Re: tungsten carbide material for rp.....

From: pmcguire@mmm.com
Date: Fri May 19 2000 - 16:58:34 EEST


Rudolf,

I think your best bet here would be the Tartan Tool process, now called Keltool.
This process was developed at 3M during the 80's and sold (prematurely) to a
company called Keltech. Keltech sold it to 3D systems who then sold the service
bureau business to a third party in the Mpls/St Paul area. I do not recall the
name of the service bureau owner at present, but presume the rpml will produce a
name, or you can contact 3D systems.

Tartan Tooling takes a master (today from sla or other rp source) and forms a
mold cavity through a sintering process (tungsten/tungsten carbide/tool steel)
and then infiltrates it with bronze.

Alternatively, you could use the MIT 3DP process and print out a green Tungsten
Carbide part directly. It too is sintered and infiltrated. I don't think the MIT
process has the fidelity of Tartan, but it can make larger parts. Contact
Extrude Hone for more info on 3DP Metals processes, or Dr Ellie Sachs at MIT for
other info.

     Pat McGuire
     3M Company

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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