Rapid Prototyping
Dan Larochelle Chief Technology Officer
intelitek
• Prototyping challenges the student to apply the fundamental concepts they learned in their STEM program
• Prototyping is an essential part of the Engineering Design Cycle
• Many students learn better with hands on projects and they are more likely to retain their knowledge and skills
Why is Prototyping important to STEM?
Prototypes are an essential tool in product design
Prototypes are a way for students to express an idea
They can be simple or complex
They help answer the “3 F’s” – Fit Form Function
What is a Prototype?
Is this Rapid Prototyping?
Rapid Prototyping: Create something quickly
ASTM International (2009)
New Terminology adopted:
Additive Manufacturing
Subtractive Manufacturing
What is Rapid Prototyping?
Subtractive processes remove material from a solid workpiece and the result is the final part
Examples - Carving Drilling Milling Turning Grinding Multi-axis Machining
Subtractive Manufacturing
CAD/CAM/CNC Process
Parts are made layer by layer
Each layer is a cross section of the part derived from a three dimensional model
As the layers get thinner the accuracy of the part increases
Machines typically have a printing head on an XY motion system with a Z axis that moves the model as each layer is added
Additive Manufacturing
Typical steps of the AM process:1. CAD2. Convert to STL3. Transfer to AM machine and manipulate STL file4. Set up Machine5. Build6. Remove 7. Postprocessing 8. Application
Additive Manufacturing Process
A sheet of material is glued to the build platform
A pattern from the model is cut into the sheet and anti-glue is applied to areas of the sheet that are not part of the model
The next layer of material is glued on top of the previous layer forming a solid block of material
The support material is peeled away leaving the final product
Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
Material is fed to an extruding tip where is it melted into a fine stream to create the model layer by layer
Additional material is added to support the model during the build process
The support material can either be removed by hand or in a chemical bath
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
A very thin layer of powdered material is applied to the building platform
The printing head deposits a binding agent into the powder to form the desired shape
The part is removed from the powder and cleaned. The loose powder around the model also supports the model.
Parts can be multiple colors
3D Inkjet Printing
A photo-sensitive resin is propelled through an extruding tip to build the part
As the jetting head distributes the resin it is simultaneously solidified by a UV lamp
Multiple materials can be used to construct the same part for added functionality or aesthetics
Photopolymer Jetting
Thin coatings of photo-sensitive resin are solidified with a low powered UV light, electron beam or laser
As each layer of the model is built, the platform lowers and another layer of resin is added
Capable of creating high accuracy parts (+/- 0.002 of an inch)
Stereolithography (SLA)
A photo-sensitive resin is sprayed onto the build platform layer by layer, similar to SLA
The machine produces an electrostatic mask to the model
The entire layer of the model is exposed to a UV light and hardens the unmasked area of the model
The masking is removed and process is repeated
Solid Ground Curing (SGC)
A fine powder is propelled by an inert gas through a nozzle and melted by a high powered laser
Parts are non-porous and can be machined, sanded or ground after cooling
Parts may be built out of a wide range of metals and alloys like stainless steel, copper, aluminum and titanium
Laser Powder Forming (LPF)
A very thin layer of material is applied to the building platform
A carbon dioxide laser melts the desired pattern into the material and another thin layer of material is added to the platform
After the part has cooled, it is removed from bed of powder
The material can be a thermoplastic, elastomer, nylon, metal, ceramic or sand
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Improve traditional design process Reduce prototyping costs Better communication of concepts Get feedback earlier in the design process Live model
Concurrent Engineering Reduce cycle time between iterations Increase efficiency of design team
Time to Market Decrease overall development time Increase potential ROI
Benefits of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid Manufacturing Reduced productions costs Increase versatility of product
Micro/Nano Fabrication Produce microscopic parts Currently being used in the electronics and medical industries
Domestic Printing Technology becoming more and more user friendly Printing personal items from home
The Future of Rapid Prototyping
Questions?