RAPID PROTOTYPING
Power your dreams – don’t let your designs stop at 3D CAD
To complement reverse engineering processes, IME extends services into Rapid Prototyping (RP) or 3D Printing technology that turns innovative ideas into successful end products rapidly and efficiently.
WHAT IS 3D PRINTING
A brief explaination of how it works and it’s benefits.
Print parts layer-by-layer
By reading digital CAD data, high quality parts are printed by adding material layer-by-layer to form the shape.
Prototype and Production
Depending on the part size, you can 3D print your prototype for functional testing or production parts for practical uses at the same time.
Customise your business
Innovate your business process by keeping inventory files digital. Mass customize your end-product without worrying on quantity.
3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology, also known as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), builds objects from the bottom up by layering plastic that’s heated in a moving extrusion head.
PolyJet
PolyJet 3D printing technology produces smooth, accurate parts, prototypes and tooling. With microscopic layer resolution and accuracy down to 0.014 mm, it can produce thin walls and complex geometries using the widest range of materials available with any technology.
Stereolithography
Stereolithography (SLA) is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photochemical processes to form polymers.
Metal 3D Printing
Metal 3D Printing is a laser-based technology that uses powdered metals. Similar to Laser Sintering, a high-powered laser selectively binds together particles on the powder bed while the machine distributes even layers of metallic powder.
Different Types of RP Technology:
SLA – Stereolithography
Uses a vat of liquid resin and a UV laser to build parts that are strong enough to be machined. It is the oldest and most common method of rapid prototyping.
FDM – Fused Deposition Modelling
Uses a plastic filament that supplies material to a nozzle. The nozzle is heated and small beads of thermoplastic form the layers of the object. The material solidifies on contact.
Polymer Jetting Multi-material 3D Printer
Ultra-thin-layer, high-resolution 3-dimensional printing systems and materials utilise PolyJet™ polymer jetting technology, to print ultra-thin 16-micron layers. It works by jetting state of the art photopolymer materials in ultra-thin layers (16µ) onto a build tray, layer by layer until the part is completed. It is the world’s only multi-material 3D printer.
Rapid Prototyping Techniques Offer Multiple Benefits:
Fast and effective communication of design ideas
Effective validation of design fit, form and function
Greater design flexibility, with the ability to run quickly through multiple design iterations
Fewer production design flaws and better end-products