Sanders Design Receives Contract for Very High Accuracy RP System

From: MR ALBIN A HASTBACKA (KHVD07A@prodigy.com)
Date: Fri Dec 06 1996 - 00:00:00 EET


-- [ From: Al Hastbacka * EMC.Ver #2.5.1 ] --

For those of you on the list who are interested in ink-jet based rapid
prototyping systems, I am enclosing the abstract of the contract which
NASA has recently awarded to Sanders Design International under a PHASE
II SBIR Program.

Regards,
Al Hastbacka President,
Sanders Design

                      Ink-Jet Rapid Prototyping Machine (IRPM)
                                                                                                                                TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

Current rapid prototyping systems are nearly an order of magnitude less
accurate than equivalent sized numerically controlled milling machines.
In order for rapid prototyping systems to get into the mainstream of
manufacturing processes, a rapid prototyping machine with accuracy
comparable to CNC machines needs to be developed.

Phase I of this program developed a preliminary design and tested
critical technologies needed to achieve an ink-jet rapid prototyping
machine (IRPM) that is both fast and accurate enough to create master
patterns for making production tooling.

The IRPM will provide an overall accuracy for a one foot cube volume
that is within 0.001 inches (three sigma value). In addition, the IRPM
will build models or master patterns at a speed that is comparable to
the building speed on more costly, but less accurate rapid prototyping
systems. The IRPM is expected to cost substantially less than
comparable rapid prototyping systems, even though it will improve the
accuracy of model building by an order of magnitude.



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