Page 33 - Plastics News August 2022

‘Massless Prototyping’ An Energy-Saving Alternative To 3d Printed Physical Parts

olySpectra has developed an “We are not aware of any other additive polymer is not available elsewhere. In
Paugmented reality tool that enables manufacturing companies that are terms of the mechanical properties, the
engineers to get an instant “massless” offering ‘massless prototyping’ as part closest well-known analogs are COP,
prototype of their design in their of their workflow,” Weitekamp told COC, and pDCPD.
physical workspace. PlasticsToday. “In many ways, it is “Fortune 500 companies are using
Additive manufacturing has long offered directly competitive with traditional 3D our cyclic olefin resins to create high-
the advantages of quickly printing printing of ‘look like’ prototypes, because performance, lightweight, low-CO2
spare parts and of rapid tooling — augmented reality now can provide that products,” said Weitekamp. “Our
inexpensively creating a mold that can be 3D visual preview instantly for free. We additive manufacturing process uses
used in a conventional molding process. anticipate that AR will begin to become a about 50-times less energy than an
This method bypasses the considerable bigger part of CAD modeling workflows injection molding process. Additionally,
expense and time involved in designing as the technology matures.” the parts can be designed using strategies
and building a mold by traditional Massless prototyping through augmented such as ‘topology optimization’ to
means. reality has few barriers to its use. “The minimize the carbon footprint while
An additive manufacturing company has tool is free and the augmented reality maintaining the necessary safety and
improved on that scenario by developing feature works in the native browsers performance criteria of the component.”
a free augmented reality tool that enables of over three billion Android and PolySpectra garners $3-million grant to
engineers to get an instant “massless” iOS smartphones and tablets,” said develop automotive tooling
prototype of their design in their physical Weitekamp. “We have built a QR code PolySpectra also is involved in rapid
workspace. PolySpectra, a Berkeley, CA– hand-off, so that our users can take their tooling.
based additive manufacturing startup, CAD files from their computer and
refers to this as “massless prototyping seamlessly load them in AR on their The company just received a $3-million
through augmented reality.” phone or tablet. Most people who have grant from the US Department of
Energy to create highly durable new
“Our ‘massless mission’ is to reduce a smartphone or tablet less than six years additive tooling to help the domestic
global energy usage by 25% by the old will be able to use polySpectra AR auto industry streamline its supply
year 2050, leveraging distributed immediately, without the need to sign chains, lower its carbon footprint, and
digital manufacturing,” Raymond up or download anything.” reshore manufacturing operations, said
Weitekamp, founder of polySpectra, told Rugged, lightweight polymer suited for Weitekamp.
PlasticsToday. “PolySpectra AR is a very medical, aerospace applications
tiny first step in that direction: Instead Weitekamp, who has a doctorate from This helps durable goods manufacturers
of wasting energy and money printing the California Institute of Technology, design their parts for additive
prototypes, our users can instantly manufacturing from the outset.
preview their designs for free. This alone where he investigated new ways of “This is very rare to find today, in part
fabricating materials, was recognized on
is not going to stop climate change. the Forbes magazine list of “30 under because most additive manufacturing
However, in the same way that it is now materials are not reliable,” said
completely commonplace to question 30” in 2017. Weitekamp. “The benefits of this
whether or not a commute to a physical That path led to his founding of approach are the ‘virtual warehouse,’
office is necessary (for a given type of polySpectra and the development of where geographically distributed 3D
work), we hope to inspire engineers to a lightweight yet rugged material for printers can print parts exactly when
question whether a physical prototype is additive manufacturing that can be used and where they are needed. In addition
necessary in the earliest stages of product in medical and aerospace applications. to dramatically simplifying the supply
design.” “PolySpectra invented cyclic olefin chain, this would dramatically reduce
Augmented reality puts polySpectra resin (COR), which is our family of the overall carbon footprint of durable
on the leading edge of additive high-performance photopolymers,” goods manufacturing.”
manufacturing, he added. Weitekamp told PlasticsToday. “This

33 PLASTICS NEWS August 2022