5-4. AUTOMATIC PROPELLER MOULDING MACHINE
The moulding models of propellers are usually wooden made, or the actual products prepared in the same material are utilized. With us Nakashima Propeller Company, however, a new system has been introduced that the propeller models themselves are produced directly by the automatic 3-dimensional moulding machine named SOUP (Solid Object Ultraviolet Laser Plotter).
Photograph 10 shows the propeller moulding by the SOUP. With this system, the propeller data designed by host computer are electronically sent to the SOUP through the linked 3-dimensional CAD system, after the propeller configuration duly checked, where such a transformation of the data follows that the solid object shall horizontally be sliced into a number of thin layers. The exterior appearance line of each sliced layer soaked in the chemical compound of photo-hardening polymer is hardened by the energy of ultraviolet laser beam operated one layer after one layer for being integrated to be the intended solid object. Under this epochmaking new system, every type of propeller model for propeller moulding can be produced. This new system made it possible for the propeller models to be produced with higher accuracy quite efficiently.
Photo.10 Propeller moulding by the SOUP (Solid Object Ultraviolet Laser Plotter)
6. CONCLUSION
Introductions are made as above, on our recent situation about the research and development of high-performance propellers, highly computerized designing and manufacturing systems available with us Nakashima Propeller Company. We are prepared to continue the development and manufacturing of propellers of even higher performance from now on. being convinced that the operation of the PD propeller designing computer program newly introduced will become a reliably helpful propulsive force for that purpose.
─ The end ─
