
3D Printing Puts Fixtures into Gear
Automotive parts supplier gets up to speed on FDM’s capabilities for fixtures Read Case StudyWe often get asked if additive manufacturing will eventually replace traditional manufacturing technologies. Although we see companies migrating to 3D printing for complex geometries that can’t be built with traditional technologies and for advanced low-volume applications, we also see companies using it to complement and improve other manufacturing technologies. Cast urethane molding is one manufacturing process that is enhanced with 3D printing.
Urethane molding involves a silicone rubber mold to create polyurethane parts. First, you build a master pattern then pour liquid silicone around the master to create a mold. After the silicone hardens and the master is removed, you fill the mold with liquid polyurethane and place under heat and pressure to cure.
Pattern production is the most critical, time-consuming and costly step of the process. Masters are traditionally CNC machined out of wood, metal or plastic, which can take weeks and be very expensive for a throw-away part. As a result, companies are starting to produce master patterns with additive manufacturing, such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Laser Sintering (LS), Stereolithography (SL) or PolyJet for the following reasons:
3D Printing Puts Fixtures into Gear
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