Laser rapid prototyping uses a laser beam to scan a metal plate to induce internal non-uniformly distributed thermal stress, causing the plate to undergo local plastic yielding, thereby causing the plate to bend and deform at a certain angle.
Application of laser rapid prototyping
Continuously improving the application level of laser rapid prototyping technology is an important aspect to promote the development of laser rapid prototyping technology. At present, laser rapid prototyping technology has been widely used in industrial modeling, machinery manufacturing, aerospace, military, architecture, film and television, home appliances, light industry, medicine, archaeology, culture and art, sculpture, jewelry and other fields. And as the technology itself develops, its application areas will continue to expand. The practical application of laser rapid prototyping technology mainly focuses on the following aspects:
⑴The application of laser rapid prototyping technology in the new product modeling design process has established a brand-new product for industrial product designers and developers development mode. The use of laser rapid prototyping technology can quickly, directly and accurately transform design ideas into physical models (samples) with certain functions. This not only shortens the development cycle, but also reduces development costs, and also enables companies to compete in the fierce market. Get the upper hand.
⑵ Application in the field of machinery manufacturing Due to the characteristics of laser rapid prototyping technology, it has been widely used in the field of machinery manufacturing, and is mostly used to manufacture single pieces and small batches of metal parts. Some special and complex parts can generally be directly formed using RP technology since they only need to be produced in a single piece or in small batches of less than 50 pieces, with low cost and short cycle.
⑶Rapid mold manufacturing Traditional mold production time is long and the cost is high. Combining laser rapid prototyping technology with traditional mold manufacturing technology can greatly shorten the development cycle of mold manufacturing and improve productivity. It is an effective way to solve the weak links in mold design and manufacturing. The application of laser rapid prototyping technology in mold manufacturing can be divided into two types: direct molding and indirect molding. Direct molding refers to using laser rapid prototyping technology to directly stack and manufacture molds. Indirect molding is to first produce rapid prototyping parts and then The required mold is obtained by copying the parts. At the same time, laser rapid prototyping plays an important role in the prototyping industry. During CNC processing, there are often product structures that cannot be processed by CNC due to undercuts. However, laser rapid prototyping solves this problem very well. Currently, there are many prototypes using laser rapid prototyping in the Pearl River Delta, commonly known as SLA prototypes.
(4) Application in the medical field In recent years, people have done more research on the application of laser rapid prototyping technology in the medical field. Based on medical imaging data, laser rapid prototyping technology is used to produce human organ models, which has great application value in surgical operations.
⑸ Application in the field of culture and art In the field of culture and art, laser rapid prototyping manufacturing technology is mostly used in artistic creation, cultural relic reproduction, digital sculpture, etc.
⑹ Application in the field of aerospace technology In the field of aerospace, aerodynamic ground simulation experiments (i.e. wind tunnel experiments) are indispensable for the design of advanced space-to-ground shuttle systems (i.e. space shuttles) important link. The model used in this experiment has complex shapes, high precision requirements, and streamlined characteristics. It uses laser rapid prototyping technology. According to the CAD model, the laser rapid prototyping equipment automatically completes the solid model, which can well ensure the quality of the model.
⑺Application in the home appliance industry At present, the laser rapid prototyping system has been widely popularized and applied in the domestic home appliance industry, making many home appliance companies at the forefront of the country. For example, Midea, Huabao and Kelon in Guangdong; Chunlan and Little Swan in Jiangsu; Haier in Qingdao, etc. have all adopted rapid prototyping systems to develop new products, and have achieved good results. Rapid prototyping technology is widely used. It is believed that as rapid prototyping manufacturing technology continues to mature and improve, it will be promoted and applied in more and more fields.