For inventors, entrepreneurs and engineers seeking to create prototypes, 3-D printing is a dream come true. Building prototypes can now be done more easily, more quickly and less expensively than ever before using 3-D printing technology. For instance, Amazon is using a cutting-edge facility in Cambridge to 3-D print rapid prototypes for package delivery drones. Amazon is using 3-D printing to produce its prototypes because 3-D rapid prototyping represents the fastest way to test a large number of different vehicle designs and delivery mechanisms for a wide variety of environments. But it’s not just corporate giants like Amazon that can benefit from 3-D printing. Here’s an introduction to the 3-D printing process to get you started on prototyping your invention.
Injection Molding and 3-D Printing
3-D printing represents an advance on traditional injection molding, which is used for the vast majority of plastic prototypes as well as prototypes made of other materials. As Xcentric Mold and Engineering explains, in injection molding, materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic are fed through a heated barrel for mixing and forcing into a mold cavity using a ram injector or a reciprocating screw. Once the part cools and hardens, it is used to make molds, typically out of materials such as high-grade aluminium or steel.
While this process has many advantages, one of its drawbacks is that making metal molds can be time-consuming and expensive. Stereolithography (SLA) 3-D printing overcomes these obstacles by enabling molds to be produced more rapidly and less expensively out of plastic instead of metal, explains Formlabs. In SLA printing, computer aided design or manufacturing software guides an ultraviolet laser in tracing a shape over a vat of photopolymer resin. This causes a layer of the photosensitive material to solidify. The process continues building multiple layers until the 3-D object is complete.
The 3-D printing process speeds up prototype production so that what traditionally took weeks can now be done in a day, and at a significantly lower cost, says project engineer Andrew Rich, whose company Apple Rubber creates custom o-ring seals using both 3-D printing and other high-tech methods. Apple Rubber continues to use other methods for certain projects given that 3-D printing has certain limitations in that it is best suited for rubber-like parts, which are not always suitable for all heating, pressure, chemicals and applications needed to test prototypes, Rich explains. However, he foresees 3-D printing technology soon advancing to a point where these obstacles are overcome and anyone can print a 3-D prototype from their own PC.
3-D Printing Software
To do 3-D printing, you first need a 3-D model. You can create a 3-D model in programs such as SketchUp and Blender, which work on a PC, Mac or Linux and 123D Catch, which works from a web browser. You can also scan in 3-D images or download them online. 3-D print models are prepared in a specialized computer drawing format called STL (STereoLithography), which describes the surface of three-dimensional objects using triangulated coordinates, without providing any additional information such as texture or color.
You can view STL files in programs such as ViewSTL. Advanced professional software tools such as Meshmixer are used to check, repair and edit STL code. All3DP provides a roundup of today’s leading 3-D printing software options, including both free and premium tools as well as tools ranging for suitability from beginner to professional users.
Transmitting 3-D Printing Instructions
Before a STL file can be sent to a 3-D printer, it must be converted from 3-D format into 2-D slices using a program called a slicer. Slicers are written in a language called G-code, which is used to control automated machine tools. A free standard slicer program suitable for beginners is Cura, which can be used with popular 3-D printers such as Ultimaker, RepRap and Makerbot. Cura works for PC, Mac and Linux.
Cura can also be used as printer host software to directly control your machine as long as it remains connected to your PC. A professional program specializing in 3-D printer hosting is Octoprint.
3-D Printing Resources
To learn more about 3-D printing, you can study online courses from providers such as 3D Printing for Beginners and 3DPrint.com. If you’re looking to buy a 3-D printer, PCMag provides a review of the current top models.
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