Week 5 3D scanning and printing¶
What I’ve done this week
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- learning how to use a 3D printer
- knowing limitation of 3D printing
- learning about concept of additive manufacturing process and make something with it
Weekly Assignment Requirement
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Group assignment
- Test the design rules for your printer(s)
- Document your work and explain what are the limits of your printer(s)
Individual assignments
- Design and 3D print an object (small, few cm3, limited by printer time) that could not be easily made subtractively
- 3D scan an object, try to prepare it for printing (and optionally print it)
Group Assignment¶
Checking the character of afinia H400+ (or H400) in Fablab Kamakura
found the test printing model on thingiverse. we three of group members tried to print it using different each parameters and compared them.
I printed test model with the parameter below twice for comparison between two different materials.
pitch: 0.25mm
infill: 65%
quality: normal
left: ABS, right: PLA
Please see the link below.
Kamakura Group assignment week05
test B (ABS)
it seemed that the good shape was printed as the outcome except overhang testing. If the angle gets larger than 60 degree at overhang test, it would be entangled. the bridge test got similar outcome to overhang test because they did almost same thing between the bridge test and the overhang test at 90 degree.
test B (PLA)
the surface of it was shinier than the one printed by ABS. the things successfully printed were not so different from the one printed by ABS. but it seemed that the outcome got more entangled at overhang testing than ABS. I guessed it was because the PLA started fixing faster than ABS.
Description of Assignment Work¶
This week, I tried to design a 3D model and printed it by 3D printer, and also to scan something as a 3D model and edited it as a 3D printable data. 3D printer gives us additive producing process. It means that the object would be created layer by layer. And it enables to make complicated shapes which cannot be created by subtractive method (like cutting, shaving) in the specific condition.
preparing 3D printer¶
FabLab Kamakura has 3D printers called Afinia H400+(or H400). so I worked with these machines for this week’s assignment.
On Afinia H series, they uses the slicer software called “afinia studio” and we can control the printer thorough it.
Firstly, set the reel of filament to the Affinia 400+. we usually need to choose a material from ABS or PLA.
Then, needed to extrude it until the new one coming from the nozzle. this procedure had to be done all the time after changing the filament.
Lastly, heated the platform. the software adjusted heating temperature to the material of filament automatically so I needed to select the type of it correctly. It is important to heat the platform in advance especially for ABS not the printing object peeling off from platform in the middle of procedure. PLA needs lower temperature than ABS in general. and also heated extruder as well. these heating processes had better be done just before printing because the printer loses the temperature easily
preparation of the 3D printer had been done!
3D model design for additive production process¶
I found the model seemed to be a good example to test additive production process on the internet.
it was called “triple gear”. usually gears worked as a pair of two. but this model was composed of three parts. I got a sample data from thingivers but seemed too complicated for me to replicate it…
there was a link to a paper about the structure of triple gear. and there was a kind of archetype on it. so decided to try to replicate it.
credit
replicated the model using Fusion360
created a ring
duplicate it
place them closely referring to the image above (from the paper)
twist the ones at both ends
modeling done!
tried 3D printing
printed the model with the parameter below
pitch: 0.3mm
infill: 65%
quality: Fine
printing done!
peeled it off by a scraper
after removing supports, each rings moved individually but did not break up at the same time. it seemed really hard to recreate it by subtractive method. it meant to be succeeded in additive manufacturing process.
3D scan¶
tried 3D scan using 3D scanner called “Sense Scanner”
credit
held the scanner and turn the object (person) by revolving chair. we could check scan processing from the Sense application. after one rotation, if there were missing part in the scanning data, returned the chair and helped scan by slight hand moving.
scan data was exported as .obj, .mtl, and .png (I heard it was possible to get .stl as well). I used blender to see them. blender is a software enable to edit 3DCG data.
in the data, my hair was not scanned properly…so I would try to add my hair with blender.
imported texture (which was saved as .mtl and .png when I exported)
firstly, put sphere on my head instead of hair.
put spikes on each surfaces of the sphere.
put it on head again. Actually I liked this form because it seemed a mask of anime or game character.
but I wanted make my hair Dragonball-Z like. so vanish sphere and unnecessary spike. then added color.
finished!
.stl model for 3D printing
wood filament¶
tested afinia official wood filament.
according to the official website,
Afinia Specialty filaments offer an exotic variety of materials to 3D print on your Afinia H-Series or other printer that accepts 1.75mm filament. Varieties such as Copper and Wood PLA filament allow artists and makers to create things of beauty at a touch of a button.
Wood-infused PLA makes carving a thing of the past As the model prints, a hint of scent of fresh cut wood wafts in the air. The detailed model can be sanded or go straight to staining.
set the reel of the wood filament to afinia H480
printed test model with the parameter below
pitch: 0.15mm
infill: 80%
quality: Fine
smelled baking something woody.
it didn’t seem so woody cause the models too small. but I could find it was fine to use it with ordinary setting for PLA.
test printing for Final Project¶
tried to create the one of the parts of my final project
printed the model with the parameter below
pitch: 0.25mm
infill: 65%
quality: Fine
while printing, unexpected lumpy stuff was created several times so I cut off them using nipper.
printing was finished! the texture was slightly wood like.
thread was not created beautifully with spaghetti like ejecta. I didn’t know it originating from wether character of wood filament or just feature of PLA but maybe it was because of the printing without enclosure. temperature was suddenly went down and some amount of the filament was fixed before attached to the proper place. the shape was approximately okay so I would try to shape it by caving knife or something later.
Description of Important Weekly Learning Outcome¶
3D printing is a process taking too much time and not always successful in the end. (For example, the shape of the outcome could be distorted depending on the temperature of the printer’s platform etc.) If I use it for producing final project, I need to consider time schedule of it. and also infill didn’t have to be more than 30% according to advices from instructors so I would adjust parameters again to manage 3D printing speedily and accurately.
Subtractive manufacturing process would be much faster than additive one. But it is useful when I need to create the thing which is hard to cut because of its structure. So I would like to take this measure not for everything but the things could not be created subtractively.