Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] ANN: StlWork Lite released

Hi,

ProDesktop is now in use at a lot of British Schools for Design and
Technology learning. I just went on a tour around the REACT centre in
Rotherham which does direct prototyping and is working with several local
schools to realise in full 3D epoxy resin the parts they design on
ProDesktop. Its a fascinating process but quite slow and expensive. The CAD
3D image file is imported into their computer and nested with others to
produce a 'full load' for the machine. Then the computer breaks the part up
into 0.1mm layers and feeds these to a laser which scans them onto the
surface of a bath of photosensitive epoxy resin which hardens where the
laser hits it. Then the tray on which the parts are building is lowered by
0.1mm, a wiper blade evens out the film of epoxy over the surface and the
laser scans the next layer. This repeats until the whole part is made and
its then taken out and washed off and hardened finally under UV light. There
are some short videos of this at their website at
http://www2.react.org.uk/proddev-slawebcam.html
This must be quite gratifying for the kids, being able to actually handle a
professional looking part they have designed within a few days but its not
'real machining' as we know it!!
One of the local companies that has benefited from REACTs services is Wren
Turbines which has developed and makes small jet engines for model aircraft
http://www.wren-turbines.com/. They have been able to make dies to directly
produce investment waxes for the 3 turbine blades in each engine to exact
aerodynamic shapes and close tolerance sizes straight from their initial CAD
designs.

Having said all this, I can't get a copy of ProDesktop to download here as
the site seems to go into a loop worrying about whether I might have once
met someone who knows someone who may be related to a member of the Taliban
;o(

I just thought you may be interested in this 'new technology'.

Ian
--
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK
www.iw63.freeserve.co.uk

----- Original Message ----- . Add ProDesktop, a downloadable, free 2D CAD
and 3D solid modeler with IGES import and export capability and Stl export
for StlWork Lite and one can now get into 3D solid machining for the price
of StlWork Lite! (plus a CNC mill or router ;-)