Graham Tromans to speak at TCT Show + Personalize

Rapid Prototyping veteran will be taking to the stage at TCT Show + Personalize 2013 to deliver his annual presentation, a talk that is always over-subscribed on Additive Manufacturing.  This years speech entitled Additive Layer Technologies Technical Briefing , Tromans will take a look at how the Additive Manufacturing market has evolved and what can we can learn from the past.

As somebody with over two decades in the field and who has witnessed the 3D Printing boom within recent years the subject of Additive Layer Technologies means a lot to Tromans personally. Speaking on the presentation he stated “The inclusion of this type of technical briefing is vital to an industry of this type that is getting a lot of media hype at the moment, hopefully educating the audience into the real world of additive manufacturing . As the premier UK show and conference, it is imperative that delegates get this type of education at TCT Show.”

In addition Tromans has a keen interest in how the technology will be used by the next generation and believes starting this training and understanding at school level is imperative for future development. ” Education is very important as far as these technologies are concerned, both in the classroom and in industry itself. As a consultant with 25 years experience in running systems and developing applications, a lot of my work is being used by companies globally in educating designers and engineers into how they can apply the technolgoies for specific applications and which technologies suit their requirements best. The Bright Minds programme being run by TCT is also very important as we need to ensure students of all ages understand these technologies, hopefully this will be one of the technology areas that helps lead more people back into manufacturing in the future”.

With first rate expertise in additive manufacturing it is worth subscribing for his talk at TCT Show + Personalize.

To register for your free visitor pass for TCT Show + Personalize click here.

Prototyping for the packaging industry.

This week 124 years ago Dan Rylands of Hope Glass Works, Yorks, patented the worlds first screw bottle top. Despite changes in the materials, and overall aesthetics the screw bottle cap remains a prominent feature of the packaging industry and to mark this anniversary we take a look at the role of Rapid Prototyping can play in the packaging industry.

Regardless of industry, packaging can prove more important than the product itself when it comes to sales, it is the first thing a customer sees and can be the driving force between someone choosing your brand over one of your competitors. Getting the design of packaging right (in terms of both functionality and aesthetics) within tight project lead times and on budget can prove challenging and it is here that Rapid Prototyping proves a useful tool for the packaging industry.

Prototype models can be produced in a range of near production grade plastics suitable for functionality testing. Stereolithography can be used to produce high detailed, accurate models ideal for testing of blister pack fit, shelf footprint and overall functionality. In addition to offering a transparent model, water safe Watershed SLA resin also allows for design verification of liquid packaging.

Snap fits and living hinges can also be faithfully recreated in Nylon, from 3D CAD data using the Selective Laser Sintering process. Low volume runs of living hinges can also be achieved through Vacuum Casting using PX205 resin.

For firms wishing to move ahead with the creation of marketing materials prior to receipt of final packaging prototypes can be hand finished to simulate final production units for photography purposes.

By Roisin McLaughlin