RE: [rp-ml] milling=am?

To touch on Lino's questions regarding CNC ...

Perhaps it's a product of the "now generation" that we're living in, but I think less people are considering CNC an RP technology. Nevertheless, he makes a good point in that CNC will certainly never be part of the Additive Manufacturing club, unless the club is accepting oxymorons.

Cordially,

Michael Armbruster
GROWit<http://www.growit3d.com/>
573-880-5872

From: owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi] On Behalf Of Terry Wohlers
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 7:49 AM
To: RP-ML; The Creature Company
Subject: Re: [rp-ml] milling=am?

Hi Lino,

I will do my best to answer your question.

In its broadest sense, "rapid prototyping" can be any method or technique to quickly make a prototype. Over a period of nearly two decades, many of us have used rapid prototyping to refer to the class of additive systems that produce parts layer by layer. The reason is because these systems have been used extensively for the making of models and prototype parts. In recent years, these and newer-generation additive systems have become increasingly useful for a broader range of applications. They include the making of models, prototypes, patterns for castings and tooling, tooling inserts, fixtures and assembly tools, drill guides, custom and limited edition products, replacement parts, short-run production, and in some cases, full production. The use of the term rapid prototyping to represent these applications has been inaccurate and misleading.

An industry-led standards group was formed one year ago. The initial motivation came from Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing (RTAM) community. This work, led by Dr. Brent Stucker of Utah State University, resulted in the formation of ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies. It has approved "additive manufacturing" as the generic term for the technology and industry. The international committee has defined AM as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Synonyms are: additive fabrication, additive processes, additive techniques, additive layer manufacturing, layer manufacturing, and freeform fabrication.

I hope this helps.

Terry

************
Terry Wohlers
Wohlers Associates, Inc.
OakRidge Business Park
1511 River Oak Drive
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 USA
970-225-0086
Fax 970-225-2027
tw@wohlersassociates.com<mailto:tw@wohlersassociates.com>
http://wohlersassociates.com

----- Original Message -----
From: The Creature Company<mailto:mail@creaturecompany.com>
To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi<mailto:rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi>
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 7:01 AM
Subject: [rp-ml] milling=am?

I believe we had the discussion before but I have searched the archives and haven't seems to locate the thread.

In the move to rename the technology we use from RP to AM how do we classify CNC and Milling? CNC and milling are to be subtractive in nature. They obviously do not fit into the realm of additive manufacturing however they are a rapid technology.

That makes we wonder if the terms RP and AM are not synonymous but set up as a hierarchy, whereas rapid prototyping includes additive and subtractive manufacturing. Am I correct in saying that?

I have been a bit flustered since I felt the push was not to use the term RP any more since it's "not cool". Thoughts?

Lino
Received on Tue Jan 12 19:03:59 2010