Development of Prototyping and Die/Mold Manufacturing Technology using Rapid Prototyping(SLA)

Rapid prototyping is a new prototyping technology which produces three dimensional part models directrly from CAD data and has been extensively applied to various manufacturing processes. There are many types of rapid prototyping systems due to their building principles and materials. In this work, Stereolithography Appaaratus(SLA) which is the most widely-used rapid prototyping system is introduced to achieve die/mold technology innovation. For the purpose, the prototyping technology using SLA is developed such that patterns of which shapes are quite complicated are successfully produced with high accuracy. Using these patterns, prototype die/molds are efficientrly manufactured; a turbocharger rotor, a fan and a wheel patterns, prototype die/molds are efficienterly manufactured ; a turbochager rotor, a fan and a wheel pattern are made, and the molds of the investment casting, the injection molding and the die casting are manufactured respectively. The casting products are produced using these molds and it turns out that these methods are quitre effective for manufacturing products of complicated geometry from the viewpoint of efficiency and productivity.