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MCADCAFPublishing


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A Big Printer in A Small Package

uniormly coated with

liquid resin. Ten, abuild pad is loweredinto contact with thecoated sheet whichdeposits a layer o resinonto the pad ollowedby a ash o ocusedUV light that hardensonly the build portion

o the layer. Te sheetthen retracts, is re coated and extends, and the process isrepeated until the 3D model is complete.

During each pass only the build portion o the resin ishardened while the remaining liquid is reused or subse-quent layer builds conserving and extending the lie o theve-pound cartridge. Unlike other 3D print technologies

V-Flash uniquely builds each model suspended upsidedown rom the build pad. Because gravity keeps the modesuspended in place less material is needed or support

posts providing additional material conservation.

3D Systems oers low cost cleaning and curing stations to

round out the hardware package, and provides very wellthought out print set-up soware that allows you to au-tomatically or manually place multiple 3D models on thebuild pad with an intuitive WYSIWYG display that showsthe models placement and orientation.

Te printer also has its own unique IP address allowingyou to operate it rom anywhere, and technical supportpeople, with your permission, can also access the printer torun diagnostics. Also, because the V-Flash printer is Webenabled you dont have to do anything when 3D Systems

Since 3D Systems rst introduced the V-Flash 3D

printer in spring 2009 it has gained a wide and di-verse audience ranging rom medical proessionalswho use this desktop printer to model intricate anatomi-cal structures, to students who have network access to themachine, and to artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Tisreview explores why this 3D printer has gained such broadacceptance, the technology behind the printer, and alsohow it stacks up in a sophisticated rapid prototype servicebureau environment.

How it works Gravity is your riend

Te V-Flash printer has ew moving parts, and with less togo wrong its reliability is greatly enhanced. Te bulk o themechanical action takes place in the removable cartridgethat contains liquid UV curable resin and a mechanism ordepositing this, in layers, on a build pad. A plastic sheet,built into the cartridge, extends rom the cartridge

Hardware Review

3D Systems V-Flash 3D Printer

V-fash Door open - Printing

upside down

V-Flash in Operation (Video)
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issues a rmware update. Te update is automaticallydownloaded and installed or you so youre always runningthe latest release.

Real World V-Flash Printing

Its ortunate that Proto Ca, one o Silicon Valleys mostprolic 3D printing service bureaus is right down thestreet, and when I was invited to look over their shoulder

while they used the V-Flash printer, and then learned thattheir customers included the likes o Lockeed Martin,NASA, Loral Aerospace, esla Motors, and a broad rangeo large and small clients I knew that Id hit the motherlode.

Proto Ca purchased their V-Flash 3D printer nine-months ago, complete with cleaning and curing stations,and I was anxious to learn about their experience and get ahands-on tour o V-Flash in action.

Te V-Flash 3D printer was introduced by 3D Systems in2009 to meet the entry level rapid prototyping demands orst prototype iterations, and or individuals, schools, andcompanies. At Proto Ca this desktop machine is typi-cally the rst point o entry or many designs.

Sandra Madrigal, Ptoto Cas Founder told me thatthey house virtually every rapid prototype (3D Printer)machine available, with technologies ranging rom Ste-rolithography (invented by 3D Systems Executive VP,Charles Hullwho also invented .stl , the standard ormator model data exchange.), Selective Laser Sintering,

ProJet technology,Fused Deposition Modeling, and ocourse, theV-Flash technology thats at the heart o thisreview.

Te V-Flash is absolutely, bar none, the highest qualityentry level 3D printing device on the market today, saidPresident, Phillip rinidad, and, the V-Flash really helpsus by giving a non technical audience the ability to maketheir creations come to reality.

Tese users typically come to us to do early-on iterationso their concepts, then theyll come back a second andthird time, but eventually they oen purchase a V-Flashsystem or themselves. Tis helps our business becausethe V-Flash printer gets them dialed into the rapid proto-type iterative process, and once theyre ready to move intomore complex projects and designs that require ultra superne resolution, and very tight production tolerances andmaterials, they come back to us to make this happen. Weempower them, as V-Flash owners to realize quickly howsimilar to 2D printing, 3D printing really is.

Also, I a design rm is working on the next generationPDA, or example, and they want to eel how the phonets in their hand, it is a lot less labor intensive to buildthe concept model using the V-Flash printer then it is tomachine it in oam or do REN shaping.

When I asked these two executives what drove their deci-sion to purchase the V-Flash printer they told me that

their decision included a number o actors, including theprice point, the high level o detail that you get on theparts, and also because they like to house as many currenttechnologies as possible so they have options or theircustomers and can maintain their level o expertise.

Both Sandra and Phillip said that theyve had a very goodexperience with the V-Flash printer, and Sandra told methat, Tere was some level o skepticism when we rst sawthe V-Flashs price point. But, when we experienced thequality o the parts it produced, and then to think, wowits only in the $10 to $12K price range, there was no ques-tion that we made the right business decision.

When I asked Phillip i they had experienced any problemor issues with the printer he told me that, Te only time

we had a hiccup was when a cartridge ran out o resin inthe middle o a job, and we didnt have a replacement car-tridge available. But, the good news was that the print jobstopped at that point, and when we received a replacementcartridge the next day we were able to pick up the build

where it le o. Other than that, he said, weve hadabsolutely no problems or down time with this printer,

and i we did, we know we can quickly have a 3D Systemsspecialist on the phone remotely diagnosing the system.

Looking Over Phillips Shoulder

I looked over Phillips shoulder as he began the printprocess by loading a disposable build pad into the V-Flashprinter and closing the door so outside light wouldnt

aect the build. Te process ow was careully thoughtout by 3D Systems engineers, who made the sowaresmart enough to warn you and suspend the job i youorget to load the pad.

V-Flash Setup & Print Sotware in Action
http://protocafe.com/index.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hullhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hullhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_laser_sinteringhttp://printin3d.com/3d-printershttp://printin3d.com/3d-printershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_deposition_modelinghttp://printin3d.com/3d-printers/v-flash-personal-3d-printerhttp://www.paramountind.com/pdfs/Huntsman_RenshapeModelingBoard_MDS.pdfhttp://www.paramountind.com/pdfs/Huntsman_RenshapeModelingBoard_MDS.pdfhttp://printin3d.com/3d-printers/v-flash-personal-3d-printerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_deposition_modelinghttp://printin3d.com/3d-printershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_laser_sinteringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hullhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithographyhttp://protocafe.com/index.htmlhttp://www.paramountind.com/pdfs/Huntsman_RenshapeModelingBoard_MDS.pdf


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Phillip next imported .stl design les into a computerrunning 3D Systems conguration and print soware.Phillip told me that You can grab the .stl les locally, orby accessing them over a network. Once the models wereimported, they appeared on the screen and Phillip orientedthem to his liking. He also pointed out that, When themodel appears on the screen and is correctly oriented yousimply hit Print and the machine gets to work.

Most times youll want to create variations o your model,produce more than just one, or produce multiple modelson one tray. Youre not limited to producing one design

per job, but can load as many dierent designs as will ton the board. Te computers screen displays the pad andshows how your part or parts are oriented and t on it.You can scale and place your parts manually while look-ing down on the loaded pad and you can quickly createcopies o your models with a simple click and drag o themouse. I a model goes over the trays boundary edgeduring manual placement the part turns orange to warn

you. Youll never get this warning however, i you let thesoware automatically place the models on the board inthe most space efcient way.

Finally, Phillip clicked the Print button on his computerand the V-Flash did, in act, get to work. Te whole pro-cess was as ast and easy as printing on the 2D printers that

were all amiliar with.

Once the job was working Matt Sehenuk, Proto CasGeneral Manager gave me a quick tour o the V-Flashcleaning and curing stations. He told me that, You im-

merse the new part into the cleaning station thats lledwith solvent, and its then cleaned by agitation. He alsosaid that, You could, o course clean the pat by hand, butthis just isnt a practical option in this production acility.He next showed me the curing station where the part isbathed in bright UV light to take it to its nal cured state.

When the part rstcomes out o the V-Flash printer it is ap-

proximately 95% ullycured and exhibits aslight yellow-greenishtint. Later, when it

pops out o the curingstation its ully cured

with a consistentcream surace color,true-to design detail, and a smooth hard surace nish.

The Specs

For a cost eective and aordable 3D Printer V-Flashboasts some very impressive specications: Build volume: 230 x 170 x 200 mm (9 x 6 x 8) Build speed: Up to 10mm (0.4) per hour (Z) Native Resolution: 728 x1024 DPI (xy) Layer thickness: 102 (0.0004) Min. vertical wall thickness: 0.64mm (0.025)

Standard 110 / 220V outlet Oce environment CE, cTUVus, RoHS, and WEEE compliant

(View the ull specs here)

Summary

Te V-Flash printers well thought out and simplied de-sign makes it extremely reliable by denition. I also oundit to be as easy to use as my desktop printer, and can nowunderstand why its been such a popular addition to 3DSystems product line.

3D Systems pioneered 3D printing when it was oundedin 1986 by Chuck Hull, the inventor of Sterolithographyand the .stl le ormat. Chuck remains with the companyas its CO and Executive VP. oday, 3D Systems is theonly company in the industry to oer a ull range o addi-tive manuacturing technologies, rom production systemsto 3D printers, materials and complete design-to-manuac-turing solutions.

Along with the invention o Sterolithography (SLA)

theyve acquired and continue to develop Selective LaserSintering (SLA) systems and materials.

3D Systems has taken their knowledge and experienceand applied it to the V-Flash 3D printer, designed to oeran aordable and easy to use solution that addresses theneeds o almost every industry aerospace and deense,transportation, architecture, education, medical, dental,and consumer goods and that ts perectly into the workow o a typical 3D printing service bureau like ProtoCa.

Click here to learn more about this versatile 3D printer.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

By David Heller

David Heller has written more than twelve techni-cal and ction books published by Addison-We-sely, Simon & Schuster, Prentice-Hall, McGrawHill, and more, and is a technical writer and proessionalcolumnist.

Multiple designs on build pad. (Shown

in display case)

2010, HC (Heller echnical Consulting) All trademarks contained herein are the property o their respective owners.
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