RP+-+Perfactory+Materials

=**Material Parameters:**= Envisiontec Official Page on Materials http://www.envisiontec.com/05mater.htm NEW - Envisiontec sent us a .PDF that has reccomended build parameters for all of their resins as of 1_2008. .


 * **E-shell 100 is a medium viscosity liquid photopolymer that produces strong, tough, water-resistant parts that are biocompatible. Parts created with E-Shell 100 have a beige color, opaque appearance similar to production plastics and can be used in medical applications such as shell manufacturing in the hearing aid industry, or bio medical components. (from Envisiontec)**
 * ===**Some of the parts we have built in Eshell http://www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/search/tags:eshell/**===
 * Current Basement Type: ET06 (changed 4-11-06)
 * **//Approximate speed using settings below - 12mm in Z per hour (XY doesn't matter)//**
 * ==Settings we have used with success:==
 * **100um layer thickness**
 * **Critical Energy - 600-650dm2**
 * **400-1100um support thickness**
 * **9BI layers**
 * **7 solid base layers**
 * **St layers 6sec exp**
 * **BI layers 12sec exp**
 * [|MSDS (pdf)]**



Perfactory E-Shell Flex (For Flexible, Functional, Opaque Parts)

 * **E-shell 100 is a flexible version of Eshell that we are testing.**
 * ==Settings we are trying:==
 * **12s BI layers**
 * **6s St layers**
 * **450um supports**
 * **Mixed results so far, does seem reasonably flexible - certainly not elastomeric. But Had a problem building a very large part, that I guess would have worked well in regular eshell. Will retry with a different part - perhaps something designed to test the flex - like the Tyler test part (8-28-06)**

Perfactory R5 - [|Technical Details(pdf)]
(For Translucent Red Parts for general purposes)

50um layer settings: BI layers - 8.5s St layers - 4.5s
 * Critical Energy - 520dm2

Images of R5 parts: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=perfactory+r5**

Perfactory PIC-100 - **[|Technical Details (pdf)]** (For Translucent Yellow Parts that will Burn out well for Casting)

 * **The PIC-100 liquid photopolymer is a resin that melts into a liquid wax-like material during investment casting without the need for any high temperature burnout cycles. While there are other wax-based materials on the market, they tend to be far more brittle and harder to finish when compared with the models built on the Perfactory system using the PIC-100 resin. PIC-100 can produce the highest quality details without sacrificing on toughness and ease of handling. (from Envisiontec)**
 * ===**Some of the parts we have built with this material http://[|www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/search/tags:pic100/]//**===
 * //Difficult/not to be used with massive parts/parts that have a cross section in XY greater than around 2-6mm. Setting up and supporting of parts should be done so that there is as little light being thrown at the part at one time as possible - i.e. building vertical or at an angle etc.//
 * //Basement Type: ET06//
 * **Approximate speed using settings below - 5mm in Z per hour (XY doesn't matter)**
 * ==Settings we have used with success:==
 * **50um layer thickness**
 * **Critical Energy - 700-750dm2**
 * **400-1100um support thickness**
 * **12 BI layers**
 * **8 solid base layers**
 * **St layers 11sec (testing 10.5 - successfully)**
 * **BI layers 50sec exp**
 * **[|MSDS (pdf)]**
 * **We are testing 25um layer thickness for rings right now (8/26/06) - very slow compared with 50um, nearly hours for a full tray of (50) rings, spaced at 2mm apart from one another. DID NOT WORK WELL AT ALL, and according to Envisiontec this is normal - 25um just doesn't work well on pic100 - BUMMER.**



Perfactory QIC-200 - (For Translucent Orange/Red Parts that will Burn out well for Casting)
> >
 * **The QIC-200 liquid photopolymer is an experimental resin that can be effectively burned out for casting**
 * ===**Some of the parts we have built with this material http://[|www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/search/tags:qic200/]//**===
 * **Approximate speed using settings below - 5mm in Z per hour (XY doesn't matter)**
 * ==Settings we have used with success:==
 * **50um layer thickness**
 * **Critical Energy - 650-680dm2**
 * **300-600um support thickness**
 * **12 BI layers**
 * **1000um solid base layers, 1200um burn in layers**
 * **St layers 9sec**
 * **BI layers 30sec exp**
 * How to burn Pic100 out for casting Gold, Silver, and Platinum**

**Offset Correction Values for various basements/calibration plates:**

 * **Our new calibration plate is 2mm thick**
 * The **ET06** (2mm) basements require the following offset strategy, according to Envisiontec 3/2/2006:
 * **Offset and save the platform off the cal plate using a sheet of paper**
 * Enter an offset correction value of -.6 or -.7mm
 * **The** ET02 **(.5mm) basements require the following offset strategy, according to Envisiontec 3/2/2006**
 * Offset and save the platform off the cal plate using a sheet of paper
 * **Enter an offset correction value of -2 or -2.1mm**
 * If an **ET02** basement is running on the machine, you can switch to an **ET06** by entering an offset correction value of +1.4mm
 * **If an** ET06 **basement is running on the machine, you can switch to an** ET02 **by entering an offset correction value of -1.4mm**

**Post-Curing Info:**

 * We have been post-curing the resin for a while using halogen lights and very long exposure times, to get the surface of the materials (esp R5) not to be sticky.
 * Since Fall 2005 we have been using a dental curing lamp like [|this] with a small bottle of the parent resin like [|this] to patch holes, join parts together and cure selected sections of material
 * We are now thinking more about how to cure parts en masse, especially the PIC100, which requires post-curing to burn out. We have used an infrared lamp, like a tanning light, to cure it - but it generates a lot of heat and tends to crack parts. Envisiontec sells a special curing unit, which supposedly does the job very fast, but it is $3500 - WAY over our budget for such a thing at present. We have used some 5000K balanced compact florescents, and they will definitely cure the resin eventually - but it is unknown in how long and if there will be any side effects.
 * We just got one a UV curing unit designed for dental and manicure acrylic resins http://static.flickr.com/36/117365791_c8ead4dfe1_b.jpg
 * It seems like 1 hours and less works well for thin parts like rings, and something between 1 and 2 hours for thicker parts and larger hollow parts etc. Watching them regularly as they cure, maybe letting them sit and start again, is very important - as they can easily crack. Thicker parts have been cracking from going into the unit too fast and/or for too long.
 * We have bought a few blue LED pens and are going to try to use these (>$20) units for light welding and occasional post-curing. http://www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/128195351/

UV Curing

 * Our newest addition to the lab is a UV Curing unit called the Bond Box, this was a unit built around 2000 - 2002 by [|Dymax]. This seems to be a very powerful unit, in initial test it has decreased the cure time dramatically, however full testing is not completed due to a motor problem on the rotary table.
 * [[file:why_choose_uv.pdf]]
 * [[file:where_adhesives_beat_mechanical_fasteners.pdf]]
 * The motor that is causing trouble is the Hankscraft Model E, [[file:Model_E.pdf]]. Currently there are no distributors of this motor other than Hankscraft. If anyone out there in the CAD/CAM community has a spare / unused or knows someone with a spare / unused Model E motor, we at Kendall would appreciate any assistance in procuring a replacement motor.

Cost of Consumables

 * 500 hour guaranteed lamp - $1000
 * **Build Basement (very long lasting) - $225**
 * Calibration Plate (very long lasting) - $200
 * Eshell and PIC100 Resin - $300/KG
 * Parts are generally between $.50 (rings) and $40 (hollow salt shaker)


 * Links:**
 * http://www.ajm-magazine.com/features/0604/two.php
 * http://www.crdm.co.uk/technical_micro_modelling.htm
 * http://www.ajm-magazine.com/features/0412/?page=envisiontec
 * http://www.materialise.com/PressReleases/envisionTEC_ENG.html
 * http://www.time-compression.com/x/guideArchiveArticle.html?id=6849
 * http://www.best-cast.com/Perfactory.htm