Fyous will premiere the PolyMorphic 28k, which uses densely packed pins to create custom moulds in minutes, at Formnext in Germany in November
Inventors of a revolutionary new high-speed mould-making technology, which uses a pin tool with 28,000 pins to create a mould in around twenty minutes, have announced they will be unveiling it to the world for the first time on November 19th at Formnext in Frankfurt, Germany.
The PolyMorphic 28k consists of the pin tool plus a forming machine into which the pin tool is inserted. A 3D CAD model of the mould to be formed is used to move the pins into position.
The positioning of the pins is accurate to within 0.1mm.
The product, designed by Fyous in Sheffield, England, has been under development for the last five years.
Once locked into position the pins can withstand six tonnes of pressure, making them perfect for use in vacuum forming, composite layup, composite bonding, workholding, and moulding polyurethane (PU) products.
This ‘PolyMorphicTM moulding’ process takes around twenty minutes, which is about fourteen times faster that 3D printing for an equivalent sized part.
Critically, once the pin tool has been used it can be reinserted into the forming machine to create a new mould shape with zero waste. There is no need to store the mould, just the 3D CAD model.
This new technology is set to revolutionise the world of prototyping, customisable production and complex tool holding.
The pin tools are each about the size of a laptop or shoebox, and can be used together to make bigger moulds for multiple applications.
Josh Shires, co-founder of Fyous, commented; “Today, consumers are demanding more custom personalised products, but the challenges, and costs, that manufacturers face when needing to make small changes to moulds makes this prohibitively expensive.
“PolyMorphic moulding is not only fast, but also has virtually zero waste, making it highly sustainable.
“This makes the system perfect for products that demand minor customisation, and for prototyping, which can be highly costly if you go through multiple iterations.”
The technology is applicable in virtually every sector, from aerospace and automotive to packaging and toys.
The product has already demonstrated significant cost and time-saving for a dental-aligner manufacturer and medical shoe maker.
Shires added; “Most importantly, there’s no need to make multiple moulds; simply store the CAD models and re-programme the machine as and when it’s needed.”
Another key application is workholding for complex parts, supporting them for machining. This can be very time-consuming and difficult using clamps and very expensive using custom moulds; here, forming a perfect mould to hold the part is quick and easy, as it only needs the CAD model of the part to create the mould.
Due to their strength, the moulds are perfectly suited for holding metal for machining.
The PolyMorphic 28k will be live on the Fyous stand at Formnext, and there will be demonstrations throughout each day of the show.
Shires concluded: “We can now see for the first time a way to realise the ‘made-on-demand’ model of consumer product manufacturing. The possibilities are limitless, and we are very excited to be right at the heart of this revolution.”
The official unveiling of the new PolyMorphic 28k will happen at 11 o’clock on November 19th at Formnext, which runs between November 19th and 22nd and takes place in Messe Frankfurt, Germany. Fyous is on Stand 11.1, E48.
To find out more about Fyous please visit https://fyous.com/.
ENDS
About Fyous
Formed in 2020 and based in Sheffield, at the centre of British manufacturing excellence, Fyous is an innovative engineering company that has designed and developed a system for making moulds that is dramatically faster than current methods, and where the moulds can be infinitely reused, by using a pin tool that can form any shape.
The founders, Joshua Shires and Thomas Bloomfield, are highly experienced entrepreneurs and innovators:
- Josh founded and sold two successful businesses before co-founding Fyous. He is passionate about driving change and disrupting industries by innovating and bringing to market new technologies.
- Thomas holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and after graduating played an integral role in taking the Rolls Royce and Unipart Joint Venture, MetLase, from a team of 6 to 30.
The company’s mission is to disrupt prototyping and manufacturing sectors worldwide. PolyMorphicTM moulding reduces time to market for a huge array of products and makes possible previously commercially unviable products.
It is a zero-waste technology where raw materials are conserved and the moulds can be used again and again. It not only removes physical waste in the form of materials and tooling, but also saves time by accelerating product development and prototyping.
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