BENTLEY SOAPBOX SUSPENDED IN NYLON

One of MTT Technologies', formerly MCP Tooling Technologies Group, newest prototyping systems has been used in the production of the Bentley Soapbox Team’s entry at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The vehicle came second in what is one of the most popular events at the Festival - a great result for the whole team!

Anxious to compress the time between production of CAD data and finished parts, Bentley’s Head of Concept Design, Jim Shaw, who is also team designer and driver, invited MTT Technologies to become involved in the production of around 20 mechanical parts for the vehicle. This led to key components of the vehicle’s suspension system being produced using MTT's new Nylon Vacuum Casting System (http://www.mtt-group.com/nylon-vacuum-casting.html).

The process is already being used commercially by several major automotive manufacturers and is a brand new technology. It enables Nylon parts to be produced in a matter of days without the need for injection moulding and the associated cost and lead time required for the production of steel tooling which makes it ideal for producing quick prototypes and for low volume production runs.

Unlike generative processes which produce porous, sintered Nylon prototypes from powder, MTT's Nylon Vacuum Casting System produces fully dense parts in Nylon 6 - including those with complex geometries and thin wall sections as thin as 0.3mm. Current commercial applications include living hinges, automotive air inlet manifolds, trims, brackets, and electrical housings. When Nylon parts are required for crash testing purposes, they can be produced in a matter of days using this process.

The Nylon Vacuum Casting process has evolved from the standard MTT vacuum casting process and involves casting a master model in (the soapbox models were SLAs produced by rapid prototyping,RP, from from CAD data) silicone rubber to produce a mould (http://www.mtt-group.com/vacuum-casting.html). This is a 6 – 12 hour process depending on mould size. Using MTT’s Nylon Casting Module in a conventional vacuum casting machine, the nylon material is then cast in a vacuum environment into the silicone mould. De-moulding takes place after just 6 minutes and parts demonstrate mechanical properties of those which have been injection moulded in Nylon PA6. A range of comparative technical data on the several different Nylon formulations is available on request from MTT.

The largest soapbox component produced by MTT was the metal suspension yoke or carrier, which was made using MTT's Metal Part Casting process (http://www.mtt-group.com/metal-part-casting.html). The yoke was a large complex part with many thin wall sections. A silicone mould was produced from the SLA master which was then used to vacuum cast wax to produce a wax model. MTT Metal Part Casting utilises the investment ( lost wax ) process which involves the encapsulation of the wax model in ceramic under vacuum, melting out of the wax, and then filling the cavity with metal, in this case aluminium. The whole process can be achieved in less than 72 hours and produces highly accurate castings in zinc, aluminium, bronze or brass.

More Information: http://www.mtt-group.com

Author: Ronald Simmonds, MTT Technologies Group, formerly MCP-Group

About MTT Technologies:

MTT Technologies, formerly MCP Tooling Technologies Group, has had more than 50 years experience in designing and supplying process technologies, equipment and proprietary materials foremost to the aircraft and automotive industry These include work-holding and material solutions for machining turbine blades and grinding optical lenses; prototype sheet metal forming systems; metal spray mould processes for plastics and composite tooling. One of the most widely used processes is MCP, now MTT Vacuum Casting which MCP introduced as the very first supplier as long ago as 1987. MCP, now MTT Vacuum Casting enables high quality low volume production of plastic and nylon parts and wax parts for metal prototyping. With over 1500 installations worldwide in the rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing industry alongside universities and R & D establishments.

MCP, now MTT is recognised as the state of the art supplier with the leading technologies, on - going technical support and for customer training concepts. Further prototyping equipment, facts and information about MTT: Purpose built injection and blow moulding machines for prototyping requirements: 2002: MCP, MTT receives the highly regarded TÜV Rheinland certification for vacuum casting machines and is the sole manufacturer to supply vacuum casting equipment with the very highest international safety rating: TÜV GS Rheinland, VDE, CE and DIN ISO 9001. 2002: The introduction of the MCP - Realizer SLM using generative Selective Laser Melting Technology which builds tools and single engineering and individual medical implant parts in pure, dense steel, cobalt - chrome and titanium from CT and CAD data files (http://www.mtt-group.com/selective-laser-melting.html).

Going back as far as 25 years, all MCP, now MTT processes have been sold and supplied worldwide including comprehensive hands-on training courses in mould and prototype production through MCP's own technicians. See the MTT reference list of users: http://www.mtt-group.com/customer-training.html

2008 - After merging the MCP Group and Sidech SA Group the independent MTT Technologies Group was founded. The MTT Technologies Group, with the support of its global distributor network, continues to develop, produce and supply the complete range of tooling, rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing technologies as well as the recently upgraded Selective Laser Melting Technology via MTT factories in Germany and England.

MTT Technologies, the "Full Service Supplier" for rapid prototyping, rapid manufacturing of plastic, wax and metal parts: The widest range of machines,
mould making and casting materials, tools and accessories, complete customer training - worldwide. MTT Tooling and Casting Technologies guarantee the quickest return on customer investment. Guaranteed.

MTT Technologies Ltd.
Whitebridge Way, Whitebridge Park, Stone,
Staffordshire ST15 8LQ.
England
Tel: +44 (0)1785 815651
Fax: +44 (0)1785 812115
E-Mail: info@mtt-group.com

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MTT Technologies GmbH
Roggenhorster Strasse 9 c
D- 23556 Lübeck
Germany
Tel. +49 451/16082- 0
Fax.+49 451/16082 - 250
E-Mail: contact@mtt-group.com

This release was published on openPR.