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2025

Stanley Amaechi

Stanley Amaechi

I am a software engineer with over a decade experience in project cost management. I am passionate about AI and ioT and also a Fab Academy Student at Fab Lab Oulu.

This site is my personal portfolio developed during Fab Academy 2025.

© 2025 Stanley Amaechi | Template by Bootstrapious

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Week 5 - 3D Scanning and Printing

This week focused on understanding 3D printing design rules, material characteristics, and how to optimize angles to avoid "spaghetti" effects in unsupported structures. Through hands-on testing and creative projects, I explored the capabilities and limitations of both 3D printing with PLA and resin printing technologies.

Embedded Programming Setup

Tasks

  • Group Assignment:
    • Test the design rules for the 3D printers
    • Documentation of work on group work page and reflection on individual page of characteristics of the printers
  • Individual Assignment:
    • Design and 3D print an object that could not be easily made subtractively
    • 3D scan an object

Process explanation

Group Assignment

I collaborated with Lauri Hallman and Shahmeer Adnan Rana to test three printers in our Fab Lab:

Group Assignment Documentation

Printer Capability Analysis

Feature FDM (PLA) SLA (Resin)
Max Unsupported Overhang 6mm Unlimited*
Minimum Wall Thickness 0.4mm 0.2mm
Surface Finish Visible layer lines Optically smooth
Post-Processing Sanding required Washing/Curing
Key Insight: Resin printing enables complex geometries but requires more safety precautions. Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which is the technology used by the Enders 3D printer, needs careful support planning but is better for functional parts.

Individual Assignment

Fusion 360 Design Process

Concept & Non-Subtractive Features

I designed a phone holder with integrated cable management, focusing on features that are impossible to create with subtractive manufacturing:

Fusion 360 Design
Fig 1 - Final design with supports for hollow channels (green)
Key Design Elements:
  • Design was rotated 90% to reduce print time, and minmize support
  • 3mm hollow cable channels
  • Full support mode and a 100% infill

The curved arms grip the phone through internal overhangs, while the hollow channels prevent cable clutter – both features that milling machines cannot produce without disassembly.

Technical Specifications
Dimension Value Rationale
Base Thickness 5mm Prevent warping during printing
Wall Thickness 0.5mm Balance between strength and material use
Overhang Angle 60° Avoid supports on grip surfaces

Slicing Strategy

IdeaMaker Settings
Critical Settings (IdeaMaker)
  • Layer Height 0.2mm
  • Infill 15%
  • Supports All (Auto)
Adapted from Group Findings: The angles of the artefacts play a vital role on the supports you would use.

Printing Execution

First Layer Adhesion

Initial layer using 215°C nozzle/60°C bed

Mid-Print Progress

Hour 2: Support performance check

Support Removal

Post-processing with needle-nose pliers

Print Statistics
Metric Value Tolerance
Total Time 6h 30m ±15m
Material Used FAB PLA

Final Result & Hero Shot

Front View
Fig 3 - Finished print (front)
In Use
Fig 4 - Functional test with smartphone
Success Metrics Achieved:
  • All cables fit through 3mm channels
  • No visible layer separation on curved surfaces
  • Supports removed cleanly from hidden areas

Vase Scanning Workflow

Scanning Process
  1. Surface preparation should be done especially for transparent materials
  2. 6-angle turntable capture
  3. Mesh alignment in software
Before/After Cleanup
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Resin Print Result
Resin Vase Print

Resources Utilized

  • Software: Fusion 360, IdeaMaker
  • Hardware: Creality Ender 3, Creality Ender 3 Pro,
  • Materials: Fab PLA+, Resin

Reflection

Summary

This week revealed the delicate balance between design ambition and 3D printing realities. While additive manufacturing enables unprecedented geometric freedom, each technology has its constraints - from FDM's support requirements to resin's post-processing needs. The scanning process emphasized that capturing reality requires both technical precision and artistic interpretation during mesh cleanup.

Main Difficulties

  1. Phone holder design: I would need to redesign the phone holder to hold the phone vertically better.
  2. Scan Artifacts: Addressed through multi-angle captures, and patiently slowly capturing.
  3. Resin Curing: Improved with UV station calibration

Main Learnings

  • FDM requires ≥60° overhang angles for clean prints
  • Resin safety protocols (gloves, ventilation)
  • 0.4mm minimum wall thickness for structural integrity