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SLS Rapid Prototyping

Takashima Engineering offers a variety of comprehensive services. Our expertise is in selective laser sintering (SLS) rapid prototyping which uses plastic/Nylon powder to create prototype parts.

Typical Applications
- Concept Model
- Working Prototypes
- Lost-wax Patterns
- Vacuum Injection Models
- Plaster Casting Models
- Small Lot Production

One of the benefits of rapid prototypes is that you can create low volume complex parts with no hard tooling. Many customers are moving to rapid prototyping of parts for projects where they feel volumes will never warrant hard tooling. For complex geometries this can yield a significant cost savings over having to pay for hard tooling. We will establish the best blend of traditional techniques, combined with all of the latest rapid prototyping technologies to construct each model in the most cost effective manner. Whether you need to add the rapid prototype model a finishing touch or create prototypes that resemble produced pieces, Takashima Engineering can provide the finishing services your job requires.

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About our SLS system

The basic principle comprises the sintering of plastic powder using a CO2 laser. The processes in the plastic powder are of a thermal nature. During the laser sintering process, the plastic powder is briefly heated to a temperature above the melting point by exposure with the laser beam. A solid body is produced by this heating and the subsequent cooling. Density and residual porosity of the part produced depend of the exposure parameters and the exposure strategy. The shrinkage that occurs is compensated. In each layer the cross-section of the parts is exposed using the laser beam. The exposure parameters are selected such that the exposed areas are bonded to the layer underneath that is already solidified. In this way three-dimensional parts are produced layer by layer. Plastic powder material is applied layer by layer on a building platform and solidified layer by layer means of a computer-controlled laser beam. At the start of the building process the building platform is moved to its homing point. The recorter is filled with plastic powder and applies an approx. 5mm thick base layer to the building platform. The automatic building process now starts. During this process the recoater is filled again, the building platform lowered one layer thickness and a new layer of plastic powder applied. The computer controlled laser beam then exposes the contours and the areas exclosed by the contours in accordance with the part data defined. The final build height is produced by the continuous repetition of layer by layer application of powder and exposure.

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