Industrial Manufacturing News

NanoTool is the latest in a series of reinforced composite materials developed by DSM Somos for stereolithography applications. The products offer enhanced stiffness and high heat deflection temperature (HDT 250oC) over unfilled resins, together with low shrinkage and ease of processing.

Charlie Kaufmann, senior account manager for DSM Somos, said Paramount was selected as a test site for NanoTool based on its extensive experience as a fully-integrated provider of product development and manufacturing services. He noted Paramount has been a DSM Somos beta site since 2004 and has tested ProtoTool 20L™ and NanoForm™, both predecessors to NanoTool. Initial production of injection molds using the new resin were highly successful, thus validating a new dimension in speed and quality to stereolithography as an alternative to metal tooling, Kaufmann said.

Jim Williams, CEO of Paramount PDS, indicated that he expected NanoTool to be especially advantageous in the development of complex molds and parts, offering significant savings in time and expense when compared to machining and EDM (electro-discharge machining).

"We at Paramount are delighted to be at the leading edge of applications of this and other new materials that expand and enhance the rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and rapid manufacturing processes," Williams noted.

Paramount PDS is among the nation’s most experienced providers of product development services. Founded in 1966, the company’s comprehensive lineup of services includes product design and engineering, engineered prototype development, urethane castings, rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and new on-demand rapid manufacturing direct from digital input as well as in-house custom injection molding and off-shore manufacturing. The company has extensive facilities and expertise in sterolithography (SLA) as well as selective laser sintering (SLS).