DSM SOMOS® 9120 RESIN GIVES PERFORMANCE EDGE TO PRODUCTION OF PANASONIC CAMERA PHONES

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DSM SOMOS® 9120 RESIN GIVES PERFORMANCE EDGE TO PRODUCTION OF PANASONIC CAMERA PHONES
23 March 2004 - DSM Somos

With the introduction of DSM Somos® 9120 ProtoFunctional® resin to its production line, Malcolm Nicholls Ltd (MNL) has been able to cut prototype build times of Panasonic’s new X70 camera phone by one third.

The decision of Panasonic to specify Somos® 9120 for the X70 camera phone prototypes was based heavily on the need for part flexibility. The clam shell for the phone assembly utilised snap fittings and, since functional testing was required, these would need to reliably withstand repeated clipping and unclipping.

Richard Haines, Design Engineer for Panasonic Mobile Development Communications of Europe Ltd (PCMDE) explained, “We needed the prototypes for trial assembly to carry out over packing detection, and to test fit mock up PCBs. In addition, we used them to carry out RF testing to ensure that the case and the components functioned correctly. These trials required us to open up each clam shell several times, thoroughly testing the integrity of the clip fastening.”

To meet the delivery requirements of Panasonic, MNL built multiple masters simultaneously in 9120 to be used directly for evaluation. They were pleased with the results.

“Some resins we have worked with are very brittle and have caused serious problems for the workshop,” says MNL Technical Director Ross Nicholls. “The simple act of removing supports from a model could result in its damage, which would then require repair or actual rebuilding of the SL master.”

“With Somos® 9120, part breakage has been virtually eliminated, and in addition we have achieved around 30% reduction in build times on our SL machine through faster resin reaction times, combined with zero pre-dip delay and zero Z-wait periods. Furthermore, we have found that 9120 is very process tolerant, so, for example, we can increase hatch spacing and simplify support positioning without reducing model quality.”

For multiples of parts, MNL uses the SL master to create a silicone mould. Ross Nicholls sees further benefits from the properties of Somos® 9120: “We find that, depending on the shape of the model, it is possible to reuse the master to create additional moulds. The brittle resin we used in the past would result in the master shattering during demoulding. Furthermore, we find that 9120 does not distort during the curing process required for silicone moulds, which can reach temperatures of 60ºC.”

MNL was the first rapid prototyping service bureau in Europe to specify Somos® 9100 for all its SL models, after positive trials of the material in 2000. A natural transition to Somos® 9120 coincided with the upgrade of the laser on its SLA® 500/40 machine from argon ion to solid state in 2002.

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About: DSM Somos
DSM Somos is an unincorporated division of DSM Desotech—a world leader in the development of UV-curable materials—and a member of the global DSM family.

DSM Somos is currently the world's second largest materials supplier to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography liquids and
selective laser sintering powders used for the creation of three dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data. Somos' patented ProtoFunctional materials are used by a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications.

DSM Somos has developed a full line of rapid prototyping materials that replicate the performance parameters of production materials, saving both time and money in new product development. From thermoplastic elastomers to polyethylene and polypropylene, DSM Somos has stereolithography and selective laser sintering technologies.

The Somos business has been actively involved in the development of rapid prototyping materials since the late 1980s, from the introduction of the first commercial Somos stereolithography resin in 1992.

DSM Somos is part of DSM Desotech, a leading innovative formulator and manufacturer of high quality ultraviolet and electron beam (UV/EB) curable materials.

DSM Desotech is a business unit of DSM - an international chemicals and materials group headquartered in The Netherlands, with annual sales of EUR 8.1 billion and a work force of approximately 22,000 employees at more than 200 sites worldwide.

DSM is active worldwide in life science and nutritional products, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company specializes in innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life and DSM products are currently used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). The group has annual sales (pro forma including the recent acquisition - renamed DSM Nutritional Products) of approximately EUR 8 billion and employs about 26,000 people around the world. Ranking among the global leaders in many of its fields, DSM is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

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