Rapid Prototype Blog

Archive for February, 2011

Every project is different and there is a casting material to suit each of them. Jewellery creators for example may want to look at the various casting resins for interesting effects. If you are after a fun and creative party activity for children then you may want to investigate the casting of plaster ornaments and plaques for them to paint. Simple casting plaster is the most ideal casting material for this purpose. Every project is different and requires a specific casting solution and we will investigate this further in this article.

PLASTERS

Plaster is a versatile, cheap and safe casting material to use for many different types of applications. This material can be cast into almost all types of moulds and doesn’t require expensive silicone moulds to be made.

There are many types of plaster and each are suited to a specific task. Plaster of Paris is probably the least suitable for most casting applications as the surface hardness is low and detail is not defined.

Casting Plaster types are best suited for general purpose plaster casting such as for children’s plaster painting ornaments. This type of plaster has a harder surface to help prevent chipping.

Stone plasters are also available for those projects that require more strength and a harder surface. These plasters have superior strength but are more expensive.

RESINS

There are many types of resin. They generally made up of either polyester, epoxy or polyurethane and can come in either clear or opaque finishes. We will look at the various types of clear and opaque resins and their applications.

Opaque Resins: Polyurethane resin is the most common type used today. There are various products available with different setting times and hardnesses. The time it takes to set hard when mixed in most cases is very short, usually 3 – 5 minutes. When the resin is setting the temperature can be very high and the use of silicone rubber molding materials are recommended.

This type of resin can be coloured but the base colour which can range from white to creamy beige needs to be factored in to any colour mixing. Special polyurethane pigments can be mixed into part A before mixing in part B.

These types of resins are not as brittle as clear polyester resin and are therefore suitable for making model parts and small detailed items. The finished castings can be sanded, drilled and painted.

Transparent resins: The cheapest clear casting material is polyester resin. This type of resin requires the addition of MEKP to allow it to harden and this chemical is quite toxic. Gloves should be worn when using this casting material and a well ventilated are is essential.

These resins produce a hard and water clear casting which can be hand polished to produce glass like finishes. This product is excellent for embedding and due to the slow setting times it allows most bubbles time to rise to the surface.

Another type of transparent resin which is really starting to become popular is the epoxy type. These resins are much easier to mix at a ratio of usually 1 to 1 and have low odour. They are also a lot less toxic than polyester resins.

Epoxy resin has become quite popular with jewellery makers. One limitation of epoxy resin however is that larger castings can become problematic when setting. If the casting is larger than a fist then polyester is recommended.

METAL ALLOYS

Pewter casting is a popular hobby and people use low melt metals to create a wide range of model parts, toy soldiers badges and even jewellery. Special high temperature silicone rubber molding materials are needed when casting these metals.

A melting pot and a good set of gloves are recommended.

CONCRETE AND CEMENT

More and more people today are using moulds to cast concrete items for their gardens or for their own business. The most common types of moulds used with concrete are made from either durable ABS plastic or polyurethane rubbers.

Ready mix bags of concrete are ideal for the beginner to start casting and the more advanced caster can experiment with special finer concrete mixes which produce smoother and finer surfaces. The type of aggregate used is also important in getting a good surface finish. When the concrete has set in the mould and removed it needs at least a week to fully cure and during this time needs to be kept wet to prevent cracking.

CONCLUSION

These are just a few of the many casting material possibilities. We haven’t gone into additives which can enhance the materials mentioned above such as metal powders which can be added to transparent resins to make metal like cold casts. Before embarking on your casting project and mould making it is important to do you research and even talk to an expert. They can direct you onto the right path before you purchase any expensive mould making and casting material.

How White Light can whiten teeth

White light tooth whitening is becoming a lot more popular. With celeb culture having more sway, individuals are aiming to emulate them with fantastic glistening teeth.
Tooth whitening was once a thing that only these celebs as well as the incredibly rich could pay for yet everything has now developed. White light whitening has made stunning teeth readily available to everyone. Anyone can purchase kits from the dentist as well as on the internet. They are really simple to use, cost-effective and reliable.

Precisely how does it get the job done?

The white light is used with a uniquely formulated gel. Applied collectively they penetrate heavy unsightly stains and clean your teeth completely.
Since this course of action is really straightforward you’ll be able to do it your self at home. Other forms of white light whitening may be accomplished by way of a “whitening pen” that you simply squeeze to release a gel then rub it around your teeth.

What sort of teeth does it work on?

- Battles indicators of tooth maturing

- Cigarette smokers teeth

- White wine discolored teeth

- Coffee tarnished teeth

Is it affordable?

Dentists in great britan ask for anything at all from £250 to £2000 for tooth whitening procedures. You can get home white light tooth whitening packages from upwards of £50.

It takes only a few momemts to complete the treatment and final results are occasionally noticeable after the first application.
If you make use of a whitenening pen for a whole 7 days, twice a day you will observe the best possible results.
You continue doing this until you attain the preferred tooth whiteness. To keep up your sought after whiteness you then complete the treatment monthly. Teeth can normally be whitened by two to five tones via white light whitening procedures. The whitening typically lasts for plenty of time. This certainly will probably be inhibited in case you drink coffee, wine as well as in the event you smoke.

Just how safe is it?

A lot of companies are now offering tooth whitening products and solutions. Should you be contemplating white light whitening then you are better to speak to your dentist. They are going to have the ability to advise an established product or brand and can also provide you with suggestions on how it is best to move forward. Lots of people have purchased low-cost kits, considering they’re obtaining a discount yet have wound up being stung.
Several individuals have side effects to those low-cost treatment options so it truly is best to pay for a little bit more. You do get what you pay for and it is much better to be safe than sorry.

For additional info take a look at white light

3D Illustration is a 2d representation of a 3d object in the virtual world. The illustrators role is to convey in the best possible manner, the design of the structure, through a rendered perspective.

Modeling a building for architectural presentation and analysis is different from modeling cartoon character, aliens from distant planet. Nobody know what aliens look like so the modelers have an advantage in his interpretation. Almost everybody knows what a structure looks like, and those expectation should be met by the illustrator.

With the aid of the Architectural Software, the Architects, Interior Designers, and Industrial Designers – anyone who makes aesthetic decisions in 3-Dimensions, will find that 3D computer visualization is a very effective way of conveying design ideas.

Building a 3D illustration on a computer often highlights design problems, and can aid in the search for a solution, which are often overlooked during the design process.

3D Modeling Basic

There are a lot of ways to create your 3d modeling and almost everybody have their own way and technique of creating the same model. In architectural visualization, there are a few modeling types every illustrator needs to master in 3DS Max.

These are spline, shapes and meshes, although there are others namely NURBS, patches, they all cater for other industry, but a basic understanding of these modeling techniques will be useful in other parts of your 3d scene.

The basic foundation of every 3D scenes are the line works, which are provided by the architects or other design professional, in the form of hand-drawn plans or 2D Autocad drawings.

From there, it is digitized to form a spline or shapes, that can be used in the creation of primitives, compound objects, and other object that will complete the scene.

Some also prefer to model the scene in AutoCAD and export to 3DS max for the texturing, lighting, and rendering.

There are no basic rule to follow, whether using autocad or a 3D software, as long as you are able to produce the required output.

Since designers are used to the precision drawings of autoCAD, it’s no surprise that some illustrator engage in setting up the all the massing and modeling part in AutoCAD to take advantage of its accuracy in the 3D creation, and exporting them for rendering in 3DS Max later

Materials & Textures

Modeling is only the first step of creating Architectural Visualization. Materials and textures are the steps that attach a color and surface qualities to the 3D objects.

These textures comes from either scanned, painted, photographed, of actual materials and then projected on the 3D surface.

The main thing that you need to consider is the resolution of the bitmap that you will be using.

You must bear in mind that the bigger the bitmap, the bigger the file size, and your rendering will be slower. Analyze the scene, if the object is far away from the camera or is a minor element in the scene, you can use a smaller bitmap size.

Lighting & Rendering

Lighting and Rendering requires a keen eye for color and tone, as well as understanding of the technicalities and limitation of 3D Lighting Systems and Rendering Engines.

In order to achieve realistic Architectural Illustration, you’ll want to study basic photography, which is primarily a study of light and how it interact with surfaces and film, and cinematography, which deals with lights in motion.

Lighting in 3D requires a mastery of the basic light types – directional, point, ambient, area, and spot lights – as well as an understanding of how lights interact with surfaces and the creation of shadow in 3D.

You’ll need to have a firm grasp of how textures will be affected by their lights. Knowing color and how to get the right look for the frame is imperative in creating a photo-realistic scene.

A mould for fabricating a moulded product comprising a laminate of a thermoplastic surface material and a structural material. The mould comprises a closed, air impervious first mould surface for shaping the surface material and an air permeable liner which is located in relation to the mould. The liner is adapted such that upon applying a cap mould vacuum pressure to the liner, the surface material contacts the second mould surface and conforms to the shape of the mould.

A method of fabricating a moulded product comprising: a) locating a thermoplastic surface material in relation to a mould, b) heating the surface material to a temperature sufficient to conform the surface material to the mould, c) drawing a cap mould vacuum pressure to conform the surface material to the mould, d) locating a structural material in relation to the surface material in a moulding relationship to bond the structural material with the surface material to form a laminate, and e) processing the laminate to form the moulded product, characterised by the mould comprising a closed, air impervious first mould surface for shaping the surface material, the method further comprising, f) providing the thermoplastic layer with a textured surface in relation to the first mould surface which provides an air extraction path between the first mould surface and the thermoplastic surface material, and g) drawing the in-mould vacuum pressure by applying the vacuum pressure to the extraction path.
n another embodiment, the cap mould vacuum pressure to the air permeable liner is higher (i.e. a lower absolute pressure) than the moulding pressure as applied to the laminate (i.e. higher absolute pressure). This is essential because if the vacuum pressure applied to the liner is lower than the pressure which is applied to the laminate, the surface material is not maintained in contact with the liner. While the structural laminate is curing, the cap mould vacuum pressure must therefore be higher or equal to the moulding vacuum pressure.

When it comes to manufacturing prototypes, laser sintering is the wave of the future. The use of lasers has proven to be extremely effective in a variety of applications, from laser eye surgery to laser fingerprint scans to laser light shows. Lasers prove their effectiveness once again in the ways that they can be used to improve manufacturing technology. Through the process of DMLS, you can make prototypes of metal parts with ease. This technology is simple to use and can create accurately rendered parts made of a variety of different types of metals. Whatever the part you need, you can make it with laser technology.

Direct metal laser sintering, or DMLS, is a manufacturing process by which metal powder is sintered into layers using lasers. These layers are sintered together until they reach the desired thickness. They require the incorporation of support structures, which are also made from sintered metal. These support structures can be removed after sintering is complete. The finished prototype may require some additional work in order to be perfected, such as heat treatment, shot peening, and other processes. The result is a durable, accurate metal prototype that will help you to figure out whether or not your new design will work.

You can use DMLS to create prototypes from a variety of metals. You can make parts out of cobalt chrome, stainless steel, Inconel, Hastalloy, and titanium. Laser sintering applies powdered metal in 20-micron thick layers, and technology is continuing to move ahead on these innovations. Soon, you will be able to use this technology on even more types of metals and alloys so that you can get your prototypes made in the metals that you want for maximum durability and efficiency. Your prototypes will be so good that you might even be able to use them in production.

DMLS took a while to be developed, but, now that it exists, iss moving ahead quickly with different metals and further innovations in the field. There are sure to be more improvements to the technology of laser sintering, and if this process is any indication, the manufacturing world can look forward to even more efficient and cost-effective prototyping technologies in the future. The easier it is to make a prototype, the more time you will have to perfect your part or product or whatever it is that you want to improve. The wave of the future is continuing to forge forward.

titanium SLS
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As a design engineer, you’ll research and develop ideas for new products and production systems. You’ll also improve the performance and efficiency of existing products.

As with most engineering jobs, you could work in a variety of industries from electronics to textiles, and on any project from redesigning a mobile phone to building motorcycle parts from carbon fibre.

Your exact duties are likely to include:

Research – using mathematical modelling to work out whether new developments and innovations would work and be cost effective.
Design – turning research ideas into technical plans using CAD/CAE software.
Testing – collecting and analysing data from tests on prototypes.
Modifying designs and re-testing – there are several stages before a product is ready for manufacturing.
Reporting – writing or presenting regular progress reports for project managers and clients.
Environmental assessment – taking into account the environmental impact of new products and their manufacturing processes and how they would be safely disposed of.

Hours and environment

You would normally work 37 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday.

Much of your work will be computer-based, working in a design or drawing office. You will do some travelling to meet clients.

Skills and interests

To be a good design engineer you need:

Strong problem-solving skills
A creative approach for generating new ideas
A sound knowledge of CAD software
An excellent grasp of engineering and design principles
Excellent communication skills
An understanding of manufacturing processes and construction methods
Good teamworking skills
An appreciation of business demands
An awareness of the environmental impact of design ideas.

Entry

You will normally need a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree. You could choose from a wide range of subjects, including engineering product design, industrial design, computer-aided design engineering, engineering design and manufacture and materials science.

Mechanical, electrical and civil engineering could also be acceptable.

For details of accredited courses for this field and links to engineering careers information, see web sites of The Institution of Engineering Designers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The Engineering Training Council (Northern Ireland) has information for colleges in that area.

You could also visit the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), ConstructionSkills and Women into Science, Engineering and Construction websites.

Training

Once you’re working, you’ll continue to train on the job. If you have a degree, you may be able to start on a graduate apprenticeship in engineering – The Institution of Engineering Designers has details.

You could also help your career development by working towards incorporated or chartered status. To do this, you should register with your professional industry body and apply to the Engineering Council.

As an incorporated engineer, you’ll specialise in the day-to-day management of engineering operations. At chartered level, you will have a more strategic role, planning, researching and developing new ideas, and streamlining management methods.

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Many of us may wonder what Industrial design is and may confuse & restrict it to only design of a product or service. But in practice, it is a combination of art and science. Industrial design is an application of science and arts to study and improve the usability and aesthetics of a product. The application is focused at improving the production process and marketability of mass produced products. By this definition, the process of industrial design will involve creation and execution of processes or solutions to address the issues related to usability, marketing, branding, packaging, design of the product.

Role of an Industrial Designer

This process of Industrial Design briefs upon a lot on the qualities of an Industrial Designer. The Industrial Designer should be a person with a combined set of qualities of arts as well as science. An Industrial Designer should be able to appreciate the relation between a product and its end user. He / She should also be able to understand the process of production of that product and how value is added to it at every stage of the production. These qualities are essential since, Industrial Design is aimed at benefiting the end user as well as the actual manufacturers. An Industrial Designer takes an existing or a new product to create specification for the production which in turn should optimise the value of the product for the benefit of the Manufacturer as well as the user.

The Process

Industrial Design, being a combination of art & science is a creative process rather than a mechanical one. There is no single method which is advisable but a combination of creative as well as scientific methods. Some of the processes involved are –

1. User Research & Analysis

2. Comparative Product Study

3. Prototyping

4. Evaluation of Product attributes

The Industrial design also specifies process of production, raw materials, location of production as well as the ergonomics of the product. Industrial Design process also involves the study of a user’s psychological responses to the product.

The above is just a brief about this fascinating discipline of a combined application of Arts & Science. Several professional companies in Australia provide industrial design services to a wide array of industries. These companies have a range of integrated services to offer which include – industrial design, new product development, prototyping, product packaging, usability study and many more. If you are looking to launch a new product or want to enhance your existing product range then you should consider companies such as Design Industry which has a lot more than the services mentioned above. Design Industry is a wonderful company to work with and they have a variety of Industrial design services across industries such as – Banking, Communications, Consumers, Medicine, Sports etc.

www.design-industry.com.au

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