RAPID PROTOTYPING: NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN REDUCE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TIME

The rapid prototyping device melts plastic wire or wax to form the models.

Dr. Gary Frey and Damon Dowdy checked the fit of the lid on a product prototype made at the Manufacturing Resource Center at Southeast Missouri State University.

The prototyping machine cost $207,000 and is able to produce exact prototypes directly from computer rendering files.

When a Southeast Missouri plastics manufacturer needed a prototype for a new product, the company turned to the Manufacturing Technology Resource Center at Southeast Missouri State University.

The plastic prototype was completed on the department's new rapid prototyping machine and sent to Dallas, Texas, last week.

"This is one of the services we can offer area manufacturers," said Gary Frey, an assistant professor at Southeast.

Frey is in charge of a new, $207,000 Stratasy Rapid Prototyping machine obtained recently.

The new machine can produce prototype models within a few days, and, in some cases, hours.

This same process used to take highly skilled craftsmen weeks or months to perfect, said Frey.

Rapid prototyping machines can fabricate the plastic parts layer-by-layer, using thin horizontal cross-sections to form the parts in a relatively short while, said Frey.

The Manufacturing Technology Resource Center, a collaboration between AmerenUE and the university's polytechnic institute, has a number of missions at the university. "We use the machines in classes," said Frey, "but it is available for use to industry and inventors."

The machine, 4 feet tall, 2 feet wide and 3 feet in depth, weigh about 400 pounds, said Frey.

"We use it in three classes in Advanced Manufacturing Technology," he said. "Students use the machine while working toward a number of science, industrial technology and electronic degrees.

The part prototype for Consolidated Plastics of Bloomfield, Mo., marked the first time the machine was used for business, said Frey.

"The company wanted the prototype in a hurry, and we put it out in a hurry," said Frey. "We got the plans and specs for the part just before Christmas. We had it ready just after Christmas."

The entire operation probably saved the company three months in time, he said.

Upon approval of the prototype, Consolidation Plastics can start manufacturing the part.

Consolidation Plastics officials visited the center to watch students work with the machine before submitting a plan.

The machine introduces many new manufacturing and energy-efficient technologies to students, area manufacturers, and the public through partnerships, said Frey.

Frey describes rapid prototyping.

"It is a technology that produces prototype models from 3D computer-aided designs, in a matter of hours or days," he said, adding that the RP systems join together materials to form the parts.

A need to reduce product development time has created the demand for fast prototyping methods.

The first form of rapid prototying became commercially available in the late 1980s. A number of RP systems are in use in the half-billion dollar a year industry.

"RP has helped companies shorten product development time, discover design flaws, improve quality and satisfy customer requirements early in the products production cycle," said Frey.

"This has saved billions of dollars in wasted work," said Frey.

The rapid prototyping system here uses Fused Deposition Modeling from Stratasy Corp. to produce parts by depositing plastic or was filament materials into hot extrusion tips.

The automobile and aerospace industries are the primary users of RP, but other users include producers of industrial parts, electronics and computers.

RP has also been used to produce jewelry, toys, architectural models and hip joints.

"This machine can produce virtually any complex shape as easily as simple shapes." said Frey.

"We hope to provide local industry and inventors with help in rapid prototyping their parts without the expense of actually owning RP equipment," said Frey.

RP equipment is expensive, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.

"The equipment is also valuable in training local design people in the making of prototypes," added Frey.

"Industries are continuously challenged to reduce production costs, increase productivity and product quality," said Frey. "We can help."

Companies are invited to become MTRC partners by participating in the MRTC-sponsored activities, using the MTRC facilities to conduct workshops and research, sharing ideas and a expertise to solve common problems and contributing resources and materials for the operation of the center.