FDM Technology Page 1

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.

In my last video, I added a wind splitter to the front bumper of my Toyota MR2 using 3D printed mounting brackets that I created in SOLIDWORKS using traditional solid-body techniques. It worked but it didn’t achieve the look that I was looking for. For this video, I want to bring it to the next level and build a new wind splitter, complete with mounting holes, using 3D scanning, SOLIDWORKS surfacing and 3D printing.

Now, I’m a machine design person at the core, so creating a model with SOLIDWORKS surfacing would be a new challenge for me, but I knew I could make a better wind splitter using surfacing techniques. So, I got my hands on the SOLIDWORKS surfacing manual and picked up some techniques that I found useful when I was building this model. Let’s look at the steps I took to build a new version of my wind splitter.

In the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Javelin, a TriMech company, the Professional Services team uses their expertise and equipment to 3D print custom corrective helmets to treat babies with abnormal head shapes.

It’s typical for a newborn to have an abnormal head shape caused by the birth process. If significant flat spots or abnormal shaping are still present after a few months, intervention might be prescribed.

One treatment is cranial remolding (or cranial orthosis) with corrective helmet therapy. Each helmet is custom-made, based on a digital scan of the child’s head. The helmet works with the natural growth of the infant and the void space inside redirects head growth. The treatment is used to correct cosmetic deformity, realign facial asymmetry, and (in rare cases) prevent vision and hearing concerns. Another consideration is making sure sports helmets fit later in life.

This week's Product Story showcases Daikin and how they utilize the Stratasys F770 3D printer as the solution to two challenges.

Daiken is considered an innovator and world-leading provider of customizable heating and air conditioning systems for residential, commercial and industrial properties. They are familiar with the use of additive manufacturing technology and knew this was where they would find the solution to both of their challenges.

One of the last steps you may have in proving yourself for your chosen industry is to implement your knowledge, teamwork and design skills on a multi-semester final project. Your results will be presented in front of other engineers, potential sponsors, and a possible connection that could propel you in the job market. These final projects are important, especially how your design process will parallel workflows that practicing engineers, designers and manufacturers go through. Honing in on a design, accumulating research and creating the best solution to a problem is something these design firms go through every day.

It has been an eventful year so far for the TriMech RP Services team. Six months ago we outgrew our longtime printing facility and now we’re established at our new location in Connecticut and fully operational! We keep up with the advancements in new technologies that come out regularly including several new materials and machines released from Stratasys the past few months (with more coming out later this year). 

Additionally, TriMech and another industry leader, Javelin Technologies of Canada have come together as one team. All of these changes are exciting TriMech, as well as the industry as a whole, but what I'm really excited to talk about are the changes to our Rapid Prototyping Services department and how we are making these technologies more accessible to new and existing customers.

Technology continues to develop at an ever-faster pace and educators have long realized that the best way for students to keep up, is to gain hands-on experience. 3D printing is no exception, and many schools and universities are integrating 3D printers into their curriculums. These tools give students capabilities that could only have been imagined years ago, while building skills that apply to real-world applications. The challenge for educators is sorting through the wealth of options that exist, to narrow down the best choice for their students. In this article, we will explain some of the benefits of key 3D printing technologies and the departments that could take advantage of each one.

Carbon fiber materials and carbon-reinforced polymers can replace metal for lighter, more ergonomic tooling. Add to that the power of additive manufacturing to print the part, rather than machine it, and you can significantly reduce both your part weight and tooling lead time. In this article, we are going to review the differences in printable carbon fiber materials and the machines capable of printing them to understand how the 3D printing industry has created approachable solutions for just about every level of production. 

FDM 3D printing is the process of extruding a semi-liquid thermoplastic through a print head tip along a pre-determined tool path to create models and prototypes. Stratasys has transcended expectations to make the FDM process accurate, repeatable and reliable. In this article, we discuss the step-by-step process of calibrating a printer head to ensure the best possible prints.