After hours and hours spent reading every box in electronic departments of all the stores in town, you chose what you thought was the perfect wireless internet kit. So after all your research, Why is your internet still not working? Try not to stress, many wireless internet problems exist out there, but they are easy to solve. This is good to know. Surfing the world wide web is just a few clicks away.
The Right Hardware to Help With Your Wireless Internet Problems
Choosing your hardware carefully will minimize your wireless internet problems. One of the first things you will be purchasing is a wireless router and a wireless network card. Be sure these two items are compatible. Remember the same brand names on products do not mean they will work together. Read the box carefully, never guess, wireless internet problems can be avoided when installing if your hardware is compatible.If you have any questions, a clerk will be happy to answer any them for you. Always check the return policy of the shop,if you are not 100 per cent confident in them shop some where else. If in any doubt do get in touch with the manufacturerof the hardware to check on the compatibility before you start installation. Yes, it is a lot of effort but this will save hours of stress in finding solutions to your wireless internet problems.If it is a hardware problem,it is unlikely it will ever work.
Company Updates for Wireless Internet Problems
The first step to troubleshooting any electrical problem, including your wireless internet problem, is to checkout everything is correctly plugged-in. Making sure all connections are tight and in the right sockets. After this is done, you will need to check the indicator lights. Watch for several minutes to see if there is any interruption in the lights, flickering lights can mean loss of your connections, this will make it impossible to enjoy a wireless internet experience. Turn everything off then try turning on again. Hopefully by simply rebooting the system this will fix your wireless internet problem. If the lights continue to flicker, you will need to look for other answers. One of the other things to check if your wireless internet problem continues is the router. Firmware is built into them and often needs updating. Try calling the manufacturers helpline and talk to a certified technician about the firmware updates and where to download them, this will often go some way to solving your wireless internet problems. You usually can find instructions for a hard-wired internet connection on the manufacturers websites. Every three months it is advisable to check for updates for your router’s firmware.This is one of the easiest wireless internet problem to solve.
The Modem Can Cause Wireless internet Problems
Even when equipment is supplied by an internet contractor it can malfunction. Don't get paranoid often equipment is faulty when it is new. Most of us have experienced this problem with computer technology. After trying everything in this article and you are still having wireless internet problems, the final step is to check with your internet service provider. On their end, they can check your modem connections. They can give you an answer within minutes. If the problem is the modem, they will replace it no questions asked. Wireless internet problems are something internet providers deal with daily and they are willing to help you as it ensures that they keep your business.
Friday, October 31, 2008
How To Solve Those Troublesome Wireless Internet Problems
Virtual Prototyping Techniques
Virtual Rapid Prototyping is basically as simulation based refinement of a component by using a function based simulation. The technology is rapidly gaining prominence as the practice of choice amongst engineers, thanks to its ability to immensely shorten cycles and aid faster product development. Other major reasons for rapid proliferation of the technology include the widespread availability of low-cost computers and analysis tools and the ability to integrate multi-physics simulations into a single environment. Today, since we have this technology now, its being used more and more for the calculation of knetic and geometric reactions of a particular system to external factors.
The fact that the results can be visualized in full 3D environment has further spurred the rise of this technology. This has finally set the stage for a brand new phase in product development; the engineer can now quantitatively assess the performance of a system by saving the expenses on the intermediate physical prototypes. Virtual Prototypes also permit a larger variety of tests to be carried out on the models, sans any risk of over-testing such as wearing out the component. There are much faster results that you can now produce if you are redesigning a product because of this technology. Virtual Prototypes also facilitate the involvement of non-engineering staff such as sales personnel and management very early in the development process. In this way virtual Prototyping has gained acceptance as the weapon of choice for mechanical design system and is now widely used in sectors ranging from automotive, rail, aerospace to medical device designs. There is significant shortage of individuals trained in the methodology which seems to be the biggest crisis the mechanical design industry is facing.
Virtual Prototyping is the process of representing a 3D representation of your invention by the use of CAD softwares. Whats nice about this is that as a client you usually can get from your producer a copy of your results online in the 3D form that allow you do see your product from all angles in the comfort of your own home. Virtual Rapid Prototyping is probably the most convenient means of communication between a designer and his customers. No matter where you are, you can do business with anyone in just about any part of the globe. The unique interface allows you to examine the component almost as if you are looking at the physical self. The customer can easily gauge how the component is going to react to various situations. In addition to the convenience of viewing your product in the comfort of your home, it is cost effective too, compared to a traditional prototype. Most manufacturers have started making the switch to virtual prototyping as it speeds up the whole process as parties can now send info via the internet, not to mention the money saved.Having said that, nothing beats the feeling of holding the component in the hand, to feel the constructions and check out whether it will work the way you want it to. Virtual prototypes are nonetheless making huge gains in the manufacturing sector
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CNC Lathe Information
A CNC lathe is a machine that can spins material to do a variety of operations like sanding, drilling, cutting or sanding. Usually a lathe is used for more intricate cuts and
Today, they replace the older multispindle lathes because they are easier to set up and operate.
A CNC Turning will use carbide tooling and is designed using a CAM process which creates a file that can be uploaded to the machine at a later time. The reason these are so popular is because you can set the machine once to do several pieces and it will continue to do them until you have programmed it to stop.
Each CNC lathe has a computer control that allows the machine to be controlled electronically, and this program can be modified to do a variety of things. When an operator runs a CNC Lathe they have to have a lot of skill to understand the programs and how the programs to do the work.
You can work with wood when you use a CNC wood lathe or various metals depending on the project you are doing. The wood lathe can be used for wood but also for brass and
Aluminum. There are also metalworking CNC lathes or milling machines that cut metal. You can do tapered work with these, drill holes, and create screw threads and more with these lathes.
Some CNC lathes are portable and others are stationary. In many shops for people who do woodwork for a hobby you would find a lathe because it is capable of making a lot of different designs and intricate cuts for things like stair railings, trellis' or table legs.
The point of using a CNC lathe is to make a piece of material that is symmetrical and beautiful. This is done by placing the material in a machine and allowing that piece to be spun until it reaches the specification that was programmed into the computer. The cutting tools then move around it on the Z and X axis to cut away the material that isn't needed to make the piece.
The process that the CNC Lathe does is called turning and it can do a variety of shapes when it goes through the full process. Many machines are used to create a plain surface to make contour shapes, to taper the ends of some pieces and it makes threaded surfaces. Sometimes people really want to make some creative metal shaps and you can do this and turn as much metal as you would like. In some industries they use a CNC lathe to fabricate parts that may have a cross section that is to move in a circular motion.
Any material can be used as long as it will hold up during the turning process while the software program is continuing its revolutions.
If you are looking for a machine that can turn a few peices in a rown that are the same size and shape, then you are good with a CNC Lathe. Like all machines, you have limits to what the machine can do, but this machine will still do a lot of nice pieces.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The PCPro Technique
Researchers have developed a new Rapid Prototyping technique that blends traditional casting methods with CNC milling which allows faster prototyping; the best thing is that it happens in a single machine. This technique become public when it was invented and named Precise Cast Prototyping by a group of researchers in Germany at the Institute for Material and Beam Technology. Half of the mold is machine using CNC machining, then silicon or polyurethane material is poured into fill half the mold, this will be the lower half to render the shape of one half of the part, while the part still in the CNC mill. When the material is cured and hardened, the upper side of the component is milled. The process is targeted at components with simple geometry such as housings whose one side can be fairly easily machined on aluminum or epoxy mold half and the other complicated half is on the opposite side where it can be milled into the soft plastic.
Cost Saving: The Rapid Prototype technique is touted to be an enormously cost effective as only one half of the tool is made and that too for low pressure casting. There are no runners; gate, venting and parting lines to be taken care of and besides these can be manufactured by toolmakers with lesser experience. Another Rapid Prototype advantage is that one half casting allows the air bubbles to escape freely; this translates into a more dense part and better surface finish. Threads and undercuts can actually be incorporated into the casting becacuse you can machine the casting again. The casting method shapes the outer surface of the component while precision CNC milling renders the inner contours. Whats nice about being able to mill these castings if that you can use the same mold for parts with totally different dimensions. This is because the second half of the mold exists only as a CAD/CAM model and tool path programming. Geometrical changes can be altered by just changing the parameters.
Time saving: Since the outer surface of the component are not machined the process saves a lot of time .Even with measured against vacuum casting, some of these prototypes will have inner dimensions with closer tolerances. The reason for this is that the finishing takes palce after the curing and shrinkage in conventional prototyping while in casting it’s done before the casting shrinks. CNC allows for achieving of tighter tolerances compared to casting technologies. Besides all the machining is done in a single setting so there is no chance of non-alignment of the outer and inner features. The PCPro technique manufactures a prototype in just 6 steps, while the vacuum method takes 15 steps. A potentially major application of PCPro is to make housings for cell phones and similar electronic products; this is because of the technique’s ability to deliver flawless, close tolerance free-form surfaces. The machine for the process is a blend of casting and milling machine and is designed and patented by Fraunhofer. However it has to be said that highly complex features are difficult to manufacture by this method.
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Prototype Injection Molding, Thermoplastic Injection Molding, and information on Injection Molds
Approximately 30% of all plastic products in the world are produced by an injection molding Rapid Prototyping process. Within this another 30% are produced using a custom injection molding Prototyping technology. You can count many different steps in the injection process but a normal injection molding process usually has 6 steps. One of the three units of the molding machine is the clamping unit and this is one of the first steps where you clamp the mold. The other two being the injection unit and the mold, once the clamping unit holds on to the mold, the molten plastic is injected into the mold by the injection unit. The plastic is fed into a hopper and its fed in the form of very tiny pellets. These are then allowed into a cylinder where they are heated into a molten state and injected into the mold. The steps that follow are referred to as dwelling phase. Prototyping basically involves making sure all the cavities in the mold are fully filled. With the clamping still intact, the mold is then allowed to cool. Finally the mold is opened and the component is ejected out. The biggest advantage of plastic injection molding is the cost factor of the produced parts, especially when you need large number of parts. The disadvantage is the cost of manufacturing the molds; a simple injection mold can cost you $3000 while the bigger complex ones can run into several hundreds of thousands.
Rapid Prototyping: This process bacially automates certain types of manufacturing using a technology called solid freeform fabrication. They are used in a wide range of applications, everything from medical to fine art. Rapid Prototyping machine works by taking virtual models from software and then converting it into extremely thin, horizontal cross-sections and then goes onto create each of the cross-section in physical space in a cyclic manner until the model is completed. Rapid Prototyping is a WYSIWYG process in which the virtual model bears identical resemblance to the finished physical model. Additional fabrications allows the machine to lay down layers of sheet, liquid or powder material and build up a series of cross-sections These layers are finally automatically fused together to render the final product. The main advantage of rapid prototyping is the ability to create any shape no matter how complex the geometry is. The commonly used data interface between the machine and the software is the STL format. It works by approximating the geometry of a part using triangular facets, smaller the facets higher will be the surface quality. The word “rapid” is used relative top conventional methods which take days to construct a model depending upon its complexity. Rapid prototyping can create the model within a few hours, though it is highly dependent of the type of machines and the size of the model. There have been several new technologies available for rapid prototyping including Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective laser sintering, 3D printing, and Electron Beam Melting.
Prototyping Injection Molding is a specialized method of combining traditional plastic injection molding. CAM software are able to combine rapid tooling and plastic injection molding in order to quickly create small quantities of any thermoplastic part.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Selective Laser Sintering, 3D Systems and SLS methods
Selective Laser Sintering or SLS is said to be a free-form manufacturing technology which is developed by 3D systems. SLS is a method of layered manufacturing which creates a solid 3D object by blending powdered substances along with carbon dioxide. In other words SLS is one of the famous mechanisms of Rapid Prototyping in which a laser beam carefully sinters or fuses the powdered substances such as elastomer, nylon etc. A thin layer of that powdered substances is being laid down and the laser sketches on the layer sintering together the elements hit by the laser. SLS can provide a persons manufacturing company with most important perimeter by producing metal or rapid plastic prototyping which narrowly matches their molded complements.
Stereolithography V/S Selective Laser Sintering: One of the foremost benefits of Selective Laser Sintering over Stereolithography is that it constructs prototypes in powered materials such as nylon etc. It is likely to create structurally useful parts like functioning springs, living hinges and snap fit components along with nylon substances by utilizing Selective Laser Sintering. This procedure is actually very easy as there is no need of tooling or molding involved. SLA nylon substances can be tapped, drilled, and machines just like the nylon substances in SLS. These substances are fragile as they are curved with Ultra Violet light and created with liquid photopolymers.
Since it has been introduced by DR Carl Deckard in the year 1989, this SLS technology has become one of the most recognized and utilized procedures for product development and rapid prototyping in most of the manufacturing industries. Prototyping technology has also become one of the most trusted and reliable forms of rapid prototyping due to its structural importance. SLS is generally helpful when a particular design has to be customized or is complex and requires being short run or functional production.
Procedure: In the procedure of Rapid Prototyping or Selective Laser Sintering, three dimensional parts are formed when an infrared laser beam fuses or sinters powdered substances. The ultimate object is being formed by continually sintering or fusing those thin layers by utilizing the infrared laser beam. This particular procedure is also known as additive manufacturing, creating parts which regularly enhances in size until it reaches the arranged size. These rapid prototypes are formed directly from the STL file acquired from three dimensional CAD models.
One of the most important features of Selective Laser Sintering is how functional and durable the substances are. These substances normally include versions of new DuraForm glass-filled, which is a nylon based substance that creates functional and highly durable plastic prototypes. SLS has many other substances available to it such as LaserForm, Flex Plastic, and even rubber like parts.
Benefits: Lots of development and research has taken place in order to help make progress towards bringing some of the new SLS substances to the manufacturing market. Another advantage over SLA is that that these substances need no post processing at all after they are created which saves a lot of time. However, this does not mean that these substances cannot be developed. Whats nice about these SLS substances is that they allc an be completed in many different methods. They can be machined, painted, tapped, drilled and even plated. This allows for a superior grade of manifestation to these substances therefore giving the users a limitless potential to utilize these substances.
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Monday, October 27, 2008
Basic CNC Lath Parts Information
There are many components of a CNC lathe machine and they are important to the function of the process. There are going to be differences between people's CNC Lathes because everyone does different things with their lathe.
There are a few parts that every CNC Lathe machine has and those are a headstock, carriage, bed and tailstock. Many have stable bearing surfaces that are broad and they work with excellent precision. The machine works great and in a tight tolerance once it is set up and calibrated correctly.
Here are the major parts of the CNC Lathe and the function of each:
Headstock: There are many parts to the headstock and this is where many of the functional pieces of the machine reside. Here you will find the main spindle, the change gears and the speed change mechanism. Within the headstock you will have a strong design because it has to cut with a variety of force. If it were light it would create problems with vibration that would distort the finished piece and destroy its quality.
Bed -- the bed is actually the base of the headstock and it allows connects to it. The bed helps set the carriage and the tailstock in perfect parallel alignment to the spindle axis. A part called a way holds the carriage and the tailstock onto the track. Traveling along a carriage you will see the machine using a rack and pinion system. It also includes a leadscrew that keeps it on am accurate pitch or it has a feedscrew.
Feed or Leadscrew -- both of these helps with the gears of the CNC lathe machine. The feedscrew is the drive shaft for the machine and works with the gears to drive the mechanism of the carriage. The feedscrew is also driven by either the quick change gearbox or the change gears. There are other gears that allow for the correct ratio so that the parts that are made are accurate. The feedscrew and leadscrew work together with the spindle to make the correct amount of screw threads on the work that you are doing.
Carriage -- within the carriage is the tool bit that turns either in a perpendicular or longitudinal direction depending on how the operator controls it. The operator will set this on a CNC Turning where it would use a handwheel on the older machines. The handwheels are there and can be used to manually move the carriage or to automate it. Also, the handwheels have calibrations on them for ease of use.
Cross slide -- this is a small part that sits on top of the carriage. It has both a main spindle axis and a leadscrew. The leadscsrew actually moves along the main spindle axis in a perpendicular fashion so that it can perform facing operations; only one direction can be done at a time.
Depending on the CNC Lathe you have, there will also be a computer component where you can program either the CAD or CAM program to do exactly what you want it to do. Although these machines seem complicated, they are not as difficult once you start to use it.
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Sunday, October 26, 2008
DIY Rapid Prototyping Information
Several DIY Prototyping techniques have come up off late. Making a 3D printer at home can prove to be quite cost-effective. The other names for such sort of prototyping are fabbing, three-dimensional printing, reprapping, and fabrication. You will find that RepRap is one of these 3D Printers. Let its making be studied in detail.
RepRap: You will hear RepRap and when you do you will know it stands for Replicating Rapid-Prototypes. In other words, it can be said to be a Practical Self-copying Printer. RepRap would make metal, ceramic, and plastic parts. Plastic is what makes up this item. The reason why this is done is so that you can make multiple copies of the same item. The final product can be described as a 3-axis robot moving numerous material extruders. Fine filaments are produced by these extruders. The filaments are made up of their own working materials. This process has a paste-like consistency.
If one intends making plastic cones, Rapid Prototype would make use of the plastic extruder for laying down a 0.5 mm quickly hardening filament made from molten plastic for drawing the filled-in disc. The Plastic Intrusion Head would then be raised and the layer following that would be drawn, exactly on the top of 1st. You will find this process repeating itself until finally the whole and complete cone is formed. If making an Inverted Cone is on the agenda, the same procedure is followed. The only difference would be laying down the support material beneath the parts that are overhanging. The removal of support would take place after the completion of cone. Intermixture of conductors with plastic is allowed. This can help in the formation of circuits.
The process described above is known as Rapid Prototyping . These machines, though useful, are not very much prevalent. The software that is talked about above is a free of cost software that is made to potentially work on any computer platform.
Fabr: The Fabr makes use of parts which are commonly available. The other advantages include requirement of minimal fabrication of parts, high accuracy and availability of enough power for not only plastic, but also wood or metal.
The key components of Fabr include 80X20 extruded aluminium, fasteners and bars, drive and anti-backlash nuts, couplers, bearings, aluminium bars, screws, pulleys, timing belts, and ‘A Custom Stepper Motor Controller Board’. The learners are advised to use an Allegro 3967 Micro stepping Stepper Motor Controller. The board contains three drivers, and connectors to have end stops.
DIY 3D printer made from pure sugar: The objectives behind making the above-stated DIY 3D printer are cost-effective design using recycled components, huge printable volume emphasizing over better resolution, and ability of using low-cost print media inclusive of granulated sugar. The process of printing starts with the bed of granular print media which has low melting point. The printing media is fused selectively with a directed, narrow, low-velocity beam. This beam consists of hot air. The bed is then lowered by a diminutive amount. The bed’s top portion is then bombarded with a flat thin layer (of media). By this process, a 2D object is formed. If this process is repeated, 3D object is formed.
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Rotocast, 3D CAD, 3D Printing, and other Rapid Prototype Services
Since Prototyping came into being, many businesses provided with the service of prototype development. Earlier, such companies were known as service bureaus and they allowed the users to access the unproven and expensive technology. In the early period of rapid prototyping, these service bureaus provided with advantages of Prototyping development minus the soaring upfront expenses and major risks of applying a new technology that was relatively unverified and hovering on the brink of rapid obsolescence. In the beginning, the service bureaus provided file conversions for narrowing the operational gap amidst 2D data and 3D CAD models. Due to this, the large companies that had not yet transitioned to solid modeling were benefited greatly.
As the technology of rapid prototyping progressed, most of the service bureaus have undergone role modifications and they promise to deliver greater advantages beyond initial expense reduction and ownership risk. There are several companies worldwide offering the rapid prototyping services.
Advantages of Rapid Prototype Services: The advantages of rapid prototyping services are by far many. The rapid prototyping services provide advanced rapid prototyping technologies. Getting your product to market faster than your competition is very important and this can help you do that. The rapid prototyping services allow the users and producers to achieve the designing and prototyping goals. The innovative product idea can be successfully realized into actual product of high quality with the help of rapid prototyping services. The rapid prototyping services deliver the finished product beginning from the product idea, conceptualization and prototype development. You can save money and time as well, as rapid prototyping allows the production on low volume basis directly from the designing data.
Rapid Prototyping Services: The various types of rapid prototyping services include technologies like stereolithography prototype, polyjet 3D printing, selective laser sintering, rapid tooling, 3D CAD modeling, RTV molding, RotoCAST, machined castings, urethane castings, injection molding, high temperature castings, rapid prototyping machines, investment casting, electroplating, functional prototype development, 3D modeling and development of patterns and models.
The rapid prototyping service provider will develop prototypes as per the required specifications of the manufactures. Things that this will supply you are prototype development, supplies and materials, and of course components. The various materials utilized in the process of rapid prototyping are plastics, metals and elastomers. The product development process is accelerated with supply of quick, robust and accurate prototypes by the rapid prototyping services.
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Learn about Reverse Engineering
Prototyping can be defined as the process wherein a device’s, object’s, or system’s technological principles are discovered by analyzing its operation, function, and structure. It often refers to detaching something, say- a software program, electronic equipment, or mechanical device and carrying out the analysis of its workability in detail. This is done in order to manufacture a new program or device which performs the same function without doubling anything from original.
Motivation: Reasons behind the emergence of reverse engineering include interoperability, lost documentation which means loss or non-existence of documentation of the concerned device, product analysis, security auditing, exclusion of protection of copy, circumvention of restrictions regarding access, and fraud.
Prototyping of ‘mechanical devices’ : With the ever-increasing popularity of CAD, ‘reverse engineering’ has proven to be a blessing for creation of ‘3D virtual model’ of the on hand physical part to be used in 3D CAE, CAM, CAD and many other soft wares. The measuring of physical object can be done by making use of ‘#D scanning technologies’ such as computed tomography, ‘structured light digitizers’, laser scanners, and CMMs. The data that is measured usually gets represented as ‘point cloud’. It is devoid of topological information. That’s why, the processing and modelling takes place into usable format like a ‘triangular faced mesh’, CAD model, or a collection of surfaces of NURBS. Applications such as Polyworks, Image ware, Geomagic, or Rapidform are used for processing the ‘point clouds’ into the formats that can be used in applications like 3D CAE, CAM, CAD or visualization.
Reverse Engineering of ‘software’ : The term ‘reverse engineering’ differs from person to person when applied in terms of software. Reverse engineering is a bit complicated but simply it is the process that involved looking at the subject system in order to create its representation at the higher level. Some may call this level the level of abstraction. As far as software is concerned, reverse engineering can be described as an examination process only. There is no modification from the software point of view. The use of ‘software anti-tamper technology’ takes place in order to deter reengineering and reverse engineering of the software-powered systems and proprietary software.
Two major reverse engineering types exist in the present scenario. In the first type, source code is available, but program’s greater level aspects are poorly documented or invalidated. In the second type, source code does not exist. Any efforts made in this direction would be termed as ‘reverse engineering’. The 2nd use is that which majority of people know. ‘Reverse Engineering of software’ is implied at making use of ‘clean room design’ technique for avoiding infringing copyrights. In today’s world, around 95% of reverse engineering consists of ‘reverse engineering of software’.
On the other hand, ‘black box testing’ in ‘software engineering’ has many similarities to reverse engineering. The tester normally possesses the API. However, their main goal is to locate undocumented features and bugs by smashing the products from the outside. This process is used for customizing the embedded systems as well.
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
Flexible Manufacturing, Rapid Manufacturing, Direct Manufacturing
Rapid Prototyping can be described as an ‘Additive Fabrication Technique’ to manufacture solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to precise points in the space for producing that part. At present, the practice of controlling the process of manufacturing with the help of computer by making use of mathematical model that has been created through the computer’s aid is being followed. Rapid manufacturing, if done with the help of Parallel Batch Production is capable of providing a huge advantage in terms of cost and speed in comparison with alternative techniques of manufacturing like die casting or Plastic Injection Molding.
Origin: Prototyping process was first demonstrated at The AUTO FACT show. The venue was Detroit, MI. The year was 1987. A company called 3D Systems Company is who created this technique. The technologies available now are inclusive of processes such as Laminated Object Manufacturing, Shape Deposition Manufacturing, and Selective Laser Sintering.
The present scenario: Prototyping might involve replacement parts, custom parts, series production, or Short Run Production. This process can be referred to as Rapid Prototyping only if the use of the part is for development. Rapid Manufacturing carried out for big products with Layer-based Manufacturing from composite materials, plastics, or metals is widely used for numerous industrial applications pertaining to aerospace (Boeing) and military (MPH-Optomec) sectors. Micro system applications and small products are well known in medicines, sensor technologies (micro TEC), and diagnostics. Batch production regarding tiny parts by techniques of rapid manufacturing like RMPD give vent to advantages related to time and cost.
Now days, collectibles, consumer products, orthodontics, dentistry, jewelry, motor sports, and automotives are being experimented with rapid manufacturing. Amazing results are expected in future. The world economy is becoming competitive day by day. As customer demands have increase, manufacturers everywhere are tyring to deliver customized products faster than ever before. A late delivery or development might could mean failure of business. Rapid manufacturing has been devised with the objective of shortening the production cycle and design, and promising to revolutionize the age-old manufacturing procedures.
The initial process: Before starting with the construction of product, a prototype or sample is required quite often as a portion of design cycle, for allowing evaluation, testing, or demonstration of proposed product. This process is iterative, as a chain of prototypes gets built up. One way that prototypes can be used is for testing and loking at various options.
Rapid Manufacturing is also inclusive of rapid application of tools needed for production on a large scale, like jigs, dies, and specially shaped molds. Several Layer manufacturing Processes are being developed now, by making use of a wide range of materials. So far the parts that have been created seem to be very durable. The size has also been increasing. Due to all these successes, layer manufacturing is the most sought after technique for fabricating the parts for functional prototypes as well as production tools. The process of applying layer manufacturing for making components utilized in production can be called Rapid Tooling. It is being applied to investment casting, injection molding, and many processes related to mold casting.
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Friday, October 24, 2008
Additive Fabrication, Rapid Prototyping, and Metal Fabrication
Rapid Prototyping can be defined as an assortment of techniques of making solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to specific points in the space for production of that solid. Additive fabrication is also known as solid freeform fabrication, layered manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.
Techniques: Additive fabrication is carried out using a number of techniques. Let some of them be studied in detail.
‘Electron Beam Melting’: EBM (Electronic Beam Melting) can be described as the ‘rapid prototyping’ for metals. It is better known as Rapid Prototyping method. The parts are manufactured by having the metal powder melted layer by layer through a beam of electron in high vacuum. The parts produced acquire strength, solidity, and are void-free as well. The electrons have a very high speed; around 5 to 8 times the light speed. The bombardment of these electrons takes place on the work material’s surface. You will find that this heat that is generated is enough for getting the parts surface to melt and cause it to vaporize. Vacuum is required for the operation of EBM. This means that the size of work piece is directly proportional to vacuum used. This technique works on composites, ceramics, non-metals, and as stated above, metals.
Fused Deposition Modeling: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) can be described as a kind of rapid manufacturing (RP) or rapid prototyping technology which is generally used in engineering design. S.Scott Crump had founded this technology in 1980s. It caught the commercial market in 1990. Like most of the RP processes, the principle of working of FDM is the ‘additive principle’. It states that the material has to be laid down in layers. The metal wire or plastic filament is then unwound and material is supplied through it to the extrusion nozzle that can turn off and on the flow.
The nozzle’ then is heated for melting the material. It could be moved in vertical and horizontal directions with the help of a mechanism which is numerically controlled. This numerical control is obtained through ‘Computer Aided Design’ software package. Like stereo lithography, the building of the model takes place from layers. This happens because the material starts hardening after getting extruded from nozzle.
Numerous materials are offered with diverse trade-offs between temperature and strength. One can use the Prototyping with polycaprolactone, polycarbonates, polyphenylsulfones, and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Temporary supports can be made by using a ‘water-soluble’ material. While the manufacturing is still progressing you really need to keep these supports. The commercial applications include making prototypes of servo or stepper motors.
‘Selective Laser Sintering’: Selective Laser Sintering can be defined as an additive type of rapid manufacturing wherein a ‘high power laser’ (like carbon dioxide laser) is used for fusing tiny particles of ceramic, metal, or plastic powders into mass representing the desired three-dimensional object. In comparison to other methods of rapid manufacturing, ‘selective laser sintering’ has the capacity of producing parts from several powder materials available. They include polymers (polystyrene and nylon), metals (composites, alloy mixtures, titanium, steel), and not to forget- green sand. This physical process could be liquid-phase sintering, partial melting, or full melting.
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3D Printer and 3D Printer Technologies discussion on the advances in 3D Prints
Prototyping can be referred to as method of getting virtual 3D model printed onto a 2D object. 3D Printing falls in the category of ‘rapid prototyping’ technology. The function typically performed by 3D printers is that of printing consecutive layers on the previous ones for building up a 3D object. It is easier, more affordable, and faster to use 3D printers as compared to other technologies related to additive fabrication.
Technologies: Initially, production of a prototype required a lot of man-hours, tools, and experienced labor. For instance, after designing a novel Street Light Luminaire digitally, drawings used to be sent to accomplished craftsmen where the paper design used to be followed with utmost pains and a 3D Printing used to be formed in wood through the utilization of the entire shop that is full of costly tools and working machinery. One can easily make out that this process consumed a lot of time. Moreover, the skillful labor was not all that cheap. These shortcomings necessitated the need of rapid prototyping.
3D printing has a variation called Inkjet Printing System. It involves binding of fine powder layers (resins, cornstarch, or plaster) by the way of printing a gum from inkjet print head as per the shape of every cross-section as spotted by the CAD file. This is the only technology allowing full color prototypes to be printed. It is believed to be the quickest method.
On the other hand, the liquids are fed by these machines. Photopolymer is one of such kind. These machines make use of UV (ultraviolet) flood lamp. It is mounted in print head for curing each layer on its deposition. A new technology called Fused Deposition Modeling uses a nozzle to deposit molten polymer layer by layer to the supported structure. The other approach is Selective Fusing of Print Media in the granular bed. Here, the media that has been unfused supports thin walls and overhangs in the piece which is being produced, thereby reducing need for temporary auxiliary supports for the work piece.
Ultimately, 3D Micro fabrication technique having a photo polymerization of 2-photons might be used to make ultra small features. Here, the preferred 3D object gets traced out by a completely focused laser in a gel block. The curing of gel into a solid takes place only in places where laser had been focused, owing to photo excitation’s non-linear nature. The gel that is left out gets washed away.
Resolution: Resolution is measured in terms of layer thickness. The X-Y resolution is given in dpi. 100 microns is the characteristic layer thickness. The X-Y resolution is compatible with laser printers. Diameter of the particles, i.e. 3D dots is around 50-100 microns.
Applications: Standard applications are inclusive of design visualization, metal casting, CAD/prototyping, architecture, geospatial, education, healthcare, retail/entertainment, etc. Off late, 3D printing technology is being used in artistic expressions. Its biotechnological applications include bio-printing, computer-aided Tissue engineering, and organ printing.
Self-replication: The main purpose behind using 3D printing technology is its ability to replicate itself. RepRap is one such printer. It has the ability to print plastic parts and circuit boards. This is thought my many to print metals in the future.
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
3D Printer Information and 3D Printer Prototyping Modeling and Mapping
In the Rapid Prototyping available in the market these days, generation of output takes place from programs of mapping which support 3D modelling programs or 3D CAD programs. Some companies have their own soft wares for PLY, VRML, and STK formats to allow 3D viewing, scaling and labeling of text, and fine-tuning preceding printing.
Working: All the Prototyping posses five basic process functions for creating a three-dimensional model.
First - The Print Surface is fed with a unique powder.
Second - The powder is spread on print surface by a roller at a preset depth. This process takes just a few seconds for its completion.
Third - Color is applied to the powder’s initial layer by the Standard Inkjet Print Heads.
Fourth - The solidification of powdered layer takes place.
Fifth - The lowering of print surface for powder’s another layer is enabled.
This process goes on repeating till the completion of the whole 3D model occurs. The mixture of Ink Jet Color and powder results in formation of a bond. The solidification occurs this way. So, if no printing is carried out at the specified layer or location, the powder retains its state, i.e. it does not get solidified. Once the printing process comes to a halt, the powder gets blown out, thereby leaving the output which is the reflection of the original model or drawing. Depending on complexity and size of output, this process takes around ½ an hour. These 3D printers do a commendable job, especially when pre-production examples or working prototypes of the specified objects are seen on the computer monitor.
Self-replicating 3D printers: The ‘self-replicating rapid prototype’, better known as RepRap is believed to lessen the price of three-dimensional printers, thereby paving way for the future where spare parts and broken objects are just re-printed on a homely basis. There would also be a way out for creation of unique and novel objects.
At present, 3D Printing of the above type cost around $25000. They are still to capture the domestic market. They are instead being used by the industry for developing parts for machines like aircraft engines, hearing aids, and spaceships.
Plummeting Prices: Adrian Bowyer has strongly believed the prices of self-replicating 3D printers to lower to around $500, as no cost other than that of raw materials would be involved. He has further stated that these machines would turn out to be more competent and build up new capabilities. The customer is really just waiting for the software guiding process of self-replication to become available and then its almost a free service to the customer. This has also been said by Adrian Bowyer.
Tepid Metal: You will see that circuits can be build with 3D printers by carrying out the fusion of powdered metal and laser. However, the self-replicating 3D printers are aimed at use of metallic alloy of cadmium, tin, lead, and bismuth that have a low-melting point and squirting them to have the circuits formed from a syringe that is thoroughly heated. It’s not compulsory for the machine to be capable to assemble itself. Just production of all those parts that are very necessary excluding the lubricating grease and microprocessors is required.
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Is Rapid Prototyping going Overseas
Global Sources Group: There are very few companies dealing with Rapid Prototyping overseas. One of them is Global Sources Group. It can boast of offering overseas rapid manufacturing. Today’s fast world speaks of competition. The US is no exception. In has been dominate throughout the globe since really the last cenury. This has led to the emergence of Global Sources Group. The customer would always feel obliged by seeking the services of Global Sources Group, as this would result in substantial increase in his productivity and profit. This company is associated with factories across Vietnam and China. Thus, the required competitive edge that is needed in market of today is ensured.
Global Sources Group has the ability of designing the 3D Prototyping within 10 days. Not only that, the patent of the new product acquired can be obtained within 4 weeks. Here, time is equated with money. You will not sacrifice quality and fast productivity because only the highest factoires are used and the product is uaually air freighted overseas. This would thus take the client to the subsequent level.
Global Sources Group assists companies in Prototyping , right from design to manufacture. It specializes in manufacturing and ‘Art to Part Design’. This company has been into rapid prototyping for the last 20 years.
Delcam: Another company dealing with rapid prototyping overseas is Delcam. This company was established in 1968, when 3D modelling was not even talked of. 2D drawing was prevalent. Ford was really the first company that helped bring rapid prototyping into the 1980's. The process can be described as follows: Rapid Prototyping can be made effective if a good quality STL FILE is used. It is independent of composition. STL file, having property of water tightness can be exported by Power SHAPE. The errors can be automatically detected and repaired by a set of ‘wizards’. It provides the customer with total control over the creation of mesh. The intuitive, fast model from PowerSHAPE carries out the repairing of tools. This means that if the surfaces of original model of CAD are damaged or missing, the work won’t be stopped, i.e. the customer can easily carry out the fixation of model and go on with his work.
CopyCAD, Delcam’s software for reverse engineering, possesses comprehensive tools to repair and modify the STL models on an interactive basis. This enables the process chain to continue in an unbroken manner even if there is no CAD model to start with. Power MILL, Delcam’s absolute machining solution has the capacity of producing accurate tool paths. They can be built upto five axis-simultaneous, directly from the STL models. This really helps with flexibility of the manufacturing process.
Delcam’s software is being tried and examined with majority of general Rapid Prototyping Systems, to produce both, prototype tooling and form-and-fit testing parts. Its constant involvement in projects of Europe like HiperMoulding and CARP ensures that the customer is guaranteed of results of high quality irrespective of the type of Rapid Prototyping System used. Delcam has been into news in terms of rapid prototyping for quite some time now.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Prototype Development and Prototype Design
Designing and Rapid Prototyping have revolutionized the manufacturing processes in all industries nearly. There is not a single industry or process that is untouched by the technology of designing and prototyping.
Designing: Just as the name states, this is when you design a product before its in production. Designing will help you to innovate, change, modify and invent. Designing involves the process of idea generation, conceptualizing and actual design development.
Prototyping: Prototyping is a process in which a working model or prototype is developed for the purpose of testing the various design aspects like features, ideas, viability, functionality, output and performance. The prototyping will help in getting a quick user feedback. Prototyping is considered to be an essential element of the process of system designing.
Designing and Prototype Design go hand in hand, as both are complementary. In prototyping, new prototypes are developed on the basis of the performance of earlier designs. The deficiencies or problems in the previous designs can be detected and corrected. The prototype is redesigned after refinement and successfully meets the designing goals like functionality, manufacturability, performance and robustness. After this, the product can be readily produced.
Benefits of Designing and Prototyping : The scope of designing and prototyping is unlimited. Both have applications in all types of industries like CAD, CAM, automotive industry, workshops, fashion designing and innovative products and so on. With designing, you are able to create digital data in the form of 3D images and this digital data can be transformed into actual physical object by way of prototyping. You can visualize about how the final product will look. Its nice to have rapid prototyping because it really is an easy way to bring your ideas and inventions to life.
You may be toying with many innovative product ideas in your mind and you wish to convert them into realities. You can successfully develop your new invention from an idea to actual manufactured product with designing and prototyping. You can test your product by testing its commercial viability. You can have an open communication with the user regarding the expectations of the product and its performance. This will give you a fair idea regarding the designing and prototyping.
Appropriate Designing and Prototyping: If you want your invention or innovative product to be successful, then it needs to have a good design and there have to more additives than a plain good idea. The design should be such that it reduces the manufacturing costs. The design must have excellent functionality and it should be attractive as well along with the benefit of maximized durability. The designing and prototyping should work together to maximize the chances of success.
The best approach for an appropriate designing and prototyping plan, would be to design and create an eye-catching and working prototype along with good packaging. Necessary legal protection should be obtained. Engineering drawings should be produced and pricing data for manufacturing process should be generated. All the production facilities of the factory should be lined up. Take feedback from the end users and buyers and you will get an idea of the demand for your product. This appropriate designing and prototyping plan, is sure to spell success for you.
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Invention Prototypes and the process of Invention Prototypes
Invention Prototype cannot be ignored because they sought to prove the concept of the inventor to potential customers, suppliers, and investors-and most importantly, to the inventor himself. You will find if you talk to an expert that this is probably the majority opinion. The idea behind creating a prototype is the accomplishment of a lot from the point of view of creativity, that too without having to put on so much of money in the idea of product or going for its commitment early on.
Construction of an ‘invention prototype’ at the appropriate time: It’s essential to construct an ‘invention prototype’ much before buying the tooling for building the product or seeking contract manufacturers. Sometimes prototypes are done even before too much time is spent on computer drawings just to see the prototype and get a better idea of the invention. He is likely to burn up loads of cash on ‘engineering drawings’ when possibly what he needs 1st is the papier-mache clearly showing him what is being tried by him. Really in this case, you would want to advise him to go and use some computer aided drawings. Assessing the proper time for prototype is not all that tough. It just requires a proof of workability of the product invented by the concerned person.
The proper Rapid Prototyping for proper audience: An ‘invention prototype’ should be aimed towards the proper audience for doing its job. It means that the tailoring should be done in such a way that the requirements of the customers get fulfilled much to their satisfaction. Not only that, the prototype should be able to bear the critics of potential partners, investors, suppliers, and customers. Hence, it should be noted that just friendly appraisals are not enough. The more slicker looking and operable the prototype, the ‘better’. Its always important to not let all of the praises go to your head. It’s better to spend less on this production, as there would be many other places for spending the start up capital.
Let >1 prototype be made
If the overheads are not very much, let the Rapid Prototyping be made into multiple versions. In the next few desings you will see that the creator will improve the designs. Due to this, the latest product arrived at would fetch more money owing to its modern and sharp design. Two different prototypes can be created at one time and some people like to do this. The first one would be meant for ‘show’ and the second one for ‘go’, i.e. the 1st one could be made to look like the end product and the 2nd one for demonstrating the functionality.
For instance- Battery Buddy had a ‘looks-like’ and ‘works-like’ prototype. The 1st one was created at ‘University of Michigan’. A box was fashioned to proper exterior dimensions as per the engineering drawings. It was painted with fancy, fine graphics. This version could fit on around 90% of vehicles in market. The 2nd one consisted of a plastic box. It was grey-colored and around 4 times bigger than actual Battery Buddy. Finishing was not the issue then. The workability had to be checked; and it happened! Hence, the two versions made the task simpler from the buyer’s as well as seller’s point of view.
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Prototyping Disadvantages and Prototype Manufacturing Information
Prototyping is a process wherein a working model or prototype is developed for the purpose of testing the various product features like design, ideas, features, functionality, performance and output. This process of development of working model is quite quick. The user can give an early feedback regarding the prototype. Rapid prototyping is, generally, a significant and essential part of the system designing process and it is believed to decrease the project cost and risk.
The prototype that is developed by the process of rapid prototyping is based on the performance of earlier designs. Hence, it is possible to correct the defects or problems in the design by taking corrective measures. The product can only be produced when the prototype is carefully checked over and looked at to be sure it meets all of the final design requirements. There are many advantages of rapid prototyping.
Rapid Prototyping –Advantages in brief: Rapid prototyping has manifold advantages. It can provide with concept proof that would be required for attracting funds. The prototype gives the user a fair idea about the final look of the product. Rapid prototyping can enhance the early visibility. It is easier to find the design flaws in the early developmental stages. You really want to see a lot of participation with the user and producer in order to make the most out of rapid prototyping. Rapid Prototyping becomes popular when you start to see how cost effective it can be. A higher output is what the user can get.
The deficiencies in the earlier prototypes can be detected and rectified in time. The speed of system development is increased. It is possible to get immediate feedback from the user. There is better communication between the user and designer as the requirement sand expectations are expressed in the beginning itself. High quality product is easily delivered by way of rapid prototyping. Invention Prototype enables development time and costs. There are many innovative ways in which rapid prototyping can be used.
Despite all these benefits, there are many people who believe that there are many disadvantages of rapid prototyping.
Disadvantages of Rapid Prototyping : Some people are of the opinion that rapid prototyping is not effective because, in actual, it fails in replication of the real product or system. It could so happen that some important developmental steps could be omitted to get a quick and cheap working model. This can be one of the greatest disadvantages of rapid prototyping. Another disadvantage of rapid prototyping is one in which many problems are overlooked resulting in endless rectifications and revisions. The best solution in a large sized application may not be the best situation possible for rapid prototyping.
The user may have very high expectations about the prototype’s performance and the designer is unable to deliver these. The system could be left unfinished due to various reasons or the system may be implemented before it is completely ready. The producer may produce an inadequate system that is unable to meet the overall demands of the organization. Too much involvement of the user might hamper the optimization of the program. The producer may be too attached to the program of rapid prototyping, thus it may lead to legal involvement.
The cost reduction benefit of rapid prototyping also seems to be debatable, as sufficient details regarding the calculation basis and assumptions are not substantial.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
How To Speed Up Your Computer The Easy Way
Technology never seems to stop racing ahead and before one product has even gone to market quite often it has been superseded by a newer faster model.
Consumers often go out and buy the latest and greatest computers, laptop and gadgets when they don't realy need to , or they simply haven't found the best way to make there existing device work better.
When it comes to the family Pc however I think the technology giants like Intel, Amd, Hp and Dell for example are all missing the point when it comes to your average consumer.
A majority of computer users do not play games on their computers (they probably have a play station or a Wii), nor do they use massively processor hungry applications like computer aided design packages or finite element (fea) calculation packages.
Computer vendors would have us believe that we all need multi processor cores so we can multi task and have a finite number of applications running it the same time when in all fairness most users will never have more than three or four applications open at any on time.
One fact that is undeniable though is that when you go and buy your next Pc with all its raw computing power you will probably still need to by something extra to make it work efficiently within a short space of time.
A well rounded and efficient computer or laptop isn’t just about the processor speed, granted that does help but only up to a point, but your system does need to be in balance and, a majority are not.
What we are in reality talking about here of course is the system memory.
As Pc power increases programs get more complex, and as they get more complex they use more computer memory.
The more programs you install even if only working in the background i.e. anti virus programs, music programs and system utilities the more memory is used and so on.
Simply put the more memory the programs have to access, the faster and more efficiently the Pc will work.
This is all well and good but the problem occurs when your computer runs out of memory and has to start using the hard drive as extended memory instead.
This is magnitudes slower performance wise than the system memory and will not stop your Pc from working but will certainly slow it down, sometimes to the point of almost stopping.
Computer memory upgrades are easily obtainable fortunately and something which you can do yourself. You can do an online computer memory scan to ensure and guarantee that the memory is indeed correct for your system and fit it yourself when it arrives a few days later if ordered on line.
To see how easy it is to install extra memory in your computer or laptop, simply visit the computer support and repair and watch the video.
Or you can contact you local computer repair professional who can also perform this inexpensive task if you have already purchased a new Pc or if your existing system is running slowly.
The Basics of Casting Resin
DIY Metal Casting is known and loved for the high temperatures, glowing molten metal, and the possibility to make nearly anything. Metal and their alloys are not the only things that can be used in casting. Casting in plastic, most notably resin casting, is becoming popular with artists and jewelers looking for something odd and unique.
Resin casting does not involve the use of furnaces, crucibles, or casting sand. In fact all one really needs for resin casting is a mold, some resin (of course), and time.
There are actually two forms of resin casting. The first kind is the one that more closely resembles metal casting, uses a mold and even gates and runners if it's complex enough. The second type of Home Metal Casting is simply incasing an object in the resin. An example of this is using an ice cube tray and placing an object like a small pendant in one of the tray's cavities and then filling it with the resin solution. After the resin dries you can pop it out of the tray. The pendant is now encased in hard plastic. This form is usually employed by jewelers and crafty moms but tends to be fun for everyone no matter age or experience. At the very least it's a great way to get rid of some of the clutter around your house and disguise it as art. Anything your brain can imagine can be cast in resin including coins and charms.
Resin casting using mold is generally used by those who work with models and miniatures. Resin casting is a great way to make several pieces at once so you can avoid shelling out money you may not have and waiting several weeks for delivery of your items. Who has that kind of time anymore?
Like Metal Casting , resin casting will require you to build a mold. If you are fortunate enough then you can easily find pre-made molds, especially if you are working with miniatures. If you don't feel like buying these pre-made molds or just like doing things the hard way, then you will have to make the mold yourself. Don't worry, it's still fun.
You will need to find a molding box this will hold the rubber that will be used to make the actual mold until it dries. Many who work with smaller objects find that working with toy building blocks to create this molding block work extremely well and will provide added convenience. A wooden box will work as well, of course. The box, or flask, will not have a top or bottom, just the four walls. Place molding clay at the bottom of the flask and insert your original. Make sure to add a way for the resin plastic to enter the mold. The very top of the mold is where the funnel should be placed. You are going to prepare the silicone rubber and catalyst which will be used to create the mold. Follow the instructions on the labels since each type will vary. A process called degassing can be used which will remove all the air bubbles from the rubber. This is a fun process involving a vacuum pump.
Slowly pour the rubber into the flask, covering the original. This can take up to a day to dry, so be patient. Remove the molding clay and repeat the process using the bottom part of the flask, or drag. Now if you think about it you will have two parts, the original is in the middle. When dry, remove the mold from the box and very carefully split the mold to remove the original.
Place the mold back together and prepare the resin solution, follow the instructions to the letter. Pour the resin into the top of the mold, where you placed the cup. The set time for the resin should be stated on the bottle, but for most it will take up to 30 minutes. In order to remove the cast you need to crack the mold open when you are ready to see your cast.
Resin casting can be a great family craft project but just make sure to follow all of the safety guidelines. This type of casting can still be dangerous even though you are not dealing with molten metals. Often times, the solutions and chemicals used in resin casting are poisonous if consumed. Not to mention that resin casting can be a bit smelly so working outside or in a well ventilated room is advisable.
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Monday, October 20, 2008
Casting Wax and the Basics of Lost Wax Casting
Metal Casting is an ancient technique that has been used to create very complicated metal castings and involved pieces that would other wise be impossible either because of economic reasons or manufacturing reasons. Everyone from small jewelers to large industrial foundries can use Lost Wax Casting. This process is also called Investment Casting when it is used in commercial industries. Lost wax casting is used frequently by people who make jewelry but you will find others who use the lost wax casting method as well.
Lost Wax Casting is the ideal and preferred method for artists who are interested in making items like sculptures or rings from a variety of alloys like bronze, steel, or copper. This process is quite involved but not all that complex as long as you have some kind of metal casting know-how. For anyone wanting to experiment with different casting methods Lost Wax Casting is a great option because it involves a few materials and methods that are not normally found in other methods like Sand Casting.
The most noticeable difference of Lost Wax Casting from other castings is exactly what's in the name; the wax. To use Lost Wax Casting you do not necessarily have to be an artists but some skill in sculpting might be nice. You are going to start off by creating a sculpture from wax that will be the original.
You will then create a mold of the original. The mold is usually created from plaster with latex lining to help preserve the details of the original. If this is your first attempt at Lost Wax Casting you may want to make an original without a lot of detail just to get the feel for the entire process and so you do not become discouraged if something does not work out. Remember metal casting is a skill that must be learned by research, trial, and error. Chances are that you will not be completely successful, the first time around. The original piece is usually lost after the construction of the mold. Sometimes this will happen when you are using wax so its important to try to help this from happening so use metal if it really bothers use.
When the mold is ready you are then going to pour molten wax, you're not ready for metal just yet, into the mold. The wax you will need and the amount of wax you will need really depends on how thick you want the material to be. Once the copy is ready, you are going to remove it very carefully from the mold. You will remove any of the impurities from the copy. This is called chasing.
You will then sprue the copy. Spruing is the act of carefully placing paths that will let the molten metal in and air out. Afterwards, a ceramic shell is created around the copy. The shell isn't really ceramic but a combination of liquid silica and sand. Traditionally, and in some areas still, animal dung and dirt is used to create the shell. The choice of which shell material you want to use is up to you. The shell is hardened in the kiln and the wax melts out. If you want to reuse the wax then collect it during this step. Wax can be reused a number of times and if you are on a budget or are just trying out different designs and methods, collecting the wax is encouraged. Once the wax is gone and all that remains is the hollow shell you will want to run water through it to make sure there are no leaks. If there are then you will need to patch them before pouring the molten metal.
Pouring the metal without reheating the shell will cause it to crack and you will be out of luck. The shell is still on the sprue tree so pouring the metal is an easy process. When the metal has hardened, then break the shell carefully and remove the cast. Afterwards, it is up to you to finish the piece to your liking and preference.
Lost Wax Casting process is an enjoyable experience but it does use a few tools that you might need to purchase before hand, like the wax and spruing tree. At the very least, you might want to try Lost Wax Casting once or twice to get a feel for it. This way you have another casting process at your disposal.
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Iron Casting, Iron Melting, and Iron Furnace Information
Many believe that Metal Casting is just simply out of reach for small furnaces but this is not the case. While alloys like aluminum are more prevalent in home foundries. Artists and hobbyists have also used brass, bronze, and even iron to fulfill their casting needs.
Industrial foundries commonly use iron for a variety of items like cookware, like cast iron pans, and even bridges. Casting iron provides an easy and effective method of making such large structural pieces and even smaller pieces for around the home.
The most common furnace type used by home foundries is the cupola furnace. The cupola is a basic furnace type that does not need a crucible as it allows the caster to pour the molten metal directly from the furnace into a ladle which is then poured into the mold. Cupola furnaces resemble smoke stacks and can be home made for those with enough confidence and some mechanical know-how to attempt it. The various fuels that are needed to heat the particular types of metal really depend on the casters preferences. Many will use propane and some will use coal. There are a select few that will use waste material such as old scraps of metal and the powder at the bottom of bags of barbecue coal to fuel the cupola. For iron many would recommend the use of propane, but there have been some casters that have succeeded with waste material. There are a lot of different fuels that you can use for your furnace so you should try a lot of different fuels.
Finding a source of iron can be difficult and a trip to the scrap yard might be in order. This is just one of the exciting ventures that Metal Casting can provide you. After you locate your iron you will need to prepare your mold. This is assuming you have a pattern in mind that you want to cast. If not, then go ahead and figure something out even if it’s a small piece in order to test your iron casting ability. Since sand casting is the most popular casting method you might want to use it for the iron casting especially if you are familiar with the method and not with iron.
After making the sand mold and placing the runner for the molten iron you will melt the metal. The melting point of iron is 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit or about 1538 degree Celsius. Since all metals melt at different temperatures don't be impatient if iron takes longer to melt and don't be surprised if it’s quicker.
When the molten iron is ready you are going to pour some into a ladle and the pour that into the sand mold. What is holding the sand mold together is the top and bottom of the mold which is called the cope and drag. The runners are in place in the mold to allow the molten iron a place to enter. When the iron is cool, remove the cast from the sand carefully and there you have a cast of iron.
As with all metal casts, you will need to follow the appropriate safety steps to avoid any accidents. Accidents with molten metal will always be very painful so make sure you wear gloves, jeans, boots, and a long sleeve shirt. You may also want a heavy duty leather apron and a pair of goggles.
Iron Casting is a great way to create restoration items or pieces for around the home and even for artistic purposes.
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Sunday, October 19, 2008
Basics of Gravity Casting
DIY Metal Casting is more than just an excuse to play with molten metal it is actually a great way to create art and complicated pieces of machinery or other items that would otherwise be nearly impossible to make. Metal Casting is really a great way to save money...while playing with molten metal.
The reason that Metal Casting has survived the test of time is a matter or efficiency. Some of the earliest casting examples have been found in China dating back thousands and thousands of years. In fact every major civilization from the Egyptians to the Romans practiced metal casting. This skill came back into vogue during the Renaissance and has continued to advance and evolve from there. Its hard to remember that there are a lot of other casting processes because sand casting is used the most often.
Not everyone is going to be casting heavy pieces like engine parts or cast their own motorcycles. So for those that just want to make decorative pieces you will not be using the same casting process as these heavy duty casters. For artists creating small scale statues or embellishes and for hobbyists that need a decorative touch to their model plane or boat might want to consider using gravity casting for their needs.
Gravity casting seems to be especially useful when dealing with aluminum and other light alloys. The name "casting" or "metal casting" really describes exactly what the task itself is. The metal is introduced into the mold by the force of gravity. Most other casting process either use natural pressure difference like the kind in certain sand casting procedures or they use forced pressure like in centrifugal casting to get the molten metal into the mold.
One of the most common uses for Metal Casting is when permanent molds are going to be used. Also called a die, the permanent mold is really only economical for those planning on using the same mold numerous times and will need to keep the quality at a constant level. You can reuse molds but you need to be careful because the quality can really go down each time you use the mold. With die molds the quality will remain the same. Its a good idea to think of Die molds as a long term investment. Yes, they will be more costly then other molds; however they will outlast cheaper options for molds. Permanent molds are created using a variety of metals including cast iron and steel.
Gravity casting is used for the permanent mold process with pleasing results. Gravity casting is usually used when the finished product is more visually based then structurally based which is why this method is a favorite of artists and even some jewelers. The loss of strength is due to the lack of pressure used in this process. For those that need the strength but still want to use gravity casting, more of the molten metal will need to be used which will increase the weight.
Relying on gravity will take patience, although it will be needed for larger products.
If you have never tried gravity casting then you should, because you just may be surprised by what such a simple thing like gravity can create. For the sake of humor, make an apple and see what happens.
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
Home Foundry Information Described
The Do It Yourself movement is certainly not a new one. The term, DIY was popularized in the 1950s but the concept has been around for ages. The concept behind DIY is undertaking a variety of projects either home improvement, restoration, or arts and craft without the help of paid professionals.
Recently the DIY movement has received a boost of popularity with the aid of the internet. Many are finding that DIY projects are easier to undertake with the help of instructional websites which provide step by step instructions and real advice from people who have actually accomplished the DIY process. Several of these sites provide ideas, photos, message boards, and a sense of community for Do It Yourselfers that was simply not available years ago.
Do It Yourself projects really have no boundaries and can be anything your mind can create. Certainly the most common projects include home improvement such as cabinetry or installing plumbing fixtures, but one of the oldest DIY projects has to be metal casting.
Metal casters everywhere have been doing their own metal casting at home since metal casting was created years ago. Really metal casting is pretty simple as you are just taking metal that is melted and turning it into another shape that is needed. Metal casting has been used in the ancient world for the use of making weapons, jewelry, and even religious icons. As far as your mind can think is really how different DIY metal casting parts are used for everyday life. This includes home improvement items as well. Metal casting can be used to make door knobs, cabinet handles, and other such items. There are a lot of DIYers out there that can make small model parts and minatures of larger parts because of this hobby. Even artists use metal casting for sculptures and jewelry creation.
Metal casting possesses the true spirit of Do It Yourself. Many metal casters are drawn to the skill because it provides a cheap alternative to purchasing items or having commercial foundries make custom items. Nearly everything used in metal casting can be made by the caster. The furnace, molds, tools, and many others are made by most casters.
Like other DIY projects, the DIY casting movement is being helped along my communities that are found online. These communities act as meeting grounds for casters to share and exchange knowledge and ideas, not to mention blueprints for furnaces and ingredients for casting materials.
Metal casting is the pinnacle of DIY projects as it involves the fabrication of items from metal. The mold of the object that you want to create needs to be made first and then you can start melting the appropriate metal. The molten alloy is poured into the mold and allowed to cool. The cast is removed to reveal a copy of the original pattern. There are several casting methods so undertaking a DIY casting project can be very involved and addicting.
In the spirit of DIY, metal casters strive to make the best for the least. A great source for aluminum is soda cans and many casters gladly travel to scrap yards for iron or brass.
The DIY casting movement is really gaining steam as many realize how cheap and fun this alternative is.
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.