Manufacturing process Lab

Performance Date: 25-2-2020 Due Date: 3-3-2020

Experiment # 3
Part Manufacturing using 3D Printing
Submitted by

Name Muhammad Moeeze Hassan

Roll no. 30

Group G-7

Batch 17-21

Submitted to: Mr. Ahsan Kaleem

Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................1
Apparatus..................................................................................................................................1
Introduction..............................................................................................................................1
 Historical Background...........................................................................................................1
 Types of 3D printing...............................................................................................................1
Stereolithography...........................................................................................................................................1
Digital Light Processing (DLP) Technology..................................................................................................2
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology...........................................................................................3
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology.................................................................................................3
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Technology..................................................................................................4

 Errors in 3D printing.............................................................................................................4
Procedure..................................................................................................................................5
 Setting up the printer.............................................................................................................5
 Creating a model.....................................................................................................................5
 Slicing......................................................................................................................................5
Craftware Expert Settings...............................................................................................................................5

Observations and Calculations.................................................................................................8

Precautions................................................................................................................................9
Results.......................................................................................................................................9
Discussion.................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................10

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List of figures
Figure 1: Stereolithography.......................................................................................................2
Figure 2: Fused Deposition Modeling.......................................................................................3
Figure 3: Selective Laser Sintering............................................................................................4

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Abstract

The main objective of the experiment is to get an overview of a 3D printer, its parts, working,
operation and typical applications. This branch of additive manufacturing is of extreme
importance in the industries where complicated parts are to be made. The near net shape and
the cost effectiveness of the products make them very attractive for multiple industries. This
lab focused on making a Geneva wheel part, which helped to cover key areas and operations
in 3D printing. A CAD model was made and then sliced using a software Craftware, and then
3D printed. The part produced didn’t have the perfect shape and several distortions and errors
occurred which were reported at the end of the report.

Apparatus

 3D printer
 PLA Filament

Introduction

3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is any of various processes for making a three-
dimensional object of almost any shape from a 3D model or other electronic data source
primarily through additive processes in which successive layers of material are laid down
under computer control. 3D Printers are machines that produce physical 3D models from
digital data by printing layer by layer. It can make physical models of objects either designed
with a CAD program or scanned with a 3D Scanner. It is used in a variety of industries
including jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction,
automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education and consumer products.

• Historical Background

The technology for printing physical 3D objects from digital data was first developed by
Charles Hull in 1984. He named the technique as Stereo lithography and obtained a patent for
the technique in 1986. While Stereo lithography systems had become popular by the end of
1980s, other similar technologies such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Selective
Laser Sintering (SLS) were introduced.
Another breakthrough in 3D Printing occurred in 2006 with the initiation of an open source
project, named Reprap, which was aimed at developing a self-replicating 3D printer.
• Types of 3D printing
Stereolithography
SLA is a fast prototyping process. Those who use this technology are serious about accuracy
and precision. It can produce objects from 3D CAD data (computer-generated) files in just a
few hours. This is a 3D printing process that’s popular for its fine details and exactness.
Machines that use this technology produce unique models, patterns, prototypes, and various

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production parts. They do this by converting liquid photopolymers (a special type of plastic)
into solid 3D objects, one layer at a time. The plastic is first heated to turn it into a semi-
liquid form, and then it hardens on contact. The printer constructs each of these layers using
an ultraviolet laser, directed by X and Y scanning mirrors. Just before each print cycle, a
recoater blade moves across the surface to ensure each thin layer of resin spreads evenly
across the object. The print cycle continues in this way, building 3D objects from the bottom
up.
Once completed, someone takes the 3D object from the printer and detaches it carefully from
the platform. The 3D part will usually have a chemical bath to remove any excess resin. It’s
also common practice to post-cure the object in an ultra violet oven. What this does is render
the finished item stronger and more stable. Depending on the part, it may then go through a
hand sanding process and have some professional painting done. SLA printing has become a
favored economical choice for a wide variety of industries. Some of these include
automotive, medical, aerospace, entertainment, and also to create various consumer products.

Figure 1: Stereolithography

Digital Light Processing (DLP) Technology

DLP is the oldest of the 3D printing technologies, created by a man called Larry
Hornbeck back in 1987. It’s similar to SLA (see above), given that it also works with
photopolymers. The liquid plastic resin used by the printer goes into a translucent resin
container. There is, however, one major difference between the two, which is the source of
light. While SLA uses ultra violet light, DLP uses a more traditional light source, usually arc
lamps. This process results in pretty impressive printing speeds. When there’s plenty of light,
the resin is quick to harden (we’re talking seconds). Compared to SLA 3D printing, DLP
achieves quicker print times for most parts. The reason it’s faster is because it exposes entire
layers at once. With SLA printing, a laser has to draw out each of these layers, and this takes
time.

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Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology

Figure 2: Fused Deposition Modeling

FDM is a 3D printing process developed by scot , and then implemented by Stratasys Ltd., in
the 1980s. It uses production grade thermal plastic materials to print its 3D objects. It’s
popular for producing functional prototypes, concept models, and manufacturing aids. It’s a
technology that can create accurate details and boasts an exceptional strength to weight ratio.
Before the FDM printing process begins, the user has to slice the 3D CAD data (the 3D
model) into multiple layers using special software. The sliced CAD data goes to the printer
which then builds the object layer at a time on the build platform. It does this simply by
heating and then extruding the thermoplastic filament through the nozzle and onto the base.
The printer can also extrude various support materials as well as the thermoplastic. For
example, as a way to support upper layers, the printer can add special support material
underneath, which then dissolves after the printing process. As with all 3D printers, the time
it takes to print all depends on the objects size and its complexity.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology
An American businessman, inventor, and teacher named Dr. Carl Deckard developed and
patented SLS technology in the mid-1980s. It’s a 3D printing technique that uses high power
CO2 lasers to fuse particles together. The laser sinters powdered metal materials (though it
can utilize other materials too, like white nylon powder, ceramics and even glass). Here’s
how it works:

The build platform, or bed, lowers incrementally with each successive laser scan. It’s a
process that repeats one layer at a time until it reaches the object’s height. There is un-
sintered support from other powders during the build process that surround and protect the
model. This means the 3D objects don’t need other support structures during the build.
Someone will remove the un-sintered powders manually after printing. SLS produces
durable, high precision parts, and it can use a wide range of materials. It’s a perfect
technology for fully-functional, end-use parts and prototypes. SLS is quite similar to SLA
technology with regards to speed and quality. The main difference is with the materials, as
SLS uses powdered substances, whereas SLA uses liquid resins. It’s this wide variety of
available materials that makes SLA technology so popular for printing customized objects.

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 Figure 3: Selective Laser Sintering

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Technology

SLM made its debut appearance back in 1995. It was part of a German research project at the
Fraunhofer Institute ILT, located in the country’s most western city of Aachen. Like SLA
(see above), SLM also uses a high-powered laser beam to form 3D parts. During the printing
process, the laser beam melts and fuses various metallic powders together. The simple way to
look at this is to break down the basic process like thus:

Powdered material + heat + precision + layered structure = a perfect 3D object.

• Errors in 3D printing

Warping: The base of the printing model will start to lift/bend upwards until it is no longer
level with the printing platform. This could also lead to horizontal cracks in the upper parts of
the print. This mainly happens because ABS and PLA filament starts to contract very slightly
when it cools down, warping happens if the plastic is cooled too quickly.

Cracks: Getting cracks in your prints is a common issue. Cracks can often appear on the
sides of your prints, especially on taller models. This is definitely one of the most frustrating
problems in 3D printing, this is because it tends to mainly effect larger prints and usually
whilst you’re not there. In the higher layers, the material cools faster, this is due to the heat
from the heated print bed not being able to reach that high. Adhesion will definitely be lower
in the upper layers.

Over-Extrusion: A common issue in 3D printing is over-extrusion. This means that the

printer uses more filament than needed. This results in excess filament on the outside of the
printed model but also a lot of wasted filament. The most common cause of this issue is that
the extrusion multiplier or flow setting in the slicing software is set too high.

Stringing: Stringing is when 3D prints sometimes have unsightly strings of plastic between
parts of the model and where the printer shouldn’t be printing. Stringing happens because the
print head moves over an open area and sometimes, filament leaks and drips out of the nozzle
leaving a ‘string’ of plastic.

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 Procedure
• Setting up the printer
o Heat up the printer platform and head to the required temperatures. (Head to the
melting point of PLA, 230 degrees and bed to 60 degrees centigrade)
o Insert the material wire feed into the head and using motor driving levers, lower
the wire into the head
o Balance the platform by bringing the head a paper thickness close to all the
corners of the bed
• Creating a model
o Create the CAD model of the product that is required to be 3D printed
o Export it as stereolithography file (.stl)
• Slicing
o Create a new model in software Craftware
o Import a new part in the environment
o Open settings
o Easy mode can be used to quickly print the part.
o Select the material and the layer height. Rest are to be set automatically
o Expert mode can be used to fine tune the settings before printing the part
o Details of the settings used are shown in the photos below
Craftware Expert Settings
Basic Settings

 Resolution: This affects the quality and the look of your objects.

o Extrusion width: Width of a single extruder line.
o Layer height: The smaller the layer height, the better the quality but
longer the print time.
 Extruder: The extruder-specific settings.
o Filament diameter: Input the diameter of filament you’ll be using.
 Infill: The infill settings of the model are controlled in this section
o Type: The structure of infill responsible for imparting strength to object.
o Density: The amount of infill you want to extrude material inside the
object. A higher value means improved strength, but also uses more material and takes
more time.
o Width: The extrusion width of a single line of infill. A higher value gives
you more strength
o Angle: The angle of the first layer of infill.
Foundation
These settings control the initial layers of your model.

 First layer: Denote the first layer settings of the model.

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 o Height: A higher first layer height, improves bed adhesion.
o Draw speed: Printing speed for the first layer should be slow. This ensures
that the material lays down smoothly and sticks to the bed well.
o Travel speed: The movement of extruder during the first layer. Should be
lower than base setting.
o Temperature: A hotter first layer means a better adhesion to the print surface.
 Skirt: It’s an outline of your printed model for just a single layer. Helps in priming
the nozzle before actual printing begins.
Temperature
Here, you can set the material extrusion temperature.

 Fan speed: Enables/Disables the part cooling fan. Some materials benefit from
cooling, others don’t need it. While using the fan, disabling it for the first few layers will
give stronger first layers and improved bed adhesion.
 Heating: Controls the bed and hot end temperatures.

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Observations
The part manufactured using the 3D printing technique had great quality and was much
cheaper to manufacture as compared to the traditional techniques of machining. However,
during the first run, the height adjustment of the part was poor, hence the edges of the part
being manufactured were very rough. The part was made better by increasing the export
quality of the part in the Creo model. Due to the shortage of time, the second model was not
sliced in the lab time and was done on a later date by modifying the CAD model.

The part generated by the 3D printing technique was a Geneva wheelbase support:

Generally, the part manufactured was in a roughly precise form. The small uneven surfaces
did occur the printed part. But all in all, there were almost no major errors, cracks and over
extrusions in the part.

Precautions
 Keep safe distances from the machine as the temperatures rise to very high degrees
 Prevent burning of skin and other body parts
 Always wear safety goggles and gloves

Results
The part was successfully made using the procedure of 3D printing and almost near net shape
was obtained. There were a few distortions in the final product but all in all, a complicated
shape which would have been very difficult to obtain using subtractive manufacturing.

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Discussion
Even though the part made from 3D printing was pretty close to what was expected from it,
there were still several drawbacks and distortions in the process. The major occurring in the
first run of the experiment were as follows:

o Errors in making the CAD model (exported resolution issues)

o Excessive amount of time to print the model
o Warping in the model
o Cracks in the product
o Poor finishing
o Stringing

Most of the issues were resolved in the second iteration of making the product by tuning the
expert mode settings during slicing and tinkering with the printer settings. The reduced errors
were now as follows:

 Minor cracks
 Minor unevenness in finishing
 Slight sagging in the a few areas of the printed part
 Small and ignorable stringing

The CAD model was modified, and the step size was changes to 0.343 mm to get a fine
slicing model. Warping was fixed by reducing the temperature to just below the melting point
of the material, PLA. The cracks were reduced by tinkering the extruder temperature within
10 degrees range. The temperatures of the bed and the head were set by trial and error to
reduce the warping and cracks. Stringing however could not be fixed in this printer as the
printer did not come with the technology to constantly clean the head. Hence the thin fibers
kept running across the model. Sagging problems occurred as the extruded parts weren’t
perfectly supported by the lower layers of infill. The small sagging can be reduced even
further by tinkering with the angle and shape of the infill.

All in all, a very close shape to that of the 3D model was created and the surface was smooth
enough for the Geneva wheel to move upon it.

Conclusion
Despite of small deviations from expected results, the experiment was performed
successfully, and the it was learnt how to operate a 3D printer. It was also learnt that additive
manufacturing is the hot topic in the current manufacturing industry as it provides several
benefits over subtractive manufacturing. Apart from that, CAD modeling and slicing of the
model was also learnt. During the slicing, expert settings of the printers were set which gave
a first-hand knowledge of how to fine tune the final product to one’s liking. It was also learnt
how to reduce and overcome manufacturing defects in common 3D printing methods.