Rapid Manufacturing

ProtoCAM is on the cutting edge of rapid manufacturing technologies, where rapid prototyping techniques are use to create the final part, item, or component. Traditionally, rapid prototyping has been used for making parts that are used in the design or testing phase. Rapid manufacturing means taking that one step further – making the finished item that will be used by the end user. Typically this is a short production run, from a single piece, to a few dozen pieces, to a few hundred items. Rapid manufacturing is sometimes known as on-demand manufacturing.

Advances in Rapid Manufacturing and Resins

Rapid injection molding tool The use of rapid manufacturing for creating the final parts is a relatively new development in our business. The biggest driver for this change is the improvements in resins that are used in these processes. For example, just a couple of years ago, a prototype part created with stereolithography would not have been suitable for use as a finished item. Typically, the part would not have been durable enough to use. The prototype would have been good for form and fit, but usually would not have the complete functional attributes. Now, the latest, most advanced resins are used in rapid manufacturing to create fully functional items that can be immediately used. It's the advancements in resins that now create the opportunity to use rapid manufacturing to create the finished goods. And these resins are only going to get better, allowing more and more items to be created with rapid manufacturing.

Benefits of Rapid Manufacturing

Rapid manufacturing is used to create an item directly from the 3D CAD model of the piece, with the following benefits:

Eliminates the creation of any tooling and tooling costs, which are usually high.
Low production cost overhead
Production speed
Time to market

Characteristics of a Good Rapid Manufacturing Part

A typical item that can be created with rapid manufacturing has these characteristics:

Small size
Low quantity
Previously made with low volume injection molding, epoxy, or aluminum tooling
Limited product life span
Defined quantities needed
Geometry that cannot easily be made using traditional manufacturing methods

Rapid Manufacturing Example

Here's a scenario where using rapid manufacturing is a good fit: A supplier of a specialty pipe interconnect needs to make 200 pieces for this month's sales. In the course of assembling the interconnect, he needs a fixture with complex internal geometry. In addition, the interconnect goes through tweaks every couple of months. Instead of investing in expensive prototype tooling to make the part (and its complex inner geometry), he instead orders a set of 200 SLA prototypes from ProtoCAM to use as fixtures.

Materials used in Rapid Manufacturing

Among ProtoCAM's six machines, the following stereolithography resins are available:

Accura 25: Polypropylene-like, ideal for snap fits, white
Accura 60: Tough, clear
ProtoGen 18420: White, can be heat treated
WaterClear Ultra 10122: Clear in color

Contact ProtoCAM for Rapid Manufacturing

Please contact us to discuss your rapid manufacturing needs or to request a quotation.