WELCOME

USE OF RAPID PROTOTYPING IN RAPID TOOLING

PROTOTYPE
ITs A SCALED DOWN OR UP VERSION OF A REAL SIZED OBJECT GENERALLY USED TO TEST PERFORMANCE OF OBJECT PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPING

RAPID PROTOTYPING
ITs A CLASS OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE MODELS FROM CAD DATA ALSO CALLED AS LAYERED OR TOOLFREE MANUFACTURING

IT IS AN ADDITIVE PROCESS
RAPID IS A RELATIVE TERM, AS IT TAKES SEVERAL HOURS TO BUILD A PROTOTYPE BUT IT IS MUCH FASTER THAN CONVENTIONAL MANUAL PROTOTYPING

PROCESS CHAIN OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING PROCESS

USES

TO MAKE PROTOTYPES RAPID TOOLING & RAPID MANUFACTURING TIME SAVING IN PRODUCT LAUNCH

LIMITATION

DIFFICULT TO MAKE METAL PROTOTYPE WHICH ARE FUNCTIONAL DIFFICULT TO PRODUCE PROTOTYPES HAVING SIZE MORE THAN 0.125 m3

RAPID TOOLING
IT IS A PROCESS THAT COMBINES RP AND CONVENTIONAL TOOLING METHODS TO PRODUCE MOULDS

IT EITHER USES RP MODEL AS A MASTER PATTERN TO PRODUCE

MOULD OR USES RP PROCESS TO FABRICATE A MOULD

RP

CONVENTIONAL TOOLING

RT

CLASSIFICATION OF RT

DIRECT SOFT TOOLING

IN THIS TYPE MOULD IS PREPARED DIRECTLY WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF THE RP TECHNIQUE BY USING SOFT MATERIALS LIKE EPOXY RESINS, SILICON RUBBER etc.

SLS OF SAND CAST MOULD

SAND MOULDS ARE PREPARED BY USING SLS TECHNIQUE PROCESS 1. 2. 3. SAND GRAINS ARE COATED WITH POLYMERIC BINDER LASER ENERGY IS APPLIED TO MELT THIS BINDER THIS RESULTS IN BONDING OF SAND IN SHAPE OF MOULD

INDIRECT SOFT TOOLING

IN THIS TYPE MOULD IS PREPARED WITH HELP OF A COMPONENT MANUFACTURED BY RP TECHNIQUE BY USING SOFT MATERIALS LIKE EPOXY RESINS, SILICON RUBBER etc.

ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZATION

THIS IS AN OLD METHOD BUT MASTER PATTERN USED IS DEVELOPED BY ONE OF THE RP PROCESSES MATERIALS USED SILICON RUBBER, POLYURETHANE, POLYESTER, EPOXY TYPES 2 TYPES OF RTV 1) ONE PIECE MOULD APPROACH 2) TWO PIECE MOULD APPROACH

ONE PIECE MOULD APPROACH

TWO PIECE MOULD APPROACH

PROCESS
1) MOULD BOX IS FILLED UP TO PARTING LINE WITH MOULD CLAY 2) MASTER PATTERN ALONG WITH ATTACHED GATING SYSTEM IS PALCED IN MOULD BOX 3) SILICON RUBBER IS POURED IN HALF FILLED MOULD BOX 4) AFTER SOLIDIFICATION OF RUBBER, CLAY IS REMOVED

AND WE GET A HALF PART OF MOULD

5) THE OTHER HALF OF MOULD IS PREODUCED BY LAYING THE MASTER PATTERN UPSIDE DOWN AND CARRYING OUT SAME PROCESS

ADVANTAGES OF 2PIECE MOULD APPROACH OVER 1 PIECE MOULD APPROACH 1) IT IS USEFUL WHEN PARTING LINE IS DIFFICULT TO BE DETERMINED 2) LESS SKILLED WORKERS ARE REQUIRED

DISADVANTAGES OF 2PIECE MOULD APPROACH OVER 1PIECE MOULD APPROACH

1) TIME REQUIRED TO PRODUCE MOULD BY 2 PIECE MOULD APPROACH IS MORE

PHOTOS

Left; one-piece mould Right; two-pieces mould

DIRECT HARD TOOLING

IN THIS TYPE MOULD IS PREPARED DIRECTLY WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF THE RP TECHNIQUE BY USING HARD MATERIALS LIKE TOOL STEEL etc.

DIRECT METAL LASER SINTERING (DMLS)

THE WORD SINTERING IS CONFUSING IT IS ACTUALLY LASER WELDING

OF METAL POWDER

INDIRECT HARD TOOLING

IN THIS TYPE MOULD IS PREPARED WITH HELP OF A COMPONENT

MANUFACTURED BY RP TECHNIQUE BY USING HARD MATERIALS

LIKE MIXTURE OF EPOXY RESIN AND Al POWDER etc.

METAL FILLED EPOXY TOOLING

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING EPOXY TOOLING IS SIMILAR AS MAKING RTV TWO- PIECE MOULD BUT USUALLY DOUBLE DUPLICATION METHOD IS USED PROCESS 1) MASTER PATTERN SURFACE IS APPLIED WITH MOULD RELEASE AGENT 2) AFTER HAVING AN IMPRESSION OF MASTER PATTERN ALONG WITH GATING ON CLAY IN MOULD BOX IT IS REMOVED 3) SILICON RUBBER IS POURED IN TO IT WHICH UPON SOLIDIFICATION ACTS AS NEGETIVE MOULD MASTER PATTERN 4) THIS NEGETIVE MOULD MASTER PATTERN IS PLACED IN MOULD BOX ON WHICH METAL EPOXY IS POURED TO GET METAL TOOLING

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID TOOLING

1) SHORTENS TOOLING LEAD TIME 2) MISINTERPRETATIONS ABOUT DRAWING CAN BE AVOIDED IN INITIAL STAGES 3) LOW DESIGN FAILURES

THE ONLY DISADVANTAGE OF RT IS HIGH COST

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
1) TO REDUCE PROCESS TIME

2) TO PRODUCE METAL PROTOTYPE

3) TO REDUCE THE COST OF PROTOTYPING

CONCLUSION
TOOLING i.e MOULD MAKING CAN BE DONE AT A FASTER RATE
BY COMBINING RP AND CONVENTIONAL TOOLING METHOD.