Fuel and Steam at Northwest Rapid Manufacturing

May 1st, 2012

The laser sintered nylon that comes out of the machines at Northwest Rapid Manufacturing are, for all intents and purposes, impervious to seepage.

Certain requirements within government, military, and industrial applications, however, call for an extra margin of safety when the part will be used in the harshest environments…. this is where the expertise of NWRapidMfg shines through.

Using proprietary techniques developed at NWRapid, we can ensure your fuel or hydraulic tanks can withstand any punishment up to the mechanical limits of the nylon material itself. In fact, we have test fuel tanks at our offices that have been holding 10psi of pressure, full of fuel, for over 3 years now! And there isn’t any reason they shouldn’t be able to hold up for another 10 years!

If you’re moving low pressure steam through manifolds, this is a perfect solution for your application as well!

This closeup shows one of our nylon parts with our proprietary coating applied.

Fuel Tank Sealant

 

We can seal the most complex of geometries, ensuring your valued part can stand the test of time, and the toughest of environments!

Northwest Rapid Manufacturing seals nylon tanks

 

So, whether your need relates to a race car, full-size aircraft, RC airplane, or other heat/vibration intensive environment, a solution is as close your computer, or telephone! Contact us at make@nwrapidmfg.com, or directly at 1-503-434-8557.

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NW Rapid Manufacturing turns Nylon to Metal…

April 19th, 2012

When you require a part with the complexity of an SLS nylon part but need it to look, feel, and sound like metal, NW Rapid Manufacturing is the place to call!

SLS is known for its ability to produce parts with complex contours, hidden cavities, and undercuts that would be impossible to machine using even today’s advanced milling centers.

Conversely, our SLS nylon parts are tough, durable, and ready for field use, but they don’t look or feel like metal.

Many customers approach us with the need to combine the positive attributes of SLS with the additonal capabilities provided by metal (EMI protection, strength, cosmetics). One of our recent projects involved just such a scenario and we met the challenge with flying colors! We produced a large, rectangular-planform, SLS part with a variety of complex geometries. Even though the part was tough and strong, it just didn’t have the look or feel of metal, which the customer required for a tradeshow display.

To ensure this customer’s success, we plated our SLS part with a copper/nickel coating – following internally developed procedures and guidelines. The finished part looked like metal, felt like metal, and sounded like metal…. Mission Accomplished!

Before the plating:

And After the Plating:

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SLS and air-flow management

April 13th, 2012

Whenever we hear someone say “I wish there was a better way to do this!” our ears perk up, knowing that a new opportunity is on the horizon. This approach is a way for you to bring new ideas and products into your organization.

Although the SLS (selective laser sintering) industry, one segment of the industry referred to as 3D printing, is a few decades old, it is just now coming to the forefront of  most engineers’ minds as a powerful tool.

Our parent company recently had a need for air-flow management within their facility. Rather than trying to communicate this complex design to a sheet metal fabrication house, they quickly designed the part in SolidWorks, sent it to us, and 2 days later had a number of these complicated parts ready for use!

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3D Printed Architectural Models

April 6th, 2012

The applications for 3D printing span from the highly engineered, to the art, and on to the architectural. There’s almost no limit to what can be produced using our 3D laser printing technology.

Unlike the days of old where prototypes could be brittle, costly, and loose in tolerances, our tough, nylon prototypes are durable enough right out of our machines to be put into use in aircraft and racing cars – two very tough applications.

Taking a moment to glance at the art and architecutural applications, we see that the presentation of very fine detail is also possible via our processing expertise. We call it Engineered Art! Here are two examples….

 

 

 

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FDA ‘Food-Contact-Compliant’ Prototypes

April 4th, 2012

NW Rapid Manufacturing recently met the challenge of producing SLS prototypes, compliant for direct contact with food products.

The nylon material that we use in production of our SLS parts is FDA-compliant for contact with food. However, the added complication with this project was that the customer required the parts to be black in color.

Utilizing a secondary finishing process we were able to see this project to completion on-time and on budget!

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NW Rapid Manufacturing Produces a Fuel Tank for Oregon State University’s Formula SAE team!

March 27th, 2012

SLS Fuel tank manufactured for Oregon State University's Formula SAE team, by NW Rapid Manufacturing

This past week, Northwest Rapid Manufacturing had the pleasure of presenting the team with a 3D-printed fuel tank. This “rapid prototype”, made of tough and durable nylon is perfectly suited for the harsh conditions of racing.

The “additive manufacturing” process allows for wall thicknesses, radiusses, reinforcement bosses, slosh baffles, and mounting points all to be maximized to each unique part’s function and stress level.

Rather than being assembled from a multitude of individual parts, this fuel tank comes out of the EOSint P730 SLS machine in one piece!

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Honorable Mention for 3D Printed Stephen Colbert Head

August 17th, 2011

I received a honorable mention for his Large Life-size Stephen Colbert Head for the Pattwac Makerstrong Mashup Design Challenge

“Despite the difficulty of working with and not ruining such a flawless bust, there were some great entries to the Makerstrong design challenge.  Entries ranging from the beautification of my favorite childhood claymation show (Gumbert by JamieClay), to a tool for the next Colbert wannabe/stalker (Large Stephen Colbert Head by ALxD) made the judging process entertaining.

In the end emmett was able to claim the prize with a “decidedly creepier derivative” of his Heart Gears, which he called the ‘Colbert Head Gears.’ ”

http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2011/08/03/pattwac-makerstrong-mashup-design-challenge-winner/

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Attending AUVSI Expo August 16-19

August 15th, 2011

Visit us at our booth at AUVSI Expo in Washington, D.C. August 16-19, 2011. Booth # 1121.

On Display:

  • Cybertech’s Cyberquad - World’s first printed aircraft more than 2 years ago built in PA12
  •  Insitu’s Inceptor – Parts printed in PALS weight only 331 g (previously 467g), less than ¾ lb (previously more than 1 lb)
  • Many printed parts on many of the current vehicles including Scan Eagle, Integrator, and Inceptor
  •  EOS P100 – Smallest of EOS machines
  • Arcturus T-20 Wing tank – Laser sintered nylon (PA12) constructed in several pieces and joined to extend flight time with 1mm wall
  •  Wright flyer – Symbol of  flight born again in the unmanned industry
  • Cyberquad designed by Cybertech and printed by Northwest Rapid  in PA12 with standard bead blast finish
  • Inceptor designed by Adaptive Flight and printed by Northwest Rapid in PALS with bead blast and dyed black

Giveaways include

  •  Ricardo’s Wolverine and Rotron fitted with NWUAV VPPs
  • Ricardo’s NBOE in PA12 with natural finish and dyed black

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SLS Parts Produced for Local Race Car

July 27th, 2011

Race Car using Laser Sintered Parts

NW Rapid Manufacturing recently produced SLS parts for a local race car. 

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Pledge Your Support for the Life-size Colbert Head Using 3D Printing technology

July 12th, 2011

We have raised about 10% of our goal so far.  There is still plenty of time to reach 100%.   I know this is not a small goal and that’s why you should pledge and like this post.

Click Here to Pledge

Now there is less than 2 weeks left to raise money and we are gaining momentum from some generous bids!  Thanks to those who have supported this project so far (and special thanks to our most recent bidder)!!!

Yes, this project is crazy.  All the more reason to pledge your support and see it really happen.

Can’t afford to pledge $25?  Just give a few bucks or click the like button to pass this on.

Some instructions as I know the payment process can be a deterrent. Your card will not be charged unless the project is funded.

  1.  From the Pledge Page 
  2. Right hand column, click on the “BACK THIS PROJECT” button
  3. Type in the amount you want to pledge
  4. Select the reward if you want one and pledge for that amount
  5. Click Continue to next step in the bottom of the left column
  6. Log in to kickstarter or sign up for a new account (simple, type in your name email and give it a password)
  7. Once signed up, log in.
  8. Click on the “continue” button on the bottom left hand column
  9. Follow the details to load in your credit/debit card information or using your amazon account

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