3D Printing Guide

SLM or Selective Laser Melting Technology : Explained Briefly

2020-06-12T22:38:00.000+05:30

Selective Laser Melting or Direct Laser Metal Melting is a rapid additive manufacturing process which uses high power laser beam as power source to melt and bind metallic powder or powdered alloy layer-by-layer to form a 3-Dimensional object.

SLM is similar to SLS 3D printing and both the processes are grouped under Powder Bed Fusion technology. The major difference between the two is SLS 3D printer uses Nylon polymer materials and SLM 3D printer uses metals and alloy materials.

SLM additive manufacturing was first introduced in 1995 at the Fraunhofer Institute ILT in Aachen, Germany as a part of German research project. The ASTM International F42 standards committee has grouped SLM technology under “Laser Sintering” umbrella which is inappropriate because the SLM technology completely melts the metal powder to form 3D object.

The first SLM 3D printer was commercialized in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1999 by the SLM Solutions. In developing this technology many companies were involved and the SLM Solutions is a by-product of these companies.

People also misunderstand SLM technology with the DLMS (Direct Laser Metal Sintering) technology which is a name trademarked under EOS brand. Both the SLM and DLMS technology uses metal and alloy powders as material to make 3D model.

But the major difference between the two is SLM technology melts the metal powders and binds them whereas in DLMS technology is similar to SLS technology which heats the powder metal to the point that they fuse together on a molecular level.

SLM 3D Printing Process

Pre-Printing Process

Every 3D Printing process starts by developing the 3D model in the 3D design software called the CAD (Computer Aided Design) file. This file is then converted into .STL file also known as Stereolithography or Surface Tessellation Language file.

This STL file is then repaired using software like Materialise Magics or Autodesk Netfabb which is recommended in every 3D Printing processes. For example, in some cases the file is damaged or have empty shells than its recommended to repair or fill the empty part of the file else that part will not get printed in the 3D printer and there are 90% chance of printing failure.

Unlike SLS technology, here it is mandatory to add supports to any overhang structure in SLM technology due to the material weight and minimize the distortion caused by the high temperatures required to fuse the metal particles. This is one of the major things that differs SLS and SLM, where the unsintered powder material is used as support and hold the overhang structure.

The STL file is then uploaded into the printer program where it is cut into slices as per the micron (usually between 20 to 100 micrometers) we set. For example, if we set 50 microns in printing parameter than the program will divide 1 mm height into 20 slices, which means the thickness of each slice will be 0.05 mm.

SLM 3D Printing Process

Schematic Diagram of SLM 3D Printing

The SLM 3D printing is a Powder Bed Fusion technology which uses high powered Ytterbium Fiber Laser of 200 watts to melt small granules of raw materials like copper, aluminium, stainless steel, tool steel, cobalt chrome, titanium and tungsten into a 3D model. The Yb-fiber laser beam selectively melts the raw material layer by layer according to the geometry of 2D slices.

SLM 3D printing starts by filling the powder delivery chamber with raw material or material in powder form. The chamber is then filled with inert gases like argon or nitrogen at oxygen levels below 500 part per million making it a controlled atmosphere suitable for melting metal powder materials.

The roller spreads the powder material on the built platform. The laser is focused on the scanner which contains scanning mirrors fixed with galvanometer which guides the laser to trace the 2D geometry of the slice onto the powder bed and perform the melting process. The small granules of material on the platform fuses with each other as the temperature is raised by the laser.

The scanned part gets solidify and gains mechanical strength. Based on the micron configuration set by the operator the built platform moves one layer downward and the roller disperse the powder onto the built platform for laser to solidify the next cross section of the layer.

The whole process is repeated for each layer until the whole 3D part is printed. Once the printing process is completed the operator removes platform and transfer it to the post processing area.

Post Processing SLM Parts

After the printing process is done the 3d model needs to cool down before transferring built plate to the cleaning station for post processing the built part. As we know that parts made by SLM 3D printing needs supports due to the material weight so, first the extra powder material is removed with the help of compressed air or hand brush.

Powder Removal Process. Image source: 3DHUBS

After the powder removal process the supports are removed with the help of band-saw, files and other mechanical instruments. The support material and part material are same so removing supports will be difficult for the operator as he has to be very careful to not damage the 3D model.

After removing supports different post processing like thermal annealing or heat treatment is done to improve mechanical properties, CNC machining for achieving dimensional accuracy, media blasting, metal plating, and polishing are used to improve surface quality and fatigue strength of the printed metal part.

Common SLM Materials

SLM technology uses various metals as their material for making 3D model. Some of the materials are copper, aluminium, stainless steel, tool steel, cobalt chrome, titanium and tungsten. Metals with high melting point and high ductile and brittle transition temperature can be used in SLM technology.

These materials are used in almost all the industries for manufacturing various parts including aerospace, defense and medical industry. SLM technology also uses precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, but the cost of powder material is very high and mostly these metals are used in jewelry manufacturing.

Materials	Characteristics
Aluminium Alloys	+ Good mechanical and thermal properties + Good electrical conductivity + Low density
Stainless Steel	+ High wear resistance + Great hardness + Good ductility and weldability
Titanium Alloys	+ Corrosion resistance + Excellent strength-to-weight ratio + Low thermal expansion + Biocompatible
Cobalt-Chrome Super Alloys	+ Excellent wear and corrosion resistance + High hardness + Biocompatible + Good properties at high temperature
Nickel Super Alloys	+ Good mechanical properties + High corrosion resistance + Temperature resistance upto 1200℃ + Used in extreme environment
Precious Metals	+ Used in jewellery making

Some More Information

The Selective Laser Melting is very useful for those who want rapid manufacturing of small parts in metal or metal alloys. Additive manufacturing can build complicated designs with high accuracy and smooth surface and with the SLM technology this can also be possible in metal parts.

With SLM technology one can make objects with intricate geometries having thin walls which will make the object lightweight. SLM uses almost all types of metal powders including copper, aluminium, stainless steel, tool steel, cobalt chrome, titanium and tungsten which gives good mechanical properties so that it can handle heavy stress and loads.

Complex Geometry by SLM Process. Image source: Forecast3D

SLM technology is only useful for small batch production companies as the melting process takes time and after printing the 3d model take time for cooling.

The ability to 3D print metal, SLM technology is widely used in motor parts like rotors, impellers, cooling channels. Benefits of metal printing is encouraging the economical industries like aerospace, automotive, research, dental and medical to innovate technologies.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared an image of SpaceX's regeneratively-cooled SuperDraco rocket engine chamber manufactured in EOS 3D metal printer on September 5, 2013. The rocket engine was made with 'Inconel Superalloy' which is an alloy of nickel and iron, later in May 2014 SpaceX announced the first qualified fully 3D metal printed engine rocket named SuperDraco.

French automobile company Bugatti was the first to test titanium 3D printed brake caliper in its most fastest and most powerful super sports car Bugatti Chiron which is the successor to the Bugatti Veyron.

Limitations

SLM 3D printing is an expensive process due to the use of metal powders and the power source to melt the powder. So, it is preferable to use this technology only if the parts are difficult to manufacture by traditional method and has complex geometry.

Operator should be skilled and has good knowledge of designing and manufacturing skills. As the SLM process requires support structure, one should know how to cut the supports so that it do not affect the main part.

Parts made by SLM process requires lots of post processing to achieve mechanical properties which degrades overtime. Lots of polishing and finishing process is needed for smooth or mirror surface finish.

Limited size of built platform because of the need of controlled manufacturing environment which would be difficult to achieve in case of bigger built volume. Dimensional error in Z axis can be found in some cases.

SLS or Selective Laser Sintering Technology : Explained Briefly

2020-05-19T22:36:00.001+05:30

Selective Laser Sintering also known as Laser Sintering is an Additive Manufacturing method that uses CO₂ Laser Beam as a power source to fuse or bind plastic (mostly Nylon material) powdered material into 3D model. The technology is new and it is mainly used for rapid prototyping and companies where low volume and high-quality products are needed.

SLS 3D Printing. Image Source: EOS 3D Printer

Similarly, Powder Bed Fusion is one of the 3D printing family that is widely accepted by various manufacturing industry. The SLS or Selective Laser Sintering is one of the most important method of Powder Bed Fusion technology.

SLS technology was invented and developed in 1980 by a student Dr. Carl Deckard and his academic adviser Dr. Joe Beaman of University of Texas at Austin. Later, Carl and Joe started a company named Desk Top Manufacturing (DTM) Corp. to manufacture and sell SLS 3D printer.

Back then, 3D Systems was the leader in 3d printing technology and competitor of DTM Corp. as the SLS and SLA both are similar in some aspects. So, in 2001, 3D Systems acquired DTM Corp. and the last patent issued to Deckard on SLS technology in 28 January 1997 expired in 28 January 2014.

Today, there are mainly 4 companies who are manufacturing high quality SLS 3D printer machine like EOS, 3D Systems, SINTERIT and Sintratec. Machines manufactured by these companies are expensive so, there is less use of SLS machines in small scale companies. Some Chinese and Korean companies have successfully manufactured low cost SLS machines but the quality of the product is way too much weak then the former.

Pre-Printing Process

Generally, after repairing the 3D model supports are added to help build the part properly as the part which are overhang or has weak structure needs good support from the base to hold. But in SLS technology supports are not mandatory as the part is being printed on the powder bed so the unsintered powder will act as a support to the overhang and weak structure.

The STL file is then uploaded into the printer program where it is cut into slices as per the micron we set. For example, if we set 50 microns in printing parameter than the program will divide 1 mm height into 20 slices, which means the thickness of each slice will be 0.05 mm.

SLS 3D Printing Process

The SLS 3D printing is a Powder Bed Fusion technology which uses high power CO₂ laser to bind or fuse small granules of raw materials like plastic, ceramic, metal or even glass into a 3D model. The CO₂ laser selectively sinter the raw material layer by layer according to the design made in CAD file.

SLS 3D Printing Diagram

(Refer Image for better understanding)

SLS 3D printing starts by filling the powder delivery chamber with raw material or material in powder form. The printer preheats the powder material to a temperature just below the melting point of the raw material which makes it easier for the laser to perform sintering process on the powder bed to trace the cross section of the 3D model.

The roller spreads the powder material on the heated built platform. The CO₂ laser scans the cross section of one layer of 3D model on the powder spread on the built platform and perform the sintering process. The small granules of material on the platform fuses with each other as the temperature is raised by the laser.

Laser beam is navigated on the platform through ‘galvanometer’. The laser beam is passed through scanning system where galvanometer is fixed to direct the laser beam on the surface of the built platform to a specific point.

The whole process is repeated for each layer until the whole 3D part is printed. The unsintered powder acts as a support structure to the 3D model which holds the overhangs and thin part of the model. So, there is no requirement to add the support before printing.

Once the printing process is completed the operator removes platform and transfer it to the post processing area.

Post Processing

Unlike other 3D Printing methods like FDM, SLA and DLP technology the post processing of SLS technology requires very less time to clean the parts.

After the printing process is done the built plate is transferred to the cleaning station where extra powder material is removed with the help of compressed air or hand brush.

The excess powder can be reused after filtering it for large particles. But unsintered powder material degrades in high temperature environment so, it is mandatory to refresh the powder material at regular interval.

The surface quality of parts made by SLS have grainy texture and are slightly rough so, to make it more attractive one can used tumbling, dyeing, painting, stove enamelling, metal coating, bonding, powder coating can be done.

Common SLS Materials

The most commonly used material is the Polyamide (PA) due to its ideal sintering semi-crystalline thermoplastic behavior it is a type of nylon plastic. Here PA is a short form of polyamide and the number represents the number of carbon atoms present in the material.

Nylon is the most versatile material as it composites with many different fibers like carbon fibers, glass fibers and aluminium to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the part made in SLS printer.

Other thermoplastic such as Polystyrene (PS), Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE), and Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) are also used for SLS 3D Printing.

Facts About SLS 3D Printing

The SLS technology uses high power CO₂laser and heated beds which needs more electric energy to make it work so, it is not only expensive but also very dangerous to use it in the home. There some cheap SLS printers available in the market which are desktop and you can use it in home because they don’t use heated beds and also the laser is not to powerful. This cheap SLS are used for DIY purposes or where there is no need of high-quality products.

Parts made by SLS 3D Printing. Image Source: Formlabs

SLS 3D printing process uses sintered powder as a raw material so there is no need of adding supports structures to the overhangs in the 3D model like we do in FDM, SLA and DLP 3D Printing. The unsintered powder acts as a support structure for the sintered part.

The material chamber is always filled with raw powdered material so by the technique called ‘Nesting’ multiple parts can be printed at a time which saves printing time and cost.

Laser Sintering technology can print solid complex parts with functional interior components that can be built without material getting trapped inside. It is the fastest 3D printing technology which can make functional, durable, and complex geometry prototypes or end user parts.

Part made by SLS. Image source: Formlabs

Many industries around the world has adapted the use of SLS 3D printing due to its ability to print complex geometry with less manufacturing efforts. SLS is most commonly used for prototyping in investment casting patterns, automotive hardware manufacturing and many more.

Companies who takes small production jobs uses SLS 3D printing for making end user products for aerospace, medical, electronic hardware, military and defense industries.

Disadvantages

High end SLS 3D printers are very much expensive compared to other 3D printing machines like the FDM or SLA due to its high-end laser technology and heating bed which needs more power consumption. So, one cannot use it at home as a desktop 3D printer.

Parts made by SLS technology has porous surface as the sintering process does not melt the granules but it binds or fuses them with each other. But with the help of cyanoacrylate coatings and hot isostatic pressing this porous surface can be sealed.

Designs made by sintering technology are solid as it is impossible to print hollow and fully enclosed parts. The unsintered powder material will always get trapped inside the hollow material and there is nothing we can do to drain the powder.

Continuous DLP 3D Printing : Working of CLIP and cDLM Technology

2020-05-12T01:10:00.001+05:30

CDLP or Continuous Digital Light Processing is a technology that works on DLP technology principles curing photosensitive liquid resin with UV LED light focused from the DMD Projectors. The major difference between the CDLP and DLP technology is the elimination of peeling or vacuum effect or separation force in DLP technology after the curing of one layer.

We learned that in DLP technology DMD Projectors are used to cure the resin contained in a small VAT placed above the projector. The images of the slice get focused on the bottom of the VAT with a UV light source and get cured after focusing the image for 5 to 10 seconds. For separation of the base and the cured resin, a peeling step is performed. This type of 3D printing is called ‘Bottom-Up Printing’.

Schematic representation of Continuous DLP 3D Printing. Image Source: Carbon/Youtube

The CDLP technology is newly developed by two major companies Carbon, Inc. and EnvisionTEC GmbH. The Carbon, Inc. introduced as the ‘CLIP Technology’ and the DLP pioneer EnvisionTEC GmbH named it ‘cDLM Technology’. We will learn both the technology step by step.

Working of CDLP Technology

The Continuous 3D Printing technology works on DLP technology by eliminating the peeling effect. The main process or heart of continuous 3D printing technology is the ‘Dead Zone’ which eliminates the separation or vacuum force produced while separating the printed part from the base of resin VAT.

GIF represents the working of Dead Zone. Image Source: Carbon, Inc./Youtube.com

The ‘Dead Zone’ is the micro distance between the window (base of resin tank) and the printing part which allows the oxygen to move inside. The resin pass through this zone and the UV light from the projector cure the resin which is above the dead zone into a solid part. The resin below the dead zone progresses above the dead zone with the flow of oxygen and the next layer is projected. This entire process is done continuously with the help of oxygen which creates the Dead Zone maintaining ‘Continuous Liquid Interface’.

Once the printing is complete the part is then transferred to the thermal bath or oven to get baked as the part is partially cured. In a thermal bath or oven, the part will gain strength and other mechanical properties.

Carbon CLIP Technology

CLIP technology is a VAT Polymerization technique that uses UV Light to cure the liquid resin into solid parts. It projects the UV light from beneath the transparent resin tank like the DLP 3D printer, but here the resin tank has the ‘oxygen-permeable window’. The solid part is lifted upwards slowly layer by layer as the images of the slice are projected in sequence.

In the year 2015, a new technology of VAT Polymerization called the CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) technology which was a proprietary method of 3D printing was invented by Joseph DeSimone, Alexander and Nikita Ermoshkin, and Edward T. Samulski and was originally owned by EiPi Systems but is now being developed by Carbon, Inc.

Carbon, Inc. also claims that with CLIP technology the parts are 3D printed 100 times faster than the existing SLA and DLP 3D Printers.

EnvisionTEC cDLM Technology

The pioneer of DLP technology EnvisionTEC GmbH is the world leader in manufacturing high accuracy DLP 3D printers since 2002. They use high definition projectors to cure their customized resin materials which are made to serve different industries.

Image representing cDLM Technology. Image Source: EnvisionTEC GmbH

EnvisionTEC GmbH filed a patent on continuous 3D printing in the year 2006 describing the non-interruptive 3D printing on DLP machines powered by UV LED light projectors. They mentioned the use of an oxygen-permeable window under the VAT surface which eliminates the peeling effect. The patent was granted to EnvisionTEC in the year 2011.

Engineers and Technology Developer at EnvisionTEC recognized the challenges occurs while using continuous printing technology like inaccurate parts in the large platform. The use of oxygen below the resin tray is causing a slight tent due to pressure.

To overcome this challenge EnvisionTEC has manufactured 'Domeless Material Tray' which remains flat and parallel during continuous printing.

Conclusion

Both the Carbon CLIP technology and the EnvisionTEC cDLM technology works on the same principle of continuous 3D printing of liquid resin parts using DLP 3D printers. Both technologies face the same problem of inaccurate parts in largely built platforms.

Due to oxygen pressure below the VAT causes a slight tent on the material tray which results in making a dome type structure on the solid 3D printed part. This makes an impression on the printed part which creates inaccuracy in dimension.

EnvisionTEC GmbH has found a solution to eliminating the Dome-Effect by manufacturing flat and parallel built tray by using materials that do not get affected easily by the oxygen pressure used in the cDLM 3D Printer.

DLP 3D Printing : Why DLP is different from SLA 3D Printing

2020-05-07T01:53:00.001+05:30

DLP or Digital Light Processing is a VAT Polymerization technology in which the Photo-Sensitive liquid resin is cured using a DMD projector which emits UV LED light to make a 3-dimensional object.

The VAT Polymerization process consist of 2 main methods called the SLA or Stereolithography and DLP (Digital Light Processing). We all have read in detail how the SLA technology works and now we will learn about the DLP technology and what is the difference between SLA and DLP technology.

The DLP is very much similar to the SLA technology. In fact, the whole process is the same as the SLA but the difference lies in the light source which cures the liquid polymer resin and the machine orientation of the DLP 3D printer i.e Bottom-Up curing method. In SLA UV Laser Beam is used to cure the resin whereas in DLP technology DMD Projectors are used.

Image Source: MoonRay Desktop 3D Printer

Digital Light Processing was developed by Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments in 1987. It is a set of chipsets that uses DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) technology which was based on optical micro-electro-mechanical technology. Digital Micro-mirror device contains thousands of micro-mirrors whose work is to navigate the light beam projected by the digital light projector. The quality of the DMD decides the accuracy and precision of the 3D Printer.

In simple language, DLP 3D Printers uses conventional light source like an arc lamp with a liquid crystal panel, which projects one image of the sliced product on the surface of the vat containing photopolymer resin. This process makes DLP printer faster than SLA printer as in SLA point to point curing is done which requires more time to print one layer whereas in DLP one complete layer is projected at a time making it cure one slice at a time.

Companies like EnvisionTEC, B9 Creations, FlashForge, Prusa, Peopoly are the successful manufacturer for DLP 3D Printers. There are many Chinese, Korean, and local companies who have started manufacturing cheap and DIY type DLP 3D Printers since last decade.

Pre-Printing Process

This STL file is then repaired using software like Materialise Magics or Autodesk Netfabb is highly needed in VAT polymerization technique. For example, in some cases the file is damaged or have empty shells than its recommended to repair the file else that part will not get printed in the 3D printer and there is 90% chance of printing failure.

Supports are added to the STL file as per the requirement of the product. These supports are mandatory as the object will need some ground support otherwise the part which hangs will not get printed and due to that, the entire print will be failed.

The supported STL file is then uploaded into the printer program where it is cut into slices as per the micron we set. For example, if we set 50 microns in printing parameter then the program will divide 1 mm hight into 20 slices, which means the thickness of each slice will be 0.05 mm.

DLP 3D Printing Process

Diagram of DLP 3D Printing

The support and slicing of the 3D model is done in the 3D software so the model is now ready to print. The complete STL file is uploaded in the printer software.

As I have mentioned earlier that almost all the DLP 3D printers are Bottom-Up technology so, as you can see in the image the machine consists of DLP Projector placed below the resin tank and the built platform is above the resin tank positioned upside down.

The resin tank used in DLP are of much smaller size compared to SLA which allows the operator to pour the resin as per the requirement. This is the best way to save resin from getting exposed to the atmosphere and materials saving is improved as the resin are expensive compared to FDM filaments.

The upside-down metal platform travels downwards to the base of the platform with the help of micro-motor and gets settled one layer above from the base of the resin tank. The DLP projector projects one slice with the help of DMD chipsets which contains millions of micro-mirrors whose work is to navigate the light and create the image of the slice onto the surface of the resin tank from below.

Digital Light Processing (DLP) photo-credit: videoeffectsprod.com

The light is focused for some seconds (depends on the type of resin) and then the light is covered. The built platform moves one layer upward and the resin tank is makes a swing motion which results in peeling effect used to separate the built layer from the base of the rein tank.

After the peeling effect the next slice is focused and the whole process repeats until the model gets printed. When the printing is done the platform moves upwards and the extra resin gets drained by the gravitational force.

The bottom of the resin tank is made of a transparent material called the Teflon or Siligel which prevents the resin to get stick at the bottom during the curing process. The peeling effect generates vacuum in the resin tank which damages the resin tank in long duration and the operator needs to change the built plate.

Post Processing

Image Source: Think3d

Once the entire printing process is completed and the product is built, the built part is then removed from the platform with sharp edge spatula as it got stick and hard due to the curing process. The part is still green (sticky) and can brake easily so we have to be care full while handling the part.

After removing it from the plate the part is dipped into the alcohol for several times to remove extra unwanted resin from the part surface. The part is then dried completely with the help of air blower and then the supports are removed with the help of a cutter. One should be careful while removing the supports as in some parts where the thickness is minimum the parts get damaged.

Once the supports are removed its placed inside UV oven for final curing. In UV oven the part is put between the UV lights for 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the resin and thickness of the part. Here the built part gets the highest possible strength and becomes more brittle.

After taking out the part from oven, if needed extra process like sanding or brushing can be done to remove the support marks from the surface of the part.

DLP Materials

The materials used in DLP 3D Printer are same as the SLA materials. But there are some companies like EnvisionTEC and B9 Creations who customize their own material according to the projector configurations. Among all various DLP 3D printer manufacturers EnvisionTEC has the most number of different kind of material which are used in different sectors like Mechanical, Defence and Aircraft, Dental, Jewelry, Hearing Aid, and many more.

Difference Between SLA and DLP 3D Printing

We have learned about both the technology and we also know how widely these technologies are used in every industry. But still there are some points on which many industrialists or engineers get confused as to which technology is useful for their application.

The points on which DLP differs from SLA technology is explained below:

Diagram showing working of DLP & SLA Technology

We all know that the primary difference between DLP and SLA 3D printing is the light source used to cure the resin. The DLP technology uses projector screen while the SLA technology uses the UV Laser Beam to cure the resin.

In SLA technology point to point curing of resin is done which means the laser moves on the resin surface tracing the geometry of the slice. So, the quality and speed of the 3D printer depends on the thickness of the laser beam.

Where as in DLP technology the light source or Projector remains stationary at fixed position and project the entire image on the resin surface which makes DLP printer faster than SLA technology. The quality of product depends on the resolution of the projector and the distance from optical window.

Image Source: Formlabs

In terms of quality SLA technology gives more accurate and precise output than the DLP technology because of point to point curing method in SLA. There are some DLP 3D printer manufacturers like EnvisionTEC, B9 Creations and Rapidshape who have customized their own DLP projectors which gives excellent surface finish and their dimensional accuracy is far better than regular DLP printers.

Parts used in SLA 3D printer are expensive than the parts used in DLP 3D printer. For example, the light source of SLA 3D printer is expensive and difficult to replace once damaged. The intensity of UV laser cannot be controlled where as the light source of DLP 3D printer is easy to replace and is less expensive. The light intensity can be controlled according to the resin used.

The platform size of SLA 3D printers is comparatively larger than the DLP 3D printers. Due to this reason SLA 3D printers are mostly used where quality is required and the product size is bigger or there is a need of mass production with accurate dimensions.

DLP 3D printers are mostly used in Jewelry Manufacturing, Dental Industry and Hearing Aid manufacturing where the product dimensions do not exceed 170 mm in X, Y & Z directions.

SLA 3D Printing Technology : Detail Explanation

2020-05-02T22:14:00.002+05:30

The SLA or Stereolithography technology also referred to as optical fabrication, photo-solidification, or resin printing is a part of VAT Polymerization method which uses liquid polymer resin to build fine 3D objects by curing them with a UV laser beam.

There is another technology which is almost similar to SLA technology called DLP (Digital LightProcessing) technology. But we will now learn about the SLA technology and the difference between the SLA and DLP will be explained in later article.

In SLA 3D Printing the liquid resin is filled in a tank and a UV laser beam is projected from top on the surface of the resin covering the area as per the slice created by the 3D printer software. The UV laser cures the whole layer point by point with accuracy and fine surface finish.

SLA technology uses the photo polymer resin which consist of monomers and oligomers which are cross-linked together so that they can perform photo-chemical process. These polymers get solidifies when exposed to UV light with 405 or 365 nanometer wavelength.

World's First SLA 3D Printer by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems

The history tells us that the first 3D Printing technique developed by ChuckHull of 3D Systems in 1986 was the “SLA Technology” which uses VAT Polymerization method for printing. 3DSystems was the first company who commercialized this technology back in 1986. After that many industries like automobile and mechanical started using this technology as a prototyping machine or model making machine. Engineers can create their prototypes in more effective manner and they can print faster and cheaper compare to traditional method.

Since last decade many different companies started to manufacture SLA 3D Printers as the patent expired in 2009. Companies like DWS, FormLabs started commercializing their own SLA 3D Printers which works under same process but the formation or we can say the printing procedure was different.

Pre-Printing Process:

This STL file is then repaired using software like Materialise Magics or AutodeskNetfabb which is highly needed in VAT polymerization technique. For example, in some cases the file is damaged or have empty shells than its recommended to repair the file else that part will not get printed in the 3D printer and there are 90% chance of printing failure.

Supports are added to the STL file as per requirement of the product. These supports are mandatory as the object will need some ground support otherwise the part which hangs will not get printed and due to that the entire print will be failed.

The supported STL file is then uploaded into the printer program where it is cut into slices as per the micron we set. For example, if we set 50 microns in printing parameter than the program will divide 1 mm hight into 20 slices, which means the thickness of each slice will be 0.05 mm.

SLA 3D Printing Process:

Once the pre-processing is done its time for the 3D Printer to print them layer by layer. Once the printer is turned on it will check if all the sensors are in working condition or not.

Then the perforated metal platform will travel downwards and will be dipped inside the tank in which photo polymer resin is kept. It will be dipped one-layer height below the surface of the resin.

The laser beam will hit the surface of the photo polymer resin and draw the first layer as per the slice we made. The laser will solidify each part it hits the liquid.

After solidification of the resin the platform moves one layer down and a metal blade known as the “Recoater” moves on top of the printed layer and cleans the uncured resin part. This process is repeated until the whole product is completed.

The time required to complete one platform depends on the size and configuration of SLA 3D printer. The small dimensional items take less time compared to large dimensional items.

Post Process:

Once the entire printing process is completed and the product is built, the platform rises up and all the extra resin gets drained through the perforated metal plate. The built part is then removed from the platform with sharp edge spatula as it got stick and hard due to UV laser curing process. The part is still green and can brake easily so we have to be care full while handling the part.

After removing it from the plate the part is dipped into the alcohol for several times to remove extra unwanted resin from the part surface. The part is then dried completely with the help of air blower and then the supports are removed with the help of cutter. One should be careful while removing the supports as in some parts where the thickness is minimum the parts get damaged.

After taking out the part from oven if needed extra process like sanding or brushing can be done to remove the support marks from the surface of the part.

SLA Materials:

Materials that are used for SLA printers are costly compared to the FDM materials as they comprise of oligomers and monomers which undergoes chemical process. The process of making the liquid photo polymer is expensive and the product made by these materials are also brittle compared to FDM materials. So, the SLA 3D printing process is mostly used where direct casting technique is used.

Facts about SLA 3D Printing:

3D Systems first 3D printer was the SLA-1 which was the basic model of SLA technology. Later, they invented a new machine called the VIPER SLA which was highly efficient and can print high quality parts with accurate dimensions.

SLA is the most accurate and precise technique with high quality surface finish with high dimensional accuracy. It can print upto 25 micrometre layer height, but the time required to print the part will be increased.

The first SLA 3D printer made by Chuck Hull in 1986 was called the “Top-Down Technology”. In this technology the light source is kept above the resin tank and built platform. The UV Laser light focus from top and the object is printed on top of the built platform. So, there is no peeling effect and the part needs less supports.

There is an alternate technology which is completely inverse to top-down technology. This technology is called the “Bottom-Up Technology”, in this the light source is below the transparent resin tank and the built platform is fixed upside down above the resin tank. The UV Laser light gets focused on the transparent resin tank from bottom and draws the image after which the platform moves upward and a peeling effect is generated which separates the cured part from the liquid resin similar to recoater blade in top-down technology.

There are popular companies like Formlabs and DWS Systems who has developed the bottom-up technology in SLA 3D printing. The bottom-up SLA printers are less expensive compared to top-down technology because it has fewer moving parts and no metal parts except the metal-built plate.

The VAT Polymerization technology is widely used in Dentistry for making dentures, aligners, night guards and prosthetic, in Jewelry Manufacturing for making direct castable parts by eliminating mold and wax pieces, in Mechanical Industry for prototyping of new components.

Limitations of SLA 3D Printing:

The SLA technique is slow compared to FDM technique so it will take more time to print.

Extra supports are required if the part has overhangs and slopes otherwise the such parts will collapse during printing process and the entire product will be damaged.

The parts built by liquid resin have less mechanical properties so they cannot be used as an end product.

Extra care needed while working with photo polymer resin. It should be covered with UV protective glass when not used. It gets cured if comes in contact with sunlight or any light containing UV rays.

The parts made by SLA printing degrades over time.

SLA 3D Printing is an expensive process in terms of material, machine and post processing equipments.

FDM 3D Printing: Detail Explanation

2020-04-26T01:41:00.003+05:30

The FDM or Fused Deposition Modelling is also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a 3D printing process which uses thermoplastic filament materials in continuous form. The thermoplastic filament coil is passed through an extruder which contains a heating coil. The extruder heats the filament just past its glass transition temperature, after which this molten filament is extruded on the print bed of the 3D printer. This “Material Extrusion” method is widely used in different industries.

S. Scott Crump the founder of Stratasys Ltd. was the first person who developed FDM technology and commercialized the first FDM 3D printer in 1988. Stratasys also trademarked the term “Fused Deposition Modelling” in the year 1991.

These FDM 3D printers were expensive when it was first commercialized but after the expiration of the patent in 2009 many different companies entered the market offering cheap, DIY FDM 3D Printers like the Ultimaker, Prusa, and many others.

FDM Fabrication Process:

Every 3D Printing process starts by developing a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file in a 3D software. This 3D file is converted into STL (Stereolithography) file.

This file is then transferred to a repairing software where this 3D .stl files get some correction in triangle counts, surface smoothing, shell repair, etc.

After repairing the operator of the 3D Printer needs to put some support to this file which helps the file to print on the machine print bed. These supports are put manually or by using auto generating support given in almost all 3D Machine software. AutodeskNetfabb, Materialise Magics, these two software are used by almost every 3D modeling software users for repairing and support generation.

Autodesk Netfabb Software

Once the support structure is done the .stl file is now ready to print. The file is now processed into the machine software where it is cut horizontally into thin slices. The thickness of the slice depends on the microns you set in the instruction column. Normally the FDM printer micron range from 50 Micron to 400 Micron.

The whole 3D file is now converted into a set to program or machine language called the G-codes by which the 3D printer works.

The FDM 3D Printer consists of the print bend which has up and down movement guided by a stepper motor. An extruder containing heating coils which melts the thermoplastic filaments and drops the heated material on the print bed through a nozzle.

The extruder is mounted on a moving platform which moves in XY direction guided by the stepper motor as there should be precise movement of the extruder.

Stepper Motor attached to Extruder Platform

The melted filament is extruded in thin strands on the print bed layer by layer on the predetermined location as per the codes given by the 3D printer software. This melted filament solidifies as it touches the print bed or the layer printed before.

Sometimes the product is made hollow to reduce the weight and matrix or web type structure is made inside the product to give strength to the product. For this type of structure, the extruder needs to make multiple passes like the one when we fill colors with crayons which need an increase in filament cooling. A set of cooling fans is attached to the extruder which accelerates the filament cooling.

When one layer is completed the print-bed is moved down and the second layer starts. This process repeats until the product is printed.

FDM Materials:

The reason that FDM 3D printers are one of the successful and widely used technology is because of its variety of materials in production materials. These materials are regular thermoplastics, engineering materials, and high-performance thermoplastics materials. The use of these materials varies based on its mechanical properties, accuracy, and material price.

FDM Post Process:

Once the product is printed it undergoes support removal and post-processing. The supports given to the part are removed with the cutter or by hand as they are easy to remove.

After the supports are removed the product needs some cleaning and smoothing as they show some visible lines on the object. Hand sanding and filing is done on most parts and some parts also need polishing to get a shining surface. Painting can be done on the 3D printed parts to make it look more attractive.

Facts about FDM 3D Printer:

FDM 3D Printers are very cost-effective in terms of machine procurement and even in outsourcing product manufacturing. It also takes very less time to finish the job which means we can get the work completed within 24 hours.

FDM printer can also print end-user engineering products. Materials like Nylon (PA), PTEG, TPU can be used to make industrial-grade parts with good mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. Engineers in the industries get a huge benefit from FDM printing as they don’t have to wait for the broken part of the machine to be replaced, they can 3D print it and use it on their own.

FDM 3D Printer has made their position in many top industries like automobile companies like the Hyundai and BMW, food companies like Nestle, and many other giant manufacturing companies. It is used for product development, prototyping, and model concept as this technology is simple and cost-effective plus it does not damage the environment.

The medical and health care industry has started using 3D printer in their process. The FDM printer is used in the drug packaging sector which makes it popular in the medical sector as well.

Limitation FDM 3D Printer:

Despite all the advantages that FDM 3D printer has there are also some limitations which need to be consider before choosing FDM printer for your manufacturing setup:

Unlike other 3D Printing technologies, FDM has the lowest dimensional accuracy and surface finish, so it is preferable to not use this technology for product which need detailed accuracy.
Every FDM printed parts will have to undergo the post process of smoothing and polishing as the surface achieved is very rough and has visible lines.

Different Types of 3D Printing Processes

2020-04-22T20:37:00.002+05:30

The Additive Manufacturing technology comprises of 7 significant methods to manufacture 3D model. Since 1986, Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing has played a very important role in the field of manufacturing. The inventor of this technology Mr. Chuck Hull has made this technology to speed up the manufacturing process and eliminate the extra cost that was needed to first examine the product before starting the production.

Engineers and scientist have accepted this technology and is now very much popular in almost every field. People have started knowing its benefits and started learning its processes. Some companies also started customizing 3D printer according to their manufacturing needs.

Firstly, 3D printers were used to make only prototypes made by plastic materials but slowly as the scientist started working on this technology, they invented new methods and new materials for 3D printing. These new materials and methods were invented to serve one particular industry. For example, the FDM technology which uses plastic materials can only be used for prototyping.

There are total 7 different methods of 3D printing and each method has their own different way of printing. This methods are beautifully described by 3D HUBS in form of a table which comprises of main methods with their sub methods and reputed companies manufacturing these machines:

A short explanation about how these methods work along with the popular sub-method are described below:

Vat Polymerization

Method: SLA (Sterolithography) & DLP (Digital Light Processing)
Working: This technology works by curing liquid photo-polymer resin in a vat by UV light.

Material Extrusion

Method: FDM (FusedDeposition Modelling)
Working: Plastic/Composite Material is selectively dispensed through a nozzle or orifice.

Powder Bed Fusion

Method: SLS (SelectiveLaser Sintering), SLM (Selective Laser Melting)
Working: This method uses high energy laser beam which selectively fuses plastic or metal powder particles.

Material Jetting

Method: PMJ (Plastic Material Jetting)
Working: Droplets of material are selectively deposited and cured by UV Light.

Binder Jetting

Method: SBJ (Sand/Gypsum Binder Jetting), MBJ (Metal Binder Jetting)
Working: This method of 3d printing uses liquid bonding agent which selectively binds regions of a powder bed.

Direct Energy Deposition

Method: LENS (Laser Engineering Net Shape), EBAM (Electron Beam AM)
Working: A high-energy source beam fuses material as it is deposited.

Sheet Lamination

Method: LOM (Laminated Object Manufacturing)
Working: Sheets of material are bonded and formed layer-by-layer.

All the above explained processes work on the same principle of printing which is printing the whole product layer-by-layer. The two things that separate the above processes from each other are:

Energy Source used to solidify the product material – Heat, Ultra Violet Rays, Laser Beams, Electron Beams, Bonding Agent, UV Light + Oxygen.
Material used for manufacturing products – Plastics, Composite, Polymer, Sand, Metal, Wax.

Application of 3D Printing

2020-04-19T22:10:00.001+05:30

The Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing technology is getting popular in various industrial sector due to its advantages in manufacturing speed and quality. Earlier 3D Printers were very expensive machines because of new inventions and patents. But after their patent expired a lot of different companies started manufacturing the 3d printers by making variations and improvements in the basic design and material of the machine. Today 3D Printing is more accessible and cost-effective in industry and education both.

Today we can print almost useful object that we can imagine for example, sunglasses, shoes, tableware, jewellery, toys, mobile gadgets, even we can print screws, boat propellers, aircraft engines compartments and product prototyping.

3D Printing machines have achieved their place in various industrial sectors like Automobile, Aerospace, Electronics, Construction, Biomedical and Healthcare industry and Education as well.

Above is a Pie-Chart that shows the industries that are currently using 3D Printersin their manufacturing setup. Experts have expected the growth of 3D Printing market from $7.34BN to $35.6BN by 2024.

Aerospace Industry

The Aerospace Industry has started the use of 3D Printing and it alone accounts 18% revenue of the Additive Manufacturing Industry. Boeing has already started using 3D Printed parts made by metal AM machine from titanium alloy material on their 787 Dreamliner Aircraft. They are also aiming to produce almost 1000 different parts of aircraft from 3D Printing technology. By this they can save up to $2 million per plane.

A company called Optisys LLC provides Micro-Antenna for aerospace and defence Industry used metal 3D printing to reduce the number of discrete pieces of their tracking antenna arrays from 100 to only 1. With this simplification, Optisys managed to reduce the lead time from 11 to 2 months, while achieving a 95% weight reduction.

NASA, ESA and SpaceX are planning to include 3D Printing Technology for manufacturing combustion chambers and igniters of their rocket engine.

Architectural Industry

The construction industries have started using 3d printing technology as there are many new 3d printers invented especially for fabricating buildings or construction components.

In today’s market the architectural industry holds 3% revenue in using 3d printer machines. The machines that are used in architectural field includes Concrete orCement Extrusion (AMoC), Powder Bonding and Additive Welding. By using 3D Printing in construction various benefits are observed such as allowing more complexity and accuracy, faster construction rate, lower labour costs, greater functional integration, and less waste.

Additive Manufacturing of Concrete machines were developed since 1990 for making buildings faster and less expensive but it originally came into existence when the first 3D Printed building was constructed in Amsterdam by the architects in the year 2014. Industrial scale concrete 3D Printers were built for making concrete foundation and walls on site.

In 2014, a Chinese company Suzhou 3D Printed 10 houses in less than 24 hours which cost them almost half the price they would use to build them by using traditional construction method.

In 2017, the first fully 3d printed residential building was constructed in Yaroslavl, Russia. Around 600 walls, roof structure and interior decoration for a total area of 298.5 sq meters (3213 sq ft) were 3d printed. The building was not built just for presentation, today a real, normal family lives in it.

The European Space Agency has planned to use 3d printing technology for building "Moon Village" by using lunar soil as material till 2030.

Bio-Medical and Healthcare Industry

Since 2002, 3d printing industry plays very important role in medical research and development. Right from bioprinting and surgery equipment to making prosthetic 3d printing technology has helped many healthcare sectors to achieve the goals which were impossible without additive manufacturing. Like in today with the help of 3d printing doctors and scientist can make human organs by using the patients tissue cells.

Prosthetic made by 3d printing method is the best example of the versatility of this technology because for making an accurate prosthetic is very difficult and costly when traditional method is used. In today’s world dentist and orthodontist use this technology for producing metal implants as 3D printer has capabilities for creating porous surfaces, these types of implants more easily integrate with the patient’s own natural bones, allowing them to grow into the implant.

An application that’s a little farther in the future is bioprinting, or 3D printing cells and tissue. The dream is that one day, we’ll be able to 3D print bones and organs for patients who need them, rather than waiting for donors. For now, we’re still working on bioprinting human tissue.

Education

The increase in use of this technology for various sectors many schools and colleges have started including this technology in their curriculum. As this technology is mostly preferred in prototyping students can use this technology for making different products for their projects which will decrease the project cost.

3D printing bridges the gap from ideas and images on a page or screen, allowing for the creation of those ideas/images in the physical, 3-dimensional world.

Students explore design, engineering, and architectural principles. They are able to duplicate museum items like fossils and historical artifacts to study in the classroom without the possibility of damaging delicate collections. They are able to gain a new, 3-dimensional perspective on topographic maps.

Graphic design students can easily construct models with complex working parts. Students in the sciences can create and study cross-sections of organs in the human body as well as other biological specimens. Chemistry students can make 3D models of molecules and chemical compounds.

Disadvantages of 3D Printing Technology : Limitations of AM

2020-04-16T00:19:00.002+05:30

3D Printing which is also referred as Additive Manufacturing is a marvelous technology invented by ChuckHull in 1986. After that many new inventions were made in 3D Printing by using different material and different processes.

Scientist and other industrialist started more research on this technology and they discover many benefits that we can get by using 3d printing technology. Many companies like 3D Systems, Stratasys, started making 3d printer machines and the industrialist started using this technology in their manufacturing line up.

But as we know every technological invention has some advantage and some disadvantages which limits the use of technology to some extent. Similarly, 3D Printing technology also have some limitation.

Low Product Strength

As we already know that most 3d printers uses plastic materials to built parts and they are generally used for prototyping. Because of this the 3d printed parts are 10% - 50% weaker than then the parts made by traditional method.

3D Printing is widely used as a prototyping machine which is used to test the geometry of the new product before we start the production. But there are some 3d printers like the DLMS and SLM which uses metal as their main material to make finished product. These parts are more reliable and are equally durable as the one made with traditional methods.

Due to such advantages of DLMS and SLM printers, aerospace industries have started investing on these 3D Printers and are now a part of their manufacturing line-up.

Less Economical at Higher Production

3D Printing is mostly used for prototyping and not for production. The product designer and development team use this technology to test the geometry and appearance of the product so that if there are any changes regarding the product size or appearance than it can be solved without any extra cost.

But when it comes to mass production than traditional method of production is only applicable as the 3d printing method is slow in batch production. The price per product decreases minimally in 3d printing.

When the production in huge than CNC Machining and Injection Moulding, Hot and Cold Extrusion and many other technologies are more reliable to complete the batch on time with accuracy and good quality.

Less Accurate and Low Tolerance

Additive Manufacturing has many different methods of printing and also has many different types of materials. The most used printer is FDM 3d printer, as this printer uses plastic material for prototyping and it ejects melted plastic through nozzle it has the lowest accuracy and the tolerances vary between ±0.1 mm to ±0.5 mm.

There are many other methods of printing which are more accurate than FDM which includes SLA and Material Jetting. These methods give accurate parts with tolerances of ±0.01 mm. So, if you want to use 3d printing to make end user product than FDM 3d printer is not suitable.

Post-Print Process and Support Removal

The parts that are produce through 3d printing technology are generally not ready to use after printing. We have to do some post processing like removing the support and cleaning thepiece from extra material which get stuck in between the process.

For example, if you want to build any part in 3d printer than it needs support which is attached from the base. This support holds the parts while printing because 3d printer cannot print the part on thin air. These supports are than removed once the printing part is over they often leave marks on the surface of the part which you need to clean it with the help of sanding, smoothing or painting.

After and Before photo of 3D Printed OWL

3D Printing has some more draw backs that can be managed which includes by-product waste, limited printing materials, size limitation, possible toxic emissions.

EnvisionTEC Partners With Healthcare Community to fight against Global Pandemic COVID-19

2020-04-11T00:46:00.000+05:30

Nasopharyngeal Swabs Printed in 3D Printer

The Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing industry has been working closely with the medical community for many years. From the dental and hearing aid sectors, both of whom have adopted 3D printing as a primary method of production in a myriad of applications, to the medical and biomedical fields, who have integrated 3D printing into scientific research and the development of new medical devices, this partnership has yielded thousands of invaluable improvements into the daily lives of people the world over. EnvisionTEC has been at the forefront of these cooperative efforts since 2002, paving the way for new solutions that could only be made possible via 3D printing.

EnvisionTEC ONE 3D Printer

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be another opportunity for 3D printing to assist in finding new, innovative ways for healthcare professionals to provide assistance. A shortage of the necessary diagnostic and treatment supplies has been discovered, and while many businesses have jumped in to help, it is 3D printing that may be able to provide real answers for how to combat the supply chain crisis.

Working hand-in-hand with healthcare leaders, EnvisionTEC founder and CEO Al Siblani and his team of engineering and applications specialists, with the help of some dedicated customers have identified several areas where their specific strengths in biocompatible materials and fast, precise 3D printing equipment can help to provide replenishment of stocks as well as new, alternative solutions.

The main focus of EnvisionTEC’s efforts thus far has been on the lack of ventilators for increased demand, personal protection equipment (PPE’s), and nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for specimen collection for testing.

Individual ICU ventilators are critical in the treatment of patients in severe respiratory failure, a symptom of severe cases of COVID-19. It has been determined that the demand for these ventilators will far exceed the current stock on hand. Manufacturing giants such as Ford and GM have been tapped to assist in the production of these machines, but even with the increased manufacturing capabilities, the process to get these machines ordered and in the hands of the medical professionals who need them could cause delays.

Al Siblani has been working with local hospitals in the Metro Detroit area to provide a functional ventilation splitter that could be 3D printed in a Class 1 material such as EnvisionTEC’s E-Guide. EnvisionTEC is working with the FDA to authorize the use of 3D printed splitters as an emergency solution to allow for multiple patients to receive oxygen from the same ventilator by adjusting the pressure controls on the ventilators to allow for dual-patient use. By using 3D printing for these accessories, production could be scaled up in locations close to where the need is greatest, allowing for fast reaction to the growing problem and more than double the capacity of current ventilator stock.

EnvisionTEC Nasopharyngeal Swab Design

In order to effectively treat the growing number of COVID-19 patients, healthcare professionals and many other essential workers rely heavily on PPE’s in order to safely maintain their own health. Many mask designs are meant to be single-use, and with the general public adding to the demand for these items, they are becoming increasingly hard to come by. Again, 3D printing is an ideal solution, allowing for portions of face shields to be printed and sterilized. EnvisionTEC has a number of large 3D printers that can quickly and efficiently print these parts in bulk, and many of their customers have been able to answer the call for local needs.

Perhaps the biggest immediate need in the fight against COVID-19 is simply identifying those who have been infected as early as possible. Testing kit availability has been vastly inadequate, and the medical community has been working tirelessly with the 3D printing community to find a solution to mass-producing the nasopharyngeal collection swabs to alleviate the shortage quickly. EnvisionTEC has been working closely with the Harvard Microbiology Lab within a larger group dedicated to connecting academia with the manufacturing industry to combat this shortage.

To this end, EnvisionTEC engineers have designed a collection tip for a flexible nasal swab. Brian Nilson, of Nilson Laboratories, 3D printed the final design for testing. He was able to print 400 of the swabs in Class 1 approved material E-Guide on his Envision One cDLM in two hours. The testing process is comprised of a ten stage mechanical testing, a two part absorption test, a biological/chemical testing procedure to ensure the swab absorbs viral RNA particles and does not interfere with PCA/reagents, and a sample collection testing procedure. To pass, a sample needed to use a material that is approved as chemically safe, would bend 180 degrees without breaking, and the design needed to be able to safely collect enough virus particles from the nasal passage to effectively test.

E-Guide has passed some of these tests and is awaiting final IRB testing and approval. Under FDA regulations, an IRB group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects has the authority to determine that E-Guide is suitable for the mass production of the NP swabs for COVID-19 testing. EnvisionTEC has long been committed to providing solutions to their customers and is now preparing to take on the call to action of helping to equip medical professionals with the tools needed to help combat this global pandemic. With a vast network of thousands of customers eager to help, EnvisionTEC is proud to offer the capability of producing hundreds of thousands of the swab per day.

Advantages of 3D Printing : Benefits of using 3D technology

2020-04-09T01:19:00.002+05:30

3D Printing technology or Additive Manufacturing is one of the marvelous technology in the history of science. This technology has completely changed the working pattern of manufacturing products. Over the years many advantages of using this technology have been found by scientist and researchers.

3D Printing technology has been upgraded and adopted by many top international companies and also, they have been customizing this technology according to their manufacturing setup.

This multinational companies understood the formula to success in today’s market. They understood the constant desire to reduce cost, timing, and risk in production programs because successfully achieving improvement in these areas leads to sustained, long-term success.

As this new technology gets develop and researched, more and more advantages are been revealed due to which many MSME companies are been attracted towards 3d printing and are now adopting this technology in their manufacturing machine line-up.

But there are some companies and manufacturing setup that doesn’t know the benefits or use of this technology. For these companies, below listed advantages would be beneficial.

Affordable Machine Cost

When a small or medium scale industry wants to add 3d printing technology in its manufacturing setup, the first thing they evaluate is the cost of 3D Printer. History of additive manufacturing tells us how expensive these machines were when they first got invented.

But soon as their patent got expired many companies started the production of low cost 3d printer, so a small and medium scale industry can easily afford this technology. This technology has capability to reduce the amount of capital that is needed to scale up production without making major changes, manufacturers may be able to increase the speed and profitability of their business model.

Production Speed

Every successful businessman wants a fast production process. In today’s growing market the competition in every sector and every product is huge, so to step ahead of other companies one needs to launch its product fast into the market.

In traditional method if a company wants to launch a new product, they first need to do the market research then they have to make a proper design and after that they need to justify proper tooling to manufacture that product step by step. This complete process takes at least 4 to 5 days and after that the testing and development of the product is started.

But with additive manufacturing process there is no need to justify tooling cost nor does they have to wait for the proper tool to be manufactured. They can straight away start the design process and after that 3D Printer prints a prototype within 5 to 7 hours depending upon the size they make. By this method one can decrease time need for product development and the company can start the production fast.

Ease of Making and Customizing Complex Parts

3D Printing technology is just not about making the production fast, it also gives us freedom to make complex geometry of the product and also, we can customize our product so that there is less waste of material.

In traditional manufacturing method the company has to invest in the tooling and machines needed for the product and after customization was done if there is any major changes than it lead to significant cost increases or time delays as tooling on a production line is changed out. It also has some limitation to it like draft angles, undercuts and tool access and many more.

But when it comes to 3d printing these limitations do not apply as the product is made layer by layer. So additive manufacturing also gives us enough time to properly test and develop the product before market launch that to without any extra cost.

Better Quality

When it comes to quality the additive manufacturing has a upper hand when compared to traditional manufacturing method. A product which has complex geometry parts or has small components can easily be made through 3d printing technology.

Let us take an example of a jewelry which has a complex design or watch it has many small and complex components. An expensive watch has much more complex parts and design with that they also have a very strict manufacturing tolerance. In this case 3D Printer comes in action. A 3d printer can make complex geometry and plus it is less costly. The quality of the product will be good as the 3d printer can make the part as per the dimensions mentioned in the design.

Easy Machine Operation

The other most common problem faced by a businessman is if his/her production team will be able to learn this technology or not. What if he/she has to recruit new staff who has specialize in 3d printing and how much salary should they have to pay and many more.

For those who want to adopt this technology they need only one operator who has basic knowledge of tooling and design. There are no complex parts in the 3d printer nor they need any specific degree to operate the machine. The basic procedure is explained and taught to the customer during the installation and an online support is always given by the OEM or the distributor.

Reduced Production Waste

As the term Additive Manufacturing suggest that it adds the material while manufacturing and not remove as per the traditional subtractive manufacturing method. Due to this the material wastage is reduced to 70% as the subtractive manufacturing method removes material from a block of metal to attain desired shape which leads to material waste.

While in additive manufacturing the material is added layer by layer to attain desired shape. If there is any failure which manufacturing than only the printed material is wasted but in subtractive method the entire block gets wasted which leads to increase in cost.

These are the basic advantages that one needs to know before adopting this technology. There are many more benefits which one can obtain from this technology once they start using 3d printer on regular basis.

The History of 3D Printing Technology : Who Invented this Technology?

2020-04-06T18:48:00.002+05:30

Did you guys ever wonder when did this amazing technology got invented?

Who was that first person to invent and develop the Additive Manufacturing Process?

Lets me tell you a brief history about this future technology…

As you have read in my previous post about the term 3D Printing and how does it work. Now let see who invented this..

But before that did you guys have seen the world’s first ever 3D Printer..? If not then check out the image below..

The statue in the image is of Chuck Hull the co-founder of 3D Systems. He was the first who invented the first 3D Printer machine known as SLA-1 in the year 1986. This man’s invention had changed the face of manufacturing industry.

Now let us see how 3D Printing technology has evolved from 1964 to 2020.

This is a short table which gives you information about the inventions and patent registered in which year and how the 3D Printing machines where first commercialized. click here if you want to know the complete details 3D printing history.

What is 3D Printing : How does 3D Printing Work?

2020-04-04T20:36:00.002+05:30

Did you ever wonder what is 3d printing or additive manufacturing?

How does this technology works and what are its benefits?

As the name suggest, 3D Printing works on the same principle as of 2D Printing (X&Y Dimensions). The only difference is it just adds one more dimension the Z- Dimension. 3D Printer machine builds parts by converting a digital model into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material layer by layer.

Due to this process of adding material, 3D Printing is also known as "Additive Manufacturing". It fundamentally differs the way of producing parts compared to traditional subtractive (CNC machining) or formative (Injection molding) manufacturing technologies.

The process of 3D Printing begins with a computer-generated 3D Model also known as CAD (Computer Aided Design) which we can say is the blueprint of the physical object. The most popular and commonly used designing software are SolidWorks, PTC Creo, Revit, AutoCAD, Netfabb, Rhino, CATIA. This all software vary in functions and are dedicated to some particular industrial sector.

Now in next step this digital model is converted/exported into .STL(stereolithography) file format. This format is usually used in all the 3D Printer. It is also known as "Standard Tessellation Language".

Then this .stl file goes to 3d printer software where it is sliced into thin 2-dimensional layers and then turned into a set of instructions in machine language called G-code for the printer to execute printing.

The printer then prints the object by adding layer of selected material like plastic, metal, ceramics and many more. Once the object is printed it then undergoes post processing in which the object's surface finish is improved by various processes.