Rapid Tool Maker	Finger ring

Applications

The RTM technology is recognized in the market as the process offering the highest spatial resolution. So far the technology has been mainly used to create small and highly detailed patterns for jewellery, the watch and the medical industry. Thanks to the layer thickness that can be as low as 0.0125 mm the technology produces parts with superior surface quality but is, due to relatively low througput, less suited for building large and massive parts.

Infrastructure

Rapid Tool Maker (Sanders Design International) with a build envelope of 450 x 300 x 300 mm³

Materials

Special Thermopolymer

The process

As in other RP processes the virtual object is first sliced along a selected axis. In the build process the liquid thermopolymer is dispensed from a high precision print head and solidifies upon impact with the cooler model layer. A second print head deposits a support material (wax) where required by the part geometry. After the part is built the support material is dissolved by a special solvent which leaves the part with a high and uniform surface quality.