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Week 5. 3D scanning and printing

This week is focused on 3D scanning and printing. In Fablab Zagreb we are using 3D scanning and 3D pritning often.

We are using FDM and SLA printers.

… bit of history

Actually whole this story and involvment with Fablab started in 2010 at Faculty of Architecture University of Zagreb when I start to work on the first DIY RepRap Prusa to demonstrate students idea of 3D printing. This start my involvment in whole Fablab initiative, resulting by founding FabLab Zagreb in 2013, and now we are here attending Fab Academy.

But story about 3D printing is a bit longer, sometimes general population believe started in 2005-2010 with RepRap project by prof. Adrian Bowyer, but actually it started with SLA-1, the first 3D printer invented by Chuck Hull in 1983, cofounder of 3D Systems.

However, RepRap project bring 3D printing technology to much wider audience and as open source project accessable to many makers.

Subtractive vs. additive manufacturing

Before we start with this topic, we already passed two weeks which were dedicated to Subtractive manufacturing when we were talking about laser cutting, vinyl cutting but also using milling for electronic production. In substractive method we are removing or cutting material, what is most evident in milling process. Oposite to this additive manufacturing is adding material.

Subtractive manufacturing: - Excess of waste material - Generally more expensive - Time consuming - Better surface quality - More precise tolerances - Better for long-term use, high-stress - Suited for mass production

Additive manufacturing: - Zero or minimal waste - Cheap material and operation costs - Fast and user friendly - Can have poor surface definition and tolerances - Complexity and Design Freedom - Lack of strength in Z-Axis - Suited for prototyping, short-term applications, mass customization

FDM 3D printing

We got both FDM and SLA printers available, but focus will be on FDM. Intention is to add more infomration about SLA when I find more time.

We are using all 3D printers available, but for this we will use Ultimker because we got several of them, from Ultimaker Original, over Ultimaker 2+ and 3, but also new models Ultimker S3 and S5. Recently we also got Ultimaker 2 Connected which is Ultimker 2+ upgraded.

Ultimaker S5

We use 3D printing preparation software Ultimaker Cura, which is freely available 3D printing preparation software not only for Ultimaker printers but also for other brands, mostly open sources.

Ultimaker Cura

Fullmetal FDM 3D printing

For metal parts, you can print with special filaments and use some complex industrial postprocessing to get full metal part. More information on https://ultimaker.com/materials/basf-ultrafuse-316l.

Full metal printing with FDM

3D scanning

3D scanning is process of collecting spatial information in form of point clouds to computer to build 3D model from existing phisical object.

There are many various process for but here we are focused on those most afordable.

  1. Stucture light (David Laser)

  2. Sensors (Structure Sensor & Skanect)

  3. Photographs (Photogrammetry)

Week assigments

This week is split in two assigments. First group assignment is to test the design rules for your 3D printer(s) For this purpose we used Ultimaker printers in FabLab and two prepared test models: - Test print 1 - Test print 2

Ultimaker Cura Test 1 preparation

Ultimaker Cura Test 2 preparation

Second part is individual assignment is splited in two tasks: - design and 3D print an object (small, few cm3, limited by printer time) that could not be made subtractively - 3D scan an object (and optionally print it)

Last update: February 24, 2021