Michael Uy

Manufacturing Technology World Series 2011

Every year in SMX, there are seminars or exhibitions that are about manufacturing technology. As
engineering students we are always tasked to go to these events to write a reflection paper on.
Since this was an exhibition, the first thing would do is to scan the place so that will know where to
start and where to go once am satisfied. At a first glance, realized that many of the companies are
from China or Taiwan.
As breezed along the exhibit could see packaging machines, screw equipment, injection blow
molding machine, fixtures and jigs, PLC, embroidery machines, and many more.
For the first time in all my visits, two manufacturing equipment had caught of my eye. First is the
RapMan 3.1. t is actually some sort of a portable rapid prototyping device not for mass production
but rather for education and hobby. t is a cost effective 3D printer that costs P99,.000. t can read
files from the SD card with no PC connectivity required. ts print size is 270 x 205 x 210mm. The
material used to creating the models is polymer which costs around P4,800 per kilogram.Finally, it is
very easy to use:
1. Draw your model in 3D CAD package and export your file to STL format
2. mport it into BFB Axon software, process to G code and save to SD card.
3. nsert the SD card into the RapMan3.1 machine, turn it on then print.
could say that this is amazing because this wonder can provide more opportunities for us
manufacturing engineers to learn compared to having an industry grade device which is bigger,
bulkier, and more expensive. The power to create a model of anything dream of is incorporated in
the RapMan3.1 and don't have to go so far just to use what else can an engineer ask?
Next is the duplicator by Akinto. Although not the pioneering company for this technological marvel,
the Akinto RD-3608C is a low cost duplicator that can be described as superior to that of photocopier.
The reason is because it does not use photo-capture technology but rather stencil based technology
to duplicate the original. The ink is water based so that the print does not come off when it is just
freshly printed out. Also unlike a photocopier, when a duplicator has reached its usage life, all that is
need to replace is the drum unit. However what amazes me the most is that it can print 130 copies in
just a minute and does not overheat.