workpieces

The workpieces produced... ...have the same mechanic properties as the raw material and the finished parts posses a very low surface roughness (< 2µm). These highly smooth surfaces - created through eroding - are free of diagonal grooves within the layers, which appear when conventional layer construction technology is used ( • examples of use). The eroded parts hardly need any mechanical post processing for the removal of the white zone.

Due to the plant used, workpieces are limited to a size of approximately 150 edge lengths.

Beginning with a lot number higher than one, the new process is faster than conventional layer construction technologies even despite post-eroding, as less material is built up. Lot numbers of 1-100 complex parts can be efficiently produced. Moreover, the workpieces have no restrictions to the density of the materials used, metallurgy and additional material properties. Tempered materials can also be used. Therefore, no skepticism towards the material is to be expected.

The only current restriction to workpieces in contrast to direct layer construction technologies is the impossibility of directly processing internal structures.

• Perspectives of diecorps...