© RAMPF Tooling GmbH & Co. KG

Easy, quick and efficient
RAMPF Tooling sets new standards with rapid prototyping
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Grafenberg, 28.07.2009 – Fast product development is a key criteria to gain competitive advantage in today’s market. Therefore prototyping tools and parts have to be available at an early stage of the development process. An automotive manufacturer wanted a significant and quick improvement in the durability of a paint and assembly protection for door sill and B-pillar.

This is where the rapid prototyping system from RAMPF Tooling offered the specific properties needed for this application.

As the name already reveals, rapid prototyping is a particularly quick process to produce prototype parts and small series. The RAKU-TOOL® polyurethane products allow for a fast and easy imitation of materials like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) as well as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The automotive manufacturer BMW Group used rapid prototyping for the production of a paint and assembly protection which serves to protect the door sill when installing the seats.

The use of the rapid prototyping system RAKU-TOOL PR-3650 / PH-3904 enabled the company to considerably reduce the number of parts subject to regular wear and tear (from five parts / month to one part / month). This has been due to the high durability of the system.

The master model for the assembly protection was produced from board material MB-0670. This then served for the manufacture of the negative mold through laminate build-up. To manufacture the laminate mold the epoxy gelcoat EG-2104 / EH-2950 was first applied, followed by the coupling layer EL-2209 / EH-2950 and finally the laminating paste reinforcement was applied.

The rapid prototyping resin RAKU-TOOL® PR-3650 / PH-3904 was cast with the help of a NODOPUR machine. Frontal gating via the parting line was used.

The RAMPF Tooling prototyping systems primarily help the user to save time and money during product development. The use of the rapid prototyping system RAKU-TOOL PR-3650/PH-3905 pays off as the material can already be demolded after 15 minutes, does not exhibit any brittle phase after demolding and can be processed at room temperature. Furthermore, contrary to thermoplastic systems, the RAKU-TOOL prototyping systems can already be used to produce a small number of parts. Thermoplastic systems are processed using an injection molding process which is normally only economically viable when large quantities are produced since the investment for the tools is very high.

BU: Paint and assembly protection for door sill and B pillar produced using rapid prototyping.

www.rampf-tooling.de

The material specialist offers a comprehensive product range including board materials, Close Contour Pastes and tooling resin systems. Based in Grafenberg, RAMPF Tooling GmbH & Co. KG has set up the largest production of board materials world-wide.

RAMPF Tooling is a member of the RAMPF Group of companies and has entered the marked directly in 2006. It secures its international presence through subsidiaries in America and Japan as well as through various distributors throughout Europe.

Publisher: / Your contact for pictures and further information:
RAMPF Tooling GmbH & Co. KG / Jennifer Magnus
Albstraße 37 / RAMPF Holding GmbH & Co. KG
D-72661 Grafenberg / Albstraße 37
T + 49 (0) 7123 9342-1600 / D-72661 Grafenberg
F + 49 (0) 7123 9342-1666 / T + 49 (0) 7123 9342-1041
E / F + 49 (0) 7123 9342-2041
www.rampf-tooling.de / E