Production Tooling for Polymer Components Via The DTM RapidSteel Process 125

This paper reports the results of a study examining the potential of layer manufacturing processes to deliver production tooling for polymer manufacture, with the DTM RapidSteel process used to provide the tooling. Four main areas were addressed during the study: wear, mechanical strength, accuracy, and productivity, with each area examined through analytical studies and industrial trials. An overview of the results from both the analytical and in company experimental studies are presented.