SATRA offers rapid 3D prototyping for footwear industry
28/10/2013
The 3D unit uses fused deposition modelling (FDM) which is a Stratasys-patented additive manufacturing method.
SATRA's head of Research, Tom Bayes, said: "The unit is a natural complement to the organisation’s existing 3D scanning and modelling capabilities, and will allow us to provide additional services for SATRA members and customers, including rapid prototyping. It has also been used to make production parts for some of SATRA's own UK-manufactured test machines."
The unit has a total build area of 203mm x 203mm x 152mm, and provides the flexibility to fill this area with a single large model or several smaller models. Shapes can be printed either as a hollow shell – suiting design concept models that economise on print material – or as solid blocks which can be machined, drilled and sanded as desired.
Pieces can be printed in just a few hours that would otherwise take days to tool and mould. This will allow for the rapid modelling of design concepts, the construction of parts for unique test machines and the shaping of bespoke foot forms for whole shoe test work.
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