Week 12 - 3D printing

Digital fabrication

• Digital fabrication is a type of manufacturing process where the machine used is controlled by a computer.

• Why digital fabrication? Digital fabrication is fast becoming an important enabling technology in many chemical engineering fields.

• Such as addictive technology in the oil & gas industry.

• Also, it is good for prototyping and good for end-use parts.

Additive Manufacturing (AM)

• It is an appropriate name to describe the technologies that build 3D objects by adding layer upon layer of material.​

• It can use any material from plastic to concrete.​

• Also, it is limitless.​

Advantages of Additive Manufacturing (AM)

• Manufacturing & Assembly in one part​ - can combine assemblies into single parts, which can reduce overall product cost in unique situations.

• Cost of 3D printers​ - are affordable and common materials.​

• Prototyping costs much less​ - Make the necessary design changes, print a new part, and have near verification that your updated design fits the requirements.​

Application of Additive Manufacturing (AM)

• AM has gone from prototyping and tooling to manufacturing in industrial sectors such as architectural, medical, dental &, etc.​

3D printing technology (FDM, SLA, SLS)

3D printing material

Suitable thermoplastics for FDM 3D printing

3D printing slicer settings

Layer Height

• Layer height is a very influential factor in slicers and refers to the height of each layer of your print. ​

• The smaller the layer height, the more layers will be required in the overall print. ​

Print speed

• A faster print will affect the quality of the bridging negatively ​

• The printer will not have enough time to connect 2 layers together​

• Therefore the print speed should be slower.​

Part Orientation

• Quality, Strength, and surface finish​ will be affected.

• Print incorrectly affecting the quality of the product and surface finish​.

• Incorrectly bridge parts together affecting the structural integrity and strength of the item

Supports

• Increases material costs, printing durations.​

• Needs to be removed before the model is ready.​

• Risk of damaging the model.

• Needed when there are overhangs and bridges that are not supported by anything below.

Cooling fans

• PLA requires moderate cooling from the part-cooling fan, but ABS shouldn’t have any (because cooling can lead to cracking). ​

Infill

• Internal filling of 3D printed parts.

• In a slicer, infill can be controlled using infill density, set as a percentage, and infill pattern, which is the infill structure or form.​

• A more robust infill will increase the strength of the printed parts. ​

• For strong parts select choose cubic patterns for flexible parts choose a concentric pattern.

Shell thickness

• The parameters of the print​

• Infills are the “Insides” Shells are the “outside” of the print ​

• Select higher shell thickness for a stronger print ​

3D printing applications

• 3D printed heart

• 3D printing on Food

• 3D printed Homes

• 3D printing of PPE