Rapid Prototyping – 3D PrintersAdditional InformationAn interesting article about the rapid prototyping industry and how the technology and competition are lowering the cost of 3D printers. http://www.cadcamperformance.com/2012/10/3d-printing-changes-the-game/?elq_mid=2187&elq_cid=567719Top 10 Common Mistakes in Designing Parts for Rapid Prototyping:Slide 5Creating a Rapid Prototype of the Solid Model Parts or Assemblies1SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyRapid Prototyping – 3D Printers2SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAdditional InformationSome of the 3D Printer vendors and materials used: Zcorp – Uses a powder, a layer of powder is applied to a surface, and then a binder is applied where the 2D cross section is, and this process is repeated.Powder-based fusion process. A layer of powder is laid down for the 2D section and then a heat source is used to fuse the powder material to each other, building up the part one layer of powder at a time.Wax based model – melted wax is applied one layer at a time through a heated nozzle.3Dsystems – Uses a liquid plastic which is hardened using a laser beam, one layer at a time.Stratasys – Uses nylon filament line which is melted as it goes through a heated nozzle and applies material one layer at a time. (this is the type of machine we use in this class.)3SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAn interesting article about the rapid prototyping industry and how the technology and competition are lowering the cost of 3D printers.http://www.cadcamperformance.com/2012/10/3d-printing-changes-the-game/?elq_mid=2187&elq_cid=567719http://manufacturing.cadalyst.com/manufacturing/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=4099094SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyTop 10 Common Mistakes in Designing Parts for Rapid Prototyping:1. Part design having thin-features less than .030” for Std. SLA and .015”-.020” for High Res SLA. Solution: Make sure that there are features no less than .030” for Standard SLA and .015”-.020” for High-Res SLA to ensure features build correctly. 2. Saving the CAD model to STL file in low-resolution setting, resulting in too much faceting in the model. Solution: Typically, there should be an Edge-to-Edge distance between faces less than .020” for a smoother finish. For more information on STL and how to save to a higher resolution file in the most commonly used CAD packages, please visit this link. 3. STL file conversion error resulting from the CAD data having numerous unstitched surfaces rather than solids. Solution: Make sure that the surfaces in the original CAD model are “water-tight” in that only solids are modeled. 4. Part design having knife edge design where the edge thins down to zero thickness. Solution: Thicken any thinning/ knife edge features - which often times are found in thread designs - in the model that are less than .030” in thickness for Std. SLA and .015”-.020” for High-Res SLA. 5. Part design with enclosed hollow space, where support materials can’t be removed. Solution: Add a hole for the internal voids in the model to allow the removal of the support materials.5SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyTop 10 Common Mistakes in Designing Parts for Rapid Prototyping:6. Curvier sections of the part, such as in bottles or lids, with thickness less than the minimal feature size. Solution: Thicken any features in the model with curvy sections that are less than .035” in thickness for Std. SLA and .025” for High-Res SLA. For curvier sections that are at or near the minimum, even thicker dimensions from the standard tolerance will increase the probability of the part building properly. 7. Parts, assemblies, and threads with improper clearances and mating features. Solution: Typically, there should be a .015”-.020” clearance between prototype parts, which will differ when it comes to the full production stage. 8. Having small text and logos features in the part model. Solution: Make sure that the logo and text features are no less than .030” for Standard SLA and .015”-.020” for High-Res SLA in length, width, or thickness. 9. Designing living hinges to function for Rapid Prototypes. Solution: Living hinge design doesn’t typically function as intended in the rapid prototyping process (with an exception of the NEW SLS Duraform EX). A simple fix would be using a normal piece of Scotch tape to act as the hinge. 10. Saving in the wrong units for the STL file. Solution: Double check the STL file properties so that the correct unit is selected. The default units for the Quickparts machines are in inches.6SheetCourse: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualizationcopyright 2010, Georgia Institute of TechnologyCreating a Rapid Prototype of the Solid Model Parts or Assemblies1. Open the Part or Assembly file.2. File – Saveas - .STL file format3. Copy .STL files onto a Flash Drive4. Load .STL file into Software Program on Dimension Rapid Prototyping Printer.5. Start the Rapid Prototyping printer and produce the