RAPID PROTOTYPING, TOOLING AND MANUFACTURING

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RAPID PROTOTYPING, TOOLING AND MANUFACTURING

• Donald L. Kinser
• Professor Mechanical and Materials Engineering
• November 10, 2004
• EECE-BME-ME-297 Design Seminar

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WHAT IS RAPID PROTYPING?

• Generic Term for ALL processes which generate
  prototypes quickly
• Formative
• Subtractive
• Additive
• Combinations or hybrid techniques
• Google 11/2/04 rapid prototype produced 424,000
  results!

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Rapid Prototype TechniquesFormative

• Assembly of part by addition of components such
  as flat, channel, angle, rod, tube or other
  standard form available as a commodity
• Joining may involve adhesives, welding, brazing,
  soldering or mechanical fastening

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Rapid Prototype TechniquesSubtractive

• Beginning with chunk of stock and removing
  portions through cutting operation
• Rapid subtractive techniques include
• Computer controlled machining
• CNC computer numeric control or
• NC numerical control

From Solid Concepts
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Rapid Prototype TechniquesAdditive processes

• Invention of Additive Process
• Father of process Chuck Hall US Patent 1986
  Photopolymer based stereo lithography (3-D
  printing)
• Commercialization of photopolymer based process
  begin in 1987
• Rapid growth 495 million service bureau 2002
  with continuing rapid growth possibly 1 billion
  2004! (Wohlers Report 2002) (http//www.wohlersas
  sociates.com)
• Alternative processes such as lamination,
  extrusion, sintering and jetting quickly
  developed

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First additive process

• Components
• Laser 26
• Platform 29
• Motion control in X, Y and Z
• Photopolymerizable liquid 23
• Partially completed part 30
• From Hull patent 4575330- 3/11/1986

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Why Rapid Prototype?

• Functional experimental model
• Industrial design for look, feel,
• Design of experiments-LAYOUT
• Beta full scale functional with rough edges!
• Preproduction
• Tooling
• Assembly
• Verify performance
• Financier, marketing, presale samples

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Design of experiments-LAYOUT
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Proof of conceptFunctional experimental model
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Preproduction
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Prototype USE?

• Communication
• Customers, suppliers, vendors, management,
  investors
• Demonstration of project goals
• Scheduling demonstration of milestones
• Feasibility
• Architectural interfacingfit, form, tolerance

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Benefits of prototypes

• Enhanced freedom and care in allocating
  resourcesidentify top priority design issues
• Reduction of costly iterations
• Acceleration of parallel activities
• More flexible product choices
• Pitfalls and distractions
• Delay time to market through unnecessary
  prototype complexity or iteration
• Failure to allocate time to integrate leads to
  inability to integrate prototype results into
  final product design

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Additive prototype process 2004

• Initial step assumes the existence of a 3-D CAD
  model of the part (2-D CAD design must be
  converted!)
• CAD model is fed to a computer program which
  generates a solid model composed of triangular
  elements
• Solid model is then converted to layered
  structure

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Additive prototype process 2004

• Physical Problems with element generation
• Faceting
• Stair stepping
• Ovalization

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2004 Additive Technologies

• Stereo lithography
• Selective laser sintering
• Fused deposition modeling
• 3-D printing
• On the horizon
• direct laser deposition of metals and ceramics
• Direct build of parts for sale

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Stereolithography

• Most widely used permits creation of complex 3-D
  models by successive laser curing of liquid
  monomer resin

From Penn State learning factory
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SLA Systems/Stereolithography.com

• System capabilities (100-800K)
• Beam (diameter _at_ 1/e2) Small spot 0.23 - 0.28 mm
  (0.009 - 0.011 in)
• Large spot 0.685 - 0.838 mm (0.027 - 0.033 in)
• Maximum part drawing speed Small spot 2.54 m/sec
  (140 ips)
• Large spot 9.52 m/sec (525 ips)
• Elevator
• Vertical resolution 0.001 mm (0.00004 in)
• Position repeatability 0.01 mm (0.0004 in)
• Build Volume 508 x 508 x 584 mm
• Maximum part weight 68 kg (150 lb)
• www.3dsystems.com

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Stereo lithography Parts
Compartmentalized bowl from Stereolithography.com
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Stereo lithography Parts
Paintball gun model from Stereolithography.com
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Selective laser sintering
Penn State learning factory
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Z Corp Selective laser sintering25,900 system

• Build Volume
• 8 x 10 x 8 (203 x 254 x 203 mm) Layer
  Thickness
• User selectable at time of printing .003-.010
  (.076-.254 mm)
• Z Corp Selective Laser Sintering DEMO MOVIE

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Selective laser sintering small parts
Z Corp carburetor body
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Selective laser sintering complex parts
Z Corp housing
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Selective laser sintering big parts
Z Corp Electrolux trim
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Selective laser sintering aerodynamic flow model
Z Corp wind tunnel flow model
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Medical Applications

• Facilitating preoperative planning and rehearsal
  to optimize surgical technique
• Ensuring superior implant design and body fit,
  reducing operative time and risk
• Rapidly providing anatomically accurate skeletal
  models for surgeon evaluation
• Refining available diagnostic information
• Providing durable models that can be easily
  transported and sterilized for intraoperative use
  
• Improving patient communications for informed
  consent of surgical procedures

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Selective laser sintering surgical models
Z Corp skull section for surgery planning
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Fused deposition modeling
Penn State learning factory
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Fused deposition technology-little stuff

• Stratasys
• Stratasys FDM build movie (sales pitch)

Stratasys connector body
Stratasys small parts 0.005 inch detail
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Fused deposition technology-big stuff
Stratasys differential cover
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Fused deposition technology-big stuff
Stratasys monitor housing
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Fused deposition technology-big stuff
Stratasys motorcycle cowling
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Rapid Prototype Tooling

• Prototyping of injection molds and dies employing
  sacrifice of prototype model pattern
• Sand casting
• Investment casting
• Injection molding

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Recent developments

• Direct Manufacturing from Digital Parts Catalog
• Laser deposition of metal or ceramic to fabricate
  final product
• Other techniques to generate salable parts
• Portable parts manufacturing strategies under
  consideration by NASA with US Army experimental
  deployment of parts factory