Huntsman Goes From Materials ... to Machine
Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology is at the heart of a new rapid manufacturing system being launched by Huntsman Advanced Materials – that’s right, the company that has long been a provider of materials for rapid prototyping applications, like the recently introduced RenShape SL 7820, a white photopolymer resin that produces solid black models with no additional finishing. Speaking of the rationalization behind the development of the new system, called the “Araldite Digitalis,” Phillippe Michaud, Global Technology Director of Huntsman Advanced Materials, said, “Huntsman Advanced Materials has a long history of innovation and experience in UV curing materials. After more than 20 years working with design engineers, we understand the daily issues confronting manufacturing companies.
Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology is at the heart of
a new rapid manufacturing system being launched by Huntsman Advanced
Materials – that’s right, the company that has long
been a provider of materials for rapid prototyping applications, like
the recently introduced RenShape SL 7820, a white photopolymer resin
that produces solid black models with no additional finishing.
Speaking
of the rationalization behind the development of the new system, called
the “Araldite Digitalis,” Phillippe Michaud, Global Technology Director
of Huntsman Advanced Materials, said, “Huntsman Advanced Materials has
a long history of innovation and experience in UV curing materials.
After more than 20 years working with design engineers, we understand
the daily issues confronting manufacturing companies.”
So the
Araldite Digitalis was developed based on this experience. The machine
has a build envelope of 650 x 370 x 600 mm. The axis resolutions are
10, 50 or 125 µm X; 10 µm Y; 50, 100, 150 µm Z.
About the MEMS.
The Araldite Digitalis makes use of what’s called an “MLS
MicroLightSwitch.” This is an exposure system that operates with a
computer-controlled micro-mechanical shutter system. Two UV light
bulbs (not lasers) distribute their light via fiber optics to an
exposure bar containing the computer-controlled MLS units. (Note that
this isn’t the MEMS reflected light used in some 3D printers.) They
distribute the UV light in a controlled manner (to avoid scattering) at
a 90° illuminating angle; microlenses are used to assure the uniformity
and accuracy of the light. What this means is that a large area of
radiation-curable resin in the vat enclosure is exposed, rather than
just a single dot, so that there is fast-yet-accurate production of
even complex parts.
The machine is said to be designed for both ease of use and maintenance.
