3D Printer Store » 3d printer technology

New Modern 3D Printing System

3D Printer Store — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:05:30 +0000

North Technical High School’s Precision Machining Program recently received a modern Dimension 1200es 3D printer System. In today’s field of engineering, architecture, and design, prototyping a three dimensional drawing is an essential step in the design process.

A 3D printer combines or fuses successive layers of material in a form of “additive manufacturing” to yield a functional three dimensional object that can be tested under real-world conditions. The Dimension 1200es 3D printer accomplishes this task by creating a durable ABS plastic model from a Computer Assisted Drawing (CAD) file, thus yielding a solid model prototype that closely imitates the look, feel, and functionality of the desired end product. Previous methods of producing a typical prototype took many man-hours, numerous tools, and highly skilled labor. This older research and development process would cost companies enormous amounts of money.

3D printing gives research and development teams a cheaper and faster process for producing prototypes. This technology is not only used in industrial design, but also has applications in other areas such as jewelry, footwear, architecture, automotive, aerospace.

Source: northtechnical.org

3D Printing A Full-Scale Turbo-Prop Aircraft Engine

3D Printer Store — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:11:41 +0000

The propeller blade-span is over 10 feet in this project that demonstrates how far 3D modeling has advanced.

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 2, 2009 — At Autodesk University 2009, Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) and Autodesk unveiled the world’s first full-scale turbo-prop aircraft engine model. It was produced using Stratasys FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology.

The engine’s design was created using Autodesk Inventor 2010 mechanical design and engineering software, and it was produced on both Fortus 3D Production Systems and Dimension 3D Printers from Stratasys.

The engine model sets a new precedence in scale, and it showcases the potential of 3D printing.

“Our Inventor software with FDM technology takes design innovation to an entirely new level of sophistication,” says Autodesk’s Gonzalo Martinez, office of the CTO. “Today at Autodesk University we’ve shown that with FDM, you can create realistic 3D models of nearly any design. We believe that Stratasys FDM technology is the future of 3D printing and production.”

The engine’s gear box includes two sets of gears, which operate two sets of propellers that move in counter rotation to each other.

With an engine length of over 10 feet, a blade-span of 10.5 feet, and 188 components, the engine model is massive in size. It includes several large parts, such as six propeller blades, each measuring 4.5 feet.

Building this physical model with FDM helped improve its design by identifying four opportunities to make components fit or operate with better precision. Assembling a physical model helps design engineers be certain of component form, fit, and function.

The turbo-prop engine was designed by Nino Caldarola, a freelance designer for Autodesk.

He shared his concept with Autodesk who wanted to bring a full-scale model to life using Inventor software and FDM technology.

Caldarola’s design is a hybrid of newer engine and classic engine design and was partially inspired by the Piaggio Avanti II aircraft engine, the TP 500.

Caldarola worked with engineers at RedEye On Demand prototyping and production service, a business unit of Stratasys, to make adjustments that would ensure an accurate physical model.

Source: pddnet.com

What Can You Make With a 3D Printer?

3D Printer Store — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:31:32 +0000

Fancy a new vase or some unbreakable crockery for that camping trip, but haven’t got time to go shopping? What about a replacement for the broken spoke on your spectacles or an individually designed heads for your golf clubs? Or, how about a scale model of that new sports car your kids designed or a mini objet d’art created from photos of a Henry Moore sculpture? The possibilities for 3D printing are limited only by your imagination and what someone could come up with in a 3D drawing package or with CAD software.

3D printing, rapid prototyping, as it is often known, is not new. I first heard about 3D printing sometime in late 1980s while still a student. However, these devices, which have featured in TV shows such as CSI, could soon be coming to a workshop near you and may represent the biggest shift in commerce and manufacturing in decades. The Fab@Home wiki has more information on the technology, but 3D printing, essentially, turns a digitized representation of a solid object, which you might download, email, or create, into a real solid object. It using a vat of uncooked starting material (plastic, metal or alloy) and a laser, or other device, controlled by computer holding the digitized information to build up the object layer by layer.

Source: www.sciencebase.com

Prototype Testing: 3D Printer

3D Printer Store — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:19:55 +0000

3D printing technology assists in the prototype testing phase by producing prototypes in a more efficient and time sensitive manner. Where redesigning, retooling and recreating prototypes took a considerable amount of time, the 3D printing system can have a redesigned prototype ready for the next phase of testing in a much shorter period of time then conventional methods. Testing often requires product redesign and retesting, by having a swift technology like a 3D printer, testing can continue according to schedule without any undue delays and expense. It is not very often that a product is able to survive the testing phase of product development without some kind of design change. The 3D printer allows designers and engineers to utilize the advanced technology printers to their advantage and create better products.

A 3D printer helps to reduce the bottom line cost of research and development by facilitating the prototyping process. Product development is a costly and prototype design and production can add considerable expense to a project. Multiple design changes, failure to meet deadlines and retooling only add to the bottom line expense of the production process. Utilizing a 3D printer will enhance the design process and cut costs where design changes have to be made by eliminating many of the costs associated with prototype production. With a 3D printing system no additional retooling or reengineering is necessary, because changes only have to be made in the computer assisted design software program. The whole process of creating, changing and constructing prototypes is enhanced through the use of 3D printing technology.

Source: www.articlesbase.com

3D Printer Technology and Innovation

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:05:11 +0000

Three-dimensional technologies create better designs and plans. In the world of printers, there is also such a thing as three-dimensional printing – otherwise known as rapid prototyping technology. This one is a design process where computer programming will be needed. The program takes responsibility in building 3d models through the aid of fabrication material layering. Making this task easier is the 3d printer.

The 3d printer serves the needs of engineers, technicians and designers. This innovation brought about a change from the usual fabrication technologies utilized by these experts. This special rapid prototyping gadget is highly favored because it works faster and it makes the work easier. Of course, a 3d printer is cheaper than traditional fabrication gadgets. Additionally, these methods may be studied by anyone besides skilled craftsmen.

Important things that make up 3D printing technology

You must learn about printing technology in order to understand how the gadget works. Here are some of the basic things needed in coming up with a 3d printing output.

1. Utilization of CAD software. The technology begins with the use of the so-called computer assisted design or CAD software. The software activates the nozzle of the inkjet printer. From there, several layers of materials are formed thus resulting to the 3D model.
The CAD is capable of calculating length, height and width requirements for a design. This is based from a consumer’s design specifications. The software then guides the entire process until such time that the 3d model is created.

2. Different materials. Aside from making use of the CAD software, there are other materials needed in rapid prototyping. Advanced polymers, resins and plasters are important raw materials that build up the 3d design. But most industries choose the material depending on factors such as durability, sophistication level or lifespan.

3. Techniques employed. There are different techniques used in 3D printing technologies. An example of which is known as the fused deposition modeling technique. In this technique, the model is created out of liquid polymers found inside an injector. The process creates different layers by injecting polymers from the base of the material. This will then be cured by ultraviolet light.

The other technology is known as inkjet printing. In this process, granular substances like plaster, corn starch and powder are utilized. These materials are often combined with an adhesive to bond the materials together and to produce the output of rapid prototyping.

Advantages offered by 3D printing innovations

The 3d printer created a lot of changes from the usual fabrication processes. First, it got rid of the toxic chemicals from the 3D printing technology. Post-production work is no longer needed making the process even faster. The presence of the 3d printer makes the entire task even faster. In fact, engineers and designers have seen the impact of the gadget during the planning phases of the design.

With all these good things presented by a 3d printer and the corresponding technologies and innovations behind it, it is with no doubt that the process will make design tasks faster and simpler. This is a breakthrough that any architectural or designing business should depend on nowadays. Always ask service providers on how you may make use of 3d printing technologies for your business.