3D Printing (4) Page 4

Here at TriMech, we often talk about Stratasys FDM and PolyJet 3D printing technologies; however, there is a much longer list of 3D printing and prototyping capabilities in our offering - including fused nylon powders, urethane casting, metal powder-bed fusion and UV cured VAT processes. The latter of which we will focus on today.

When it comes to additive manufacturing, much like other methods of manufacturing, users want strength, fine details, and for production to be as fast as possible. To meet this need, Stratasys has introduced a new platform, the Origin One, which utilizes Programmable PhotoPolymerization (P3) 3D printing technology. And where the Origin One can produce strong, good-looking parts quickly, it also holds a special interest for the medical industry. Of the dozen currently certified resins for the platform, four of them are biocompatible per ISO 10993 standards and have some incredible mechanical properties in their own right. So, whether you need to make a sterilizable drill guide, long-term prosthetic, or a high-performance tool, P3 Technology offers a large range of variety and print quality for biocompatible applications.

Additive Manufacturing is an application-driven field, with different printing technologies more suitable for certain types of production than others. A challenging area for any manufacturing process, is food or medical applications that require a certain degree of sterility or biocompatibility. Given the right material and material forming process, there are countless applications that could benefit from materials that are certified Biocompatible per ISO 10993 standards. But what does it actually mean to be ISO-10093 Certified and what can you do with these materials?

This segment picks up where we left off in this series discussing how not all manufacturing processes are ideal candidates to be replaced directly with 3D printing. We want to demonstrate that the 3D printing process can still have a significant role in bringing those products to market.

In the previous video, I designed and 3D printed several iterations of a rear thermoformed wing for a radio-controlled 4WD race buggy using SOLIDWORKS and Stratasys FDM printers. At the end of that video, I converted the wing design into a two-up thermoforming tool. In this video, I will 3D print the tool design and use the traditional process of thermoforming sheet polycarbonate to make our end-use parts. Finally, we will take some samples to the race track and see how they perform.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is one of the newest and most versatile manufacturing processes on the planet. It's possible to 3D print thousands of different models, parts, or basically anything you want with an ever-growing number of different materials. However, as we demonstrate in this ongoing series, there are some scenarios where this seemingly universal tool may not actually be the best tool for the job. At least not in the way you think. Even when 3D printing isn't an ideal candidate for creating the final end-use part, there are ways in which additive manufacturing technology can offset the design, testing and production of end-use parts.

There are times when 3D printing end-use parts do not offer economic or performance gains. There, I said it. While this may seem controversial to say for a company that is in the 3D printing business, TriMech is founded on the principle of candor and speaking honestly with our clients. We like to tell it like it is. But hold on, there's more. Even in the most difficult 3D print applications, there is a strong chance that additive manufacturing can have a significant positive impact on the life cycle of a product – even if the final product doesn’t contain a single additively manufactured part.

This might sound confusing and contradictory at first, but let’s dive into this series and explore the design, fitment, and testing phase required for bringing a product to market. Let’s then pair that with the ability to produce manufacturing aids and production level tooling so we can see how 3D printing can impact end-use parts without the end-use part actually being 3D printed.

This is not going to be an article that explains the traditional “Internet of Things” and gives examples of how just about anything and everything made these days is potentially connected to other devices and systems over the internet. We’re going to assume you’re familiar with the addition of sensors, software and technology to physical objects (the “things” in IoT) to facilitate the seamless communication of data. It’s essentially already ubiquitous at this point, right? Everything from household appliances to baby monitors and even things like deodorant is connected to the cloud. We're going to talk about why that matters.

Creating optically clear parts via traditional manufacturing methods is often either cost-prohibitive, geometrically limiting, or outright impossible. Additive Manufacturing has allowed for a new way of thinking about prototyping and part production through its material versatility, and one of the more popular families of materials is the optically clear and translucent variety. However, there are instances where something that is meant to be optically clear comes off the machine with an unwanted tint or coloration. Why is that and what do you need to do to make it truly optically clear?