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Kodak Focuses On Thixomolding for Its Professional Digital Camera
Kodak
has always been known as a pioneer in photography, having invented the first handheld camera, the first commercial transparent roll film, and the first daylight-loading camera—among many other photographic milestones. That tradition was continued when Kodak introduced its professional-level digital camera—the DCS-14n. The 14 megapixel wonder set the digital photography world on its ear with an array of features that allows digital photographs to rival film in regard to quality and resolution.
Among the unique characteristics of the DCS-14n is the camera housing, which Kodak tasked
AFT's ThixoForming®
to manufacture. Kodak took advantage of Thixomolding's ability to provide highly-detailed components with thin walls that minimized final machining and finishing, thus helping to cut down on both production time and costs. Seven critical body components of the camera were made from magnesium using the Thixomolding process, including the front and rear housing, bottom cover, access door, battery cover, battery end cap and face plate.
The front and rear body shells were the largest and most complex parts of the project, each with an average wall thickness of 1.5 mm. Furthermore, the tripod mount in the bottom cover featured a threaded brass insert which was molded in-situ during Thixomolding. Weight was also a factor, since photographers often carry multiple camera bodies—plus lenses and accessories. The seven components of the magnesium body assembly together weighed a meager 220 grams, helping to create a very lightweight, easy-to-handle camera.
After precision die trimming the molded parts, only a small amount of finish machining was required before the parts were painted. Machining, which was performed at AFT, was limited to the smallest features, such as threaded holes for assembly purposes. Additionally, AFT was able to achieve the highly cosmetic surface details of the DCS-14n without the need for additional hand-finishing operations. Once painted, the body shells and the bottom cover were insert-molded with thermoplastic elastomer in strategic locations to form the grip surfaces.
For additional information and product specifications of the DCS-14n, please visit Kodak's Web site (www.kodak.com) and refer to the Kodak Professional section.
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