FDM Technology (2) Page 2

The new PostProcess VORSA 500 reduces FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing support material removal processing times by over 50%.

PostProcess Technologies have a new solution in the company’s lineup of automated, intelligent post-printing solutions for additive manufacturing (AM). The new VORSA 500™ leverages PostProcess’ proven technology for consistent, hands-free support structure removal on 3D printed FDM parts.

With so many material options across Stratasys’s line of 3D printers, careful consideration must be given when deciding which material to use for your specific application. We must look at more than just the strength of the material (tensile strength, impact-resistance, elongation at break, etc.), consideration must also be given to how the material will react if exposed to chemicals.

Keeping a properly maintained and efficient running 3D printer takes time and a dedicated schedule so that your printer continues to reliably print parts as it did on day one. In the long run, a properly maintained printer is simply easier to run, more efficient, less trouble, offers better prints and provides a higher ROI. There are four main categories to maintaining your FDM printer so that it continues to produce optimal and reliable prints, and in this article, we’ll break down the maintenance items into four sections. They are calibration, material storage, tips and flicker brush system, and overall cleanliness of the machine.

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.

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.

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.