by Subtle Discord » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:32 pm
I hope to be doing a new round of Rapid Prototyping with a local company next month. I will be specifically avoiding the PolyJet process; through some research I've learned that is what Shapeways FUD and FXD is. I was able to choose a technology for a college paper I had to write, so I chose Additive Manufacturing (Read: Rapid Prototyping) so I could get better acquainted with the technology. The PolyJet process is powerful (It can actually print multiple materials into the same object, which is it's real strength for making concept models) but the frosted surface where the support wax meets the print is just too much of a problem when you're making RTV rubber moulds of the part; the porous surface does no favors to the surface quality of the mould, and it's far too much labour to remove when I'm moving to this process to save on labour.
I'm going to start working with Stereolithograph (SLA) which should provide an amazingly high quality surface straight from the machine; the catch is that objects will have 'supports' of thin resin for overhangs and on the bottom of objects and they need to be removed and cleaned. However, the supports are so small and should be low enough in number that the work involved will be more reasonable. A bit of filing and sanding a tiny point is nothing beside carefully treating the entire surface of a complex object.
While paint does do an ok job of masking most of the issues, it's still not quite good enough for my standards; top quality is one of the cornerstones of my small studio. From what I've seen, SLA of the right quality should provide a finish on par with a mass produced toy. The company I'm going to work with has done work for Matell to produce near-production quality prototypes for their products, so I've got very high hopes.
I'll be sure to update with some good quality pictures and my opinion and insights once I have some samples in my eager little hands.