Rapid Prototyping Supported Plastic Injection Molding Education

对于工业来说，从设计到生产，最大限度地减少开发零件的时间和成本的压力越来越大。当设计师想要获得低成本的塑料零件，但没有时间、金钱或数量来证明这一过程时，这当然是正确的。由于大部分时间和成本都是在工具的设计和制造中产生的，因此这就是工业寻求更高效率的地方。然而，传统的制造技术，切割工具就像切割零件一样容易，使用快速成型技术制造的零件可以用作制造用于注塑成型的环氧树脂模具的模型。本计画的目标是借由三维实体造型和快速原型技术来补充塑胶注射成型技术，以改善机械工程技术教育。该项目提供最先进的快速成型和塑料注射成型系统，与我们目前的三维实体建模能力相补充，开发充分利用设备能力的实验室练习，并将快速成型和注射成型纳入设计项目。新设备具有足够的质量，因此它也可以通过直接纳入制造方法和机械设计课程的实验室部分的学生项目来支持当地工业需求。这个项目的潜在影响是非常广泛的，包括所有涉及机械设计和制造的公司，考虑塑料注塑成型的零件要求或快速原型设计验证。＊

There is an increasing pressure for industry to minimize the time and cost of developing parts from design through production. This is certainly true when a designer would like to get the low-piece-part cost of plastic but does not have the time, money, or volume to justify the process. Since the bulk of this time and cost is generated in the design and fabrication of tooling, that is where industry is looking for higher efficiency. Whereas with traditional fabrication techniques, it is as easy to cut a tool as it is to cut a part, a part fabricated using rapid prototyping technology can be used as a pattern for making epoxy tooling for injection molding. The objective of this project is to improve mechanical engineering technology education by complementing plastic injection molding technology with three-dimensional solid modeling and rapid prototyping techniques. This project provides state-of-the-art rapid prototyping and plastic injection molding systems, complementing them with our current three-dimensional solid modeling capabilities, developing laboratory exercises that fully take advantage of the equipment capabilities, and incorporating rapid prototyping and injection molding in design projects. The new equipment is of sufficient quality so that it can also be used to support local industry needs through student projects that are incorporated directly into the laboratory component of manufacturing methods and mechanical design courses. The potential impact of this project is very widespread and includes all companies involved in mechanical design and manufacturing considering plastic injection molding for their part requirements or rapid prototyping for design verification. *