Rapid progress

Rapid prototyping techniques were once used for only design visualisation, ergonomic studies, basic design simulation and testing. With the introduction of new metallic materials, rapid manufacturing and desktop manufacturing is now a real possibility.

German factory and process automation supplier

, for example, has been using rapid prototyping (RP) technology for a number of years. The company's prototyping department relied on a technique called laser melting to produce a series of mechanical stops for its rodless slide-drive DGC pneumatic linear actuator.

With this method, a laser beam melts a fine powder of stainless steel or hot work tool steel layer-by-layer until the finished component is left on the material substrate.

The prototypes of the stops, which transmit the kinetic energy of the piston to the shock absorber, performed 30 million dynamic load cycles in continuous operation. This corresponds to an operating distance of around 18,000km. To put it another way, this is equivalent to the parts receiving an impact of 400N every 1.25 seconds for a year and a half over a distance stretching between Germany and New Zealand.