Appliance Design - October 2008 - (Page 22)

PROTOTYPING Fig. 1. The PolyJet Matrix printing block has eight print heads. Heads 1 and 2 jet model material A, and heads 3 and 4 jet model material B. Heads 5 through 8 jet the support material. Model B 4 3 Model A 8 7 6 5 2 1 Mix Support &Match System builds models with A multiple materials. by richard babyak 22 applianceDESIGN October 2008 s part designs become increasingly complex, there is a corresponding growing desire to emulate that complexity in the prototyping stage. A novel technology developed by Objet Geometries, Rehovot, Israel, makes that possible to an unprecedented degree. The company’s PolyJet Matrix technology, first employed in its Connex500 system, can simultaneously jet two different materials with different mechanical properties, permitting the prototyping of co-injected or overmolded parts. In addition, the system can blend those two materials in different proportions on the fly, enabling the fabrication of a multiple-material model in a single build. The core of Objet’s PolyJet technology is the selective jetting of a liquid photopolymer from a movable print head. A UV light embedded in the print head cures the photopolymer immediately after it is dispensed. The print head also dispenses a gel-like support material that permits the fabrication of complicated geometries with overhangs and undercuts. After the prototype part is built, the support material is removed by hand and water jetting. A key advantage of the PolyJet process is its resolution, the ability to create a layer as thin as 16 microns. The technology has been used in the company’s Eden machines for several years. What is new with PolyJet Matrix is the deployment of eight print heads in a single printing block that enables the dispensing of two different model materials. Each print head includes 96 nozzles, with each nozzle measuring 50 microns in diameter. Two of the eight print heads are designated for each of the two materials to be jetted. The remaining four print heads jet the support material. (See Fig. 1.) As with the original PolyJet system, PolyJet Matrix cures the material as it is laid down, so parts can be handled immediately after fabrication without any secondary processing required. Objet has developed a range of materials and any two of them can be used www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.applianceDESIGN.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - October 2008

Appliance Design - October 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Prototyping - Materials Play the Part Prototyping - Mix & Match Motors Electronics Coatings Design Marts Association Report: AHRI Advertiser's Index

Appliance Design - October 2008

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