Look into the future of rapid prototyping material

DSM Somos has announced the launch of a major research and development campaign aimed at responding to the growing global demand of differentiated material product lines for the RP industry.

DSM Somos has announced the launch of a major research and development campaign aimed at responding to the growing global demand of differentiated material product lines for the RP industry.

In line with this commitment, DSM Somos hosted its first annual Technology Focus meeting in December 2000, attended by a group representing diverse corporate interests -- including RP service bureaus, auto manufacturing, small and major appliances, as well as several stereolithography machine producers.

In his opening address of the 2-day event, James Reitz, DSM Somos business manager, declared, "What I hope to do today is convey the understanding that DSM Somos' commitment goes beyond the issue of material sales; we have a pivotal role to play in transforming rapid prototyping into rapid manufacturing, in continuing to ensure your success.

We are here to open our doors, show you what the Somos R and D teams are currently working on and find out which of these materials best respond to your current or future needs.

We all need to be advocates for the careful and deliberate advancement of this crucial area of 21st century manufacturing technologies." In response to the question, 'Why are you effectively divulging to your competitors what your company agenda is for the upcoming year?' Mr Reitz responded, "To be a technology leader in this field we need an open exchange of ideas to accurately respond to industry's needs.

We are excited about the potential this event offers for expanding new materials solutions and helping our customers world-wide advance their business through innovative RP technologies.

We at DSM Somos believe that this commitment to enabling research will serve as a model for the introduction of new materials demanded by the rapid prototyping and manufacturing industries, as well as by academic and commercial research organizations." Introduced was a vast range of R and D materials in various phases of alpha or beta testing that will be evaluated for commercialisation, depending upon further market analysis.

Among those products presented during the Technology Focus were: * Stereolithography resins for water-clear parts, introduced by John A Lawton, Research Associate.

The need for optical clarity in prototypes has been a consistent demand from the market place as engineers attempt to understand fluid flow behaviour during design and testing of new components.

Other anticipated applications include stress analysis at the prototype level.

A high modulus material with a superior elongation at break, the properties of the material are expected to significantly enhance the DSM Somos ProtoFunctional(TM) materials offering.

In additional to its optical clarity, the material also offers the characteristic fast photo speeds for which DSM Somos resins are known and low viscosity - properties which will increase the overall productivity of the build process.

This material is anticipated to be a "clear" winner for all stereolithography users.

* High Temperature / High Resolution Stereolithography Resins, introduced by Dr Louis H.

Strong, Research Associate.

The ability to produce prototypes which can be used in high temperature applications is a consistent request from a variety of sectors, notably the automotive industry for which testing of new design components in under-the-hood applications is frequently demanded.

Ulterior applications include rapid tooling, thanks to the enhanced resolution offered, contributing to the overall accuracy improvement in the stereolithography process.

High temperature applications in combination with superior resolution is expected to open up new applications in a variety of markets.

* Experimental Material for Investment Casting, introduced by Dr Glen A Thommes, Senior Consultant.

The use of stereolithography to create patterns employed in investment casting foundry applications is growing rapidly, most notably within the aerospace industry where a small number of custom manufactured parts are needed to fulfil manufacturing needs.

To respond to the significant accuracy demands in foundry applications, this resin offers superior water and humidity resistance, preventing the part from growing when exposed to varying environment conditions.

A further benefit is that a distinctive colour can easily be added to effortlessly identify the source of the prototypes.

The advantages offered by this material are expected to expand the use of stereolithography for investment casting applications.

* High modulus and heat-tolerance stereolithography resin for direct injection mould applications, introduced by Dr Xiaorong You, Research Chemist.

The first filled resin to be introduced in the western world, the material is designed for the realization of rapid tooling moulds in direct injection applications.

The filled resin offers two significant advantages: high modulus and high heat tolerance, crucial properties for success in injection moulding applications.

DSM Somos' patented technology in this field ensures that it will be a dominant technology leader for the introduction of other filled resins in the future.

David Green, Director of Engineering at Scicon Technologies, declared during the Technology Focus, "We are extremely pleased to be able to participate in this event.

DSM Somos' patrimony of patented technologies and notable scientific and technological experience, combined with the direct input of those present today, is bound to bring to market some truly new and exciting materials.

We look forward to seeing which of the materials presented will be the first to be commercialised." Green continued, "The technology investments made in Somos materials demonstrate that DSM Somos is poised to continue to be the premier RP solutions provider for the billion dollar Rapid Prototyping industry.".

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