INTREPID SEMINAR @ Karlovac

Rapid Prototyping and Scanning Seminar

Product Development
First Day- morning session Introduction Rapid Prototyping Coffee break Scanning Lunch Afternoon session Establishing Process Capability

Product Development
Second Day- morning session Introduction Decision Tools
Design Structure Matrix System dynamics

Coffee break Innovation Lunch Afternoon session New Technologies Summary

Challenges Ahead
Consumer products from months to weeks to market Large products from years to months New materials designed Integration of Human and Technical resources More knowledgeable/informed workforce Conversion of information to knowledge Environmental compatibility Reconfigurable Enterprises Innovative Processes

The Need for Speed in the Product Development Process

Global Manufacturing Environment:

More competitors = more pressure to develop new and improved products. Shorter model life = fewer number of units to recover development costs. To be profitable, costs must be low. It is much more difficult now to pass on costs to the consumer. New design tools must focus on speeding up the product development process and reducing costs (read that as getting it right the first time).

RP Product

RP Product

RP Product

RAPID PROTOTYPING
1. Introduction to Rapid Prototyping 2. Basics of Rapid Prototyping 3. Rapid Prototyping Technics 4. Applications of Prototyping

RAPID PROTOTYPING
Techniques for constructing objects from a 3-dimensional computer models in a series of layers without requiring moulds, jigs or machining Selective placement of solid material in a plane.
Solidifying a liquid Fusing solid particles Cutting and stacking

RAPID PROTOTYPING
Applications: Visualization models Tooling Direct fabrication of objects Unique materials, composites, and geometries.
Major advantage over conventional machining is the reduction of lead time of the order of weeks to a much shorter hours or at most days!

Why is Rapid Prototyping Important?

Product designers want to have a physical model of a new part or product design rather than just a computer model or line drawing
Creating a prototype is an integral step in design A virtual prototype (a CAD model of the part) may not be sufficient for the designer to visualize the part adequately Using RP to make the prototype, the designer can see and feel the part and assess its merits and shortcomings

RP Two Basic Categories:

1. Material removal RP - machining, using a dedicated CNC machine that is available to the design department on short notice
Starting material is often wax Easy to machine Can be melted and re-solidified The CNC machines are often small - called desktop machining

2. Material addition RP - adds layers of material one at a time to build the solid part from bottom to top

Starting Materials in Material Addition RP

1. Liquid monomers that are cured layer by layer into solid polymers 2. Powders that are aggregated and bonded layer by layer 3. Solid sheets that are laminated to create the solid part

Additional Methods In addition to starting material, the various material addition RP technologies use different methods of building and adding layers to create the solid part
There is a correlation between starting material and part building techniques

More About Rapid Prototyping

Alternative names for RP:
Layer manufacturing Direct CAD manufacturing Solid freeform fabrication Rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RPM)

RP technologies are being used increasingly to make production parts and production tooling, not just prototypes

Classification of RP Technologies
There are various ways to classify the RP techniques that have currently been developed The RP classification used here is based on the form of the starting material:
1. Liquid-based 2. Solid-based 3. Powder-based

Liquid-Based Rapid Prototyping Systems Starting material is a liquid About a dozen RP technologies are in this category Includes the following processes:
Stereo lithography Solid ground curing Droplet deposition manufacturing

Stereo lithography (STL or SLA)

RP process for fabricating a solid plastic part out of a photosensitive liquid polymer using a directed laser beam to solidify the polymer Part fabrication is accomplished as a series of layers - each layer is added onto the previous layer to gradually build the 3-D geometry The first addition RP technology - introduced 1988 by 3D Systems Inc. based on the work of Charles Hull More installations than any other RP method

Stereolithography

Stereolithography
Mirror System LASER

Base Elevator Platform

Liquid Photopolymer

Stereo lithography

Stereo lithography: (1) at the start of the process, in which the initial layer is added to the platform; and (2) after several layers have been added so that the part geometry gradually takes form.

Stereolithography
Laser used to selectively cure layer of liquid photopolymer.
Acrylate resin Epoxy

Curing by ultraviolet wavelengths.

He-Cd or solid state laser.

Elevator moves downward by one layer thickness, allowing liquid photopolymer to form a new layer over the part. After build is completed, must be post processed:
Supports removed. Post-cured to develop full strength.

2.0.a

SLA Advantages
Good accuracy and surface finish Good speed, especially if multiple parts are made in a single build Well-characterized and accepted technology (oldest RP process) Almost no waste

SLA Disadvantages
Resins are skin irritants Requires support structures for some part geometries High material cost (Appx. 140 per liter) Limited choice of materials

A part produced by stereo lithography (photo courtesy of 3D Systems, Inc.).

Facts about STL/SLA

Each layer is 0.076 mm to 0.50 mm (0.003 in to 0.020 in.) thick
Thinner layers provide better resolution and more intricate shapes; but processing time is longer

Starting materials are liquid monomers Polymerization occurs on exposure to UV light produced by laser scanning beam
Scanning speeds ~ 500 to 2500 mm/s

Part Build Time in STL/SLA

Time to complete a single layer :
Ai Ti = + Td vD
where Ti = time to complete layer i; Ai = area of layer i; v = average scanning speed of the laser beam at the surface; D = diameter of the spot size, assumed circular; and Td = delay time between layers to reposition the worktable

Part Build Time in STL/SLA - continued

Once the Ti values have been determined for all layers, then the build cycle time is:
Tc = Ti
i =1 ni

where Tc = STL build cycle time; and nl = number of layers used to approximate the part Time to build a part ranges from one hour for small parts of simple geometry up to several dozen hours for complex parts

Solid Ground Curing (SGC)

Like stereo lithography, SGC works by curing a photosensitive polymer layer by layer to create a solid model based on CAD geometric data Instead of using a scanning laser beam to cure a given layer, the entire layer is exposed to a UV source through a mask above the liquid polymer Hardening takes 2 to 3 s for each layer

Solid Ground Curing

SGC steps for each layer: (1) mask preparation, (2) applying liquid photopolymer layer,(3) mask positioning and exposure of layer, (4) uncured polymer removed from surface, (5) wax filling, (6) milling for flatness and thickness.

Facts about SGC

Sequence for each layer takes about 90 seconds Time to produce a part by SGC is claimed to be about eight times faster than other RP systems The solid cubic form created in SGC consists of solid polymer and wax The wax provides support for fragile and overhanging features of the part during fabrication, but can be melted away later to leave the free-standing part

Droplet Deposition Manufacturing (DDM)

Starting material is melted and small droplets are shot by a nozzle onto previously formed layer Droplets cold weld to surface to form a new layer Deposition for each layer controlled by a moving x-y nozzle whose path is based on a cross section of a CAD geometric model that is sliced into layers Work materials include wax and thermoplastics

Solid-Based Rapid Prototyping Systems

Starting material is a solid Solid-based RP systems include the following processes:

Laminated object manufacturing Fused deposition modeling

Laminated Object Manufacturing

Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)

Solid physical model made by stacking layers of sheet stock, each an outline of the cross-sectional shape of a CAD model that is sliced into layers, uses paper (or other film) sheets coated with thermal adhesive to build up parts. Starting sheet stock includes paper, plastic, cellulose, metals, or fiber-reinforced materials, each new sheet bonded to part with heat and pressure. The sheet is usually supplied with adhesive backing as rolls that are spooled between two reels After cutting, excess material in the layer remains in place to support the part during building

Laminated Object Manufacturing

Mirror System LASER

Laminating Roller

Supply Roll

Take-Up Roll Elevator Platform

Excess material crosshatched for later removal

Part boundary

Laminated Object Manufacturing

Laminated object manufacturing.

LOM Advantages
Subtractive method allows large volumes to be built rapidly Supported building Surface quality and accuracy Materials
Dry forming vs. liquids or loose powders Only as good as tape casting technology

LOM Disadvantages
Manual cleanup requires skill, time Waste
Majority of the material consumed by LOM does not contribute to the part itself

Safety
Laser cutting produces smoke and/or fumes venting may be required

Laminar structure
Parts are formed from alternating layers of material and adhesive. Physical properties (strength, modulus) inhomogeneous and anisotropic Delamination and warping

Fused Deposition Modeling

Fused Deposition Modeling

Thermoplastic Filament Extruder Head

Supply Roll

Elevator Platform

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

RP process in which a long filament of wax or polymer is extruded onto existing part surface from a work head to complete each new layer Work head is controlled in the x-y plane during each layer and then moves up by a distance equal to one layer in the z-direction Extrudate is solidified and cold welded to the cooler part surface in about 0.1 s Part is fabricated from the base up, using a layerby-layer procedure

Fused Deposition Modeling

Parts built up with thermoplastic polymer (usually ABS) or wax. Material supplied on flexible filament. Material heated to 0.5o C above solidification temperature, extruded onto part where it quickly cools. No post-processing of model other than removal of thin-wall support structures.

FDM Advantages
Safety
Inert, non-toxic solids. No fumes, solvents; office environment.

Reliability Low cost Ability to create hollow parts (no trapped liquid) Materials
ABS is tough, functional material. Wax is important as patterns for investment castings. Possibility for multiple materials. Metals and ceramics possible using powder processing techniques.

FDM Disadvantages

Poor surface finish due to thick layers Supports are required Slow build speed (10X slower than other RP processes)

Powder-Based RP Systems
Starting material is a powder Powder-based RP systems include the following:
Selective laser sintering Three dimensional printing

Selective Laser Sintering

Selective Laser Sintering

Mirror System Laser Selectively Sinters Powder LASER

Leveling Roller

Powder Bed

Loose Powder

Selective Laser Sintering

Developed at University of Texas, commercialized by DTM corporation. Uses powder as bulk material (thermoplastic polymer, wax, metal, or ceramic). Layer of powder spread over the top of the part, leveled. Laser used to fuse or sinter layer onto part. No support structure is needed, as unfused powder supports the part. Finished part is embedded within a cake of loose powder.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Moving laser beam sinters heat-fusible powders in areas corresponding to the CAD geometry model one layer at a time to build the solid part After each layer is completed, a new layer of loose powders is spread across the surface Layer by layer, the powders are gradually bonded by the laser beam into a solid mass that forms the 3-D part geometry In areas not sintered, the powders are loose and can be poured out of completed part

SLS Materials
Polycarbonate Polystyrene Nylon Glass-filled nylon Coated metal powder Elastomer

SLS Advantages
Wide choice of materials
Direct functional parts Tooling

Supported build Good for complex parts Speed

SLS Disadvantages
Surface finish
Retains granular texture of original particles

Porosity, strength
Many materials not fully dense

Shrinkage, curling Process complexity

Many operational variables: laser power, speed, supply material temperature Concerns about nitrogen leaks, lack of O2

High cost ($400,000+)

Three Dimensional Printing (3DP)

Part is built layer-by-layer using an ink-jet printer to eject adhesive bonding material onto successive layers of powders Binder is deposited in areas corresponding to the cross sections of part, as determined by slicing the CAD geometric model into layers The binder holds the powders together to form the solid part, while the un-bonded powders remain loose to be removed later To further strengthen the part, a sintering step can be applied to bond the individual powders

Three Dimensional Printing

Three dimensional printing: (1) powder layer is deposited, (2) ink-jet printing of areas that will become the part, and (3) piston is lowered for next layer (key: v = motion).

RP Applications
Applications of rapid prototyping can be classified into three categories:
1. Design 2. Engineering analysis and planning 3. Tooling and manufacturing

Design Applications
Designers are able to confirm their design by building a real physical model in minimum time using RP Design benefits of RP:
Reduced lead times to produce prototypes Improved ability to visualize part geometry Early detection of design errors Increased capability to compute mass properties

Engineering Analysis and Planning

Existence of part allows certain engineering analysis and planning activities to be accomplished that would be more difficult without the physical entity
Comparison of different shapes and styles to determine aesthetic appeal Wind tunnel testing of streamline shapes Stress analysis of physical model Fabrication of pre-production parts for process planning and tool design

Tooling Applications
Called rapid tool making (RTM) when RP is used to fabricate production tooling Two approaches for tool-making:
1. Indirect RTM method 2. Direct RTM method

Indirect RTM Method

Pattern is created by RP and the pattern is used to fabricate the tool Examples:
Patterns for sand casting and investment casting Electrodes for EDM

Direct RTM Method

RP is used to make the tool itself Example:
3DP to create a die of metal powders followed by sintering and infiltration to complete the die

Manufacturing Applications
Small batches of plastic parts that could not be economically molded by injection molding because of the high mold cost Parts with intricate internal geometries that could not be made using conventional technologies without assembly One-of-a-kind parts such as bone replacements that must be made to correct size for each user

Problems with Rapid Prototyping

Part accuracy:
Staircase appearance for a sloping part surface due to layering Shrinkage and distortion of RP parts

Limited variety of materials in RP

Mechanical performance of the fabricated parts is limited by the materials that must be used in the RP process

1980s Design Tools

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
2-dimensional representation of 3-dimensional parts. Used more for design documentation than for design.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

No link to CAD, analyst creates model from scratch. Mostly 2-D linear analysis on PCs, more complex problems limited to mainframe computers. Used more for design verification than for design development.

1990s Design Tools

Solid Modeling
3-dimensional representations. 2-dimensional drawings created from solid model for documentation. Links to FEA, tool design, CNC manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.

Finite Element Analysis

Better hardware, software: complex analysis possible with PCs. Links to solid modeling and 2-D CAD programs reduce modeling time. Some programs have optimization capabilities.

Rapid Prototyping Physical 3-D models for visualization

Functional prototypes for some parts Tooling patterns for some processes

Rapid Prototyping as a way to capture potential realisation problems

Cost of engineering changes increase by an order of magnitude as the design moves into the next stage of development:
$1.000.000 $100.000 $10.000 $1.000 $100 $10 $1
Conceptual Design Detail Design Prototype Tooling Production Field Service

Steps to Prepare Control Instructions

1. Geometric modeling - model the component on a CAD system to define its enclosed volume 2. Tessellation of the geometric model - the CAD model is converted into a computerized format that approximates its surfaces by facets (triangles or polygons) 3. Slicing of the model into layers - computerized model is sliced into closely-spaced parallel horizontal layers

Solid Model to Layers

Conversion of a solid model of an object into layers (only one layer is shown).

Steps Common to RP Processes

Construct solid model on CAD system. Translate to surface representation: .stl file (common format read by RP software.) Generate 2-D slices with path definitions. (RP machine-specific software.) Add support structures where needed to support the model during fabrication Build object. Post processing.

STL File Format

(3.00, -1.00, 1.00)

Triangle size demonstration

Triangles: 38,000 File Size: 1.9 MB

Triangle size demonstration

Triangles: 195,000 File Size: 19.5 MB

Rapid Prototyping Center Equipment

Laminated Object Modeling

Stereolithography

Fused Deposition Modeling

Selective Laser Sintering

Advantages of Rapid Prototyping

No tooling/forms/fixtures Complex geometries
Shapes that cannot be cast Internal cooling channels, etc.

Unattended operation Waste-less fabrication Rapid: days rather than weeks!

Disadvantages of Rapid Prototyping

Reduced accuracy
RP ~ 50-100 m (0.002-0.004 in.)

Good-to-fair surface finish Inefficient bulk fabrication Build envelope size limits Limited material choices

Concept Modelers

Solidscape 3DS Thermojet Stratasys Genisys Z Corporation Z406

Concept Modelers
Low cost LAN devices, three dimensional printers.
Low noise, office environment. Easy to use, no specialized skills.

Lower resolution, higher speed, low cost per part. Weak materials, used for visual models only. Generally used by designers as a rough draft before sending to more expensive rapid prototyping equipment.

Current Uses of Rapid Prototyping

Functional or Ergonomic Models Visual Aids for Engineering and Toolmaking Fit and Assembly Evaluations Patterns for Prototype Tooling and Metal Casting Direct Tooling Inserts... Quoting and Proposals...

27.3%
22.3% 18.2% 19.7% 3.7% 5.0%

Source: 2001 Wohlers Report

which is the best RP system?

Answer: it depends Many different suppliers worldwide, all have a niche. Two real categories
Rapid Prototyping equipment Concept Modelers

Selection depends on users needs.

END

THANK YOU Questions?