This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at La tecnología Custom-Fit hacia la personalización masiva

The new manufacturing process integrates technologies of scanning, CAD systems and Rapid Manufacturing technologies

The Custom-Fit technology to mass customization

Davide Berselli of Democenter-Sipe18/03/2009

March 18, 2009

Custom-Fit is a project funded by a research program of the European Union. It is participated by 30 partners from 12 European countries, whose objective was the development of a new technology of profitable production for the manufacturing of custom products, adapted to the body geometry. In other words, the interest of the project was to show the path to the 'personalization' mass. The project is currently in its final phase and we can say that this ambitious goal has been achieved.

The new manufacturing process integrates scanning technologies, recently developed CAD (computer aided design) systems and Rapid Manufacturing technologies: the scanner get the geometric characteristics of the human body, on the basis of these data the CAD software automatically carries out the design of the product that the tools of Rapid Manufacturing print these parts without any expensive toolsunaffordable for the manufacture of exclusive products, as those who try.

This new paradigm of production has been tested on five case studies: some of them related to components custom in the medical field - implants of knee and jaw and Transfemoral prosthesis - and some consumer products individuals in which the 'tailor-made' provides a significant added valuesuch as helmets of motorcyclists and seats for motorcycles.

Figure 1.

This new technology has been a success in the manufacture of custom elements. The process consists of the following: has been perfectly adjusted components of knee and jaw to the geometry of the bone that had to adapt, through the use of CAD tools that can be operated with bone implants. CT (computed Computerizada) scanning transforms them into a CAD format standard 3D (referred to as STL, standard triangulation language) - see Figure 1.

The jaw was printed with a bio-absorbable material developed with a new technology called high viscosity inkjet printer: implant is replaced within 12 months by regenerated bone - see Figure 2.

Knee implant is customized adapting not only to the form but also to the mix of material used, graduated from the bone-compatible titanium and Co-Cr high resistance with the mixture established according to particular conditions of the patient. A new design tool has been developed to maintain the optimisation of this graduate material (the MPTO or 'Optimization of topology Multi phase') and a new technology of Rapid Manufacturing, the process of printing on Metal powder, which is capable of printing titanium and parts of Co/Cr.

Figure 2.

A slightly different approach was used for the hull and the seat of bike. This customization process noted external body shape, not bones with CT scans. In the case of the hull, a body scanner laser was used to obtain the geometry of the head of the motorcyclist, and designed a coating that adjust perfectly to it; It aims to integrate it into the field of security standard of the hull, which obviously cannot be changed for reasons of certification - see Figure 3.

Figure 3.

In the case of study of the bike seat, engineers Custom-Fit noted that the obtaining of the external geometry of the body was not the key to customize them and thus obtain maximum comfort and control over the driving; on the other hand, a map of pressures exerted on the seat for the driver to sit on the bike turned out to be a good starting point for customizing the pad (map of pressure was obtained through a special sensitive layer ready on the seat) defining the area in which more or less understanding by the motorcyclist is exercised individual.

To obtain the pad with graduated compression stockings has designed a new concept of pad, with an internal structure consisting of elements in the form of Pier whose extent depends on local compression of the pad. This graduated structure was made possible by the concept of manufacturing layered and it is essentially impossible with traditional manufacturing technologies, see Figure 4.

Figure 4.

To print the custom helmet and parts of the seat, or a new technology of Rapid Manufacturing of high productivity has been developed, printing on plastic powder through the technology of electrophotography (similar to the of laser printers)called process PPP (plastic powder printing process).