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CDG is the Concurrent Design Group. We are a limited company, Concurrent Design Limited, operating since 2001. The company was previously a partnership, formed in 1993.
Concurrent Engineering is a modern methodology for working on multiple facets of a project at the same time. It is much faster and more productive than simultaneous engineering, when the tasks are completed one at a time. The 3D technology we offer concurs with a Concurrent methodology.
CDG hold all key consumables in stock, in our UK facilities, for next day delivery, if the order is received before 3pm.
CDG offer demonstrations and a benchmarking service, where we can 3D print or 3D scan an object for you as part of a free trial. For our software products, we can offer a free trial licence for a limited period of time.
CDG are based in the UK and we sell all of our products, with full support, to the UK & Ireland. As for our On-Demand services, these are available to customers around the world.
CDG offer a range of support options, including remote, on-site, parts & labour and full annual support contracts? https://cdg.uk.com/3d-printer-support-repair-maintenance-services/
CDG employ a large team of engineers to support you, including the provision of training courses, on and off-site, on all of the products we supply.
CDG 3D TECH have showrooms in Alton, Basingstoke and Derby. https://cdg.uk.com/contact-cdg-3d-tech/
AM stands for Additive Manufacturing. See below for answers to the question comparing AM with 3D Printing.
As CDG offer 10 different 3D Printing technologies, we can provide solutions with over 100 material types. Material options include Plastics, Nylon, Resin, Rubber, Plaster, Wax and Metals. For Silcone we recommend using the EggShell moulding method.
3D Printing for the manufacture of parts used for end-use applications (i.e. production use usually with larger quantities) is called Additive Manufacturing (AM), meaning material is added during the manufacturing process. The opposite is subtractive manufacturing, where material is removed, as with drills, mills and lathes. AM is usually used to 3D Print batches of parts in durable materials, sometimes including post processing.
The answer partly down to the size of part and partly the speed of the process. For example, using the Figure 4 technology it is possible to produce 10,000 small/medium sized parts per month, as the technology is suited to batch production. It is possible to print over 1,000 parts in one build. Otherwise, mujltip parts can be printed using multiple 3D Printers, often known as a 3D Print Farm.
In our portfolio, the large part dimension is 1900mm, using the SLA technology.
In our portfolio, the thinnest layer is 10 microns, using the Figure 4 technology.
The ProJet 2500 MJP is an award winning printer, which offer virtually hands free operation.
The Figure 4 technology offer print speed up to 100mm/hr, which is seriously fast.
10x 3D Printing Technologies is total, all are explained below in more detail. In broad terms they are: Material Extrusion via FFF, FGF, LDM; Laser Curing via SLA, SLS, SLM; Powder Binding via BJP, CJP, SLS, SLM; Projector UV via DLP.
BJP is for Binder Jet Printing, where a liquid is printed onto a layer of powder. There is a wide variety of powders that can be used in this process.
Colourjet printing, allowing full colour or mono printing using HP inkjet technology.
DLP is digital light projection. A high intensity projector has enough power to UV cure the resin, one whole cross section at a time.
Fused filament fabrication. It is the same as FDM which is fused deposition modelling.
FGF stands for Fused Granulte Fabrication, also knows as 3D Printing using pellets. The pellets used are the same as thosed used in the injection moulding process, offering excellent material properties and low raw material costs.
LDM is Liquid Deposition Modelling where the liquid, or soft material like Clay, is extruder through a nozzle.
Multijet printing, using advanced jetting technology and UV light to cure the resin.
Stereolithography apparatus, using a laser a cure the resin.
SLM is Selective Laser Metling, also known as Direct Metal Printing (DMP) or Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF).
Selective laser sintering. The powder is in a heated chamber, with a low powered laser used to bring the temperature up to the point of sintering / fusing the powder together.
A projector lights up the object using a fringe projection, typically stripes. One or two camera photograph the fringes, as the deviation across the model creates a point cloud.
A laser beam draws a visible line across the part, and a senor measures the distance from the scanner to calculate the XYZ co-ordinates.
The number of megapixels relates to the resolution of the cameras, and then the density of the point cloud. The higher the megapixel the better, especially for parts with fine detail and application such as inspection. 1.3 megapixels is now standard, 5 megapixels is high, and 12 megapxiels of more is the highest.
ONA is online activation (requiring an active link to the internet), OFD is a offline dongle (or USB Plug) and NWA is network authorization licence (requiring an active link to the internet) or NWD with a dongle.
Cimatron licences are controlled by a mandatory USB Plug / Dongle. But the licences or modules can be floating.
Simcon licences are controlled by a USB Dongle.