RapidPrototypingTechniques

ProductDesign Dr.Hesham Hegazi

OverviewofRP
ThetermRapidPrototyping(RP)referstoaclassoftechnologiesthatcan automaticallyconstructphysicalmodelsfromCADdata. Forsmallproductionrunsandcomplicatedobjects,RPisoftenthebest manufacturingprocessavailable. Mostprototypesrequirefrom3to72hourstobuild,dependingonthe sizeandcomplexityoftheobject. In1994,Pratt&Whitneyachievedcostreductionandtimesavingof70to 90percentbyincorporatingrapidprototypingintotheirinvestment castingprocess. Ingeneral,partvolumeislimitedto0.125m3

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TheBasicProcess
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. CADmodelcreation ConversiontoSTLformat SlicetheSTLfile Layerbylayerconstruction Cleanandfinish

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1.CADModelCreation
RapidprototypingprocessesbeginwithaCAD modelofthedesiredcomponentpart. Themodelshouldbeasolidmodel representedmoreaccuratelybyusingsolid modelers,likeSolidEdge,ProE,AutoCADsolid modeler,etc.

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CADModelCreation
Forrapidprototypingitisessentialthatparts arecompleteandhavecontinuity,i.e.thepart tobebuiltmustberepresentedasclosed surfacesthatunambiguouslydefinean enclosedvolume.

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CADModel
Thefollowingfigureshowsabadlymodeledpartwith overlappingsurfaces.

Thefollowingfigureshowsawellmodeledpartwithone integralsurface.

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2.ConversiontoSTLFormat
(StereolithographyFormat)

ThemodelissavedasanSTLfilefortransfertotherapidprototyping system.TheSTLfileisthen'sliced'intothinlayerssuitablefortherapid prototypingsystems. STLfilesarecomposedofmanytriangles,orfacets,whichdefineevery featureofapart.Eachfacetisdefinedbythepositionofitsthreecorners inspace,anditsdirection,whichdistinguishesbetweentheinternaland externalsurfaces.Eachfacethastobeconnectedtothreeothersatits edges,sothatthetotalvolumeofthemodelmaybeenclosed.

Theillustrationbelowshowsafacetedrepresentation ofacone.Althoughthebaseoftheconeiscircular,itis representedbyaseriesofsmallsteps.

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3.SlicetheSTLFile

1.

ApreprocessingprogrampreparestheSTL filetobebuilt. Buildorientationisimportant:

PropertiesofRPpartsvaryfromonecoordinatedirectiontoanother. (Prototypesareusuallyweakerandlessaccurateinthezdirectionthan thexyplane. Partorientationpartiallydeterminestheamountoftimerequiredto buildthemodel.(Placingtheshortestdimensioninthezdirection reducesthenumberoflayers,therebyshorteningbuildtime)

2.

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SlicetheSTLFile
Preprocessingsoftware:
1. SlicestheSTLmodelintoanumberoflayersfrom 0.01mmto0.7mmthick,dependingonthebuild technique. 2. Generateanauxiliarystructuretosupportthe modelduringthebuild.

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4.LayerbyLayerConstruction
UsingoneofseveraltechniquesRPmachines buildonelayeratatimefrompolymers, paper,orpowderedmetal. Mostmachinesneedslittlehuman interversion.

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5.CleanandFinish
Thisinvolvesremovingtheprototypefromthe machineanddetachinganysupports. Somephotosentitivematerialsneedtobefullycured beforeuse. Prototypesmayalsorequireminorcleaningand surfacetreatment.Sanding,sealing,and/orpainting themodelwillimproveitsappearanceanddurability.

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1-Stereolithography
Patentin1986,stereolithography startedtheRPrevolution. Thetechniquebuilds3Dmodelsfromliquidphotosensitive polymersthatsolidifywhenexposedtoultravioletlight. Themodelisbuiltuponaplatformsituatedjustbelowthesurface inavatofliquidepoxyoracrylicresin. AlowpowerhighlyfocusedUVlasertracesoutthefirstlayer, solidifyingthemodelscrosssectionwhileleavingexcessareas liquid. Next,anelevatorincrementallylowerstheplatformintotheliquid polymers. Asweeperrecoatsthesolidifiedlayerwithliquid,andthelaser tracesthesecondlayeratopthefirst. Theprocessisrepeateduntiltheprototypeiscomplete

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Stereolithography

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2-Laminated Object Manufacturing

Layersofadhesivecoatedsheetmaterialarebounded togethertoformaprototype. Originalmaterial:paperoflaminatedwithheatactivated glueandrolleduponspools. Afeeder/collectormechanismadvancesthesheetoverthe buildplatform,whereabasehasbeenconstructedfrom paperanddoublesidedfoamtape. Next,aheatrollerappliespressuretobondthepapertothe base. Afocusedlasercutstheoutlineofthefirstlayerintothe paperandthencrosshatchestheextraarea.

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2-Laminated Object Manufacturing

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3- Selective Laser Sintering

Patented 1989, Developed by Carl Deckard for his M.Sc. Thesis at the university of Texas. The technique uses a laser beam to selectively fuse powdered materials, such as nylon, elastomer, and metal, into a solid object. Parts are build upon a platform which sits just below the surface in a bin of the heatfusable powder. A laser traces the pattern of the first layer, sintering it together. The platform is lowered by the height of the next layer and powder is reapplied.

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3- Selective Laser Sintering

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4- 3D Printing
Desktoprapidprototypingmachinesare basedondesktopprintingtechnology.They arenolargerthanaphotocopier,runjustas cleanlyandquietlyandhaveanumberof advantagesoverotherrapidprototyping techniques,: themachineshavelowerpurchasingcosts, partsarecheapertoconstruct

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4- 3D Printing
Partsarebuiltbyaninnovativeprocess,that usesamultijetmodeling(MJM)headto applyathermopolymer materialinthree dimensions. Theprintheadcomprisesmultiplejetsthat buildthemodellayerbylayer.Ifthepartis largerthantheMJMheadthebuildplatform willrepositionwithintheYaxissuchthatthe processmaycontinue

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4- 3D Printing

4- 3D Printing

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4- 3D Printing

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Examples

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