Product category:
Rapid Prototyping
News Release from: Martello | Subject: Rapid low-cost tooling
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 09 October 2003
Rapid low-cost tooling speeds
small-batch pieces
Martello is claiming a breakthrough in rapid low-cost tooling for short production runs of plastic mouldings.
Martello is claiming a breakthrough in rapid low-cost tooling for short production runs of plastic mouldings After a year of intensive R and D complemented by over 10 years experience in polyurethane processing, the company has reached a successful conclusion to its development activities
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 3 Dec 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Technical breakthroughs during the past year in both materials and processing technology have placed Martello in a unique position that enables it to offer clients high quality plastic pieceparts from rapid, low-cost tooling.
Advanced polyurethane resin formulations, exclusive to Martello, produce durable, fully pigmented pieceparts with excellent surface definition and impressive mechanical properties.
Martello are now able to offer a low, one-off tooling fee for products that can be produced in batches of 50 up to 500 off, saving customers both time and money compared with conventional tooling for injection moulding.
For prototypes, up to 50 parts can be produced from one low-cost mould using SLA or other rapid prototyping masters.
Martello's R and D has also achieved a robust V0-rated flame retardant resin, well above the norm for polyurethanes and enabling Martello to claim a first in this area.
The ThinRim process produces thin walled, delicate parts with excellent surface finish and fine detail.
To ensure best quality, accurate machined patterns are generated using Martello's high-speed CNC machining centre.
Timescales for machining master patterns, producing the low cost tools and starting production are typically only 2 weeks.
These significant advances have stimulated a change in direction for Martello (formerly Martello Design) The company is now focused on prototyping and low volume production and to avoid possible confusion with design houses has dropped "Design" from its name and activities.
Martin Peters, Managing Director of Martello, recognised that in order to satisfy customer requirements fully Martello needed to challenge existing processes by pioneering new a new system able to deliver high quality pieceparts more efficiently.
He comments: "Martello are continuously striving to push forward the boundaries of low volume production and processing using ThinRim.
Now, at Martello, innovation and the determination to succeed have brought a concept into reality - for the benefit of any project needing low volumes of high quality plastic mouldings fast".
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