Rapid Prototype Tooling To Teach Net Shaped Manufacturing
- Conference
- Location
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Austin, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2009
- Start Date
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June 14, 2009
- End Date
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June 17, 2009
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Manufacturing
- Page Count
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11
- Page Numbers
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14.1005.1 - 14.1005.11
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--5686
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/5686
- Download Count
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438
Paper Authors
Louis Reifschneider Illinois State University
Lou Reifschneider is an Associate Professor in the Department of Technology at Illinois State University. He received his BSME in 1983 from the University of Notre Dame, his MSME in 1984 from the University of Minnesota, and his PhD ME in 1990 from the Ohio State University. Prior to joining ISU, Dr. Reifschneider worked in the field of computational engineering analysis software development focusing on plastics processing. His research interests include plastic product design, mold and die design, and the processing of bio-based materials. Since 1998 he has taught courses in manufacturing technology, product design, and engineering economics. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois and holds memberships in SPE and ASEE.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Rapid Prototype Tooling to Teach Net-Shaped Manufacturing Abstract
Net-shaped manufacturing plays a central role in contemporary production because complex three-dimensional shapes can be created in a single step using a mold. Further, because of the time and special skills required to build molds, net-shaped manufacturing is a difficult process to teach first-hand in engineering design curriculums. However, the advent of lower cost rapid prototyping technology capable of making molds that can withstand the temperatures and pressures of thermoforming provides a means to teach net-shaped product design in semester- long courses. This paper provides examples of student projects that illustrate the level of design complexity possible with the paired use of prototyping and thermoforming. Finally, some of the costs associated with the prototyping and forming technologies are outlined to provide a measure of the resources required to implement this strategy in a design curriculum.
Why net-shaped processing matters
While many product design courses utilize rapid prototyping to communicate the form and fit of designs1, the focus of this paper is to outline how rapid prototyping can better help students understand the design for manufacturing requirements of net-shaped manufacturing. Other authors advocate the need for education about rapid manufacturing in order for the US manufacturing base to remain competitive2,3. Creese3 has shown how rapid prototyping leads to reduced time to create castings. In a similar way, rapid prototyping can reduce the time required to create molds used to teach students about the net-shaped manufacturing process. Net-shaped manufacturing and rapid manufacturing share one element in common: neither are subtractive processes like CNC machining. However, unlike rapid manufacturing, net-shaped manufacturing offers the economies of high production rates and low unit cost once the investment in a mold has been made.
In Figures 1 and 2 the subtractive process of CNC machining is compared to the casting process, a net-shaped manufacturing process, for the example of creating a simple container shape. Teaching students the thought process of mold design required for a net-shaped process is distinct from teaching conventional product design. For example, net-shaped manufacturing processes require the product to have draft to facilitate product removal from the mold, as shown in Figure 3. This is a unique requirement from that seen in a subtractive process.
Blank CNC material removal Product Figure 1 Section views of material removal in a machining process
Reifschneider, L. (2009, June), Rapid Prototype Tooling To Teach Net Shaped Manufacturing Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5686
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