Traditional prototype rapid tooling approaches employ several additive prototyping processes, such as stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and 3-D printing, that all typically produce rapid prototypes created from various types of plastics, thermoplastics, photopolymers, and liquid resins.

prototype rapid tooling article

Most additive technologies used in rapid prototyping, rapid manufacturing, or rapid tooling are layer-based processes that create plastic or metal prototypes and small-run production parts directly from 3-D CAD models. T

hey offer an alternative to subtractive processes for parts production with metal-removal methods using CNC metalcutting. Direct metal technologies that generally use powdered metals for rapid tooling and manufacturing have recently gained favor among manufacturers. In August, several metal-based rapid technologies were outlined in papers presented at the Direct Metal Systems in Manufacturing technical forum sponsored by the Rapid Prototyping Association of SME (RPA/SME).

The program detailed several metal-based rapid technology efforts either currently offered or under development at companies including prototype rapid tooling. In contrast to the plastics, thermoplastics, and resins used in rapid prototyping processes, most of the metalbased rapid processes involve powdered metals and other metallic feedstock, including binder-coated powder, wire, flat wire, ribbon, foil, sheetmetal, and atomized spray, note that the list of creative direct metal processes continues to advance, with a growing list of players and machines in service.

Capable of producing metal parts to more than one meter in size, it says that a number of the processes are no longer lab curiosities, and are in use by industry. Among these technologies, the prototype rapid tooling patented Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) process features a laser-based additive metal process in which POM claims to produce fully dense metal parts of 99.8% density, which is slightly better than the 99.6% density of 'handbook grade' metals from castings manufacturers, according who instead refers to the process as "direct manufacturing," because DMD makes parts directly from powdered metal.