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In Rapid Manufacturing products are constructed layer by layer, without a mould. No material is removed, as happens in machining.The necessary data are taken directly from the design process.This has a number of advantages. A physical product follows quickly on the heels of the design and (test)products reach the market more quickly.This flexible method simplifies the manufacture of very complex products and makes it easier to combine more parts.
TNO's RM technologies and Demo Centre
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Until now Rapid Prototyping has been used primarily in industry as a visualisation technology, for the rapid manufacture of an initial tangible product, a ‘conversation piece’, straight from CAD. But the series production of functional products has failed to materialise due to limitations in processes, materials and product finishing. In recent years huge advances have been made on all these fronts – thanks in part of TNO´s efforts. We are seeing a shift from Rapid Prototyping to Rapid Manufacturing (RM). The rapid series production of functional end-products is now possible. The advantages of this are evident: no tool costs, very short time to market, rapid implementation of any product changes, low stock costs, if any, and, of course, the lower cost price of the end-product.
Despite the many steps taken, RM is not yet suitable for all applications. Often, production speed, the production process and the type of material are limiting factors when it comes to applying this production method on a large scale. This has prompted TNO to work on basic technologies to enable the machines to produce more quickly, more accurately and using a broader range of materials, as well as in an expanding field of application. Not only must the materials be suitable for processing in the machines, they must ultimately also satisfy the product requirements imposed on the end-product.
