tooling such as injection and blow moulds can now be built with laser-sintering from CAD models in 20 micron thick layers of powder, rather than the previous limit of 50 micron layers.
Rapid prototyping and manufacturing specialist, CRDM, High Wycombe, has upgraded its Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) facility to enable faster production and higher quality Tooling such as injection and blow moulds can now be built from CAD models in 20 micron thick layers of powder, rather than the previous limit of 50 micron layers
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 1 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The finer resolution allows more complex tools to be produced and minimises subsequent hand polishing, cutting two to three days off the typical lead-time of 15 working days from order to delivery.
The new DMLS machine is an EOSINT M 250 Xtended from EOS, Warwick, UK.
It was installed at CRDM's High Wycombe centre at the end of 2004 following an eight-month study by the company into the best way to move forward its rapid tooling capability.
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Replacing an earlier model from the same supplier, the machine expands production possibilities to include the processing of the latest range of steel powders, including DirectSteel H20 tool steel.
Such tools are able to produce larger series runs of plastics components - say 100,000 to 200,000 - providing a useful production tooling option for the bureau's wide ranging customer base, which includes some major companies from the automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer product and telecommunication industries as well as the MOD.
Even moulds produced using the rapid DirectMetal 20 bronze-based material can yield 20,000 to 30,000 plastic parts, a significant improvement over the previous capability due to the higher density and strength.
Wear resistance is now better than that of hard aluminium tooling, but the main advantage over traditional tooling comes from the use of layer-build technology, where any geometry can be produced without the need for tooling inserts or spark erosion.
This has a dramatic effect on lead-time and cost for the tooling of complicated components.
The laser-sintered tools can be polished so that the surfaces leave no discernible witness mark on the plastics parts produced, even on searching materials like polypropylene and polyethylene.
CRDM has also improved its capability for producing DMLS parts by installing a new data preparation software called EOSTYLE.
This creates improved support structures that minimise the contact between the support and the component.
More intricate shapes may therefore be created and post-finishing is reduced.
The machine also includes new features allowing different layer thicknesses to be programmed in the range 20 to 60 microns, allowing best utilisation of machine time by matching required detail resolution with layer depth.
The benefits of the EOSINT M 250 Xtended combined with improved software and 20 micron powder developments have significantly boosted CRDM's toolmaking activities to around one third of turnover, according to managing director, Graham Bennett.
"During the three to four years that we were using the previous DMLS machine, we made around 80 tools," he said, "Whereas the new machine produced 100 tools in the first five months of operation." He went on to explain that, in the past, CRDM often had to fall back on conventional metalcutting, both high-speed milling and spark erosion, in about 50% of cases.
Consequently lead-time was up to two weeks longer, particularly if EDM electrodes had to be made.
Using the Xtended version of the machine, conventional toolmaking now accounts for only one third of mould throughput, and falling.
So productive is the DMLS machine that even with two full-time tool designers using Delcam software, the facility is not running at full capacity.
Bennett is therefore actively marketing the rapid toolmaking service and reorganising the department internally, including the installation of overhead handling equipment, to bring the efficiency of other areas in the toolmaking process up to a similar productivity level.
Continued Bennett, "Toolmaking is declining in the UK so one needs to innovate to survive, let alone succeed".
"DMLS is a powerful weapon in our armoury".
"Large OEMs in the UK often go to low-wage countries like China for their moulds and the plastic components are frequently produced there too, but lead times are long".
" Small to medium size firms may not have such easy access to overseas toolmaking, however, preferring to buy locally and benefit from quick delivery".
"They also frequently have more modest production volumes"".
"" We would like to hear from such firms, particularly those with complex tooling requirements where a lot of sparking would normally be needed, as these are the jobs where rapid tooling by DMLS can really pay dividends"".
"" During the building of an injection mould, for instance, conformal cooling, gates and feeds, ejector pin holes and fixing details can all be included into one operation, exerting marked downward pressure on cost and lead time." 90% of the work by value that goes through the EOSINT M 250 Xtended at High Wycombe is tooling, but functional metal prototypes in the medical and automotive sectors as well as low-volume production in batches of one- to five-off are also an important part of CRDM's business.
Items of medium to high accuracy and complexity are regularly produced by DMLS, such as inlet manifolds for small engines, jewellery, medical device parts, lock mechanisms and components for white goods.
Often, the need to make expensive diecasting moulds is eliminated.
Wind tunnel test components for aerospace and F1 is another area of component production, as parts produced by DMLS are rigid, robust and able to withstand supersonic wind speeds, whereas plastic and other materials frequently used in prototyping would bend or break.
Bennett concluded, "The concept of 'growing' tooling and components to net shape instead of removing material to achieve a required geometry opens up endless possibilities for alternative, cost-effective manufacturing"".
"" As we know, a majority of higher volume, lower added value production has gone overseas and is likely to stay there".
"Rapid product development by DMLS is a growing area of manufacture that the UK with its innovative engineers can exploit, as the technique is ideal for lower volume, higher added value work.".
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