About MST Polymers and Coatings (MST-7)

New rapid-prototyping capability

MST-7 commissioned a new rapid-prototyping machine with the capability to produce parts with a smooth surface finish, high accuracy, and are made from rigid or flexible polymeric resins. The machine, an Object Geometries Eden 260V, allows the unattended manufacturing of parts up to 10”x10” x8” with an x-y resolution of 42 microns and a z (build direction) resolution of 16 microns. The process uses a photopolymer phase change inkjet. The jetting heads deposit a single super-thin layer of photopolymer onto a substrate. After each layer is built, ultraviolet light immediately cures the layer. The substrate is moved, and the process continues until the part is completely formed. The produced part is fully cured and is easily cleaned to remove the surrounding support material used in the manufacturing process. The cleaned part is ready to be used, for example, as a prototype, in fit-and-finish trials, or as a final product. Excellent for “one-of” builds, the machine requires only a telephotography file of a three-dimensional object, which can be generated by any major CAD package. Build times are dependent on the part size, part orientation in the build envelope, and desired accuracy/speed ratio.