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[February 2004]
Hotting Up the Stakes in Rapid Prototyping
Resulting from an exclusive partnership with Zircotec Performance Coatings (Oxon, England), 3T has announced that it has been able to increase performance reliability and efficiency of its already highly functional prototypes using Thermohold CF(tm), thus enabling them to protect against the effects of conducted, convected and radiated heat.
3T's work with some of the major F1 teams has already resulted in components being taken straight from the drawing, to the machine and on to the car in what the company describes as "spectacularly demanding timescales". Now, by teaming up with Zircotec to add a protective coating, the thermal resistance of these parts can be enhanced still further.
The high performance ceramic thermal barrier can be applied to both laser sintered nylon and glass filled materials. The material has an extremely poor ability to conduct heat and, as such, acts as a protective skin to the substrate. Coatings have also been applied to metal, carbon fibre and cylinder head components. The full capability of these coated parts is yet to be realised; however, early tests show a significant improvement.
ENDS