On the runway to success - MCH Group

TECHNIQUE PAGE 34
Printing or lasering of individual
models for wax casting or for
mass production is being demonstrated
by DWS, Envisiontec,
Rapidshape and Solidscape.
DWS machines are suitable for
rapid prototyping as well as mass
production. Up to 1,300 high
resolution models can be produced.
This represents the biggest
machine available on the
market in this sector, according
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 2012
Designers require durable material
Product ranges for rapid prototyping have been extended this year
Durable material was developed by Solidscape for filigran designs.
to Samer Noujaim, sales area
manager for the company. Sale
of the machines is starting at
BASELWORLD 2012, following
presentation of the prototype last
year. They are responding to substantial
demand, says Noujaim.
Many queries have already been
received from all five continents.
The company offers the machines
in four different sizes. New resins
are also being presented in 2012.
Envisiontec is presenting the
entire Perfactory 4 product range
for the first time. The Mini XL
was shown last year while the P4
Standard and the P4 Standard
XL are new. They come with bigger
building envelopes than the
small machine. The machines are
delivered and installed with all
of the relevant software to enable
automatic support generation
and perfect model production.
Schultheiss also presented a product
in this field for the first time
in 2011 and founded Rapidshape
as a separate company. A smaller
version is now available for jewellers.
The key benefit of this new
version is the significantly faster
process from the CAD design
to the master model. “We are
also exhibiting a new casting
material which is significantly
harder,” explains managing director
Andreas Schultheiss.
Solidscape too is presenting a
harder material by the name
of Pluscast which makes it possible
to produce models with
an accuracy of up to 5000 dpi.
Solidscape is presenting its T76
Rapidshape shows a smaller version of its machine.
and R66+ system. The main
difference between the two
machines is the production volume.
The new material Pluscast
is more durable.
Fabio Esposito, VP worldwide
sales and marketing at Solidscape,
sees a link between the
rising cost of gold and other precious
metals as raw materials and
customer demand for the materials
his company produces. The
ever-increasing prices are forcing
designers to seek material-saving
solutions with a lower thickness,
he says. This increases the need
to ensure stable forms. The aim
is to adjust to new design trends
and produce the corresponding
items of jewellery well, whether
as individual items or in high
numbers. Listening to customers
is very important rather than
focusing solely on technical innovation,
stresses Fabio Esposito.
As such, he feels it is important
Envisiontec has enlarged the product line.
that the trade show stand should
feature items of jewellery made
by designers using the systems
rather than just the machines
alone.
Andreas Schultheiss welcomes
the competition created by new
processes such as the selective
laser melting being presented
by Sisma, Progold and Concept
Laser: “I think it’s great that
it’s here, it fuels the market and
offers designers more options.”
He is of the opinion that melting
will not replace casting. Esposito
too has no fear of new technologies
such as laser melting: “Competition
is welcome and makes us
all better,” he says. “The quality
is significantly better with our
process but it is also a matter of
cost,” says Christian Frowein of
Envisiontec. He feels that this
new technology will hardly represent
any competition until the
distant future. (pgl) ■