3D Systems announced today its latest live webinar featuring Wisconsin-based Turbine Technologies, a provider of laboratory turbine equipment for colleges.
Turbine model (Source: 3D Systems Corporation)
The webinar, to be held on Thursday June 5, 2014 at 11.00 am EDT, will demonstrate how Turbine Technologies gains an advantage by 3D printing investment casting wax patterns to create an R&D process that doesn't rely on expensive tooling.
Hosted by 3DS, the webinar will enable manufacturers to understand how Turbine Technologies has cut five weeks of development time from production of its wax casting patterns, at a tenth of the cost it used to be, using 3DS' ProJet® 3500 3D printers as a critical part of the process.
"If we used a traditional method for a wax injection tool, it could take up to five weeks and cost well in excess of $20,000. However, if we rapid prototype an axial turbine blisk, for example, with our 3D Systems printer, the wax investment piece builds unattended overnight and is ready for foundry in the morning for well under $2,000," said Toby Kutrieb, Vice President, Turbine Technologies and a participant in the webinar.
Turbine Technologies has also found that the process of creating 3D printed wax castings for investment casting has allowed them to make better, more accurate components through rapidly printing several different versions of the turbine part for testing.
"3D printing is a key component in streamlining traditional manufacturing processes and significantly reducing costs in the process," commented Buddy Byrum, Vice President of Product and Channel Management, 3DS. "Turbine Technologies is a perfect example of the progress and achievements that can be made when 3D printing dovetails into traditional processes like this."