RenShape believes its SL7560 photopolymer is the only stereolithography
material currently available for producing functional prototypes that can
be assembled using self-tapping screws and not run the risk of cracking
as a result. It is also claimed to offer the rigidity and durability of
production parts injection moulded from ABS thermoplastic, a feature that
offers a number of advantages for prototype developers such as US based
FineLine Prototyping.
The material was recently used by the company to build functional
prototypes of the internal optical housing for a new glaucoma early
detection instrument being developed by manufacturer, Welch Allyn. In
addition to strength and durability, FineLine was also seeking accuracy
because the functional prototypes contained multiple mating surfaces,
which had to match precisely.
The prototypes were produced from Welch Allyn's CAD data on a Viper SL
machine, each set of six prototypes taking about a day to complete.
Multiple design iterations were required because of the complexity of the
instrument, so the speed and accuracy of the RenShape material was key to
moving the project ahead at an acceptable pace.