A series of Dimension-printed Gyro Bowls ready for market.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Enventys provides the integrated resources inventors need and helps them turn great ideas into real products. Services span from industrial design, engineering and prototyping, advertising and branding, interactive and Web, video production and public relations.

Ian Kovacevich, vice president of engineering and design at the company, gives an inside look into his part of the process: product styling and prototyping. “Once the ideation process has taken place, we validate it through consumer research and style the product from sketches to 3D virtual CAD modeling. After conceptualizing several different styles, we build out the leading designs with the Dimension 3D printer and take one to market.”

The Gyro Bowl CAD design printed on Dimension 3D Printer.

For the Gyro Bowl, the design team produced a series of builds on the Dimension machine, each more defined than the one before. In fact, the final iteration was so similar to the end-use product that they used the Dimension-produced prototype as a demo for potential retail partners. The Gyro Bowl is now launching in several markets including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Europe with retail, online and TV direct response campaigns.

Feeling the 3D Difference

“Often times, it’s impossible to make final judgment from a sketch. People can look at a rendering or 3D CAD on a screen, but, sensibly, they’re not willing to make a tooling investment decision based on a rendering,” said Kovacevich.

By allowing customers to touch a physical prototype, Kovacevich can communicate clearly and quickly to determine whether or not the design is on the right track. “You can’t say ‘yes’ to an idea until you can say ‘yes’ with your eyes closed. We need the reaction from physical touch – too big, too small, too fiddly.”

Before the Dimension printer, Kovacevich found it problematic to quickly test ideas with minimal setup. “We sent 100% of the parts to outside bureaus but explored alternative options when we realized what a day is worth in cost,” he said. “Now, we can justify running parts several times a week. And it’s also a sales tool. We give several tours a day through our offices and the 3D printer is often a favorite stop for potential clients.”

“Having the printer speeds our process, which is essential considering we are hired based on our ability to move through the design process quickly and efficiently,” he continued. “The printer has helped us in our work tremendously. We work all day and print all night. Parts are ready in the morning, and then we’re able to make adjustments to the design through the day and repeat.”

Aside from the Gyro Bowl, Kovacevich has found numerous uses for this 3D printing technology. “We use the Dimension 3D Printer for a broad range of applications, from simple models to more complex test parts used to qualify function in safety certification standards – and everywhere in between.”

Dimension
www.dimensionprinting.com

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The mission of the Center as a Manufacturing Demonstration Facility will be to advance and deploy DDM technology for highly engineered and critical metallic systems to the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. industry through three primary thrust areas, which are:

• advance and integrate enabling technologies required to exploit DDM process attributes during design and optimize DDM processing conditions for producing qualified components and structures,

• collaborate with industry in the development and transfer of DDM technologies through process selection, demonstration, and validation as a “trusted broker”,

• promote DDM technologies through training, education and dissemination of information.

Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI), will support this initiative with its exclusive Direct Manufacturing (DM) process, which combines additive manufacturing principles, computer-aided design (CAD) and electron beam welding technology. Starting with a 3D model from a CAD program, Sciaky’s fully-articulated, moving electron beam gun deposits metal, layer by layer, until the part is ready for finish machining. Depending on the part being manufactured, deposition rates can range from 15 to 40 pounds of metal per hour. To date, it stands as the only commercially-available, large-scale, fully-programmable means of achieving near-net shape parts.

An important aspect of the proposed Center will be the development and use of design and simulation tools that enable industry participants the opportunity to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of DDM technology prior to and during manufacturing demonstrations. The ability to utilize these functions within an integrated system, having a high degree of interoperability, will offer the most advanced array of tools for evaluating potential components and processes in the industry applicable to direct digital manufacturing. This approach draws upon the strength of the U.S. technology base in virtual networking and advanced engineering systems to deploy a disruptive technology that will provide an immediate impact on the suitability, affordability and availability of critical components throughout industry, as well as the exploitation of innovative designs and materials not possible using traditional manufacturing methods.

Last December, Sciaky entered a DoD Mentor-Protégé Agreement with Lockheed Martin to expand its Direct Manufacturing technology for the possible use of manufacturing titanium components for the F-35 military aircraft.

Sciaky
www.sciaky.com

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The egg is on display from February 21, when the UK’s capital becomes home to 200 giant and uniquely crafted Easter eggs during the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. The collaboration between Fourfoursixsix, EOS and Ogle Models demonstrates how 3D printing technologies can deliver results that are impossible to create with any other method.

The architectural design concept

Daniel Welham of Fourfoursixsix explains their design approach for the egg: “We decided to consciously move away from the development of a merely surface treatment to the egg. The geometry in question provided us with the perfect platform to begin applying a set of architectural principles to the overall form. Through this process we played with structure, light and shadow and began to develop a three-dimensional architectural terrain.”

And he adds: “Conceptually, the design works around a rational grid of components configured to react to both light and scale across the surface of the egg. Each component incorporates an aperture within its design that can adjust to control the amount of light entering the internal space of the form.”

3D design is an integral part of the process at Fourfoursixsix and they were excited by the potential this project held to exploit these modern methods.

Designing and manufacturing the egg formed an opportunity to combine this technology with laser sintering to create a highly intricate sculptural form that is both contemporary and unique. This format allowed Fourfoursixsix to apply a playful and avant-garde approach to the treatment of the piece, free from the limitations that more formal construction approaches may have held.

Additive Manufacturing – the manufacturing process

Stuart Jackson, EOS Regional Manager for the UK, explained why the company did not hesitate to join this exciting project: “As a mainly engineer-driven company we normally focus on industry applications in aerospace, medical, automotive and the like. The egg is a perfect example of laser-sintering applications that can catch people’s imagination on another level. Here, as with all other cases, the design drives the manufacturing and not vice versa. Parts can be created that would not have been possible with conventional manufacturing technologies. As such, this laser-sintered egg is a perfect example of the vast possibilities the technology can offer.”

Laser sintering is an additive layer manufacturing technology and differs significantly from traditional manufacturing methods. Digital three-dimensional data must be available for the objects for this technology to be used to manufacture products for a variety of industries. Three-dimensional models of products are generated on a computer using CAD software. This 3D CAD model is sliced into thin layers during production. The desired geometry is then manufactured layer by layer with the aid of laser-sintering technology, based on this model. First, a thin powder layer of plastic, metal or molding sand is applied. A focused laser beam solidifies the powder according to the digital cross-section of the material. Once a layer is completed, the platform is lowered by several tenths of a millimeter and the process starts all over again. The non-fused material is removed during the last step. In this way, it is possible to produce highly complex parts—like the egg—without any downstream work cycles or use of additional tools. Moreover, several different parts can be manufactured in a single construction phase.

Daniel and Stuart agreed: “We wanted to test people’s perceptions on what can be created using these modern methods. We hope people look at the piece and question how it was both designed and made. While laser sintering within architectural circles is not uncommon, within a more public environment it is still a relatively unknown technology. We felt the project provided a real opportunity to reach out to a wider audience and showcase what can be achieved.”

And Daniel concludes: “Our egg aims to show the potential of 3D design and production methods. The intention was to develop a design that could not be created any other way. We have used our ability to work with these tools to develop an intricate, delicate and complex piece that intrinsically connects back to the spirit of the Fabergé brand, which focuses on highly accomplished design and craftsmanship alongside the use of exquisite materials. In some ways, our design brings this concept into the modern era on a larger scale: a piece of 21st Century digital opulence.”

EOS
www.eos.info

Fourfoursixsix
www.fourfoursixsix.com

Ogle Models
www.oglemodels.com

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The Dimension 3D Printer was the first of its kind to bring 3D printing technology to a broad audience and accelerate the trend of 3D printer use in the market today. (Photo: Stratasys Inc.)

“Dimension laid the foundation for the 3D printing revolution we’re seeing today,” says Stratasys CEO Scott Crump. “It opened the door to a whole new demographic of users that previously couldn’t access additive manufacturing.”

Today, Dimension 3D printers represent the majority of Stratasys’ installed base: a base that accounts for a 41% global market share, and includes other Stratasys brands Fortus and uPrint 3D Printers. Stratasys has shipped 15,839 systems since its founding, according to Wohlers Report 2011.

All Stratasys 3D printer brands, uPrint, Dimension and Fortus, employ Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology, which was invented and patented by Scott Crump.

Stratasys 3D
www.stratasys.com

Dimension
www.DimensionPrinting.com

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The Replicator is a precision-made parts fabricator, built with linear ball bearings and precision-ground 8 mm shafts. The build envelope is 225 x145 x150 mm (8.9 in. x 5.7 in. x 5.9 in.). It is available with single or dual extruders, facilitating simultaneous two-color printing.

This printer features a 4×20 character LCD panel and multi-directional control pad. The LCD screen provides build data as well as monitoring information, and full machine control is possible without the use of a computer. Using an SD Card slot or USB connection, model designs can be loaded and built directly from control pad commands.

You can quickly fabricate solid objects using tools like AutoCAD and Solidworks producing STL or gcode files. ReplicatorG software provided (Linux, Windows, and OSX compatible) enables rapid prototype production. Layer thickness may be selected from 0.2-0.3 mm with the stock 0.4 mm nozzle, and parts are built at a speed of 40 mm/s, with positioning precision of 2.5 micron (Z axis) and 11 micron (XY axes).

Sized for almost any desktop (320 x 467 x 381 mm; 12.6 in. x 18.4 in. x 15 in.) The Replicator weighs 26/29 lbs (single/dual). Made by Makerbot Industries, it is available now at $1699 for a single extruder and $1999 for a dual extruder, from Saelig Company, Inc. their USA technical distributor.

Saelig Company, Inc.
www.saelig.com

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Volume

The simplest and most absolute limit to part size is the total volume of your part, which cannot exceed 59 cubic inches (967 cc). That is the maximum capacity of the barrel from which our largest presses inject resin into a mold. This maximum figure has increased significantly over time as we’ve added larger-capacity presses to our production floor, and the good news is that if you follow standard guidelines for wall thickness, 59 cubic inches of resin goes a long way.

Height
This one is also simple: the Protomold process allows parts to be milled to a maximum depth of four inches from the parting line. So, if the parting line falls exactly halfway between top and bottom, total part height can be up to eight inches.

Mold Area at the Parting Line
Because resin is injected into a mold under pressure, the two halves of a mold must be clamped together during injection to keep them from separating prematurely. The pressure that must be overcome equals injection pressure in psi (pounds/in2) times projected part area (cross section of the part, in square inches, at the parting line). Our presses can exert up to 600 tons or 1.2 million pounds of clamp pressure, which allows a projected part area at the parting line of up to 175 square inches.

Outline
Pressure generated by injection is exerted in all directions and does more than try to force open the mold. It also presses outward against the sides of the mold. If that force is exerted over a large enough area and the mold wall is too thin, the pressure of injection can actually bow the walls of the mold. To prevent this, as the part is milled deeper into the mold (increasing the area of mold wall exposed to pressure) the mold wall must be thicker. Thicker mold walls reduce the maximum rectangular outline into which the part must fit. In other words, the taller the part from the parting line, the smaller the maximum outline (as defined in the table below).

Allowance for Cams
Because side action cams must fit within the allowable mold outline, they also reduce the maximum size of a part. The space a cam requires will vary with the stroke required to create the undercut, but it can be significant. The Protomold software will make appropriate allowances for side actions, but designers should be aware that parts with side actions must fit within a reduced outline.

Part Wall Thickness
Larger parts generally mean longer resin flow paths, which, in turn, require thicker walls; how thick depends on the resin. Minimum wall thickness for a long-fiber-filled resin can be nearly 2.5 times that for a nylon wall.

Proto Labs
www.protomold.com

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To meet this growing need for prototype to production, Paramount Industries, Inc. announced it now has an EOSINT P 800, a high temperature laser sintering system made by EOS GmbH, Germany, that can process engineered polymers like polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) used for direct part production.

“High temperature laser sintering is a 3D printing process that is growing in popularity for making strong plastic production parts,” said Jim Williams, CEO, Paramount. “As early adopters, our goal is to integrate this technology across all industries so manufacturers can benefit from its unique advantages. While it is true that aerospace, defense, energy, medical and transportation are natural consumers, there are many more industries that will benefit from this processing and material technology.”

The EOSINT P 800 can process temperatures up to 385° C (725° F). Of all the additive manufacturing/3D printing technologies, laser sintering offers the highest levels of manufacturing flexibility for end-use parts. PAEKs offer the highest levels of performance among polymers.

Since 2008 Paramount Industries has led the development of the high temperature laser sintering process. The company qualified the process through an extensive U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) R&D effort integrating laser sintering technology and materials science to deliver complex parts for military weapon systems. Paramount is successfully moving into SBIR Phase III, shifting into production with unfilled PAEKs and carbon-fiber-reinforced PAEKs.

The laser sintering PAEKs offer temperature resistance, processing stability, mechanical performance, resistance to hydrolysis, and flame retardant characteristics that make them ideal candidates for aerospace applications. The carbon-fiber-reinforced PAEKs offer additional electrostatic dissipative characteristics and higher tensile modulus. These new materials combined with Paramount’s advanced coatings and surface finishes broaden the material selection and design options and increases the range of applications.

“Paramount continues to advance the development of laser sintering materials and processing. My team is absolutely thrilled to add the EOSINT P 800 to Paramount’s additive manufacturing tool box,” Williams added.

Paramount Industries, Inc.
www.paramountind.com

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That question has now shifted to, “Is there a better way to make?” And the answer here will likely be the personal 3D printer.

I have some “bones to pick” with the hyperbole being written about 3D printing technology. Let’s review some of it.

The claim: “It will eliminate traditional manufacturing.”

Reality: I doubt it, it will be another tool in the manufacturing tool box. You will still need
subtractive and molding technologies—costs will make those choices.

The claim: “It will bring about a new economy.”

Reality: It’s more a reflection of the changes going on in the economy.

The claim: “It will make individual manufacturing factories of every one of us.”

Reality: Probably not, at least I don’t think I will be making versus buying any item possible—not
until making is as efficient and cost effective as buying.

I’ve seen some beautiful designs coming from artists using 3D printers. However, I don’t think I will be paying the $400+ to acquire some of these designs, no matter how beautiful and how deserving the artist is. The audience for that type of purchase is somewhat small, say the upper “ten percenters.” Which is why mass manufacturing came about in the first place—people wanting items that were too expensive as one-offs.

3D printers more neatly fit the description of a meta-idea. A meta-idea is a concept attributed to economist Paul Romer, who defined it as the most important type of idea. A meta-idea is an idea that supports the production and transmission of other ideas.

However, this industry is so fluid right now, that predictions can only be partly accurate. With so many new types of 3D printers coming into the market, we have reached a point requiring classification and organization.

I like what Todd Grimm recently proposed. He groups the various systems into Consumer (example: MakerBot, RapMan), Personal (example: uPrint, 3D Touch), Professional, and Production class. (For news and information on personal 3D printers, check out our new category on Make Parts Fast.)

But, back to “bones to pick.” Personal 3D printers have re-opened certain questions that society will have to deal with—namely, intellectual property rights, and whether we still even need them.

Romer has commented that our economic model is changing as we come to terms with the concept that ideas can be viewed as “economic goods;” that ideas are the new currency. Thus, some are claiming that the new “commodity” in our changing economy may well be the CAD drawing. So, a number of commentators claim that engineers should simple sell their 3D CAD designs to users of 3D printers to make. The carrot is that this change will free engineers/designers to be more creative. (Huh? Just exactly how are engineers restrained in their creativity?)

In Richard Florida’s book, The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life, he notes that various groups like to think that they clearly understand creativity as a source of economic value; that “intellectual property” is now more valuable than any kind of physical property, and that we will fiercely protect this new economic value.

It’s nice to get paid for your creativity, but this is a troublingly simplistic view of what an engineer does—just create a drawing and you’re done. Well, let’s just play devil’s advocate for a minute and ponder who would be responsible if said design fails in some way that risks human life? Will it be the designer? Will it be the maker? Did the maker alter the design and did that lead to the failure? Will the fault lie with the material chosen for the part? Will it be the unit the part was printed on? (Lawyers, line up here.)

It’s sort of ironic. Instead of large manufacturing factories employing millions, we will be the manufacturing factory, but a factory of one, which may or may not create an income stream for each of us. I’m not sure how this idea is useful, but, as I said earlier, the 3D printing industry is in flux, so stay tuned.

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System shipments totaled 700 units for the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to 632 units for the same period last year.

The company reported net income of $5.8 million for fourth quarter, or $0.27 per share, representing a 34% increase over the net income of $4.3 million, or $0.20 per share, for the same period last year.

Non-GAAP net income was $6.6 million for the fourth quarter, or $0.31 per share, representing a 49% increase over the non-GAAP net income of $4.4 million, or $0.21 per share, for the same period last year.

Solidscape Inc., acquired by Stratasys in May of 2011, contributed $3.2 million to revenue and 68 system sales, and was accretive to net income during the fourth quarter of 2011.

The company reported revenue of $155.9 million for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2011, compared to $117.8 million for the same period in 2010.

The twelve-month period in 2010 included a $5.0 million one-time non-cash charge against revenue. The charge against revenue was taken in the first quarter of 2010 and represents the fair value of a warrant issued to HP in connection with a distribution agreement signed in January 2010. Excluding this charge, total revenue increased by 27% in 2011 over the same period last year.

System shipments totaled 2,602 units for the twelve-month period in 2011, compared to 2,555 units for the same period last year.

The company reported net income of $20.6 million for the twelve-month period, or $0.95 per share, compared to net income of $9.4 million, or $0.44 per share, for the same period last year.

Non-GAAP net income was $22.5 million or $1.04 per share for the twelve-month period of 2011, compared to non-GAAP net income of $13.4 million, or $0.63 per share, for the same period last year.

Solidscape Inc. contributed $8.2 million in revenue and 174 system sales, and was accretive to net income for 2011.

“The fourth quarter represented a strong finish to 2011,” said Scott Crump, chairman and chief executive officer of Stratasys. “The quarter and full year results are record performances for both revenue and operating profit. The sales momentum was particularly strong during the final weeks of the year, resulting in a record year-end backlog, which includes over $12 million in system orders. Consequently, we are well positioned as we begin 2012.

“As in previous quarters, the fourth quarter benefited from sales of our Fortus 3D production systems. Fortus system revenue grew by nearly 80% during the quarter when compared to the same period last year, with particularly strong sales from our highest-margin systems. The growing demand for functional prototypes and DDM [Direct Digital Manufacturing] applications within the aerospace, automotive and defense industries remain the primary drivers behind this growth.

“Consumable revenue reached the highest level in our company’s history during the fourth quarter, growing by 25% over last year. Our expanding base of Fortus 3D production systems and the higher material usage rates generated by DDM applications is driving this growth. In addition, consumable usage is benefitting from a growing demand for our innovative new materials. We expect these positive trends will continue throughout 2012.

“Revenue within our RedEye paid parts business also represented a record level, expanding by 17% over the fourth quarter last year. Our RedEye business continues to benefit from customers accessing our significant capacity for large orders, as well as our ability to produce large parts made of high-grade thermoplastics.

“We are also making progress in our channel development programs aimed at accelerating the sales of our uPrint 3D printer line. This includes recruiting and training 90 new agents by the beginning of the second quarter of this year that will focus exclusively on selling our most affordable products. We expect this new initiative will drive incremental new volume starting in the second quarter.

“In addition to expanding our channel, we are raising the incentive for selling our most affordable 3D printers. Beginning late in the fourth quarter, distributor margin for the uPrint line was increased substantially. We believe the new incentive structure will drive incremental focus on selling the uPrint line, and combined with the expansion of our sales channel, will bode well for 3D printer sales in the coming months.

“A new initiative we expect to introduce in the second quarter will significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of our most-affordable 3D printers. This revolutionary development is a result of significant investments we have made over the past three years. Most important, this development should help us sustain a favorable margin profile on our most-affordable systems as we become more aggressive with our programs to drive growth.

“We observed new developments in our collaboration with HP during the fourth quarter, as they added three new countries to their distribution network in Europe. In addition, we were pleased to see sales of our HP-branded 3D printers grow by 15% during the fourth quarter over last year, outpacing the growth of our Stratasys-brand 3D printers in non-HP countries.

“We continue to believe HP could be the ideal partner for worldwide distribution of our 3D printers. However, the full potential and ultimate long-term success of our collaboration with HP will require sales and marketing programs that go beyond current commitments. Consequently, while we remain committed to the HP collaboration, we will continue to accelerate independent channel development strategies.

“Given the continued positive momentum within our Fortus business and new initiatives within 3D printing, we are optimistic as we begin 2012. This optimism is strengthened by our record backlog of system orders and a strong pipeline of new opportunities. We remain a healthy company with attractive growth opportunities on multiple fronts, and we look forward to a successful year,” Crump concluded.

Stratasys reiterated the following information regarding financial guidance for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012:

• Revenue guidance of $175 million to $190 million.

• Earnings guidance of $1.02 to $1.13 per share.

The estimated expenses related to employee stock options, as well as the amortization of intangibles related to our acquisition of Solidscape Inc., amount to a combined impact of approximately $0.15 per share for 2012.

Stratasys Inc.
www.Stratasys.com.

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The 3DTouch™ printer is a personal 3D printer equipped with up to three print heads and a wide choice of print materials and colors. It can mix up to three different print materials and colors during its print cycle for multi-color printing. Other features include a standard touch control screen, USB storage and file transfer.

3D Systems Corporation
www.3DSystems.com

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This example just proves how quickly this research is progressing. A couple of years ago, I met with EOS management and we discussed their research in developing parts that human bone could graft to for recovery from severe breaks or head trauma. Even then, the technology, i.e. the 3D printer, was capable.  But FDA or other medical oversight approval and testing still needed to be done.  Now, obviously, we’ve progressed to that stage.

However, because we don’t have the right printable human tissue materials (yet), I still think it will be a while before we actually 3D print our own replacement kidneys.

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Recently, Ashlar-Vellum offered their line of CAD programs under a number of licenses, including permanent, one-year, and monthly rental. Though Ashlar’s software is highly respected (especially by industrial designers), the company isn’t one of the big players in the CAD business.

Siemens PLM  is one of the big players and has revisited the idea of renting CAD software—but with a new twist. They partnered with Local Motors, a company that does crowd-sourced design of cars. Members of the Local Motors community can rent (actually “subscribe,” but with enough flexibility that it seems like renting) a special version of Solid Edge called Design 1, for $19.95 per month. To read more on this idea, click here.

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In an excellent commentary by Grimm, he goes on to explore the differences between 3D printing and rapid prototyping (3D printing is a process where rapid prototyping is one of the applications of the 3D printing process.) And he goes on to discuss the differences between 3D printing and additive manufacturing. “3D printing leans toward the processes for less demanding applications and favors the casual user. Additive manufacturing implies processes for more demanding applications and favors the professional, expert user.

After 25 years, it appears that this market is hitting a nice groove.

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Objet worked closely on the project with StreetScooter, a consortium of more than 80 companies united with an aim to develop an affordable electric car with an emphasis on sustainability. Working closely with the group, Objet produced highly realistic prototypes for the development of the style and function of the car, including a 1.4 meter wide dashboard made from over 20 individually printed parts. Major parts of the dashboard were printed in the Objet ABS-like Digital Material, chosen for its dimensional stability and toughness. Additional Objet materials were used to simulate fine-details. The parts were then glued, polished and painted to precisely simulate the true look, feel and function of the dashboard.

3d Printed car dashboard

SolidWorks attendees can see the fully-assembled dashboard and additional 
3D printed products at the Objet booth #500. In addition, Objet will be running the compact Objet260 Connex multi-material 3D Printer to showcase 
the advantages of multi-material printing for fit, form and functional testing.

Objet Ltd.
www.objet.com

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During those sessions, someone realized that what the iPad really needed was a safe way to secure it on the go. After all, what could be worse than accidentally dropping a beloved tablet?

Thus, Grablet was born.

This ingenious little device comes with a hand pad and hand strap to enable the user to custom fit an iPad 1 or 2 to their own hand, prop up their iPad at the perfect angle for typing and hang their iPad practically anywhere they want – from a kitchen cabinet to a car headrest.

But before the three friends could take their product out into the world officially, they had a significant challenge. Three of them, actually.

How could they…

1. Be absolutely sure the mold of the Grablet they were designing would perfectly fit any iPad 1

2. Create the product

3. Get the Grablet ready to launch and market within 30 days, in time for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

For help with the first step, scanning the iPads for a perfect Grablet fit,  the design team turned to Exact Metrology. And, of course, the scans needed to be finished by the next day.

Exact Metrology engineers  scanned the iPads using the Breuckmann smartScan HE 5.0 White Light scanner. Considering the 3D data for processing had to be highly precise, the Breuckmann is one of the most high-resolution measurement systems on the market today.

With fields of view up to 2500 mm, this scanner can digitize practically any object in less than 1 minute – sometimes as fast as just a few seconds. Rather than an approach that only captures surface points, the Breuckmann accurately captures complete surfaces of the object it’s measuring.

Even in a tight window of time, Exact Metrology had ample time to scan and capture the objects at a variety of angles, providing the design team at Grablet with the essential data required to design a precise product for the iPad 2.

Their appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas a great success, and company engineers are looking forward to using their own Grablets soon, knowing they played a significant role in the product’s launch.

Exact Metrology
www.exactmetrology.com

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Scanning and modifying an object are way to obtain the needed CAD data for these printers. But most scanning equipment is way out of the price range of an average non-professional 3D printer user. Fortunately, though, a number of tools are coming that will help the average person with their wish to design a product. One tool is from Geomagic, a provider of 3D software for creating and inspecting digital models of physical objects. Geomagic will be the technology behind the Microsoft® Kinect™-to-3D print app that is part of 3D Systems’ Cubify.com. This application, at an early stage of development, will automate the process of 3D imaging and 3D printing for users of personal computers.

Introduced at this year’s CES Show, Kinect-to-3D print technology is fresh out of Geomagic’s R&D division; it is an application built on top of Geomagic Studio®. 3D data taken using this method can also be used for other purposes including design, testing, innovation, archive and prototyping.

Cubify.com is a 3D create-and-make application with intuitive 3D apps, 3D printable content libraries of games, puzzles and collections. Cubify.com turns any mobile device, tablet or Kinect device into a digital canvas. Compelling content creation, capture and customization apps make it simple and fun to personalize creations and print them at home on a Cube™ 3D printer or have them printed using 3D Systems’ online Cubify service.

Geomagic
www.geomagic.com

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“Instead of commissioning aluminum molds or sending out to busy contractors for plastic models, we can produce our own high-resolution color prototypes for a fraction of the cost,” said A. O. Smith CAD Supervisor, Steve Wood, from the company’s Johnson City, TN, manufacturing facility. “When a trial design isn’t perfect, we quickly revise it and print another 3D model, or we create several different prototypes at the same time. Our ZPrinter gives us the flexibility to make real-time changes and react quickly to our customers’ demands.”

An aluminum mold, including setup and prototype production, can be costly, consuming as much as six weeks from the design cycle before the first part is produced. Worse, if the prototype doesn’t work, a significant design revision can require a new mold and another cycle of waiting. With its ZPrinter® 650 3D printer, A. O. Smith can print multiple prototypes reflecting a range of design alternatives in a few hours at a significant cost reduction.

A. O. Smith expected the ZPrinter to pay for itself quickly, but is happily finding that the return on the ZPrinter investment exceeds expectations. “Because we’re finding it increasingly valuable as time goes on – and thus are using it more,” stated A. O. Smith CAD Operator, Robert Anest, “it is sure to pay for itself sooner than we thought.”

In addition to printing prototypes, A. O. Smith is printing molds for the production of plastic molded parts – again avoiding costly aluminum molds. According to Wood, “To produce prototypes from our own molds, we’re spending less money and time.”

The integration of A. O. Smith’s ZPrinter® 650 3D printer has not just been a cost savings either. “It’s both a unique and an effective sales tool,” said Wood. “Our customers and partners love them – for one thing, they don’t have to lug around a 200-pound water heater. And we’re getting great feedback from everyone involved.”

3D Systems Corporation
www.3DSystems.com
www.zcorp.com

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This latest equipment order brings the total to more than 100 Stratasys 3D printers used as classroom technology by the nationwide program. The 3D printers help the program raise interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers for at-risk youth. Stratasys says one-half of the 3D printers have shipped to DoD STARBASE, and it expects the remainder to ship before the end of February.

“Engineering is a vital part of our nation’s hopeful future,” says DoD STARBASE RAC and Co-Founder Barbara Koscak. “We need to instill the concept of engineering early in a child’s education.”

Through the program, students in grades four through six participate in hands-on activities that emphasize teamwork to explore various STEM-based theories. For example, using PTC Creo computer-aided design software, students design model submarine, land rover, UAV, scalextric car and rocket components and use 3D printers to produce them for functional testing.

“3D printing, also called rapid prototyping, has become a key component of many science and technology curricula across schools nationwide,” says Stratasys Education Manager Jesse Roitenberg. “Students apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to real-life models. When they can actually see, hold and touch the results of their work, it’s a very powerful lesson. Looking at the STARBASE curriculum, they’re light years ahead.”

Stratasys
www.stratasys.com

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Capture 3D, Inc.
www.capture3d.com

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In addition to the new rapid prototyping service, 3D Scanning Labs offers high-accuracy 3D scanning and metrology, onsite 3D scanning, reverse engineering to native CAD formats, and dimensional inspection. The new addition of 3D printing services opens up an array of possibilities for prototype testing and development for advanced engineering, manufacturing, and jewelry applications.

Stated Jim Clark, Business Manager at Konica Minolta 3D Scanning Labs, “The high quality parts produced by the ProJetare ideally matched to the high quality, high detail 3D scan data our equipment produces.”

The Projet™ HD 3000 3D Production System offers the option of two modes, High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD), for applications ranging from prototypes and concepts to direct castable models. For direct castable models of fine jewelry and other components, the UHD mode is unmatched in its ability to handle delicate features and produce detailed parts and patterns. The high speed and exceptional surface quality of the standard HD mode is ideal for a wide variety of applications including concept development, design verification, form-fit testing, and product presentations.

Konica Minolta 3D Scanning Labs
sensing.konicaminolta.us

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Educators worldwide have recognized the annual design and 3D printing contest for its positive impact on students. “We’re encouraging students to participate in this opportunity to challenge their critical thinking skills and demonstrate their creativity,” says Jesse Roitenberg, Stratasys education manager. “Every year we’re impressed with the innovative submissions we receive. We look forward to seeing what students develop this year.”

Dimension 3D Printing will award each of nine student winners $2,500 or $1,000 scholarships in the categories of middle school and high school engineering, college engineering, and art & architecture. Designs are awarded based on creativity, usefulness, part integrity and aesthetics. Instructors of the three first-place student winners will receive an Apple iPad for use in the classroom. With this year’s awards, the contest will exceed the $100,000 mark in scholarships granted since the contest’s inception.

Each submission should:

• be a sound mechanical design (Engineering category)

• be realistic and achievable

• include a clear written description of the design

This year’s contest will also feature a bonus award category: Students who incorporate a school-spirit theme into their designs will have a chance to win a $250 gift card.

For video, photos, and descriptions of previous winning designs, visit Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. For contest rules and regulations, visit ER Rules & Regulations.

Dimension
www.dimensionprinting.com

Stratasys Inc.
www.stratasys.com

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3D printers have often been compared to Star Trek replicators. Well, this week’s CES show introduces the U.S. consumer to Roddenberry’s possible future with the Makerbot’s new Replicator 3D printer and 3D Systems’ Cube 3D printer.

Bre Pettis, CEO of Makerbot, is a proponent of open source principles where any design uploaded to Makerbot’s community website, Thingiverse, must be shared for free. He has often been quoted about his idea of a “sharing world,” where you won’t need to sell things using money as the exchange.

I wonder if humanity can ever reach this utopian ideal of sharing everything. After all, someone expends time and energy to create or grow something—tomatoes, housing, clothes, etc. And we all need to obtain some of those creations in some way. Money is simply the medium we use to acknowledge the effort of time and energy someone else used to create that item. In today’s world, if you don’t charge for efforts, they are viewed as a non-income producing hobby.  Can humanity really get to the point where we expend time and energy on useful things without some measure of compensation?

Meanwhile, if you work with 3D Systems’ Cube™ and develop an original CAD file that you want to post on the Cubify website, you get to keep 60% of the proceeds from sales. Here, money is used as an incentive to get you involved.

What do you think—can humanity move to Roddenberry’s and Pettis’ idea of a sharing world? Email your comments to me at LLangnau@wtwhmedia.com

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“With Objet, we can turn models around quickly, efficiently and with consistency,” said Gary Miller, Head of 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping at IPF. “And our clients like it that they can get a very clear idea of their final product, due to the high accuracy and the model quality and the combination of different materials in a single model.”

According to Miller, the results are nothing short of amazing. When Miller showed a customer a bicycle chain with interlocking, moveable pieces that had been printed in a single run on the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer, the customer immediately asked how long it took to assemble. Miller told him: “There’s no assembly. It’s printed in one go; you clean it and then you can move it.”

Being able to simultaneously print numerous multi-material parts made of different material properties is highly valuable to IPF. Miller said: “We can print parts that are 40 Shore, 50 Shore, 95 Shore, rigid and flexible parts – all in one go. Four or five customers can want models with different materials and we can print them on the bed at the same time, thanks to Objet’s unique multi-material Connex technology.”

Much of the 3D printing work at IPF takes place overnight or over the weekend, completely unattended. Before leaving the office in the evening, the operator simply sets the Objet 3D printers to start printing; the next morning, he comes into work, cleans the finished parts, and the parts are ready to be shipped out to customers by the end of day. And it happens day after day, week after week.

“We can’t afford for our printers to be down at all,” says Miller. “Objet 3D printers are very reliable machines and the only reason we’ve reinvested in Objet is because the service and support when it’s been needed has been phenomenal.”

Industrial Plastic Fabrications Ltd.
http://ipfl.co.uk.

Objet Ltd.
www.objet.com

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So, 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) just introduced its entrant into this market, the Cube™ at the CES show this week. This sleek looking design is priced at $1,299, and is ready to print out of the box in a range of vibrant colors; no assembly needed. It really does look good, the engineers did a nice job in keeping in the needed 3D printing elements while controlling costs. And it can print a range of designs for form and fit, and even shoes.

The printer includes consumer friendly features such as the tablet-like, touch screen. It weighs less than 9 pounds and uses EZ Load cartridges available in a range of colors. In addition, the printer comes with a membership to Cubify.com, with access to 50 free printable creations.

“With the Cube™ printer, personal 3D printing becomes a reality for everyone,” said Rajeev Kulkarni, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Solutions for 3D Systems. “Every affordable, easy to use 3D printer we bring to the market underscores our commitment to democratize access and accelerate adoption of our 3D content-to-print solutions for the benefit of consumers, artists and developers alike.”

The company plans to fully commercialize the Cube™ personal 3D printer during the first half of 2012.

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The SkyLight mount connects any smart phone to any microscope. As a universal plastic mount, it allows older microscopes to upgrade to the digital age, and can help transform global healthcare, telemedicine, science education and research.

The device helps scientists, doctors, teachers and students use technology already at their disposal in new ways. Using the Skylight, people around the world can share images and videos through their smart phone.

Skype or FaceTime can also be used to collaborate in real-time, by enabling images from the microscope to clearly transmit to others through the smart phone. For example, with the help of the SkyLight, a healthcare worker in a third world country can capture and send diagnostic images to a trained expert able to make a vital diagnosis.

As a Cool Idea! Award recipient, Proto Labs provided SkyLight with CNC machining for prototyping, followed by injection molding tooling and the accompanying plastic parts.

“SkyLight offers users in a variety of fields the ability to digitally capture and share scientific discoveries that may otherwise not be seen and explored by others,” said Proto Labs founder and CTO Larry Lukis. “An intuitive product that is designed to further enhance healthcare, telemedicine and science education on a global level is exactly the type of innovative thinking we want to recognize with the Cool Idea! Award.”

Said SkyLight co-founder Andy Miller, “This award is especially exciting for us because Proto Labs helps to keep the total production cost minimal enough for this to be used as an educational resource throughout the world.”

SkyLight has received critical support on Kickstarter, to date receiving more than $18,000 in pledges from more than 200 backers in the community to aid in the product’s manufacturing, packaging and distribution. For every five SkyLights purchased, one will be donated for global health or educational purposes.

Cool Idea! Award is an award program offered by Proto Labs that gives product designers the opportunity to bring innovative products to life. During 2011, Proto Labs provided an aggregate of up to $100,000 worth of prototyping and short-run production services to award recipients. The program will be continuing throughout 2012.

Proto Labs
www.protolabs.com

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• annular (round) snaps

• torsional snaps, which store return force by twisting rather than bending

• compressive snaps, which work by compressing and then returning to hold the fastener in place.

Annular Snaps


Annular snaps are used in a variety of everyday applications, from the tiny snaps that close the windflaps on jackets to larger ones that fasten caps to pens to the still larger lids on plastic yogurt containers. While these are all designed for ease of opening and closing, annular snaps are also used, with slight modification, in “childproof caps,” which can be easily opened in one position but are virtually impossible to open in any other. And while many applications support repeated opening and closing, annular snaps can be used in industrial applications for permanent fastening, typically ensured by the angle of the locking edges of the snap.

Whatever their application, annular snaps operate by elongation and recovery, typically of the female component. This restricts the materials that can be used to those with relatively high elastic deflection limits, the point where material fails to fully recover from deformation. Maximum permissible strain varies for different materials, from about 50% of the strain at break for most reinforced plastics to more than 70% of strain at break for more elastic polymers.

Torsional Snaps


Torsional snaps store closing force when opened by imparting twist to a torsion bar at the pivot point of the arm, as opposed to bending the flexing arm as in a cantilever clip. But in most other respects—hook design, etc.—the torsional snap is similar to the cantilever clip. Rocker clips are typical torsional snaps.

Compression Snaps

Compression (or interference) snap fits can take many forms. The compound dovetail snap used in the Protomold sample design cube (Figure 1) is one example. This clip is dovetailed in two directions to lock together two of the cube’s six faces. In one direction, the male component is highly tapered providing an unbreakable connection between the two components. In the other direction, the male connector is only slightly tapered providing a connection that can be easily undone to disassemble the cube. As the male connector is pushed into position, material in both male and female components is compressed and then released as the snap moves into its locked position.

Figure 1: Clip is dovetailed in two directions to lock together two sides of a box.

Another example of a compression snap fit is found in the Reptangles™ building system. The challenge here was to design a connector that would mate when the parts came together in any direction within a 90° arc. The patented connector (Figure 2) consists of a triangular arch that fits into a corresponding slot. “Fingers” in the slot walls grasp the hollow under the arch to link the pieces firmly together while still allowing easy disassembly.

Figure 2: Arch-shaped connectors fit into a slot in an interference fit.

A compression snap fit can create moldability challenges. In some cases the connector can be formed as a “bump-off,” in which the part is slightly undercut but the material flexes to allow ejection. In the case of Reptangles, bump-offs were not required, as both arch and slot components of the connectors were formed by sliding shutoffs passing through holes in the part to form the undersides of protruding features.

The wide variety of clip and snap options allows designers a great deal of latitude in creating integrated connectors.

To read Tips on Clips Part 1.

Proto Labs
www.protomold.com

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The BfB™ 3000 3D printer from 3D Systems in partnership with MADE IN SPACE in a zero gravity test flight

While MakerBots, Bits from Bytes units, RepRap systems and others have grabbed most of the consumer media spotlight, the industrial side of 3D printing has also advanced. Here’s a look at some of the more noteworthy news events of 2011.

Print me a Stradivarius
The story that probably garnered the most attention for 3D printing and helped initiate all the buzz was the one published by The Economist—Print me a Stradivarius. Soon after, all the commercial media players started paying attention to 3D printing, culminating in the question—will 3D printing disrupt traditional manufacturing? (The answer: yes, it will disrupt parts of manufacturing where it makes sense to do so. Traditional manufacturing will still be around for certain projects, but, as has happened in other industries, manufacturing will shrink and be replaced by both very large manufacturers and smaller niche players.)

Food
The printing of food was a popular story this year. CNN Money started the ball rolling by reporting that a group of Cornell University scientists and students built a 3D printer and used material made out of food as a test item. From that point we’ve seen all kinds of foods being extruded through 3D printers, including mashed potatoes, cookies, icings, and my personal favorite, chocolate. (yumm.)

Copyrights
As some recognized that you can copy just about anything on a 3D printer, the question of copyright protection emerged. Michael Weinberg, staff attorney, Public Knowledge Organization released a paper, It Will Be Awesome If They Don’t Screw It Up, that explained the legal issues of copyright and how our government legislature has addressed them in the past. The final takeaway—watch your congressmen and senators—they don’t always make the best decisions. Or you could embrace the open source movement.

Several 3D printing technology companies and users are intense followers of the open source movement. It will be interesting to see how this works in the coming years.

New materials
The key obstacle to wider use of 3D printing technology continues to be materials—both in terms of costs (engineers and customers want them lower) and in variety (more materials that can be used in end-use applications). Some of the more interesting material introductions follow.

i.materialise, a provider of innovative software solutions, of products aimed at niche markets, of prototyping services for direct digital manufacturing and an enabler of individuals in the additive manufacturing market, introduced titanium, stainless steel, and gold and silver materials for you to choose for your projects.

Stratasys introduced a new material that can be used to fabricate assembly aids for electronic products. ABS-ESD7 is a static dissipative ABS material, great for designs that might be sensitive to electrostatic charge. Use of this material can reduce or eliminate damage from static charge. This is a good development for the semicon and electronics industries.

Stratasys also introduced easier support material removal for polycarbonate. Removing necessary support material can be cumbersome and add time to the process. The WaterWorks soluble support material will be compatible with the polycarbonate PC-10 3D printing build material for Fortus 3D Production Systems. The soluble support material – SR-100 – allows automated, hands-free removal, speeding prototyping and part production.

High temperature materials, which are suitable for military and aerospace applications emerged this year. Objet launched one that combines thermal function with dimensional stability. RGD525, for use on Objet Connex500 and Eden500V 3D printers, simulates the thermal performance of engineering plastics and is dimensionally stable when used for static 3D models and prototypes. This material lets you perform thermal functional testing of 3D printed parts and prototypes.

Objet also introduced its high-impact, high temperature ABS-like Digital Material (RGD5160-DM) material for simulating engineering plastics, clear transparent material (Objet VeroClear) and rigid white (Objet VeroWhitePlus) material for all-round application use.

Objet added to its range of dental 3d printing materials. MED610™ is a Bio-Compatible 3D printing material for dental labs.

3D Systems introduced a number of new materials. VisiJet® Black is a black colored print material for its ProJet™ 6000 unit, which is capable of printing functional and snap-fit plastic parts.  Accura® ClearVue™ is a durable, ultra clear 3D printing material with Polycarbonate and ABS properties for snap-fit applications. The material suits the design, development and manufacture of automotive headlamp assemblies, bottles and containers, clear plastic consumer goods, light pipes and LED displays where exceptional clarity is critical. Accura® Sapphire is for jewelry design and high-volume production.  VisiJet® Clear print material meets the rigorous requirements of USP Class VI for plastics. This material is for advanced medical and dental applications and is available only with the new ProJet™ 6000 professional 3D printer.

And in the world of unusual materials, there are plenty with more on the way. This year we saw clay, wood, ceramic, potatoes, baker’s icing and dough used in 3D printers to make various objects. One of the more interesting odd materials was cement. Yes, even cement was 3D printed and used in the construction of buildings, leading some to speculate that soon we will be printing our own homes.

3D printer with paper

Another interesting print material is paper. Mcor Technologies Ltd is the manufacturer of the only 3D printer in the world that uses paper as the build medium. It turns out that paper parts are suitable for a variety of applications including industrial, vacuum forming, casting, prototyping for industrial design, architecture, medical/dental, and gaming.

3D printers print parts in space

Flight #4. Photo Date: July 22, 2011. Location: Ellington Field - Zero-G 727 Aircraft. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

Yep, 3D printers went into space and worked just fine. The BfB™ 3000 3D printer from 3D Systems completed two zero gravity test flights in partnership with MADE IN SPACE, a start-up dedicated to providing solutions for manufacturing in outer space. The possibilities of 3D printing in space range from building on-demand parts for human missions to building large space habitats that are optimized for space.

Clothing

3D printing entered the fashion world. Shoes, clothes, bathing suits were just a few of the items made from 3D printers.

Not that I would want to wear some of those items as they do not look very comfortable.

Jewelry artists adopted 3D printing technology big time. Nearly any open source 3D printing site offers CAD drawings of various forms of jewelry.

CAD programs for novices

Another interesting development was the emergence of easy to use CAD programs for those with little engineering CAD experience. Among them are 3DTin, TinkerCAD, Sketch Up, 3D Via, and Autodesk, which entered into this part of the market with its Autodesk 123D. These programs tap a market of artists and others who may not want to learn CAD but who do want to design. Expect this trend to continue. In fact, some industry experts anticipate that the function of CAD design will shift from making designs to creating easier to use CAD software.

For those who may be a bit uncertain about starting from scratch to design something, there are a number of sites that allow users to redesign an object—take a basic design and customize it. This designed to be re-design trend includes Vizardz, Shapeways, Kodama Studios  and i.materialise.

The 3D printer did it

Unfortunately, the ease of 3D printing enables some to use these devices for criminal activities. Mr. Weinberg hinted at this in his copyright paper, indicating how easy it is to print a gun. Recent crime reports show that 3D printing has been used to print ATM skimmers. Open source designs, low-cost printers—at some point legislators will pass laws to address this development.

Size and speeds

Capabilities, such as size, speed, capacity, and so on are meant to be broken. In 3D printing technology, the current edges (for the moment) of the bell curve are:

Size—4000 by 2000 by 1000 mm (157.48 by 78.74 by 39.37 in.) is the current reigning large size courtesy of the VX4000 3D printer from Voxeljet.

Markus Hatzenbichler and Klaus Stadlmann with their micro-printer

And the smallest, at least according to Vienna University of Technology, is a prototype micro-printer. The prototype is no bigger than a carton of milk, it weighs 1.5 kilograms (3 lb).

Then the Origo debuted. It’s a 3D printer for users aged at least 10, maybe for adults too.

Hobby/Maker type 3D printers still have accuracy and speed issues, but these units have really made strides in these areas, and improvements continue thanks to a number of determined independent entrepreneurs who refuse to pay high prices or settle for less. Ultimaker, a Dutch 3D printer manufacturer reported a feed rate on its units of 300 mm/s; travel rate is 350 mm/s. Not bad. Industrial units travel from 12 to 20 mm/hr, roughly 240 times faster.

3D printing in Medical

The medical industry has become a big user of 3D printing, and not just for hearing aids or dental appliances. Researchers have printed bone or bone like materials. EOS has been printing metal parts that can be used in surgery to attach to bone for certain surgical procedures far a couple of years.

And researchers have been working on printing organs (so far, none of them working or FDA approved). In addition, researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Bio-Acoustic Mems in Medicine Laboratory have developed a new automated bioprinting approach using stem cell embroids (aggregates of cells derived from embryonic stem cells) to grow new body parts for organ transplants or tissues.

Acquisitions

Companies acquiring others continued to be the big story of 2011. While the industry is probably not consolidating, a few companies certainly made an impression. Here are some of the highlights.

Stratasys acquired Solidscape, Inc.. Solidscape is a manufacturer of 3D printers serving investment casting applications in the jewelry, medical, dental and industrial markets.

3D Systems bought the materials side of Huntsman, specifically its RenShape SLA materials. The deal also included the purchase of the Araldite®Digitalis 3D additive fabrication machine. Whether this unit will be supported by 3D Systems is yet to be determined. The Araldite®Digitalis is a polymeric additive fabrication system that can manufacture large numbers of parts simultaneously at high speed. Based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), it is different from the light-reflecting MEMS technology used in many 3D printers.

3D Systems acquired Freedom Of Creation (FOC). FOC’s extensive body of work includes products commercialized by leading fashion and design labels and the coveted FOC Collection.

3D Systems acquired The3dStudio.com. The plan for 3D Systems is to open up the potential of access to the broadest possible audience. Noted Abe Reichental, President and Chief Executive Officer of 3D Systems, the goal is to enable access to affordable tools to anyone with interest in creating, as well as develop a destination for users to commiserate, communicate, and collaborate with others.

3D Systems acquired Quickparts. Quickparts is a leading custom parts services company based in Atlanta, GA.

And one of the last acquisitions done by3D Systems, and arguably one of the more interesting acquisitions, was that Z Corporation. ZCorp has been a major player in the AM market for a number of years. Whether this expands or shrinks the market—time will tell. These acquisitions of 3D Systems are in addition to Sycode, Print 3D Corp, Alibre, BotMill, Formero, Kemo, and partnering with DesktopFab.

3D printing your plane

Several stories appeared about using 3D printers to print aircraft, including one about the engineers at the University of Southampton who designed and flew a ‘printed’ airplane.

The SULSA (Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft) plane is an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) whose entire structure has been printed, including wings, integral control surfaces and access hatches. It was printed on an EOS EOSINT P730 nylon laser sintering machine. No fasteners were used and all equipment was attached using ‘snap fit’ techniques so that the entire aircraft can be put together without tools in minutes.

And who could forget the Urbee, the first car to have its entire car body printed from a 3D printer.

All exterior components – including the glass panel prototypes – were created using Dimension 3D Printers and Fortus 3D Production Systems at Stratasys’ digital manufacturing service – RedEye on Demand.

Introducing the leased 3D printer

Don’t want to buy a 3D printer?  No problem.  Cost became less of a barrier to 3D printing thanks to the idea of leasing. Mcor started it with the announcement of the free D campaign, which essentially amounts to a yearly lease of the printer for about $13,000. You can print all the parts you want. Mcor will now provide their 3D printer free of charge. You choose from three different print service plans that let you print unlimited parts for the plan duration.

Then Stratasys offered a monthly lease for complete 3D printing. The bundled 3D-printer packages include special edition uPrint 3D printers, the uPrint SE 3D Print Pack and the uPrint SE Plus 3D Print Pack. Besides the printer, the 3D Print Packs include startup supplies, a support-removal system, and cleaning agent. Monthly lease packages are USD $290 for uPrint SE and USD $380 for uPrint SE Plus.

New 3D printers

Accurate and feature rich 3D printers are not as simple to develop as some pundits appear to think. A lot of engineering must go into them to keep temperatures stable throughout a build platform, keep lasers or UV lights focused correctly, and so on. So the introduction of new printers is quite a feat. Here are some of the introductions of 2011.

Stratasys introduced a crossover 3D printer, the Fortus 250mc, which combines the convenience and affordability of a Dimension 3D printer with the flexibility of a Fortus production system. This hybrid system is based on Fused Deposition Modeling and lets you control build speed, part accuracy, and feature detail.

Objet Ltd. announced the Objet260 Connex, a compact addition to its family of multi-material 3D printers. The system is based on the company’s inkjet 3D printing technology that jets 2 materials at the same time.

3D Systems announced the ProJet™ 1000 personal 3D printer and the ProJet™ 1500 Personal Color 3D Printer. The ProJet™ 1000, priced at $10,900, makes high-resolution, durable plastic parts accessible and affordable to educators, students and professionals.

The ProJet™ 1500 Personal Color 3D Printer combines high resolution, color, and fast speed.

Bits From Bytes™ debuted a color 3D printer, the 3DTouch. It prints in multiple colors. Starting at $3,900, this affordable color 3D printer includes multiple print heads for greater color and material choices, an intuitive touchscreen, and USB storage.

Another introduction from 3D Systems is the ProJet 6000. It delivers the precision and performance quality of professional grade SLA® parts.

And finally, we can unequivocally say that now 3D printing has “made it.” TV personality Stephen Colbert had his face 3D printed on TV using a Makerbot. Bre Pettis did the honors using his Thing-O-Matic to print a 3D image of Colbert’s face.

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A real leader in an engineering environment, whether he is the CEO or an engineering manager, requires traits of passion, commitment, and a genuine interest in the welfare of each employee in the organization. This attitude nurtures a company that encourages every employee to be on top of their skills, truly committed to their jobs, and believe that what they do serves their customers to the best of their ability.

For the second year in a row, 3D Systems has been chosen by you as the primary example of leadership in engineering in the field of rapid prototyping/ additive manufacturing/ 3d printing.  Make Parts Fast and Design World extend our congratulations to 3D Systems on this accomplishment.

Design World magazine will be holding this competition again in 2012.  Be sure to register your vote for the company that you think demonstrates leadership in engineering by clicking on the Leadership icon on their home page.

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The show bills itself as “the ultimate design contest … what happens when the biggest names in North American manufacturing, design and engineering throw open the doors and allow both mountain bikers and designers alike to “have at it.” In addition to entertainment, the episodes will serve as solid curriculum material for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers across North America.

The contest will spotlight the design process from drawing board to finished product. 
Z Corporation Technical Support Specialist and expert mountain bike rider Dave Mee will “ZPrint” prototypes of three finalists in three categories, in preparation for a showdown at the RAPID 2012 Conference May 22-25, 2012. The winner will be announced live at the 
Z Corporation booth. The winning design will then be manufactured and tested by a pro rider.

“Reality Redesigned” is produced by host and Executive Producer Jeremy Bout and others involved in “The Edge Factor Show,” who are joining forces with Pinkbike (www.pinkbike.com), one of the top mountain bike sites in the world. Here’s how it works:

Submissions (Now through Feb. 24, 2012). After registering for Pinkbike (free), contestants will place their submission into one of three categories.

Mountain-bike suspension

Mountain-bike component

Mountain-bike frame

Screening (ongoing). Submissions will be scored by Bout and qualified experts from the mountain-bike industry. A real-time leaderboard will track the top 15 designs in each category.

The Gauntlet (April/May 2012). Experts determine how designs will stand up to a real-life scenario, then grade each based on research, material pricing and specific criteria:

1. 3D Modeling – Fit, form and function.

2. Rapid Prototyping – (usefulness, rideability) – Judges: Mee and professional rider Mike Montgomery. Mee will “ZPrint” the entries of three finalists in each category. 3D printing converts three-dimensional computer-aided design data into physical prototypes.

3. Engineering/Business plan

4. Manufacturability

Finals (May 22-25, 2012). At the RAPID 2012 Conference, three final designs will be displayed and judged, in three episodes shot with a live audience in the Z Corporation booth. The judging will include stringent and rigorous testing using finite element analysis (FEA) software and ZPrinted prototypes. The winner will be announced in the Z Corporation booth.

Epilogue: The winning design will be manufactured and tested by a pro rider.

“ZPrinting is a center-stage component of the show, inspiring innovation and bringing contestants’ designs to reality,” said Bout. “With physical models, judges and industry manufacturers can more deeply understand a design, and what it will be able to do on the trail. ZPrints will also expose students to technology they will use in their engineering careers.”

To enter the contest: www.edgefactor.com/?i=12747&mid=1000&id=373053

Z Corporation
www.zcorp.com

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Now, a group of scientists from Five Fraunhofer-institutes are using 3D printers to develop biocompatible artificial blood vessels through a project known as the BioRap project.

This project used 3D printing technology as well as multi-photon polymerization to create even the fine capillary structures of blood vessels.

Recent 3D printing technology futurists have imagined scenarios where medical doctors 3D print a replacement organ for surgery, rather they wait for a donor. It looks like this possibility might be one step closer with the potential printing of blood vessels.

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Previously, outsourced prototyping had been expensive and slow. Now, with in-house prototyping using the Objet desktop 3D printer, Fishman can get to market faster and its production process is more predictable.

“Kula, our new onboard ukulele system, is an example of where we really got a chance to use the desktop 3D printer to its fullest advantage,” said Robert Ketch, Vice President of OEM Sales at Fishman Acoustic Amplification. “The prototypes are of such good quality that our customers think they are production parts. We’re going to be making many more pieces with 3D printing to repeat the success we had with this product. The impact on the timeline and the impression that Objet makes have been really valuable.”

In addition to being impressed with the quality, flexibility and structural integrity of the models created through 3D printing, the development team at Fishman is enjoying far easier and faster prototyping.

Ian Popken, Director, Product Development at Fishman Acoustic Amplification, says: “It’s a very smooth process and the Objet 3D printer is easy to use. Just recently we had one part that went through three revisions in a single day. It’s pretty remarkable to get a perfect prototype so quickly without compromising on design quality.”

View movie.

Fishman Acoustic Amplification
www.fishman.com

Objet Ltd.
www.objet.com

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The part will be used in the new magnetic QuicKaddy Hex Key case that Nestor designed, with slots in the front and back that allow the user to easily remove a tool without having to move other tools in the process.

“Almost every person in the U.S. and elsewhere has used or owns a set of hex keys. In fact, many people use hex keys in their daily work routine,” said Proto Labs Founder and CTO Larry Lukis. “This product is cool because of its simplicity and magnetic function. It takes a standard product and makes it faster and easier to use.”

The QuicKaddy Hex Key case allows a tool to be quickly pulled straight from the case since there are slots, not through holes, which are typical of most cases currently on the market. The keys are held in place by powerful magnets located in the body of the case. Nestor’s design allows tools to be organized and accessed faster and easier than existing hex key cases, saving the user time and increasing productivity.

“The amount of time spent fiddling with other tools to get the one you need may seem small, but the minutes can really add up. It can also be frustrating,” said Nestor, a Boston, Mass.-based product designer. “The simplicity and functionality of this product will quickly pay for itself and make it a must-have for any toolbox.”

The Cool Idea! Award is a program offered by Proto Labs, which gives product designers the opportunity to bring innovative products to life. Nestor is the fourth recipient, with additional award winners to be named. During 2011, Proto Labs will provide an aggregate of up to $100,000 worth of prototyping and short-run production services to award recipients.

Proto Labs
www.protolabs.com

QuicKaddy
www.quicKaddy.com

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Geared toward children, the wireless, handheld, screen-anywhere device makes vision screening as easy as taking a photo, which is important for toddlers and young children. Similar to a point-and-shoot camera, Spot captures results in less than one second, making it efficient for use in a physician’s office or a large-scale public screening. For example, a typical school can be screened in one day, dramatically lowering the cost to screen students.

The demand for Spot, however, was outpacing traditional manufacturing techniques. They ultimately turned to Quickparts® for pre-production cast urethane parts, which was able to deliver safety grade parts with production tolerances, all within the required leadtime.

“We needed to fill the gap between early stage development and hard tooling,” said Jeff Lammers, Lead Engineer at PediaVision. “Quickparts allowed us to test production quality prototypes months before traditional tooling would allow.”

QuickQuote® provided PediaVision a single source solution to all their short-term housing needs. Within 7 days the engineers received their prototype and were able to test with production material and production tolerances prior to going to hard tooling. “Rapid prototyping allowed us to compress our schedule by 3-6 months,” said Lammers. “Tooling is costly. Quickparts saved us time and money by allowing us to test pre-production prototypes before cutting hard tooling.”

3D Systems Corporation
Quickparts
www.quickparts.com

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With assistance from the DoD Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI), has developed an innovative manufacturing process to build or repair metal parts called Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing, which combines additive manufacturing (AM) principles, computer-aided design (CAD) and electron beam welding technology.

Starting with a 3D model from a CAD program, Sciaky’s fully-articulated, moving electron beam gun deposits metal, layer by layer, until the part is ready for finish machining. Depending on the part being manufactured, deposition rates can range from 15 to 40 lb of metal per hour.

The DoD and the manufacturing industry have identified Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing technology for repair and discrete part production as a “game changer,” meaning it could redefine and advance the current state-of-the-art in aerospace manufacturing.

Under the Mentor-Protégé Agreement, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will help Sciaky expand the manufacturing capacity and management infrastructure to deliver affordable, high quality, innovative titanium raw material pre-forms in quantities that will support future DoD and prime contractor needs. The initial focus of this agreement will be on manufacturing titanium structural components for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 aircraft program.

“While the early focus is going to be F-35, we ultimately plan to implement Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing technology across the breadth of our aircraft product lines to improve affordability and lead-time for titanium structures,” said Brian Rosenberger, Affordability Lead for Improvements & Derivatives at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

The DoD Mentor-Protégé Program, established in 1991, assists small businesses (protégés) in competing for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.

Sciaky
www.sciaky.com

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“The maker movement is worth watching.” Noted the Economist: The parallel with the hobbyist computer movement of the 1970s is striking. In both cases enthusiastic tinkerers, many on America’s West Coast, began playing with new technologies that had huge potential to disrupt business and society. Back then the machines manipulated bits; now the action is in atoms. This has prompted predictions of a new industrial revolution, in which more manufacturing is done by small firms or even by individuals.”

A Maker faire was held in Cairo!!! this year. This movement has gone global.

Products that are inexpensive and easy to use have a market, especially now and in this economy. MakerBots, RapMans, etc, are inexpensive and easy to use.  They may not have the accuracies and materials for more industrial projects, but that could change.

“The ease with which designs for physical things can be shared digitally goes a long way towards explaining why the maker movement has already developed a strong culture…” I’m not sure I get this “sharing” idea, other than as a way to help each other develop skills, but sharing is huge in the Maker community.

Some of the new business models in this field have received impressive amounts of venture capital.  That alone is an interesting development. In recent months Quirky raised $16m, MakerBot raised $10m and Shapeways, a firm that offers a 3D-printing service, received $5m.

Should the major companies in the AM market participate?  The Maker Faire in New York was sponsored by technology companies including HP and Cognizant. Autodesk, which makes computer-aided design software, bought Instructables in August.

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The Dimension 3D Printing technology created several of the physical models. Produced for Chipotle Mexican Grill by CAA Marketing Group and Nexus Productions, “Back To The Start” the stop-motion animated trip examines a farmer’s choice to produce, or exploit, animals for consumption, turning his farm into an industrial animal factory before choosing a more sustainable future. (The sad farmer is very touching.)

Chipotle commissioned the project to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system.

London-based special effects studio Artem, Ltd. has used the Dimension 3D Printer to produce models for dozens of clients, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), 20th Century Fox and Nokia. Said Bob Thorne, senior visual effects supervisor, “The beauty of using the 3D printer for this project was that we could produce exact replicas of the animatic drawings, rather than guessing about sizes and details as we might have done with hand-sculpted models.” The printer enabled Thorne and team to produce a tray full of models overnight.

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In-house prototyping versus outsourcing-here’s one company’s choice and why.

Manufacturing and assembling each of the components of a Koenigsegg car is labor intensive as more than 300 carbon fiber parts make up each high-tech supercar. The best method of designing a new car is to test the parts both virtually and as true-to-life prototypes. By testing throughout the development cycle, Koenigsegg’s designers can determine which designs yield the best possible results.

The Koenigsegg CCXR, claims the vendor, is the first green supercar.

The team of six starts the development process by designing each individual part on its CAD system. They then ‘print’ a high-density plastic model of each component to carry out various testing scenarios. If changes to the part are required, they can be made manually and then scanned from the altered model component. This scan is then used to make a new CAD model, which can be printed again for further testing.

Previously, the engineering team outsourced the 3D printing of its prototypes to a service bureau. This stop/start approach proved disruptive to the process and typically added on days to the cycle, halting the development of the car. It also added to the cost and administration of the development process, which reduced the team’s overall efficiency. The company needed to speed up its prototyping to evaluate different versions of a design more quickly and effectively.

The team realized that having a 3D printer onsite would speed up the prototyping process, and therefore the development of its cars. After evaluating all printers available on the market and judging each one on performance, available materials, price and size, the team purchased a Dimension SST 1200es printer.

“Dimension allows us to modify and print prototypes quickly as well as provides us with the option to use them as end use parts in our cars,” said Christian von Koenigsegg, founder and CEO, Koenigsegg Automotive AB. “Once the Dimension printer was up and running, our engineers started using the machine straight away. The process of printing prototypes onsite and testing each component has sped up the development of the car design by an estimated 20%.”

Engineers used the 3D printer to develop a front bumper drill fixture used to test the design.

The 3D printer is used in-house for design prototyping of the supercars as first planned. But it is also used for everything from printing engine parts to interior fixtures and design. In addition, the designers use it to develop tooling and studies on component mounting and servicing.

“Since purchasing the printer, the turnaround time for getting a component right in terms of design has decreased enormously, it now only takes a few days instead of a number of weeks,” said von Koenigsegg. “Our designers and engineers can quickly establish a part’s suitability for the supercar without stifling their creative flow.” The printer has aided in the design of Koenigsegg’s latest model, the Agera.

Putting on the finishing touch by mounting the label fixture onto the CCX series.

Every engineer now has access to the printer, which has not only sped up the design process, but allowed the team to be more creative and push the boundaries of supercar development. For example, printing and testing prototypes for the air inlets assisted them in developing a supercar with a staggering torque of 920 nm reached at 5000 rpm.

Concluded von Koenigsegg on the impact of the Dimension, “Simply put, it saves time, money and allows us to work more freely.”

Dimension 3D Printers, Stratasys Inc.
www.dimensionprinting.com

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The processes involved in Additive manufacturing (AM), including 3D printing, stereolithography, polyjet, and fused filament fabrication, all promise design freedom. This technology has not replaced traditional manufacturing yet. So, many parts will still need the usual manufacturing processes to make in quantity. Understanding the nuances and needs of each type of AM machine will go a long way toward achieving the final, manufacturable outcome you desire.

By Leslie Langnau/Managing Editor

Complexity is free—at least that is what much of the marketing material says about rapid prototyping (RP)/3D printing technologies. To a point, that is accurate. But while you may be able to prototype just about anything you can imagine, it might not be producible, at least not without major revisions.

Whereas there are trusted standards for designing for CNC, for example, AM does not have any yet. Some service bureaus suggest that if standards existed, ones that design engineers trusted, AM would experience greater acceptance.

Insufficient understanding of these limitations is causing a discussion among service bureaus about the need to create a designation that a CAD design is suitable for a specific prototyping technology, such as “designed for 3D printing,  “designed for fused deposition,” or “designed for polyjet,” and so on.

Just because you can draw it on your CAD software does not necessarily mean you can build it on whatever RP equipment is available. For example, it is possible to design a table on a CAD program that has a thickness of zero inches. However, you cannot print that. Or, some RP machines are not good at horizontal cylindrical holes, but a powder based RP machine handles such holes just fine.

Another issue: design choices are different depending on whether you are designing for prototype—to check look, feel, and function—or designing for production. “For example,” noted Scott Volk, V.P. Manufacturing, GPI Prototype and Manufacturing Services Inc., if we receive a part with lots of undercuts, we know it is not manufacturable. We have a lot of inventors in the world, but many don’t understand manufacturing, so often their parts can’t be made.”

Agreed Sean Taffert, at Protofactoring, “Some designs can’t be prototyped on RP equipment because they were detailed for manufacturing, and some can’t be manufactured because they were designed for prototyping.”

The use of many undercuts, for example, may require a manufacturer to develop special (and often expensive) tooling for quantity production. So, in addition to a designation of a part’s suitability to a particular RP process, we may need a designation to indicate its manufacturability.

Lost in translation

Part of the issue is the assumption that CAD tools will automatically, accurately, and smoothly move critical design data to each successive tool used in product development. But to protect their products from competition, CAD vendors built their design tools using proprietary algorithms and formulas. When CAD drawings go to the next step, some design data, such as designer intent, do not go with them. And neither STL nor AMF can fill in the data gaps from CAD files.

This issue of full design data occurs with shared or free drawings too. Knowingly or not, the designer of those drawings had a specific RP technology in mind—so it is important to investigate to determine which RP process the drawing suits best.

Points to consider

Additive manufacturing technologies are still relatively new, so there is a gap in knowledge about exactly how they work. Understanding the nuances and needs of each type of AM machine will go a long way toward achieving the final outcome you desire. These are recommendations by many service bureaus.

The first place to start is with the CAD drawing. Ensure that all parameters are fully defined. “Make sure that the surfaces in the original CAD model are “water-tight,” in that only solids are modeled.” said Joe Titlow, Vice President of product management, Z Corp.

Watch your wall thicknesses and knife-edge features. Some machines limit the thickness to 0.030 in. Some part features may need adjustment too—most AM machines have limits on feature size. Scaling will affect these features to the point where they are not printable or buildable. Check with the particular AM machine.

Check for internal voids where support material can get trapped. In some cases, you may need to put in a hole to drain the support material.

Watch tolerances and clearances with mating features. Service bureaus and vendors often recommend a 0.015 in. to 0.020 in. clearance between prototype parts. This clearance will likely change when it comes to the full production stage.

Be sure you save the CAD file to a high-resolution version of the STL file. Make sure you are saving your design to the correct units in the STL file.

A design with internal channels may need to be built on a laser sintering machine, especially if you plan to test the built object. Plastic materials may not provide the engineering properties you need. As mentioned above, thin walls can be a problem for many AM technologies and materials. A service bureau may be able to best advise.

Depending on the machine and the material, the layer-by-layer building process can produce parts that experience delamination. In fused filament fabrication (FFF), a term that means the same thing as fused deposition modeling but is not trademarked. The filament of plastic material may not adhere properly to preceding layers. This lack of adhesion creates a week spot in the part (delamination), which may affect testing.

Another issue with this type of fabrication is that parts may exhibit directional strength—stronger in the X and Y directions, weaker in the Z direction. According to some tests, even if the part is 100% filled with material, differences in directional strength can be nearly 2 to 1.

The layer-by-layer deposition of many AM machines can mean that parts are porous, as the layers may not fully meld together into a solid area. Both the porosity and the properties of the engineered plastic materials should be considered when testing your prototypes.

The extrusion size of the deposited material, along with the layer-by-layer deposition, will also affect how thin you can design walls or other features in your parts. The back and forth weaving needed to build a part can limit geometry, especially for corners.

Another issue to consider is warpage, particularly if parts are large. In laser sintering machines, for example, it’s important to control the heat in the build chamber. As long as the temperature is evenly maintained, these machines build good parts. Within the build chamber, though, is a temperature “sweet spot.” In other areas of the build chamber, it can be harder to maintain temperature across the part, which can result in warp.

Additionally, if you build multiple parts in the chamber, you may not see warpage, but parts may not be exact duplicates of each other due to those temperature variations. Some will have a slightly different size, maybe a different shape. If you choose to use service bureaus to build your part, some can handle this issue with their AM machines. Look for service bureaus that know and maintain their machines very well.

If powder granules don’t melt completely, which can be the case in laser sintering, the result may be parts porous enough to develop holes as they cure.

The grain size of the powder materials and the geometry of the part can contribute to “caking,” which is where the excess material sticks to a part. This excess material can make it difficult to determine the difference between the part and the cake, affecting final dimensions. Extra cleaning steps may be required.

Warped parts can be an issue with stereolithography machines as well. The resins and plastic materials used need UV light to cure. But full curing occurs outside the machine, so care is needed to ensure parts are handled properly when removed from the machine. Depending on the material used, the parts may sag or warp over time, which may be a concern for the end use of the part. Also, take care with large overhangs. If the part will be made for end use, you may want to consider a different material or AM technology.

Some designs may need extra support to prevent warping or sagging until the part is fully cured.

Watch for trapped volumes in part design. As Tim Ruffner, GPI Prototype noted, the area in a cup design, for example, can have a trapped volume, while the area outside the cup has freedom of movement. The material inside the trapped volume will not move at the same rate as the material outside the cup, so the cup wall could fail. Or, you can get void areas or bubbles.

One concern with some polyjet processes is the amount of support material needed. The more complex the geometry, the more expensive it will be to build the part because of the quantity of material needed.

The support material tends to absorb any moisture from the material or the process and swell. If your part has thin areas, the support material could damage them. Large areas of a part may sag within days after build. In these processes, the support material can blend in with the build material, altering its chemistry in a way that makes it unstable over time. Some materials will tear easily.

AM vendors continue to develop new materials that reduce the limitations of the various machines. Both service bureaus and AM vendors can help you determine the best machine and material to use for your part.

GPI Prototyping & Manufacturing Services, Inc.
www.gpiprototype.com

Protofacturing
www.protofacturing.com

Z Corporation
www.zcorp.com

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He investigated a number of options for manufacturing functional components quickly and inexpensively, and decided that precision CNC machining was the best option for his needs. However, because the available documentation on the relevant CNC processes was limited, he chose not to make a substantial investment up front.

The Roland MDX-15 milling machine was affordable and had all the right features, especially with the bundled Modela Player software, which processes 3D CAD files for output on the MDX mill. It compared very favorably to other, typically bare bones products in that price range.

After some trial-and-error with the MDX-15, Zalewski discovered the optimal process for his manufacturing needs: quickly machining positive master molds in RenShape prototyping boards, making flexible negative molds in 60-80 Shore A silicones, and casting final parts from high-strength, low-cost engineering plastics. Although this approach may seem unnecessarily complicated at first, it is cost and time efficient, the materials are highly predictable and you eliminate many of the stock material sizing and holding woes. Additionally, the parts can be quickly duplicated later on.

Rough machining of the mold for gearbox components on Roland Modela MDX-540 in Huntsman RenShape 460 prototyping board, with a 3 mm diameter square end mill at 12,000 RPM. This step took about 30 minutes to complete.

Zalewski found that he could benefit from the faster machining speeds and greater movement range afforded by the larger MDX-540 benchtop CNC mill. The long-term returns of using the MDX-540 on part manufacturing costs, even in hobbyist uses—and simply the ability to experiment with designs at a whim—justified the upgrade. The CNC yields a dimensional accuracy 0.0002 in. or better, and helps him machine features as thin as 0.0015 in.

Perhaps the two most demanding applications Zalewski deals with routinely are custom-machined subminiature gearwheels and snap-fit sleeve bearings. In these applications, dimensional accuracy must stay within 0.0004 in. Fortunately, the MDX-540’s accuracy is several times better.

Noted Zalewski, “Since I’m pursuing robotics as a hobby, every project is unique. I try to experiment with new ideas and push my own limits when it comes to electronic and mechanical design. I have experimented with everything from miniature quadruped robots to a variety of wheeled designs with various conventional and unconventional steering systems.”

Zalewski decided to use a more revealing color scheme for the final assembly: a translucent turquoise body (solvent blue 70) with opaque, cerise gears (quinacridone pink). This photo shows all the parts with the post-casting film removed.

Measurement taken after post-cure. Original CAD dimensions of this part: 19.000 mm. In general, accuracy better than 0.005 mm (0.0002 in.) can be expected if the process is carried out right.

He typically designs projects in Rhino CAD software, although he has used other programs for some projects.

Precision and resolution were the two most significant selling points for him; high cutting speeds and a very generous movement range were next. The MDX’s handy panel (hand-held control panel) is a minor feature in the grand scheme of things, but also a helpful one: it’s useful to be next to the working area when configuring origins, measuring tool height, adjusting cutting speed, or verifying process parameters.

His current project started with a custom-made planetary gearbox for each of the motors; every gear in that mechanism is barely 0.035 in. thick, and has 0.015 in. teeth that need to mesh perfectly at that scale.

Final assembly of the translucent gearbox.

Said Zalewski, “In terms of the impact, I simply think that most of the designs I worked on in the past few years would be completely impossible without this tool: even though custom parts can be mail-ordered, that approach simply does not allow for any trial-and-error or continuous refinement of your projects.”

RolandDGA
www.rolanddga.com

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By Kuang-Hua Chang and Chienchih Chen
Univeristy of Oklahoma

The U.S. Air Force and DRS Technologies, a supplier of defense electronic systems, commissioned the University of Oklahoma to study developments in scanners in reverse engineering projects. The authors examined several 3D scanning software packages. Here are excerpts from their report.

Today’s 3D scanners are more portable, affordable; and capture points faster and more accurately. Many hand-held laser scanners can capture tens of thousands points per second with a level of accuracy around 40 μm. You can find such scanners for about $50,000. Only a few geometric modeling software tools, though, can convert all of those points into useful models.

Geomagic, Rapidform, PolyWorks, and SolidWorks/Scan to 3D, are among the programs with auto-surfacing technology that automatically converts point clouds into NURBS surface models. But NURBS surface models contain only surface patches without the additional semantics and topology inherent in feature-based parametric representation. Therefore, they are not suitable for design changes, feature-based NC tool-path generation, and technical data package preparation. If an application will experience design changes, (and which application does not?), then software must handle parametric solid modeling. Unfortunately, parametric solid modeling may never be fully automated because no one, yet, has discovered how to automatically or interactively extract the original design intent from the data points.

A major issue with commercial GFR software is design intent recovery. Without adequate user interaction, the single sketch of a flange of an airline tube may be recognized as four or more separate features.

Noted the authors, the ideal scenario is having software tools that automatically take care of labor-intensive tasks—such as managing point cloud and triangulation—and offer capabilities that allow designers to recover design intents interactively.

Once a design has been parameterized, the next steps are to undergo shape engineering and parametric solid modeling. Shape engineering involves four main phases:

(1) triangulation that converts data points to polygon mesh,

(2) mesh segmentation that separates polygon mesh into regions based on the characteristics of the surface geometry they respectively represent,

(3) solid modeling that converts segmented regions into parametric solid models,

(4) model translation that exports solid models constructed to mainstream CAD systems.

Ideally, the entire process is fully automated; except for Phase 3, which requires designer’s interaction mainly to recover original design intents.

Mesh segmentation is one of the most important steps. It groups the original data points or mesh into subsets, each of which logically belongs to a single primitive surface.

Solid modeling is probably the least developed in the overall shape engineering process. Boundary representation (B-rep) and feature-based are the two basic representations for solid models. Some proposed methods automatically construct B-rep models from point clouds or triangular mesh. Some focus on manufacturing feature recognition for process planning purpose. One promising development in recent years was the geometric feature recognition (GFR), which automatically recognizes solid features embedded in B-rep models. However, none of the methods fully automates the construction process and generates fully parametric solid models.

One of the most successful algorithms for geometric feature recognition has been proposed by Venkataraman. The algorithm uses a simple four step process: (1) simplify imported faces, (2) analyze faces for specific feature geometry, (3) remove recognized feature and update model, and (4) return to Step 2 until all features are recognized. Once all possible features are recognized, they are mapped to a new solid model of the part, which is parametric with a feature tree that defines the feature regeneration (or model rebuild) sequence.

Venkataraman’s method was recently commercialized by Geometric Software Solutions, Ltd., and implemented in a number of CAD packages, including SolidWorks and CATIA. It recognizes basic features, such as extrude, revolve, and more recently, sweep. This capability primarily supports solid model translations between CAD packages in which not only geometric entities (as has been done by IGES Initial Graphics Exchange Standards) but also parametric features are translated.

One of the major issues in commercial GFR software is design intent recovery. Current GFR implementations are not flexible. Without adequate user interaction, the single sketch of a flange of an airline tube may be recognized as four or more separate features. While the final solid parts are physically the same, their defining parameters are not. Such a batch mode implementation may not be desired in recovering meaningful design intents.

A feature-based parametric solid model consists of two key elements: a feature tree, and fully parameterized sketches used for protruding solid features. A fully parameterized sketch implies that the sketch profile is fully constrained and dimensioned, so that a change in dimension value yields a rebuilt as anticipated with design intents. To the authors’ knowledge, there is no such method proposed or offered that fully automates the process. Some capabilities are offered by commercial tools, such as Rapidform, that support designers to interactively create fully parameterized sketches, which accurately conform to the data points and greatly facilitate the solid modeling effort.

Since most of the promising shape-engineering capabilities are not offered in CAD packages, the solid models constructed in reverse engineering software will have to be exported to mainstream CAD packages. The conventional solid model translation through standards, such as IGES or STEP AP, are inadequate since parametric information, including solid features, feature tree, sketch constraints and dimensions, are completely missing in the translation.

Although feature recognition capability offers some relief in recognizing geometric features embedded in B-rep models, it is still an additional step that is often labor intensive. Direct solid model translations have been offered in some software, such as liveTransfer™ module of Rapidform XOR3 and third party software, such as TransMagic.

The most useful and advanced shape engineering capabilities are offered in specialized, non-CAD software, such as Geomagic, and Rapidform, that are intended to support reverse engineering. Some CAD packages, such as SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, and CATIA, offer limited capabilities for shape engineering. In general, capabilities offered in CAD are labor intensive and inferior to specialized codes while dealing with shape engineering.

After intensive review and survey, to the authors’ knowledge, the best software on the market for reverse engineering is Geomagic Studio v.11 and Rapidform XOR3. This was determined after an intensive study, following a set of prescribed criteria including auto-surfacing, parametric solid modeling, and software usability. Between the two, Geomagic has a slight edge in geometric entity editing, which is critical for auto-surfacing (construction of NURBS surface models). In terms of solid modeling, Geomagic stops short at only offering primitive surfaces, such as plane, cylinder, and sphere from segmented regions.

An airplane sheet metal part was constructed by lofting two end section profiles with four guide curves. The loft model is very accurate. The geometric error in average and standard deviation between the lofted model and the polygon mesh are -0.021 and 0.049 in., respectively (using Accuracy Analyzer of Rapidform).

Rapidform is excellent in auto-surfacing and superior in support of solid modeling that goes beyond primitive surface fitting. Rapidform offers convenient sketching capabilities that support feature-based modeling. As a result, it often requires less effort yet yields a better solid model by interactively recovering solid features embedded in the segmented regions.

The interactive approach mainly involves creating or extracting section profiles or guide curves from polygon mesh, and following CAD-like steps to create solid features; for example, sweep a section profile along guide curves for a sweep solid feature.

Test Examples

Geomagic automatically recognizes primitive surfaces from segmented regions. If a primitive surface is misrecognized or unrecognizable, you can interactively choose the segmented region and assign a correct primitive type. Often, this interactive approach leads to a solid model with all bounding surfaces recognized. Unfortunately, there is no feature tree and no CAD-like capabilities in Geomagic. You will not be able to see any sketch or dimensions in Geomagic Studio v.11. Therefore, you will not be able to edit or add any dimensions or constraints to parameterize the sketch profiles.

In Geomagic, primitive surfaces in most regions are recognized correctly. But some regions are incorrectly recognized; a hole in the middle of a block may be recognized as a free-form primitive instead of a cylinder. Also, a straight line in a sketch profile may be recognized as a circular arc with a large radius; this was found only after exporting the solid model to SolidWorks.

Section sketches only become available after exporting the solid model to a selected CAD package supported by Geomagic. Primitive surfaces in most regions are recognized correctly. However, there are some regions incorrectly recognized; for example, the hole in the middle of the block was recognized as a free-form primitive, instead of a cylinder. There are also regions that remained unrecognized, such as the middle slot surface.

Although most primitives are recognized in Geomagic, there are still issues to address. One of them is misrepresented profile. The sketch profile will have to be carefully inspected to make necessary corrections, as well as adding dimensions and constraints to parameterize the profile.

Unfortunately, such inspections cannot be carried out unless the solid model is exported to supported CAD systems. Lack of CAD-like capability severely restricts the usability of the solid models in Geomagic, let alone the insufficient ability for primitive surface recognition.

For parametric solid modeling, Rapidform offers excellent CAD-like capabilities, including feature tree. These capabilities let you create solid models and make design changes directly in Rapidform. For example, you will be able to create a sketch profile by intersecting a plane with polygon mesh and extrude the sketch profile to match the bounding polygon mesh for a solid feature. With the feature tree, you can always roll back to previous entities and edit dimensions or redefine section profiles. These capabilities make Rapidform particularly suitable for parametric solid modeling.

Rapidform offers two methods for solid modeling, Sketch and Wizard, which offer fast and easy primitive recognition from segmented mesh. The major drawback of the Wizard is that some guide curves and profile sketches generated are non-planar spline curves that cannot be parameterized. You can use either or both methods to generate solid features in a single part.

Method 1: Sketch

In general, there are six steps employed in using the sketch method, (1) creating reference sketch plane, (2) extracting sketch profile by intersecting the sketch plane with the polygon mesh, (3) converting extracted geometric entities (usually as planar spline curves) into standard line entities, such as arcs and straight lines, (4) parameterizing the sketch by adding dimensions and constraints, (5) extruding, revolving, or lofting the sketches to create solid features; and (6) employing Boolean operations to union, subtract, or intersect features if necessary.

The Auto Sketch capability in Rapidform can extract a set of standard CAD-like line entities to best fit the spline curves. These standard line entities can be joined and parameterized by manually adding dimensions and constraints for a fully parameterized section profile. Once the sketch profile is parameterized, it can be extruded to generate an extrusion feature for the base block. Boolean operations can be used to union, subtract, or intersect solid features for a fully parameterized solid model. The solid model generated is accurate, where geometric error measured in average and standard deviation is 0.0002 and 0.0017 in. respectively between the solid model and point cloud.

Rapidform has an Auto Sketch capability that automatically converts extracted spline curves into lines, circles, arcs, and rectangles, with some constraints added. Most constraints and dimensions will have to be added interactively to fully parameterize the sketch profile. Steps 4 to Step 6 are similar to conventional CAD operations. With these capabilities, you can efficiently create fully constrained parametric solid models.

For the block example, a plane that is parallel to the top (or bottom) face of the base block was created first by clicking more than three points on the surface. The plane is offset vertically to ensure a proper intersection between the sketch plane and the polygon mesh. The geometric entities obtained from the intersection are planar spline curves. The Auto Sketch capability can extract a set of

The solid model of the block example created in Geomagic was exported to SolidWorks and Wildfire using Parametric Exchange of Geomagic. For SolidWorks, all seventeen features were recognized in Geomagic and translated as individual features. Since there are no Boolean operations offered in Geomagic Studio v.11, these features are not associated. There is no relation established between them. As a result, they are just “piled up” in the solid model. Subtraction features, such as holes and slots, simply overlap with the base block. Similar results appear in Wildfire, except that one extrusion feature was not exported properly.

standard CAD-like line entities to best fit the spline curves. These standard line entities can be joined and parameterized by manually adding dimensions and constraints for a fully parameterized section profile. Once the sketch profile is parameterized, it can be extruded to generate an extrusion feature for the base block. Boolean operations can be used to union, subtract, or intersect solid features for a fully parameterized solid model. The final solid model is analyzed by using Accuracy Analyzer. The solid model generated is extremely accurate, where geometric error measured in average and standard deviation is 0.0002 and 0.0017 in., respectively between the solid model and point cloud.

Method 2: Wizard

Wizard, or Modeling Wizard, automatically extracts Wizard features such as extrude, revolve, pipe, and loft, and so on, to create solid models from segmented regions. There are five Wizard features: extrusion, revolution for extracting solid features; and sweep, loft, and pipe for surface features. There are three general steps to extract features using Wizard, (1) select mesh segments to generate individual features using Wizard, (2) modify the dimensions or add constraints to the sketches extracted to parameterize the sketches, and (3) use Boolean operations to union, subtract, or intersect individual features for a final model if needed.

Although Wizard offers a fast and convenient approach for solid modeling, the solid models generated should be closely examined for validation.

In summary, Rapidform is the only reverse engineering software that supports creating parametric solid models from scanned data. It offers CAD-like capabilities that let you add dimensions and constraints to sketches and solid features for a fully parametric solid model. Design intent and model accuracy can be achieved using the Sketch method, which is in general a much better option for creating parametric solid models.

The solid models created in specialized software, such as Rapidform and Geomagic, have to be translated to mainstream CAD systems to support engineering applications. Both Rapidform and Geomagic offer capabilities that export solid models to numerous CAD systems.

The solid model of the block example created in Geomagic was exported to SolidWorks and Wildfire using Parametric Exchange of Geomagic. For SolidWorks, all seventeen features recognized in Geomagic were translated as individual features. Note that since there are no Boolean operations offered in Geomagic Studio v.11, these features are not associated. There is no relation established between them. As a result, they are just “piled up” in the solid model. Subtraction features, such as holes and slots, simply overlap with the base block. Similar results appear in Wildfire, except that one extrusion feature was not exported properly.

The liveTransfer™ module of Rapidform XOR3 exports parametric models directly into major CAD systems, including SolidWorks 2006+, Siemens NX 4+, Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0+, CATIA V4 and V5 and AutoCAD.

The block example that was fully parameterized in Rapidform was first exported to SolidWorks. All the solid features were seamlessly exported, except for some datum points. Since entities such as polygon mesh and segmented regions are not included in SolidWorks database, they cannot be exported. As a result, geometric datum features associated with these entities are not exported properly. The dimensions and constraints added to the sketches and solid features in Rapidform exported well, except again for those referenced to entities that are not available in SolidWorks. Fortunately, it only requires you to make a few minor changes (such as adding or modifying dimensions or constraints) to bring back a fully parametric solid model in SolidWorks. Similar translation results were observed in NX. However, model translation to Wildfire 4.0 is problematic; numerous issues, such as missing and misinterpretation portion of the section profile, are encountered. In general, parametric solid models created in Rapidform can be exported well to SolidWorks and NX. The translation is almost seamless.

University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma, khchang@ou.edu

University of Oklahoma, chienchih.chen-1@ou.edu

Some of this material was excerpted from the full paper with permission by Computer-Aided Design and Applications.

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One such firm, Synergeering, Farmington Hills, Mich., uses handheld 3D laser scanners to deliver rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing services to customers in the automotive, aerospace, media, and consumer products industries. The Synergeering team produces functional parts using the highest resolution process of Laser Sintering (LS) of glass-filled nylon material.

In the past, the team used mostly hand gauges and calipers to measure and inspect parts of all sizes. These old-school methods resulted in less accurate measurements, or incomplete measurements that did not provide the level of precision many customers demanded.

Therefore the team embarked on a search for an alternative that would allow them to complete measurements for rapid prototyping jobs more quickly and easily than with traditional methods. The team researched multiple potential systems including fixed coordinate measuring machines (CMM). Though accurate, the devices proved too cumbersome and inflexible for many rapid prototyping applications.

Ultimately, the team decided upon a portable CMM that was both accurate and flexible. Several were considered before the FARO ScanArm was selected. FARO’s current generation scanner, the Laser Line Probe (LLP) for the Edge arm, produces a nearly 4-in. wide laser strip and scans at a rate of 60 frames per second. The 2.7-oz device produces roughly 45,000 points of 3D data over that same period.

The team uses Polyworks® point cloud software to process the scanned data. Together with the ScanArm, the engineers use that data for reverse engineering, 3D modeling, point-cloud generation and part inspection. The combination of FARO hardware and Polyworks software gives the team a comprehensive, high-resolution scanning system capable of creating NURB-based surfaces that can be imported back into native CAD systems as .IGES or .STEP files.

A typical scanner like the one used by the team attaches to a portable CMM, or a measurement arm, which in this case was a Quantum FaroArm. The device then projects a laser line on the subject and uses a camera to look for the location of the laser line silhouette. Depending on how far away the laser strikes a surface, each point on the laser line profile appears at different places in the camera’s field of view.

Data are collected one “slice” or cross-section at a time and triangulated. The CMM acts as a referencing device, or “localizer,” that tracks and communicates to the host application software the position of each cross-section in space. As the laser stripe is swept across an object, hundreds of cross-sections are captured and rendered collectively in a CAD environment. The result is a full 3D digital representation of the object.

Since their acquisition of the new technology, the team has used it on a number of prototyping applications for automotive OEMs. One such project involved the prototyping of a fully functioning, four-cylinder intake manifold that could be engine-mounted and tested on a Dyno. The orientation of the project required exact geometries to allow the part to fit within the surrounding obstacles of a vehicle engine, and to allow for airtight fittings and precise through holes to permit full assembly later on.

The manifold was built using laser sintering and RapidNylon (glass filled Nyon-12) material in a process unique to Synergeering. Using their FARO device, operators scanned and inspected the manifold in three dimensions with a high degree of accuracy. Wall thickness, hole diameter and other geometries were all compared against the original design to ensure fit and function.

Another recent application led the team to produce a full-size (roughly 7 x 3 ft) SUV bumper fascia that included underbody panels, grille and headlight buckets. The trick here was that the part was to be built in six pieces and bonded back together after the fact. Because of the nature of the part, the finished product needed to be as strong as if it had been a single-piece construction. Again using laser sintering and RapidNylon, the team completed the six pieces quickly. To ensure fit, they used their ScanArm to create 3D scans of the parts and obtain exact geometries. The individual bumper parts were bonded together and again, inspected with the laser scanner to verify the finished piece’s accuracy.

Synergeering
www.synergeering.com

FARO
www.faro.com/edge

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The first consideration in snap connector design is material. In order for a snap connector to work, some area of the part must flex. This is why snap connectors can work in plastics (though not all plastics) but not in rigid materials like glass or ceramic. Resins that are especially suited for snap-fitted parts include ABS, polycarbonate, unfilled nylon, polypropylene, and other resins with similar properties.

The most familiar type of molded-in connector, the hooked cantilever clip (Figure 1), will be addressed in this design tip. Other connector types, including annular snap fits and torsional snap fits, will be addressed in Part 2 of this design tip next month.

Figure 1: Cantilever clip with 90° hook face

Cantilever clips are used in a variety of applications (e.g., access panels in electrical devices) and can take many forms. Two key questions in designing such clips are:
• Do you want the connection to lock or to release with a pull?
• Do you want it to release at all or to be permanent?

If the clip’s hook face is at 90° to the direction of connection, the connection will lock and cannot be undone by a simple pull (unless you pull hard enough to break the clip). If, however, the latching face of the hook is angled (Figure 2), a simple pull will release the connection.

Figure 2: Cantilever clip with angled hook face to facilitate removal

If you want a locking but non-permanent connection, say for an access panel, you can angle the hook face at 90° but allow the hook to be pushed manually out of its slot to unlock the connection. This is simple if the hook is positioned on the outside of the part. If the hook is located behind a wall, the designer can provide a “window” through which the hook can be accessed (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Clip positioned in a “window” to allow unlocking

Figure 3: Clip positioned in a “window” to allow unlocking

Design of a cantilever clip determines its effectiveness and durability. The clip’s arm must flex enough to allow it to lock and unlock without breaking or deforming. This ability to flex depends on several factors including the material’s Young’s modulus, the angle through which the clip must deflect, determined by the depth of the hook, and the shape and length of the clip’s flexing arm. (Detailed formulae for clip design can be found at efunda.com.) They are also incorporated in many CAD programs, eliminating the need for separate calculation. Finite element programs can also be used to adjust the clip design to avoid breakage.

Because the length of the clip’s flexing arm is critical and some designs offer limited space, there are several ways to increase the effective length of the arm.
• The arm can be folded into a “u” shape, as is often seen in battery compartment covers (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Clip folded to increase the flexing arm’s effective length in limited space

• The wall from which the arm extends can be notched, making that segment of the wall an extension of the arm.
• The wall from which the arm extends can itself be made flexible, reducing the amount by which the arm must flex.

Because a clip is, by its nature, designed to catch, it can, depending on its orientation, act as an undercut in a two-part mold. There are three ways to deal with this. 
• The simplest is to use a sliding shutoff extending through a hole at the base of the clip to form the bottom of the hook and one face of the flexing arm (Figure 5). This allows use of a simple two-part mold.

Figure 5: Clip with hole at the base to allow use of a simple two-part mold

• A side-action cam can form the hook and then withdraw before the mold opens. This is an effective, but more complex approach.
• A pickout can be inserted manually into the mold to form the clip and then manually removed from the finished part and reinserted into the mold for the next cycle.

Proto Labs
www.protomold.com

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The SLM250 Selective Laser Melting (SLM) system can produce fully dense metal parts direct from 3D CAD using a high-powered fiber laser. Parts are built from a range of fine metal powders that are melted in a tightly controlled atmosphere, in layer thicknesses ranging from 20 to 100 microns.

This equipment will be shown during Autosport 2012.

Renishaw
www.renishaw.com

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One of the more recent reports comes from Cideas, Inc., Crystal Lake, IL,  a rapid prototyping, direct digital manufacturing (DDM) and 3D printing company, bought two Fortus 900mc 3D production systems from Stratasys Inc. The Fortus 900mc has a build envelope of 36 in. x 24 in. x 36 in. Noted Mike Littrell, president, this purchase is a direct response to an increased demand from existing as well as new customers requiring larger 3D printed thermoplastic and end-use parts that offer a high level of accuracy, durability and repeatability.

This purchase enables Cideas to offer new materials, such as the exotic plastic Ultem 9085, which lets you create more complex and larger 3D printed end-use parts quickly, without the expense imposed by other methods, such as CNC machining. Cideas offers seven material choices for the 900mc, but the focus is on Ultem 9085, which is a good match for the automotive, medical and aerospace industries due to its high heat deflection, chemical resistance and FST (flame, smoke and toxicity) rating.

Cideas, Inc.
www.buildparts.com

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“We are pleased to make VisiJet® Black available for our new ProJet™ 6000, the first ever cross-over 3D printer to deliver professional grade SLA® part performance,” said Steve Hanna, Director Global Sales and Marketing Materials, 3D Systems. “VisiJet® Black is designed to print functional snap-fit parts that deliver bold visual impact with exceptional surface finish and high definition accuracy.”

3D Systems Corp.
www.3DSystems.com

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What if you no longer needed support structures? The Engineer out of the U.K. is reporting that scientists at Sheffield University think they can eliminate the need for support structures in selective laser melting additive manufacturing processes. This could be a big deal if they succeed.

Principal investigator Neil Hopkinson at the University and his team have developed a process they call anchorless selective laser melting (ASLM) that allows them to create parts without the need for support structures. (In Europe, AM support structures are often referred to as anchors.)

Hopkinson and his team melt dissimilar materials to form a “eutectic system alloy.” Eutectic alloys solidify at a single, sharp temperature, which means parts can harden more quickly during the build process, reducing the possibility of developing stress points during or shortly after a build, and thus, reducing the need for support.

Reports The Engineer, the team has already manufactured hitherto impossible geometries with ASLM using low-melt-temperature metals. Now the scientists are aiming to replicate the process with metals that have a higher melt temperature, with a particular emphasis on making parts out of aluminium.

This would be good news to aerospace and automotive industries, which often use eutectic alloys in various parts, and even medical applications might benefit.

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