10-10-05_04 Dan Larochelle: Rapid prototyping

Rapid Prototyping

Dan Larochelle Chief Technology Officer

intelitek

• Prototyping challenges the student to apply the fundamental concepts they learned in their STEM program

• Prototyping is an essential part of the Engineering Design Cycle

• Many students learn better with hands on projects and they are more likely to retain their knowledge and skills

Why is Prototyping important to STEM?

Prototypes are an essential tool in product design

Prototypes are a way for students to express an idea

They can be simple or complex

They help answer the “3 F’s” – Fit Form Function

What is a Prototype?

Is this Rapid Prototyping?

Rapid Prototyping: Create something quickly

ASTM International (2009)

New Terminology adopted:

Additive Manufacturing

Subtractive Manufacturing

What is Rapid Prototyping?

Subtractive processes remove material from a solid workpiece and the result is the final part

Examples - Carving Drilling Milling Turning Grinding Multi-axis Machining

Subtractive Manufacturing

CAD/CAM/CNC Process

Parts are made layer by layer

Each layer is a cross section of the part derived from a three dimensional model

As the layers get thinner the accuracy of the part increases

Machines typically have a printing head on an XY motion system with a Z axis that moves the model as each layer is added

Additive Manufacturing

Typical steps of the AM process:1. CAD2. Convert to STL3. Transfer to AM machine and manipulate STL file4. Set up Machine5. Build6. Remove 7. Postprocessing 8. Application

Additive Manufacturing Process

A sheet of material is glued to the build platform

A pattern from the model is cut into the sheet and anti-glue is applied to areas of the sheet that are not part of the model

The next layer of material is glued on top of the previous layer forming a solid block of material

The support material is peeled away leaving the final product

Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)

Material is fed to an extruding tip where is it melted into a fine stream to create the model layer by layer

Additional material is added to support the model during the build process

The support material can either be removed by hand or in a chemical bath

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

A very thin layer of powdered material is applied to the building platform

The printing head deposits a binding agent into the powder to form the desired shape

The part is removed from the powder and cleaned. The loose powder around the model also supports the model.

Parts can be multiple colors

3D Inkjet Printing

A photo-sensitive resin is propelled through an extruding tip to build the part

As the jetting head distributes the resin it is simultaneously solidified by a UV lamp

Multiple materials can be used to construct the same part for added functionality or aesthetics

Photopolymer Jetting

Thin coatings of photo-sensitive resin are solidified with a low powered UV light, electron beam or laser

As each layer of the model is built, the platform lowers and another layer of resin is added

Capable of creating high accuracy parts (+/- 0.002 of an inch)

Stereolithography (SLA)

A photo-sensitive resin is sprayed onto the build platform layer by layer, similar to SLA

The machine produces an electrostatic mask to the model

The entire layer of the model is exposed to a UV light and hardens the unmasked area of the model

The masking is removed and process is repeated

Solid Ground Curing (SGC)

A fine powder is propelled by an inert gas through a nozzle and melted by a high powered laser

Parts are non-porous and can be machined, sanded or ground after cooling

Parts may be built out of a wide range of metals and alloys like stainless steel, copper, aluminum and titanium

Laser Powder Forming (LPF)

A very thin layer of material is applied to the building platform

A carbon dioxide laser melts the desired pattern into the material and another thin layer of material is added to the platform

After the part has cooled, it is removed from bed of powder

The material can be a thermoplastic, elastomer, nylon, metal, ceramic or sand

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Improve traditional design process Reduce prototyping costs Better communication of concepts Get feedback earlier in the design process Live model

Concurrent Engineering Reduce cycle time between iterations Increase efficiency of design team

Time to Market Decrease overall development time Increase potential ROI

Benefits of Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Manufacturing Reduced productions costs Increase versatility of product

Micro/Nano Fabrication Produce microscopic parts Currently being used in the electronics and medical industries

Domestic Printing Technology becoming more and more user friendly Printing personal items from home

The Future of Rapid Prototyping

Questions?