ASSIGNMENTS

Group Assignment

Test the design rules for your 3D printer(s).

3D Printing

For this week’s assignment, we looked at 3D Scanning and printing. The group assignment was to test the design rules of the Labs 3D printer(s), document the work done, and explain the limits of the printer(s).

3D printing uses computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional objects through a layering method. Sometimes referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing involves layering materials, like plastics, composites or bio-materials to create objects that range in shape, size, rigidity and color.

Advantages of 3D Printing

1. Flexible Design:

   allows for the design and printing of more complex designs than traditional manufacturing processes.

2. Rapid Prototyping:

   can manufacture parts within hours, which speeds up the prototyping process. This allows for each stage to complete faster.

3. Saves Space:

   it doesn’t need a lot of space to stock inventory, unlike traditional manufacturing processes. This saves space and costs as there is no need to print in bulk unless required. Design files can also be stored virtually, also reducing space.

4. Strong and Lightweight Parts:

   the material used in 3D printing is plastic, although some metals can also be used for 3D printing. However, plastics over advantages as they are lighter than their metal equivalents. This is particularly important in industries such as automotive and aerospace where the weight of parts. Also, parts can be created from tailored materials to provide specific properties such as heat resistance, higher strength or water repellency.

5. Reduced Waste:

   the production of parts only requires the materials needed for the part itself, with little or no wastage as compared to alternative methods which are cut from large chunks of non-recyclable materials. Not only does the process save on resources but it also reduces the cost of the materials being used.

6. Cost-Effective:

   As a single step manufacturing process, 3D printing saves time and therefore costs associated with using different machines for manufacture. 3D printers can also be set up and left to get on with the job, meaning that there is no need for operators to be present the entire time. As mentioned above, this manufacturing process can also reduce costs on materials as it only uses the amount of material required for the part itself, with little or no wastage. While 3D printing equipment can be expensive to buy, you can even avoid this cost by outsourcing your project to a 3D printing service company.

7. Ease of Access:

   3D printers are becoming more and more accessible with more local service providers offering outsourcing services for manufacturing work. This saves time and doesn’t require expensive transport costs compared to more traditional manufacturing processes produced abroad in countries such as China.

Disadvantages of 3D Printing

1. Limited Materials:

   While 3D Printing can create items in a selection of plastics and metals the available selection of raw materials is not exhaustive. This is because not all metals or plastics can be temperature-controlled enough to allow 3D printing. In addition, many of these printable materials cannot be recycled and very few are food safe.

2. Restricted Build Size:

   3D printers currently have small print chambers which restrict the size of parts that can be printed. Anything bigger will need to be printed in separate parts and joined together after production. This can increase costs and time for larger parts due to the printer needing to print more parts before manual labor is used to join the parts together.

3. Post Processing:

   Although large parts require post-processing, as mentioned above, most 3D printed parts need some form of cleaning up to remove support material from the build and to smooth the surface to achieve the required finish. Post-processing methods used include water jetting, sanding, a chemical soak and rinse, air or heat drying, assembly, and others. The amount of post-processing required depends on factors including the size of the part being produced, the intended application, and the type of 3D printing technology used for production. So, while 3D printing allows for the fast production of parts, the speed of manufacture can be slowed by post-processing.

4. Large Volumes:

   3D printing is a static cost unlike more conventional techniques like injection moulding, where large volumes may be more cost effective to produce. While the initial investment for 3D printing may be lower than other manufacturing methods, once scaled up to produce large volumes for mass production, the cost per unit does not reduce as it would with injection moulding.

5. Part Structure:

   With 3D printing (also known as Additive Manufacturing) parts are produced layer-by-layer. Although these layers adhere together it also means that they can delaminate under certain stresses or orientations. This problem is more significant when producing items using fused deposition modelling (FDM), while polyjet and multijet parts also tend to be more brittle. In certain cases it may be better to use injection moulding as it creates homogenous parts that will not separate and break.

6. Design Inaccuracies:

   Another potential problem with 3D printing is directly related to the type of machine or process used, with some printers having lower tolerances, meaning that final parts may differ from the original design. This can be fixed in post processing, but it must be considered that this will further increase the time and cost of production.

7. Copyright Issues:

   As 3D printing is becoming more popular and accessible there is a greater possibility for people to create fake and counterfeit products and it will almost be impossible to tell the difference. This has evident issues around copyright as well as for quality control.

3D Printer

In the Lab we currently have the Flash Forge Creator Pro based on open-source technology. It allows owners to upgrade various parts of the printer, making it very flexible. This 3D printer has the following features:

Software

The Flash Forge Creator Pro is not restricted by proprietary software meaning that users have many options to use when working with this printer such as:

1. Simplify 3d
2. Skeinforge
3. Cura
4. 3D Builder
5. Slic3r
6. ReplicatorG
7. FlashPrint

Note: ReplicatorG is currently software used with the printer.

Heated Build Plate

The build plate is approximately 6.5mm thick and made from aluminum. It also has the additional ability to be heated to various temperatures meaning that it can work with different materials.

Note: Be cautious not to burn your hand when removing parts from the bed.

Build Volume

The build volume of this machine is approximately 227mm (L) X 148mm (W) X 150mm (H) or 8.94inches (L) X 5.83inches (W) X 5.91inches (H).

Note: If parts or models are larger than the build volume, consider breaking up the model into smaller parts that can be printed by the machine and then assembling after.

Nozzle/Extruder

This printer is a dual extruder (left & right) and allows for smooth filament loading. The extruders also contain fans to improve modeling and both extruders can also print at the same time. Also, by the nozzle diameter for both extruders are .4mm and can reach temperatures of 240 C (463 F).

Note: Dual extruders allow for the printing of two materials at the same time increasing model variety.

Materials

Apart from its ability to use two materials at the same time the printer also allows this use of different types of materials such as PLA, ABS, woodfill, copperfill, brassfill and flexible filament.

Note: Each filament may require a different temperature to be used effectively.

Limitations of the 3D Printer

In order to test the limitations of the printer we used the various test builds provided on the Fab Academy Schedule for the 3D Scanning and Printing week click here

Angle

This test looked at what angle could be successfully printed without requiring any support. The angles used were 0,10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80 &90. Following the test, it was observed that angles between 0-40 all had some defects whereas 50-90 appeared to be ok.

Overhang

This test looked at the distance that material can be placed without having support. The distances used were 1mm to 10 mm. Following the test, it was observed that most of the pieces had errors.

Bridging

This test looked at the distance material can be placed without having supports. The distances used were2mm,4mm,6mm,8mm,10mm,12mm,14mm,16mm,18mm and 20mm.Following the test it was observed that distances between 6mm-20mm resulted in errors in the build while distances between 2mm-4mm showed no errors.

Wall Thickness

This test looked at the minimum thickness a wall could be using the 3Dprinter. The thicknesses used were 2mm,4mm,6mm,8mm,10mm,12mm,14mm,16mm,18mm and 20mm.Following the test it was observed that thicknesses between 6mm-20mm was not suitable for walls.

Dimensions

This test compared the dimensions of the design vs the dimensions of the 3D print. Following the test it was observed that the dimensions of the 3D print varied by .06 mm from the design.

Surface Finish

This test looked at the at the finish of the final part created.

ReplicatorG

This software can run a variety of 3D printers from MakerBot Replicator, Thing-O-Matic, CupCake CNC, RepRap machine, or generic CNC machines. It accepts either GCode or STL files. It’s a cross platform, easily installed, and is based on the familiar Arduino / Processing environments. ReplicatorG is growing the number of printers it can operate.

When you open the application, you will find a blank page and it will identify the connected printer.

When an stl file or gcode is added a model will appear in the black area with options for manipulating the model.

To print the model select generate code and options will appear that control various settings of the 3D printer such as extruder temperature, build plate temperature, infill, extruder to be used, supports, and rafts. After the preferred options have been selected and generate the gcode to create the object. When this is completed select the build option an the printing process will begin.

Note: While the machine tab provides a list of printers that can be used with the software. The Thingiverse tab links to a database where many models can be found to use with the machine.

Prusa MK3+

This printer was our newest printer so not much time was taken to run detailed test as the Flashforge. A test piece comprising of all the basic print test was produced by the printer using most of the default settings with some simple adjustments such as the infill, layer height and temperature settings.

The Prusa Slicer was used to prepare 3D images to send to the printer.

Lab's 3D Printers Comparison

When comparing the calibration test print of the Prusa MK3+ to the FlashForge Creator Pro, it's clear that the Prusa takes the lead. The Prusa MK3+ improves on precision, consistency, producing smoother and more uniform prints. Its user-friendly features, including auto-leveling, make it accessible to newcomers, while its thriving open-source community provides readily available calibration profiles and troubleshooting resources. Moreover, the Prusa's reputation for reliability ensures that calibration settings remain stable over time, leading to consistently high-quality test prints. In contrast, the FlashForge Creator Pro, though capable, may require slower print speeds and more manual adjustments, making it less user-friendly and potentially less reliable in the long run.