Objective
Many manufacturing sectors already enjoy the benefits of rapid prototyping technology. However, existing RP Systems are relatively small in scale (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.5m maximum) and rely on a layer manufacturing build style which has limitations in terms of surface finish, creating a ridged effect on some surfaces of the part. Furthermore, the resins used are not representative of production materials. Much effort is focused on making existing RP systems quicker, more accurate, or process better materials. However, no work is being done in the development of a large scale RP system for large structural 3D surface parts, i.e. body panels. Hence, in conjunction with SME rapid prototypers and potential users of prototypes in the road, rail and marine vehicle sectors, we have developed a concept for the development of a large scale RP system, that incorporates the 6 axis manipulator our company have developed. Around European 2250 SMEs are involved in OEM supply chains in the design, development and manufacture of aesthetic panels and structural components for vehicles and other industrial applications. These include pattern makers, GRP moulders, and panel manufacturers. As new panels for vehicle body panels, doors, floors and roofs are designed, a need is created to evaluate the parts for their aesthetic appeal, fit within the total assembly and even wind resistance. To enable this evaluation to occur full bodies for vehicles are often mocked up, using clay, wood , or PU foams. These models are usually constructed to assess and refine the style and form of the vehicle. However, when the engineering issues are to be evaluated prototypes for each panel section are manufactured and assembled, as hand lay up GRP panels. These prototypes are usually manufactured for OEMs by patternmakers or the prospective suppliers of the eventual mass produced item. Typically, it takes around 4 weeks to source a GRP prototype panel( using a wooden mould and 8 weeks to source a prototype steel panel (using traditional press tools.) These models are also expensive, due to the cost of the tooling required to produce them. Typically, around 5,000 ECU for a wood mould and 20,000 ECU for a prototype press tool. The time and cost of preparing these prototypes is a key constraint in the product development cycle. The proposed system will:
* Produce functional, as well as aesthetic models.
* Reduce the cost of these panels by 50%.
* Reduce lead time for GRP prototype panels to under one week.
* Provide a method for producing pre-production tools for GRP and possibly pressed parts. The current primary market for RP systems and parts is 720M ECU pa, with annual compound growth rate of 43%. The secondary market for RP tools, copy mouldings etc. is 750M ECU with a 60% growth. 3D Systems the leading system manufacturer predicts that the global market will exceed 1.5Bn ECU by the year 2000 (ref. 1). However, European manufacturers of RP systems have accounted for only 7% of the cumulative sales, yet Europe holds almost 20% of the installations globally. With global sales of RP systems expected to exceed 1000 units this year, that means Europe will import 180 RP machines this year alone. While the future turnover of the European SME pattern and panel makers, and RP Bureaux currently estimated at 20Bn ECU will come under increasing threat from the lower cost economies of the Pacific Rim and South America. The ability of these companies to defend their market will be greatly enhanced if they could access the technology proposed, to supply their customers with models more quickly, at lower cost and with better performance than the competition. Furthermore, the impact of the downstream benefits to their customers (i.e. automotive OEM's truck and rail, aircraft, boat, caravan manufacturers) in terms of time to market and market penetration could be enormous. Based on the turnover of the target SME's group and the RP industry there is a potential market for large scale systems and models of around 3 Bn ECU at maturity (10 - 15 years time). The core group of SME's led by ourselves, Blade & Cutter Ltd, are current suppliers of 6 axis milling and metal cladding machines, also includes an RP system developer, a speciality resin supplier, a resin dispensing system supplier, and two potential end users. Each hoping to be involved in the manufacture, marketing of equipment and product for this rapidly expanding market. The proposed research and development is in response to the urgent need to develop a European manufacturing source of a new rapid prototyping system, based on a new innovative approach. This will help to increase Europe's profile and influence in the global RP industry, to protect the existing 2250 SME pattern and panel markers and RP bureaux from competition from the Pacific Rim and US continent.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering naval engineering
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries forestry
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Coordinator
SK14 3QT Hyde
United Kingdom
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