Embracing technology with 3T RPD

 

 

On a cold and windy autumn day, a minibus trundled away from Hidden Art's office bound for Newbury, home to 3T RPD which has the largest sintering
capability in the UK and is top three worldwide.

 

Rapid prototyping is the automated construction of physical objects with 3D printers, stereolithography machines or selective laser sintering (SLS) systems. Rapid prototyping is a type of computer-aided
manufacturing (CAM) and is one of the components of rapid manufacturing.

 

The first rapid prototyping techniques emerged in the 1980s, but were prohibitively expensive for a wider audience. However, as the machinery has become bigger, allowing more products to be made in a batch, and the technology has become smarter, prices have fallen and almost anything is possible.

 

 

So how does Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) work? The bed is simply a large box filled with powdered material to be sintered (melted). The computer reads the 3D files and directs a laser to melt the powder in fine layers, building layer upon layer to produce a 3D object.

 

The width of a layer can range from 0.1-0.5mm depending on the machine and type of material. Each layer takes about 30 seconds, so a large and complex build can take up to three days. The bed needs to be left to cool before the parts are removed, finished and shipped out. Much of the remaining unused powder is then recycled.

 

The machines are accurate to within +/- 0.3% over 100mm. The largest piece 3T can make is 700x380x580mm, but the company's CAD team "nest" various different orders together 6mm apart to create an optimum run.

 

The beauty of the process is the speed at which a complicated product can be turned around, thus compressing the time from design to manufacture. Stuart Offer, technical sales engineer at 3T, says complexity makes no difference to the price, pieces are charged largely based on volume.

 

The company has £2million worth of machinery, and regular orders include parts for Formula One racing cars, scale models and all manner of prototypes for manufacturers. Stuart says: "We can do things that are literally impossible to make any other way. We can produce a part in a few days, ship it to the firm, they check that it works and go ahead with manufacture."

 

But it's not just for car parts. 3T recently made a teapot for a company that needed to be sure it poured without dripping, and this is exactly where the technology can be applied to designer-makers - trying out furniture components, testing out the functionality of a prototype, or even small batch
productions.

 

From a ceramic plant pot to a cabinet hinge, the world is your 3D oyster.

 

www.3trpd.co.uk