Virtual Engineering for Rapid Product Development

\The paper presents a complete case study focused on studying the accuracy of a part, starting from the CAD model, to the finite part made by injection molding. The researches has been developed by National Center of Rapid Prototyping from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (TUC-N) and Plastor SA company from Oradea, focused on the manufacturing of the active elements for injection molding tools by selective laser sintering technology, using a metallic dedicated powder, Laserform St-100. There were revealed the peculiarities and complexity of this technology, which involve CAD aspects and different issues regarding the part manufacturing accuracy, correlated with the shrinkage phenomena that appears on the tools in post processing stage in the oven. A theoretical model of the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) contractions has been developed. This research has been the first one in Romania, trying to implement and to test the use of rapid tooling for injection molding. Experimental obtained results are also presented in the paper.