Browsing by Subject "Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Operations Management"
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Item Rapid Prototyping Using 3-D Welding(1992) Dickens, P.M; Pridham, M.S; Cobb, R.C.; Gibson, I.; Dixon, G.Rapid prototyping systems are based, almost exclusively on polymer, or paper materials. The dimensions of the parts produced are limited by the volume of the processing area within the machine, and parts tend to warp or distort due to shrinkage and lack of support. Also the mechanical properties of the part are restricted to those of the processable materials and thus, in many cases, required 'engineering properties' cannot be obtainedItem Vibratory Finishing of Stereolithography Parts(1993) Spencer, John D.Rapid Prototype polymer resin models produced by Stereolithography have, by the nature of the process, a relatively poor surface roughness, particularly on concave and convex surfaces. In many cases this is unacceptable, and slow and tedious manual finishing techniques are often used to improve the surface. An investigation has been conducted into a range of automated finishing techniques with the aim of producing an acceptable surface roughness. This paper presents the results from two techniques, Vibratory Bowl Abrasion and Ultrasonic Abrasion using components made from Ciba-Geigy XB5081-1 and XB 5143 resins. Initial results from Scanning Electron Microscopy and surface topography analyses suggest that both techniques are capable of improving the model surfaces.Item Virtual Reality and Rapid Prototyping: Conflicting or Complimentary?(1993) Gibson, I.; Cobb, S.; Eastgate, R.It is likely that the uses for virtual reality (VR) will coincide with applications that rapid prototyping systems have already been used for. VR, with the ability to model real life environments, presents an ideal base for the design and development of new manufactured products. As a method of producing physical models directly from 3D CAD systems, rapid prototyping technology has also been used to visualise new product designs. This paper attempts to determine whether the two technologies are a means to the same end or whether they combine to form a more efficient route to product development.