Re: direct manufacturing or production

From: Robert Welther (Welther@partsnow.com)
Date: Fri Nov 05 1999 - 21:10:08 EET


Many of the functional prototype castings we provide are also the "production
parts" for some of our customers. One such customer is racing a 500 GP class
motorcycle in the FIM Grand Prix circuit that has aluminum engine barrels cast
using the DSPC process. How well will it perform? On the dyno and track, great.
I guess the rider will have the real challenge.

For large production runs we usually transition from pure DSPC cast parts to hybrid
production tools that we make using this RP process. For hundreds and thousands of
castings, conventional tooling is still going to be the most cost effective
method. But getting to that production tool stage, making those tools once, and
correctly the first time, is the value that SFF (solid freeform fabrication)
methods yield. We're seeing an increase in this paradigm shift among engine
designers to go to these SFF methods to functionally test their designs before
launching production tools. What this will bring about is better products through
the flexibility to test multiple iterations, in parallel, in a compressed time
frame and ultimately production tooling that is on time, on budget and made
correctly the first time.

Robert Welther
Soligen, Inc.

Elaine Hunt wrote:

> How many of you users have used a RP technology to produce a model that
> was the final product? What was the product and how well did it perform?
> Are any of you considering RP as a manufacturing process for any product
> you make? Why not?
>
> Elaine
>
> *******************************************************************
> Opinions, suggestions, and other controversial matter VOID where prohibited.
> ******************************************************************
> Elaine T. Hunt, Director elaine.hunt@ces.clemson.edu
> Laboratory to Advance Industrial Prototyping
> Clemson University 206 Fluor Daniel Bldg.
> Clemson, SC 29643-0925
> 864-656-0321 (voice) 864-656-4435 (fax)
> http://rafiki.vr.clemson.edu/credo/persall/persall.html
> http://www.vr.clemson.edu/rp/
> http://www.vr.clemson.edu/credo/rp.html
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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