3D Printing Page 2

Here at TriMech, we fancy ourselves the jack of all trades or the wearer of many hats of the engineering world. With extensive experience with the different facets of CAD, 3D printing, 3D scanning and training, we know that your business probably doesn't just stick to one lane, either. With that in mind, we are bringing you four on-demand webinars focused around 3D innovation, full of ideas and tools to bring your company to the next level!

This time last year, we were creating some amazing multi-color and multi-material lollipops using the incredible Stratasys J850. This year, I thought that it would be fun to try something a bit different and see if we could put our industrial design skills to the test and make some fun, slightly spooky, moderately goofy Halloween ghost pendants using the brand new Stratasys J55 PolyJet 3D printer! In doing so, we’ll learn about a fascinating process using an advanced image editing software which can be applied to all sorts of projects.

In our previous blog article, we covered some quick and easy ways to reduce print time and costs on your Stratasys FDM machines. If you're a PolyJet user, don't worry! We've got you covered and in this article, we'll look over the top five ways to reduce your 3D printing costs with your machines, in no particular order.

It is a well-known fact that bringing in additive manufacturing (AM) can help save companies time and (arguably most importantly) money! AM has been used in a variety of applications like jigs, fixtures, concept designs and end-use parts just to name a few. Customers in all fields have felt the benefit of merging AM into their everyday workflow. But many user’s may not be aware that with a few changes they can save even more. In this article, I am going to break down the top five ways you can reduce the time and cost of your FDM printer, in no particular order.

Many times, when nearing the end of a workday you may find yourself having to stay late to start a new build on your machine. Or you may be working from home and must travel to the office just to send a print job over. If only there was a way to set the machine and have it print immediately once you send a job to it. With Stratasys FDM machines, you can do just that!

Ever wonder what the best way is to produce your metal part or prototype? There are metal 3D printing options available which offer both powder and non-powder options, but sometimes the process simply requires casting to be the right solution. In this article, we'll introduce you to Stereolithography as an option for investment casting and see how it stacks up against more traditional methods.

Every day people walk around without realizing just how much mold manufacturing impacts their lives. The mouse being used to navigate around this post was built with molded parts. The shell of your cellphone, the plastic cup you use to get a drink of water and parts of your shades or eyeglasses are made through manufacturing using molds. Manufacturing with metal molds is a large part of today’s manufacturing process, but these aren’t the only kinds of molds that can be beneficial to companies.

Proper printer maintenance is key for the optimal performance and longevity of your 3D printer, so today I want to discuss a quick and easy way to take care of your new Stratasys J55. We’re going to run through the Routine Cleaning Wizard, which should be utilized after each build.

Throughout this series of articles, we have looked at how different departments across multiple universities have used 3D printing as part of their curricula and projects. So far, we have explored areas such as Performing Arts, Engineering and Chemistry. With its versatility, 3D printing has impacted areas that one wouldn't normally consider when it comes to implementing these technologies. Did you know that some universities have used 3D printing to solve cold cases? Let's look at some examples throughout this article in our series.

During the product development lifecycle, an industrial designer will create multiple versions of a product in various finishes, textures and colors. Using the new .3MF file format, we can apply a texture in a CAD program, such as SOLIDWORKS, and save the file in a format that retains that texture and can be used for 3D printing.

Robotic automation, frequently in the form of robotic arms, is used across multiple industries to automate tasks that require precision and call for high repeatability. End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) is one of the main components of robotic technology and typically refers to the device attached at the end of a robotic arm. In many cases, these robotic arms are used continuously for long periods and eventually need to be replaced, halting production, and becoming a financial burden. Traditional methods used to replace these parts, similar to CNC, can take up to 24 hours to produce a new part and do not guarantee the part will fit in the EOAT. Thankfully, 3D printing brings a solution to minimize downtime and ensure the replacement part will fit perfectly the first time. Let's look at some examples of how different companies in multiple industries have taken advantage of 3D printing to quickly fix their EOAT.

Have you ever sat and stared at your printer while it hums away making your part and thought to yourself “What if I could print my part at different resolutions based on the level of detail in a certain area of the part?” Well, good news, this is now a reality. If you didn’t think that, then I hope you are asking yourself “why didn’t I think of that?” Now, with the most recent update to GrabCAD Print, select Stratasys FDM machines have the option to utilize a new feature called Adaptive Slice.