CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/532917
JULY 2015 22 CompositesWorld Toolmakers and OEMs are embracing additive manufacturing for customized, rapid tools, masters and jigs. ยป Some pundits predict that 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), will change our world forever. While that may yet be, one thing is clear: Te growth of 3D printing over the past two decades has wrought signifcant change in composites tooling. CW's recent coverage of AM parts acknowledged 3D printing as a source of tooling as well (see "Learn More," p. 31), but the broad scope of the AM tooling trend justifed the more thorough examination that follows. Although AM's most obvious advantage is direct part production without tooling, the growing trend in the aerospace and automotive sectors at present is its use for fast, on-demand builds of mold tools to keep pace with accelerating composite part design cycles and demand for faster overall part processing speeds. "We've been looking at this for years, but now the technologies are getting better," one tooling expert recently confded to CW, citing the availability of faster, larger and less-expensive AM machines and higher-temperature materials that address some previous issues with rapid moldmaking. "We're seeing some really good fts for additive manufacturing in composites tooling," confrms By Sara Black / Technical Editor Additive manufacturing of mold tools A 3D-printed tool made with a new, high- temperature-capable polymer, Ultem 1010 from SABIC (Pittsfeld, MA, US), is shown in the build chamber of a Stratasys (Eden Prairie, MN, US) printing machine. Ultem's properties make it useful as layup tooling. Source | Stratasys A growing trend: 3D printing of aerospace tooling