Outboard Engine Prototyping
Faster with Resin System

To keep pace with the evolution of marine outboard engine design, prototypers at Outboard Marine Corp (OMC), Waukegan, IL, must quickly and cost effectively produce parts ranging from 6-lb. engine housings to 5-ft. long board hull sections. OMC's prototyping capabilities are based on the use of a diverse combination of methods and materials that are selected according to project requirements.

The company is constantly searching for materials that are easy to work with and that will help them quickly produce high-quality prototypes. These are the reasons why they chose Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp's polyurethanes, machinable boards and laminating epoxy.

When prototyping covers for a new engine, CAD data was used to cut positive and negative pattern sections from Ren Shape 460 modeling material. Fiberglass/epoxy molds were built from the patterns using Ciba's RP 1710 room-temperature cure epoxy resin system. After completing the mold, technicians waxed surfaces and closed the tool in preparation for shooting 6-lb. prototype parts from RP 6451 R/H Parts-In-Minutes polyurethane. The black-pigmented prototyping material, which gels in 75 seconds, allowed OMC technicians to shoot 10 lbs. of resin per minute for 1-1/2 minutes into the mold using automated meter/mix dispensing equipment. Cured engine housings were demolded after 20 minutes. The prototypes feature a heat deflection temperature of 259°F, tensile strength of 5,200 psi and flexural strength of 6,900 psi, which allowed the parts to be tested on the actual motor soon after demolding.

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For more information, contact Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp, 4917 Dawn Ave, East Lansing, MI 48823. 517-351-5900.
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Originally published in the November  1998 issue of designfax.
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