Rapid Protoyping

3. Advantages of 3D Printing
The most successful companies have adopted 3D printing as a critical part
of the iterative design process to:
Reduce Development Costs
Cut traditional prototyping and tooling costs
Identify design errors earlier
Reduce travel to production facilities
Speed Time To Market
Compress design cycles by 3D printing multiple prototypes on demand, right in your office
Increase Innovation
Print prototypes in hours, obtain feedback, refine designs and repeat the cycle until designs are
perfect
Improve Communication
Hold a full color, realistic 3D model in your hands to impart infinitely more information than a
computer image
Create physical 3D models quickly, easily and affordably for a wide variety of applications
Win Business
Bring realistic 3D models

4. Complete 3D models can be manufactured including those with hollow parts that
could not possibly be made by hand in one piece, even by the most skilled engineer
or craftsperson. Parts such as bearings, engineering parts and complex working
models can be manufactured.
A variety of epoxy and waxes can be applied to the completed model. These increase
the strength of the model, its temperature resistance and allows paint and finishes to
be applied realistically.
The use of specialized resin will give models the properties of rubber.
Prototyping machines can even be used to produce highly accurate patterns for
casting.
Manufactured model parts can be combined with real parts to produce a fully
functioning product that can then be tested and evaluated

5. RAPID PROTOTYPING
Leading product designers use prototyping machines to accelerate the design
process and bring products to market sooner. Applications include:
Concept Models - Get early design feedback, improve communication, and test
ergonomics
Functional Testing - Verify designs for form, fit and function prior to full-scale
production; plus reduce costly modifications to production tooling
Finite Element Analysis - Produce prototypes displaying color finite element analysis
data right on the part. Improve collaboration among project teams, and identify
design flaws earlier
Presentation Models - Communicate clearly with peers and clients, and perform
focus group testing
Packaging Development - Streamline the design process for glass and plastic
packaging used in consumer

6. Why create casting patterns utilizing 3D CAD data
As is typical in the creation of prototype castings, traditional pattern manufacturing costs can
easily be more expensive than the actual costs of pouring all the parts associated to a short
prototype casting run. In addition, the lead time for the creation of these patterns can often
be measured in weeks.
In the following example, a new drive pinion flange design is taken from concept 3D CAD
model to final prototype pattern pieces in the matter of 3 days. Resulting in the patterns being
used to create 250 rapid prototype cast iron castings at a fraction of the cost and time
associated with traditional patterns.

7. 1. Starting with the 3D CAD data.
Accurate 3D CAD data is where it all starts. If the base CAD model contains errors, those
errors will carry through to the final cast iron parts, ensuring that the CAD model is at the
appropriate release level and has been thoroughly designed and checked is of utmost
importance.
Figure A shows the final machining CAD model of the new concept flange design.
In this machined CAD model, blue represents the machined surfaces and tan represents the
remaining cast surfaces. The casting CAD model, shown in Figure B, reflects the part
geometry of the actual final prototype cast iron flange that will be received from the
foundry.

8. Figure A shows the final machining CAD model of the new concept flange design.
In this machined CAD model,
blue represents the machined
surfaces and tan represents the
remaining cast surfaces. The
casting CAD model, shown in
Figure B, reflects the part
geometry of the actual final
prototype cast iron flange that
will be received from the
foundry.
Figure A

9. Figure B

10. Finite Element Analysis
Produce prototypes
displaying color finite
element analysis data right
on the part. Improve
collaboration among
project teams, and identify
design flaws earlier

11. Model: Electric Motor
Type: ZP 150 HIGH PERFORMANCE POWDER

12. Model: Flange and Sprocket
Type: Vero Resin Black

13. Model: Single axle drive
Type: ZP 150 HIGH PERFORMANCE POWDER

14. Model: Mould
Type: VERO RESIN CLEAR

15. Model: Pipe Hangar Bracket
Type: VERO RESIN GRAY

16. Choosing a Process
Determine the process that is the best fit for your project by using the tools shown.
Step 1:
Begin by using the decision tree on the next slide to narrow down which factors are of
highest importance to you based on the stage you are at in the prototyping process,
referring to the definitions on page 8 as needed.
Step 2:
Based on the recommended attributes for your most important factor(s) from Step 1,
compare the processes using the process decision making chart on the next page to
determine which process will be the best fit for your project.

17. What stage are you at in What factor(s) is/are most Recommended attributes to
the prototyping process? important to you? consider when choosing a process.

19. Rapid Prototype
Design Process Flow

20. Conclusion:
The future for 3D printing seems very promising, it is the fastest growing part of the rapid-
prototyping industry with revenues this year expected to be approximately a billion US
dollars. Many industries are showing huge amounts of interest and are seeing great potential
in different applications where they could utilize three dimensional printing. The US army
have experimented using rapid prototyping to create parts for broken tanks, guns and other
hardware in combat situations. Businesses believe a rapid prototyping machine could prove
invaluable in showing factories how to assemble parts remotely, for example in China. Even
NASA has requested a high resolution machine to manufacture crucial parts in space.
In conclusion what is stopping you being part of a truly revolutionary technology, which
could become one of the major breakthroughs of the twenty first century? 3D printing has
merely been science fiction until recently, where it is now most certainly science fact. What
can we expect to see in the not so far away future? Well one ultimate goal is printable
organic parts, for example replacement organs, identical skin grafts and even limbs, to
combat victims of illness, disease and war.

21. Three-dimensional printing from digital
designs will transform manufacturing and
allow more people to start making things
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