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Posted:  11 Apr 2007 19:09
Registered User Currently Offline	Posts:  4 Join Date: Apr 2007
I posted another reply regarding thin wall features from an SLA machine.  If I had a jug, or a blow molded part, what is the thinnest wall I could have in order for Metro Rapid Prototyping to produce it?  Will the wall thickness be uniform throughout the part?  If not, how much will it vary?  I assume that it might not be possible to produce a urethane casting of a blow molded prototype...right?  If someone could shed some light on this, I would really appreciate it... Thanks

Posted:  17 Apr 2007 21:40
Registered User Currently Offline	Posts:  6 Join Date: Apr 2007
We commonly produce SL models of blow molded parts. The wall would be unifor with the exception of the steps created from the layering of the process. The biggest concern would be the strength of the SL model.  We could build the SL with walls as thin as .010 However it would be very fragile. I doubt any wall you needed would be that thin? You are right about the urethane parts.  We can not cast a prototype blow molded part. We could build two pieces, cast them seperately and then bond the castings together.

Posted:  17 Apr 2007 22:39
Registered User Currently Offline	Posts:  4 Join Date: Apr 2007
Malibu, thanks for the feedback.  I am looking for a way to produce roughly 10 blow molded prototypes before production for marketing and testing purposes.  10 Stereolithography models are going to be rather costly.  The part I have is not any sort of jug but rather a curved, convoluted tube which we are going to try to blow mold in production.  This parts is similar to the blow molded prototype example on your website. That part looks like a urethane casting.  What was the steps to produce that prototype? I am somewhat new to the plastics industry.  Do you have any suggestions on a production process that is cost effective for say an EAU of 50,000? Thanks in advance..

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