Product category:
Fast prototyping equipment, pattern-making and services
News Release from: EOS Electro Optical Systems | Subject: EOSINT P 390 laser sintering machine
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 November 2007
Laser sintering makes lightweight robot
grippers
Laser-sintering is used to make ultra light-weight and compact gripping elements individually, fast and cost-effectively, for various robotic applications in the plastics industry.
From the start of 2007, manufacturer of robotic gripping elements, ASS Maschinenbau, has been using an EOSINT P 390 for plastics laser-sintering Managing director of ASS Maschinenbau, Marc Schwope, reported: "With laser-sintering we manufacture ultra light-weight and compact gripping elements individually, fast and cost-effectively
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Oct 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The components complement our range of products for various applications in the plastics industry".
The company, a daughter of Indus Holding AG, said that it is producing compact, complex and ultra light-weight robot hands.
At the same time, ASS integrates functions in the gripping technology and as a consequence enlarges the application spectrum of its products.
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German rapid prototyping systems maker is bringing a wealth of rapid manufacturing technology and experience based on laser-sintering machines and metals, plastics and sands powders.
Laser very fine grain metal powders to make moulds
TransCAT took only 16h using very fine-grained metal powders in a laser-sintering system to build the core and cavity of a plastics injection mould for producing thin-walled fan wheels.
Three times a week an application specialist from ASS starts up the e-Manufacturing process.
Up to 100 different parts are built in one single production cycle - and they are used for various purposes.
Those can be laser-sintered robot hands, but also combinations with aluminium and steel shaft.
The robot hand kits on the other side provide individual gripper solutions for ASS customers.
In the past, the components of the kits were produced with turning or milling.
At least for some parts, the laser-sintering technology now replaces those traditional methods.
An important aspect for ASS is the freedom of design that laser-sintering as layer-manufacturing technology offers.
"With the technology, we can combine a lot of functions within very limited space, in particular for removal tasks.
For example, hoses within the hand have become oblivious.
Laser-sintering enables us to directly integrate cross section optimized air ducts and vacuum channels.
We thus save time and costs," explained Schwope in a report to manufacturingtalk.com.
A special designated department with three employees at ASS ensure that the product design is optimised and that the geometrical freedom of the laser-sintering technology is fully exploited.
The company is able to make robot hands, which it had been unable to produce so far due to the size of the standard components or due to their complex designs.
* About EOS - EOS was founded in 1989 and is today the world leading manufacturer of laser-sintering systems.
Laser-sintering is the key technology for e-Manufacturing, the fast, flexible and cost-effective production of products, patterns or tools.
The technology manufactures parts for every phase of the product life cycle, directly from electronic data.
Laser-sintering accelerates product development and optimizes production processes.
EOS completed its business year 2006 with revenues of EUR 52.3 million and is continuing its ongoing growth.
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