Rapid Manufacturing of Sand Molds by Direct Milling

Direct milling of sand molds is an important development in rapid manufacturing of sand molds. Direct milling is an effective method for manufacturing single or small batches of cast parts. This paper describes experimental investigations to find sand blocks with the appropriate strength, to describe wear patterns of different tools (high-speed steel (HSS), carbide, and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools), and to analyze sand mold cutting mechanisms. The results show that the PCD tool outperformes the other tools in terms of tool life. Average flank wear and micro-tipping are the dominant tool failure modes in the sand mold milling process. With a flank wear limit of 0.3 mm, the PCD tool works continuously for about 70 h under the experimental conditions. The experimental results show that the cutting mechanism for direct milling sand molds differs from metal cutting.

Deformation behaviors of as-built and hot isostatically pressed Ti-6Al-4V alloys fabricated via electron beam rapid manufacturing

The deformation behavior of as-built and hot isostatically pressed(HIP)Ti-6Al-4V alloys fabricated using electron beam rapid manufacturing(EBRM)were investigated in this work.The deformation characteristics were characterized using a laser scanning confocal microscope and electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD).In the as-built sample,prismatic slip was the main mode of deformation,as well as a small amount of basal slip and cross-slip.Some planar slip lines with large length scales were observed across severalαlamellae.After hot isostatical pressing,prismatic and basal slip were the main mode of deformation,accompanied by abundant cross-slip and multiple slip,and most of the slip lines were blocked within an a lamellae.These differences in deformation behavior were associated with the coarsening of a laths and the more retained p phase after HIP compared to the as-built alloy.More cross-slip and multiple slip can lead to superior elongation-to-failure and a greater strain hardening effect in the HIP alloy compared to the as-built sample.

Tandem rapid manufacturing of Inconel-625 using laser assisted and plasma transferred arc depositions

This paper presents an investigation on depo- sition of Inconel-625 using laser rapid manufacturing （LRM） and plasma transferred arc （PTA） deposition in individual and tandem mode. LRM has advantages in terms of dimensional accuracy, improved mechanical properties, finer process control, reduced heat input and lower thermal distortion, while PTA scores more in terms of lower initial investment, lower running cost and higher deposition rate. To quantify the clubbed advantages and limitations of both processes, these were studied individually and in tandem. A number of samples were deposited at different process parameters like power, scan speed, powder feed rate. They were subjected to tensile test, adhesion-cohesion test, impact test and micro hardness measurement. The results of individual tests showed the comparable mechanical prop- erties with i20% variation. The mixed dendritic-cellular and dendritic-columnar microstructures were respectively observed for LRM and PTA deposits with a distinct inter- face for the case of tandem deposition. The interface strength of tandem deposits was evaluated employing adhesion-cohesion test, and it was found to be （325 i 35） MPa. The study confirmed the viability of LRM and PTA deposition in tandem for hybrid manufacturing.

Predictability of Plastic Parts Behaviour Made from Rapid Manufacturing

One of the most important issues to resolve in parts manufactured from rapid manufacturing (RM) technologies is to know their behavior working under real conditions. Total quality manufacturing (TQM) is only possible if mechanical properties are well known in the design stage depending on the processing parameters. This work is mainly focused on testing of several samples made with different selective laser sintering (SLS) parameters and technologies. This procedure is the starting point to establish a basis for designing for RM and the standardization of RM testing. The experiments and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyzed the effects of several factors on mechanical properties. The SLS technologies were 3DSystem and EOS. The results show which factor has a large effect on the variables and the interaction between them. The conclusions are very useful for developing rules for designing (designing for RM) and creating new standard rules (ISO, AISI, and DIN) for RM materials and parts testing. The ANOVA gives a better knowledge of the effects of these factors and eliminates unimportant parameters.

Research on Application Technology Oriented Rapid Response Manufacturing in the Distributed Network Environment

A new chance of developing traditional manufacturing industry comes forth with the development of network technology. Application technology oriented rapid response manufacturing in the distributed network environments, that is, how to take advantage of the Intranet and Internet, combine the numerous manufacturing resources spread around the region, the country and even the globe is the key to the agile design, manufacturing and the buildup of comprehensively competitive power, at the same time, is also an important research direction in the field of advanced manufacturing technology. Rapid response manufacturing in the distributed network environment is a newly manufactory pattern that can be used to implement the conception of agile design and manufacturing, but there are some new problems coming with it, which will directly influence the enterprise’s ability of rapid response in the distributed network manufacturing pattern and lead to the failure of the league and the lost of the given orders. In this paper, we establish some approaches to solve these problems in product development process. The paper then presents the research on key application technologies and solutions includes: network safety strategy which guarantees data transferring among the leaguer members, production data management based on Web/DOT (Distributed Object Technology) and XML criteria which guarantees data exchange in structure-variance characteristic environments, the network platform which provides the conversion service of different types of CAD files each other. All of these solutions are aim for technology problems existing in the distributed network environments and among the league members. Finally, the paper takes one project, that is, the establishment of the online application service system for Shanghai Advance Manufacturing Technology Research Center as a good instance.

Rapid Sample Product Trial Manufacture Technique for Developing Water Meter New Products

This paper advances the viewpoints and methods of the rapid sample product trial manufacture technique for developing water meter new products by CAD and simulation, computer virtual assembling and optimizing, rapid machining process and measurement etc. as the design and sample product trial manufacture process of water meter new products are long in product development period, and low in product development efficiency in the present time.

Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Technology:Principle, Representative Technics, Applications, and Development Trends

The rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology (RPM), is an integration of many different disciplines. It is based on an advanced dispersed-accumulated forming principle and originated from 1980s. It generates an entity by first forming a series of layers according to the dispersed section information of the digital model, and then piling the formed layers sequentially together. It is capable of forming parts with complicated structures and non-homogeneous materials. Traditional RPM techniques are mainly used as prototypes in product invention process, such as stereolithography, three-dimensional printing, laminated object manufacturing, and fused deposition modeling. Later, with the progress of material and enabling technology, many new RPM techniques emerged out and have been already applied in the fields such as rapid tooling/moulding, direct formed usable part, nano-/micro-RPM, and biomanufacturing. This high flexible digital manufacturing method has a likely ability to become an almighty forming technology.

Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Technology and Its Integration with CIMS

Recent developments of rapid prototyping and manufaturing (RP&M)technology are discussed. To facilitate application of RP&M technology as an enabling technology in product development and manufacturing, our center has done a series of pojects covering RP theory (modern shaping science), new RP processes and equipment,rapid tooling technology and rapid product development systems. With the STEP protocol and product modeling technology, RP&M technology can be integrated into CIMS to form a new subsystem, the free form manufacturing subsystem. The subsystem architecture is investigated in this paper.

Slice Data Based Support Generation Algorithm for Fused Deposition Modeling

This paper presents a robust algorithm to generate support for fused deposition modeling (FDM). Since many flaws appear in most stereo lithography (STL) models, this algorithm utilizes slice data as input. A top-down approach was used to calculate the support slice layer by layer. The generation algorithm was described in detail including the slice grouping, oriental bounding box (OBB) calculation, offsetting, and Boolean operations. Several cases are given to validate the efficiency and robustness of the procedure. The algorithm provides necessary support not only for hanging surface but also for hanging vertexes and edges with O(n) time complexity, where n is the number of layers. The algorithm fully utilizes the parts’ self-support ability and reduces support volume to the maximum extent. This slice data based algorithm has the same efficiency as the STL based algorithm but is more stable, which significantly enhances the robustness of the support generation process.