5. 3D Scanning and Printing
3D Scanning; trying to get a polygon model with 123D Catch:
I´ve tried several times to get a decent scan out of this filament spool. It was an excercise in frustration. I should try with different backgrounds, colors and textures, or better change for other software and optical sensors.
3D Printing; Designing a file for FDM printing:
I wanted to keep developing some of the main components for my final projects, namely the structural joints that make possible to assemble the wood parts together without nails and screws, using simple cuts made by a circular saw. The first models to validate spatial fit are described on the Computer Aided Design Section / Assignemnt #2.
As these were initial models, they lacked a locking system to keep the wood boards tightly assembled, so I evolved them using a sistem of ellastic locking latches, which deform slightly as they follow through their designated slots, and snap back to their original shape once the lock completely passes through the board.
Since these components are meant to be used for structural purposes, I decided to go for Fused Deposition Modeling / FDM printing in ABS because of its better mechanical resistance.
Before deciding for a definitive STL model, I´ve first checked for the orientation of normals, incomplete intersections and non-manifold geometries that could cause an invalid printing file. I had to set a high density triangle mesh for my STL file, since some aberrations appeared when I shaded the model. One of these aberrations was a tendency to round / fillet some edges that weren´t actually rounded.
Setting on a high density mesh tolerance solved the round edges issues, but some tiny openings showed up on the STL. I decided then to upload the STLs with the less errors to NetFabb for patching and repair. In less than 5 minutes I could download a perfectly tight STL file. Next stop was checking it on the 3D printer software. The .STL file (NodoVerti 002_fixed) can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h55lk0p3ygopha1/NodoVerti%20002_fixed.stl?dl=0
After that we moved to the rapid prototyping lab. There I selected the best possible resolution in our Stratasys U-Prints. The CatalystEx software that programs our U-Prints, automatically tilted my part in X and Y axis and placed the support posts. Our parts were finished at around 8pm.
An image of the structural joint joining two and three pieces of 18mm thick plywood. The design needs modifications, specially the angle of the flexible latch, and an scaling up of the lock to ensure a stiffer joint :
3D Printing; Designing a file for SLA / DLP printing:
Two weeks ago I got my first desktop printer, a Titan 1 DLP printer (it uses an UXGA Digital Light Projector.) which came semi assembled. I,ve spent my free time during the last two weeks building and calibrating it.
Once calibrated I´ve downloaded from www.envisionlabs.org a free software for slicing and controlling .STL files to control SLA / DLP projector 3D printers. This software is Creative Workshop. I was able to move, rotate, scale the model, also I changed the printing volume according to my printer. There is a function for placing support posts manually or autmatically. I´ve chosen the automatic adaptive option, setting a post separation of 7mm between supports.
Some of the 1436, 50 micron layers as seen on the slicer option:
To access the files for this assignment, please go here: