High Speed Machining Precision Tooling - Indobiz.biz

• Part design can be based on
function rather than manufacturing
constraints.
• Design changes can be implemented
immediately at minimal cost.
• Custom products can be produced to
match customer requirements.
DDM starts in design, with something like this CAD image
of a jigsaw
European countries, remain important
clusters of RP innovation.
What Is DDM?
Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is the
process of using an additive fabrication
system to create parts for end use. In
fact, there is a growth in the number of
manufacturers that are using additive
fabrication systems to build a range
of parts, such as components for new
products, jigs, fi xtures, hand tools and
gages. Design and engineering fi rms are
fi nding further uses for fused deposition
modeling (FDM) machines aside from
the traditional rapid prototyping (RP)
functionality.
A variety of production materials can be
used in the FDM process, including ABS,
polycarbonates, polyphenylsulfones and
blends. These materials allow users to
manufacture parts that are tough enough
for functional testing, installation, and
most importantly, end use. Because
thermoplastics are environmentally
stable, their accuracy does not change
with ambient conditions or time.
Here are advantages for using DDM for
manufacturing:
• Complex parts can be produced
without the need for highly skilled
labor.
• Parts can be produced as needed,
eliminating the need for stock.
Broadening The Scope
The technologies that have dominated
the industry since its inception continue
to remain at the fore. These include
stereolithography and the new Objet
technology, which is a serious contender
to the stereolithography’s historical
crown. Fused Deposition Modeling
(FDM) has also played a signifi cant role
in the development of the industry and
will continue to do so. Because of its
varied material properties, FDM also
plays a large role in the emerging DDM
and rapid tooling markets, alongside
technologies such as selective laser
sintering.
In terms of future use and adoption,
price pressures persist across the
industry as a whole. Profi tability lays
in innovation and fi nding new ways to
develop existing technologies.
In the future, there probably will be more
options in the palette and selection
of materials. We are already using
engineering plastics and materials in
DDM works by compiling a 3D model from CAD data using
an additive process. The machine lays layer after layer of
material until the model is complete
Shown is a production run of about 50 DDM parts (fl ag
hold-downs), made for installation in its high-speed
document scanning machines.
machines and can use them in extremely
high temperatures. For example,
we develop DDM applications for
automotive under-hood components—a
concept practically unthinkable 20
years ago.
DDM and tooling in their limited formats
are already here and are hot topics
among media and industry experts. One
of the most intriguing consequences of
this increase is the potential to reverse
the trend to outsource manufacturing
to places like the Far East in order to
avoid high labor and tooling costs. This
trend could potentially be reversed if
companies instead purchased the DDM
machines of the future, which would
give them a fi xed cost base, reduce
labor intensity and remove high tooling
costs and time, potentially negating the
incentive to outsource. It would be great
to see some manufacturing processes
return to the developed economies.
This brief “growth chart” of the RP
industry is only a snapshot. The
technology is moving so quickly that it is
diffi cult to predict exactly where people’s
ideas and needs will take it. It is up to
the shops to ensure that we keep up
with what customers require. We also
need another shift in imagination as
we once again encourage companies to
raise their expectations. What is certain
is that the results and applications will
be astonishing and exciting, and we
look forward to being at the forefront of
taking the industry forward.
indometalworking news Vol. 2 / 2008 33