The question was asked of me by an RP-ML'r about what sort of things
are being done now with the rubber-like Somos 201 for SLS. I thought
some of you might be interested to know a few highlights.
Kinds of Parts:
bellows, hoses, bushings, boots, seals, grommets, toys, buttons,
medical devices, anything rubbery or highly flexible
Size of Parts:
We've built parts up to 12"L and up to 12"H whole, and we're now
fusing sections to produce oversized parts. We've not had occasion
to build any real thick or massive parts. Wall thicknesses of .5"
have built fine. Very tiny parts and/or features (under .050") may
or may not build satisfactorily, depending upon geometry and
orientation. We normally build parts Somos in .006" layers.
Durability and Functional Characteristics:
Parts can be sealed for flow testing (air, water). Somos 201 can be
bent, pulled and twisted to a degree and still hold up, but it should
not to be confused with moulded rubber in terms of surface finish and
ductility. A sealed part can fail if it is crimped too far or pulled
too hard.
Aesthetics:
We've not figured out how to make Somos silky smooth, but the sealant
does kill the dust and porosity. As stated earlier in earlier
messages, this stuff can be colored the "flavor of choice." We've
even made a stab at matching pantones with decent results, but that
can be a bit of a pain.
All in all it has turned out to be good stuff for producing
functional rubbery parts in just a couple of working days. It is
still difficult to work with because of its tendency to screw up
during the build, but it can be somewhat mastered with enough
patience and tolerance of its operational ills. I recommend that
members of the Hair Club for Men not mess with this stuff!
Ron
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Ron Clemons
Dir. of Marketing
Harvest Technologies
http://www.harvest-tech.com
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