New 3D Printing Field Service Engineer Brings Exceptional 3D Printing Tooling and End-Part Production Skills and Knowledge to the Region
We are very pleased to announce that one of our 3D Printer experts is relocating to our New Mexico facility. Art Newcomer has moved to Albuquerque and will continue to support our Colorado and New Mexico cusotmers from there instead of our Littleton Office.
Read more in the press release below or as a PDF or HTML.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact us.
PADT Expands its Operations in New Mexico With the Addition of 3D Printing Talent and Services
New 3D Printing Field Service Engineer Brings Exceptional 3D Printing Tooling and End-Part Production Skills and Knowledge to the Region
TEMPE, Ariz., October XX, 2020 ─ PADT, the Southwest’s leading provider of numerical simulation, product development, and 3D printing products and services, today announced 3D printing expert Art Newcomer is relocating from the company’s Colorado office to its long-standing New Mexico facility, located in Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP). The move comes on the heels of PADT’s expanded capabilities and services in 3D printing and numerical simulation in California and Texas. Combined, these recent moves bolster the company’s ability to serve the growing region.
“Art has done a fantastic job supporting our Colorado customers and has been a significant contributor to our growth in the state,” said Ward Rand, co-founder and principal, PADT. “As a member of the PADT support team, he will continue to serve Colorado customers. Art’s move to New Mexico simply expands his impact on a region that has seen a significant acceleration of 3D printing adoption, making his extensive knowledge and talents a real asset there moving forward.”
Newcomer has been serving PADT’s 3D printing customers for five years, and has nearly 20 years of experience as a field service engineer across different technologies and sectors. In his role at PADT, he applied his talents to help customers install, maintain, and repair their Stratasys additive manufacturing systems across a wide variety of industries including aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial.
PADT’s growing customer base in New Mexico has expanded the application of proven Stratasys 3D printing technologies to include more tooling and end-part production. The National Labs in New Mexico were pioneers in the application of 3D Printing and PADT has been proud to work with them over the years as they increase their efforts and find new applications for the technology.
“I’m looking forward to taking on a new challenge in New Mexico where PADT has served for many years,” said Newcomer. “The growth of 3D printing investments in the region provides us with a great opportunity to use our hard-earned expertise to educate customers on how to best implement the technology and to keep their systems operating at peak performance”
To learn more about PADT’s services in New Mexico as well as its continued expansion throughout the Southwest, please visit www.padtinc.com.
About PADT
PADT is an engineering product and services company that focuses on helping customers who develop physical products by providing Numerical Simulation, Product Development, and 3D Printing solutions. PADT’s worldwide reputation for technical excellence and experienced staff is based on its proven record of building long-term win-win partnerships with vendors and customers. Since its establishment in 1994, companies have relied on PADT because “We Make Innovation Work.” With over 90 employees, PADT services customers from its headquarters at the Arizona State University Research Park in Tempe, Arizona, and from offices in Torrance, California, Littleton, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Austin, Texas, and Murray, Utah, as well as through staff members located around the country. More information on PADT can be found at www.PADTINC.com.
Demand for 3D Printing Equipment and Services in Texas’ Key Technology Industries Including Aerospace, Electronics, and Medical Has Drastically Increased
As a Platinum Channel Partner with Stratasys, PADT is excited to announce that we are now able to offer these services in Texas. We have been working with this technology in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah for more than 15 years, and are eager to finally bring our expertise to customer in the great state of Texas.
This expansion is reflective of PADT’s consistent growth and the increased demand for additive manufacturing systems across many of Texas’ largest technology industries. Today, the aerospace industry is using thousands of 3D printed parts on aircraft and even spacecraft.
With PADT’s knowledge and expertise, we are well-positioned to be a valuable partner to the growing tech community in Texas.
Please find our official press release below, or here as a PDF or in HTML.
Stratasys
Platinum Channel Partner PADT Expands 3D Printing System Sales Into Texas to
Meet the Growing Demand for Prototyping and End-Use Products
Demand for 3D Printing Equipment and Services in Texas’ Key Technology Industries Including Aerospace, Electronics, and Medical Has Drastically Increased
TEMPE, Ariz., August 12, 2020 ─ PADT, a globally recognized provider of numerical simulation, product development, and 3D printing products and services, today announced its Stratasys sales territory is expanding to include Texas. PADT is a Stratasys Platinum Channel Partner that has sold additive manufacturing systems as a certified reseller in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah for more than 15 years. In 2018, PADT also expanded its presence to Austin, Texas as a reseller of Ansys simulation software.
“Additive manufacturing technology that was
once exclusive to low-volume prototyping has evolved rapidly for both
prototyping and end-use product development alongside innovation in Stratasys’
3D production systems and printing materials,” said Ward Rand, co-founder and
principal, PADT. “We’ve made deep investments in Texas and have many years of
experience working with organizations in the state’s technology industry. We’re
now eager to bring our outstanding support and expertise in 3D printing to
Texas and build on our success with Stratasys and Ansys across the Southwest.”
The expansion is reflective of PADT’s consistent growth and the increased demand for additive manufacturing systems across many of Texas’ largest technology industries. Today, the aerospace industry is using thousands of 3D printed parts on aircraft and even spacecraft. In the medical industry, 3D printing is being used to prototype biological structures to improve surgery and enhance our knowledge of the human body. Stratasys has been a driving force behind this innovation and relies on industry experts like PADT to help organizations integrate the technology into their engineering and manufacturing processes.
“PADT has been an outstanding partner to Stratasys for nearly 20 years,” said Brent Noonan, Vice president of Channel Sales – Americas. “They were one of the first engineering firms in the country to embrace 3D printing for complex product design and development. As a result, they’ve built an impressive team with a wealth of knowledge and expertise as it relates to 3D printing use and integration across industry sectors. PADT is well-positioned to be a valuable partner to Texas’ growing technology community.”
For more information on PADT and its 3D
printing offering, please visit www.padtinc.com.
About
PADT
PADT
is an engineering product and services company that focuses on helping
customers who develop physical products by providing Numerical Simulation,
Product Development, and 3D Printing solutions. PADT’s worldwide reputation for
technical excellence and experienced staff is based on its proven record of
building long-term win-win partnerships with vendors and customers. Since its
establishment in 1994, companies have relied on PADT because “We Make
Innovation Work.” With over 90 employees, PADT services customers from its
headquarters at the Arizona State University Research Park in Tempe, Arizona,
and from offices in Torrance, California, Littleton, Colorado, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, Austin, Texas, and Murray, Utah, as well as through staff members located
around the country. More information on PADT can be found at www.PADTINC.com.
While many examples exist of impressive texturing done on 3D
printed StratasysPolyJet printed parts (some
wild examples are here), I
have to admit it took me a while to learn that true texturing can also be added
to Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) parts. This blog post
will walk you through adding texture to all faces or some faces of a solid
model, ready for FDM printing. You, too, may be surprised by the results.
I know that complex texturing is possible in a graphics
sense with such software packages as Rhino,
PhotoShop, Blender and more, but I’m going to show you
what you can achieve simply by working with SolidWorks, from Rev. 2019
onwards, as an easy starting point. From there, you can follow the same basic
steps but import your own texture files.
Example of Stratasys FDM part set up to print with a checkerboard surface texture. (Image courtesy PADT Inc.)
SolidWorks Texture Options
First off, let’s clarify some terms. Texture mapping has
existed for years and strictly speaking creates a 2D “texture” or pattern. If I
were to wrap that imagery around a 3D CAD model and print it on, say, a PolyJet
multi-color 3D printer, I’d get a 3D part with a flat or perhaps curved surface
decorated with a multi-color “picture” such as a map or a photo of leather. It
could conform, but it’s still basically a decal.
A 3D texture instead is more properly referred to as Bump
Mapping (not to be confused with …..too late….bit mapping). Bump mapping interprets
the color/contrast information of a 2D image such that it renders light and
shadow to give the illusion of a 3D part, while remaining in 2D. Taking this
concept one step further, 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks can apply rules
that convert white, black and grey shades into physical displacements,
producing a kind of tessellated topology mapping. This new information can be
saved as an STL
file and generate a 3D printed part that has physical, tactile variations in
material height across its surface. (For a detailed explanation and examples of
texture versus bump-mapping, see the GrabCAD Tutorial “Adding
Texture to 3D Models.”)
For FDM parts, you’ll get physical changes on the outer
surface of the part that appear as your choice of say, a checkerboard, an
arrangement of stars, a pebbly look or a series of waves. In the CAD software,
you have a number of options for editing that bump map to produce bigger or
smaller, higher or lower, finer or coarser variations of the original pattern,
prior to saving the model file as an STL file.
Stepping through SolidWorks 3D Texturing
The key to making this option work in SolidWorks 3D CAD
software (I’m using SolidWorks 2020), is in the Appearances tab. Here are the
steps I’ve taken, highlighting the variety of choices you can make. My example
is the Post-It Note holder I described in my PADT blog post about advanced
infill options in GrabCAD Print.
Open Post-It note CAD file, select Solid Bodies
(left menu) and select Appearances (in the right toolbar).
Expand Appearances and go all the way down to Miscellaneous, then click to open the 3D Textures folder.
Scroll down to choose one of the more than 50 (currently) available patterns. Here, I’ve chosen a 5-pointed star pattern.
I dragged and dropped that pattern onto the part body. A window opens up with several choices: the default is to apply the pattern to all faces:
However, you can mouse over within that pop-window to select
only a single face, like this:
When you’ve applied the pattern to either all faces or just one or two, you’ll see a new entry in the left window, Appearances, with the subheading: 5-pointed Star. Right-click on those words, and choose Edit Appearance:
Then the Appearances window expands as follows, opening by
default to the Color/Image tab:
In this pane, if desired, you could even Browse to switch to
a different pattern you have imported in a separate file.
Click on Mapping, and you’ll see a number of “thumb wheel” sliders for resizing the pattern either via the wheel, clicking the up/down arrows, or just entering a value.
Mapping: this moves the pattern – you can
see it march left or right, up or down. I used it to center the stars so there
aren’t any half-stars cut off at the edge.
Size/Orientation: You can also try “Fit width to selection” or “Fit height to selection,” or experiment with height and width yourself, and even tilt the pattern at an angle. (If you don’t like the results, click on Reset Scale.) Here, I’ve worked with it to have two rows of five stars.
Remember I said that you can also make the pattern higher or lower, like a change in elevation, so that it stands out a little or a lot. To make those choices, go to the Solid Bodies line in the Feature Manager tree, expand it, and click on the part name (mine is Champfer2).
In the fly-out window that appears,
click on the third icon in the top row, “3D Texture.” This opens up an expanded
window where you can refine the number of triangular facets that make up the
shape of the selected texture pattern. In case you are working with more than
one face and/or different patterns on each face, you would check the box under
Texture Settings for each face when you want to edit it.
Here is where you can flip the
pattern to extend outwards, or be recessed inwards, or, if you brought in a
black/white 2D pattern in the first place, you can use this to convert it to a
true 3D texture.
I’ll show you some variations of
offset distance, refinement and element size, with exaggerated results, so you
can see some of the possible effects:
In this first example, the only
change I made from the default was to increase the Texture Offset Distance from
0.010 to 0.200. The stars are extending out quite visibly.
Next, I changed Texture Refinement
from 0% to 66.7%, and now you can see the stars more distinctly, with better
defined edges:
Finally, I am going to change the
Element size from 0.128 to 0.180in. It made the star edges only slightly sharper,
though at the expense of increasing the number of facets from about 24,000 to
26,000; for large parts and highly detailed texturing, the increased file size
could slow down slicing time.
To make sure these textured areas print, you have to do one more special step: Convert to Mesh Body. Do this in the Feature Manager by right-clicking on the body, and selecting the second icon in the top row, “Convert to Mesh Body.” You can adjust some of these parameters, too, but I accepted the defaults.
Lastly, Save the file in STL format, as usual.
At my company, PADT, my favorite FDM printer is our F370, so I’m going to set this up in GrabCAD Print software, to print there in ABS, at 0.005in layers:
You can definitely see the stars popping out on the front
face; too bad you can also see two weird spikes part-way up, that are small
bits of a partial row of stars. That means I should have split the face before
I applied the texture, so that the upper portion was left plain. Well, next
time.
Here’s the finished part, with its little spikes:
And here’s another example I did when I was first trying out a checkerboard pattern; I applied the texture to all faces, so it came out a bit interesting with the checkerboard on the top and bottom, too. Again, next time, I would be more selective to split up the model.
NOTE: It’s clear that texturing works much better on
vertical faces than horizontal, due to the nature of the FDM layering process –
just be sure to orient your parts to allow for this.
Commercial aircraft companies are already adding a pebble
texture to flight-approved cosmetic FDM parts, such as covers for brackets and
switches that keep them from being bumped. If you try this out, let us know
what texture you chose and send us a photo of your part.
PADT Inc. is a globally recognized provider of Numerical
Simulation, Product Development and 3D Printing products and services, and is
an authorized reseller of Stratasys products. For more information on Stratasys
printers and materials, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
UV sensor section of the Mini-EUSO (Extreme Universe Space Observatory) telescope, now flying in the International Space Station on the Russian Zvezda module.The bracket to mount photo-multiplier detectors above the flat focal plane was 3D printed on a Stratasys F450 system from space-qualified Ultem 9085 filament. (Image courtesy Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN))
What a cool time to be involved in space-based projects,
from the recent, stunningly successful manned Space
X launch that linked up with the International Space Station (ISS), to the
phase 1, unmanned Northrop Grumman/Lockheed MartinArtemis OmegA launch planned
for a Spring 2021 debut. In between these big-splash projects are the launches
of hundreds of small satellites, whether a 227 kg Starlink or a 1 kg CubeSat. (According to the Space
Surveillance Network of the United States
Space Force, there are more than 3,000 active satellites currently in
orbit.)
One common thread that runs through many of these technology
achievements is the use of 3D printed polymer parts, not just as manufacturing
tools and fixtures but as flight-certified, end-use components. Applications
already in use include:
– Enclosures, casings and covers for bus structures,
avionics and electrical systems
– Mounting/routing brackets and clips for wire harnesses
– Barrier structures that separate different on-board
experiments
If ever an industry needed light-weight parts, it’s the
space industry. Every kilogram loaded onto a rocket demands a physics-determined,
expensive amount of fuel to create the thrust that will push it against Earth’s
gravity. In addition, most components are one-of-a-kind or low volume. No
wonder engineers have worked for decades to replace dense metals with effective,
lighter weight polymers.
Those polymers must meet stringent requirement for
mechanical behavior:
High strength-to-weight ratio
Heat resistant up to 320F/167C
Chemically resistant to various alcohols,
solvents and oils
Flame-retardant
Non-outgassing
Add to this the need to work in a form that is compatible
with additive manufacturing, and the number of material options goes down.
However, there are two filaments that have made the grade.
Ultem 9085 is a polyetherimide (PEI) thermoplastic developed
and marketed in raw form by SABIC.
Stratasys uses strict quality control to convert it into filament that runs on
its largest industrial printers and also offers a certified grade that includes
detailed production test-data and traceable lot numbers.
Stratasys Ultem 9085 parts have been certified and flown on
aircraft since 2011 and have been key components in spacecraft beginning in
2013, such as onboard the Northrop Grumman Antares vehicles typically used for
resupplying the ISS. An unusual
project that has used Ultem 9085 parts is MIT/NASA Ames Research Center’s Synchronized
Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES).
Various iterations of these colorful nano-satellites (looking like volley-ball-sized
dice) have floated inside the ISS since 2006, with an initial goal of testing
the algorithms and sensors required to remotely control the rendezvous and
docking in weightlessness of two or more satellite-type structures.
Since then many different versions have been built and
delivered to the astronauts of the ISS; both high school and college students
have been heavily involved in designing experiments that test physical and
mechanical properties of materials in microgravity, such as wireless power
transfer. In 2014, the “Slosh”
project used Ultem 9085 parts to help connect the units to investigate the
behavior of fluids such as fuel sloshing between containers.
More recently, in May 2020, Italian researchers at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics
(INFN) relied on Ultem 9085 to build several final parts in its ultraviolet
telescope that is now operating onboard the ISS. Called the Mini-EUSO (Extreme
Universe Space Observatory), this piece of equipment is one element of a
multi-component/multi-year study of terrestrial and cosmic UV emissions, and is
now mounted in an earth-facing window of the ISS Russian Zvezda module.
Scientists involved in the Mini-EUSO noted that 3D printing saved them a lot of time in the development and manufacturing process of custom brackets that attach photo-multiplier detectors to the top and bottom of the focal surface, permitting modifications even “late” in the design process. Their use also saved several kilograms of upload mass.
The Mini-EUSO (Extreme Universe Space Observatory), now flying in the International Space Station on the Russian Zvezda module. Upper photo: Close-up of the 3D printed Ultem 9085 brackets (in red) used to mount detector units to the top and bottom edges of the focal plane (blue/purple squares). Lower left: 3D printed face-plate added to bracket. Lower right: Final unit with electronics included, installed in the complete Mini-EUSO instrument housing. (Images courtesy Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN))
Electrostatic Dissipative PEKK: Antero ESD
Although Ultem 9085 has proven extremely useful for many
space-based applications, for certain applications even more capability is
needed. The search was on for an electrostatic dissipative filament that also
displayed great chemical, mechanical and flame/smoke/toxicity properties. NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center became the
driving force behind Stratasys’ subsequent development of Antero ESD (Antero
840CN03), a filament based on the already successful Antero 800NA.
Both Antero products are based on polyetherketoneketone
(PEKK), a high-strength, chemically resistant material; in addition, the ESD
version is loaded with carbon-nanotube chopped fibers providing a
moderately conductive “exit path” that naturally dissipates any charge build-up
during normal operations. It also prevents powders, dust or fine particles from
sticking to the surface.
NASA first flew Antero ESD parts in 2018 in the form of
brackets holding fiber optic cables smoothly in place. This was inside the
climate-change monitoring satellite called Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). The satellite was built
and tested by then Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, now part of Northrop
Grumman Space Systems; the
instrument itself is called the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS),
a space-based LIDAR unit. Built and managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
this satellite monitors such data as changes in polar ice-sheet thickness.
A Stratasys Antero ESD (Antero 840CN03) 3D printed part (the black curved bracket holding fiber-optic cables) is shown toward the back of NASA’s Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument. This device was launched in 2018 and operates onboard the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) satellite. (Image courtesy NASA)
Counting Down for Launch
An even bigger Antero ESD application – bigger in multiple
ways – is waiting in the wings for its debut, comprising sections of the Orion
module designed and built by Lockheed
Martin Space Systems. This spacecraft will eventually carry astronauts to
the Moon and beyond as part of NASA’s Artemis program, with the first
un-crewed, lunar-orbit launch scheduled for Spring 2021.
The Orion craft’s docking hatch cover is made entirely from
sections printed in Antero ESD. Six pie-shaped sub-sections with intricate
curves and cut-outs fit together forming a one-meter diameter ring with a
central hole. (If Ultem 9085 had been used, the parts would have needed a secondary
coating or nickel-plating to deflect static charge, making the Antero ESD
option very attractive.)
Ready, set, print, launch!
Overall view and close-up of Orion spacecraft six-piece hatch cover, 3D printed in Stratasys Antero 840CN03, a carbon-nanotube-fiber filled PEKK thermoplastic with ESD properties. The complete cover diameter is approximately one meter. (Image courtesy Lockheed Martin Space Systems)
PADT Inc. is a globally recognized provider of Numerical Simulation, Product Development and 3D Printing products and services, and is an authorized reseller of Stratasys products. For more information on Stratasys printers and materials, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
The world of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is
constantly evolving. The technology was invented less than 35 years ago yet has
come a long way. What began as a unique, though limited, way to develop low-end
prototypes, has exploded into a critical component of the product development
and manufacturing process with the ability to produce end-use parts for
critical applications in markets such as industrial and aerospace and defense.
To help our customers and the larger technology community stay abreast of the changing world of additive manufacturing, we launched a glossary of the most important terms in the industry that you can bookmark here for easy access. To make it easier to digest, we’re also starting a blog series outlining ten terms to know in different sub-categories.
For our first post in the series, here are the top ten terms
for Additive Manufacturing Processes that our experts think everyone
should know:
Any additive manufacturing process that uses a binder to
chemically bond powder where the binder is placed on the top layer of powder
through small jets, usually using inkjet technology. One of the seven standard
categories defined by ASTM International (www.ASTM.org) for additive
manufacturing processes.
A type of vat photopolymerization additive
manufacturing process where a projector under a transparent build
plate shines ultraviolet light onto the build layer, which
is against the transparent build plate. The part is then pulled
upward so that a new layer of liquid fills between the build
plate and the part, and the process is repeated. Digital light
synthesis is a continuous build process that does not create distinct layers.
A type of powder bed fusion additive manufacturing
process where a laser beam is used to melt powder material. The
beam is directed across the top layer of powder. The liquid material
solidifies to create the desired part. A new layer of powder is
placed on top, and the process is repeated. Also called laser powder bed
fusion, metal powder bed fusion, or direct metal laser sintering.
An additive manufacturing process where metal
powder is jetted, or wire is extruded from a CNC controlled three or
five-axis nozzle. The solid material is then melted by an energy source,
usually a laser or electron beam, such that the liquid metal
deposits onto the previous layers (or build plate) and then cools to a
solid. One of the ASTM defined standard categories for additive
manufacturing processes.
A type of material extrusion additive manufacturing process
where a continuous filament of thermoplastic material is fed into a heated
extruder and deposited on the current build layer. It is the trademarked name
used for systems manufactured by the process inventor, Stratasys. Fused
filament fabrication is the generic term.
A type of powder bed fusion additive
manufacturing process where a laser is used to melt material on
the top layer of a powder bed. Also called metal powder bed
fusion or direct laser melting. Most often used to melt metal powder
but is used with plastics as with selective laser sintering.
A type of direct energy deposition additive
manufacturing process where a powder is directed into a
high-energy laser beam and melted before it is deposited on
the build layer. Also called laser powder forming.
Any additive manufacturing process where build
or support material is jetted through multiple small nozzles whose
position is computer controlled to lay down material to create a layer.
One of the ASTM defined standard categories for additive
manufacturing processes.
A type of vat photopolymerization additive
manufacturing where a laser is used to draw a path on the
current layer, converting the liquid polymer into a solid. Stereolithography
was the first commercially available additive manufacturing process.
A class of additive manufacturing processes that utilizes
the hardening of a photopolymer with ultraviolet light. A vat of liquid is
filled with liquid photopolymer resin, and ultraviolet light is either traced
on the build surface or projected on it. Stereolithography is the most common
form of vat photopolymerization. The build layer can be on the top of the vat
of liquid or the bottom. One of the ASTM defined standard categories for
additive manufacturing processes.
We hope this new blog series will help to firm up your
knowledge of the ever-evolving world of additive manufacturing. For a list of
all of the key terms and definitions in the additive manufacturing world,
please visit our new glossary page at https://www.3dprinting-glossary.com/.
The glossary allows you to search by terms or download a PDF of the glossary in
its entirety to use as a reference guide.
Subscribe to the
PADT blog or check back soon for the next installment in our series of “Top Ten
Terms to Know in Additive Manufacturing.” We also welcome your feedback or
questions. Just drop us a line at here.
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Example of full color part with mapped image, created from a 3MF file-format brought into GrabCAD Print and set up to print on a Stratasys PolyJet 3D printer. (Image courtesy GrabCAD)
What is the 3MF format? How does it differ from the standard
STL format? And what can you do with it, especially if your 3D printers run
GrabCAD Print software from Stratasys?
For most designers, engineers and users involved in 3D printing, regardless of the 3D CAD software you use, you save (convert) your model to print as an STL format file. A lot has been written about it, including a PADT post from back in 2012 – and STL-wise, things really haven’t changed. This format approximates the native CAD solid model as a closed surface comprising small triangles of various shapes and sizes. STL has been the standard since the AM industry began, and although different CAD packages use different algorithms to create the mesh, for the most part, it’s worked pretty well.
A Sample STL File Segment
However, an STL file is simply a large text file listing the
Cartesian coordinates for each vertex of the thousands of triangles, along with
info on the normal direction:
A modest number of large triangles produces relatively small
files but doesn’t do a good job of reproducing curves (think highly faceted
surfaces); conversely, big files of many small triangles produce much smoother
transitions but can take a long time to process in slicing software.
And, perhaps the biggest negative is that an STL file cannot
include any other information: desired color, desired material, transparency,
internal density gradient, internal fine structure or more.
What is 3MF?
In early 2015, Microsoft and a number of other major
corporations including Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, HP, Shapeways and SLM
Group created a consortium to address these issues. They decided to overhaul a
little-used file format called the 3D Modeling Format (3MF), to make it support
highly detailed 3D model information and be more useful for 3D printing and related
processes.
This ongoing consortium project defines 3MF as “a set of
conventions for using XML to describe the appearance and structure of 3D models
for the purpose of manufacturing (3D printing).”
In developer language, 3MF is a standard package or data that
follows a core specification and may
include some task-specific extensions.
In user terms, a 3MF file contains some or all of the
following information in ASCII format:
Metadata about part name, creator and date
Information on the mesh of triangles (yes, it still creates and uses these, but does it better for a number of reasons, one of which is that it cannot create non-manifold edges (i.e., triangles that share endpoints with more than one triangle, which confuses the printer))
Color information (throughout the complete part body or in sub-sections)
Ways to define multiple materials combined as a composite
Texture information – what it is and where to place it
Ways to assign different materials to different sections of a part
Ways to duplicate information from one section of a part to another section, to save memory
Slicing instructions
Without getting into the nitty gritty, here are just two
examples of XML code lines from 3MF metadata sections:
Meaning, information about the part number and the part
color rides along with the vertex coordinates! For a deep-dive into the coding
schema, including a helpful glossary, see the 3MF
github site; to learn how 3MF compares to STL, OBJ, AMF, STEP and other
formats, check out the consortium’s About Us
page.
Exporting 3MF Files
Now, how about using all of this? Where to start? Many 3D
CAD software packages now let you save solid models as 3MF files (check out
your “Save As” drop-down menu to verify), but again, they can vary as to what
information is being saved. For example, a SolidWorks 3MF file can generate
data on color and material but does not yet support transparency.
Here are all the options that you see in SolidWorks when you
click the arrow next to “Save As”:
“Save As” window in SolidWorks 2019, where step number one is to select “.3mf” format. (Image courtesy PADT)
You can select “.3mf” but don’t Save yet. First, click on the “Options” button that shows up below the Save as File Type line, opening this window:
Second step in SolidWorks for saving a file in 3MF format: check off “include materials” and “include appearance.” (Image courtesy PADT)
You need to check the boxes for “Include Materials” and
“Include Appearances” to ensure that all that great information you specified
in the solid model gets written to the converted file. A good, short tutorial
can be found here.
Another interesting aspect of 3MF files is that they are
zipped internally, and therefore smaller than STL files. Look at the difference
in file size between the two formats when this ASA Omega Clip part is saved
both ways:
The 3MF-saved file size is just 13% the size of the standard
STL file, which may be significant for file manipulation; for files with a lot
of detail such as texture information, the difference won’t be as great, but
you can still expect to save 30 to 50%.
Working with 3MF files in GrabCAD Print
Okay, so CAD programs export files in 3MF format. The other
half of the story addresses the question: how does a 3D printer import and use
a 3MF file? Developers of 3D printing systems follow these same consortium specifications
to define how their software will set up a 3MF file to print. Some slicers and
equipment already act upon some of the expanded build information, while others
may accept the file but still treat it the same as an STL (no additional
functions enabled so it ignores the extra data). What matters is whether the
system is itself capable of printing with multiple materials or depositing
material in a way that adds color, texture, transparency or a variation in
internal geometry.
GrabCAD Print (GCP),
the cloud-connected 3D Printer interface for today’s Stratasys printers – both FDM
and PolyJet – has always supported STL and native CAD file import. However, in
GCP v.1.40, released in March 2020, GrabCAD has added support for 3MF files. For
files created by SolidWorks software, this adds the ability to specify face
colors, body colors and textures and send all that data in one file to a
PolyJet multi-material, multi-color 3D printer. (Stratasys FDM printers accept
3MF geometry and assembly structure information.)
For a great tutorial about setting up SolidWorks models with
applied appearances and sending their 3MF files to GrabCAD Print, check out these
step-by-step
directions from Shuvom Ghose.
Example of setting up a textured part in SolidWorks, then saving the file in 3MF format and importing it into GrabCAD Print, for printing on a full-color Stratasys PolyJet printer. (Image courtesy GrabCAD)
At PADT, we’re starting to learn the nuances of working with 3MF files and will be sharing more examples soon. In the meantime, we suggest you download your own free copy of GrabCAD Print to check out the new capabilities, then email or call us to learn more.
PADT Inc.
is a globally recognized provider of Numerical Simulation, Product Development
and 3D Printing products and services. For more information on Stratasys
printers and materials, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
(Edited 3 August 2020 to reflect GrabCAD Print V1.44)
You haven’t really lived in the world of 3D printing until
you’ve had a part fail spectacularly due to open faces, self-intersecting faces
or inverted normals. Your part ends up looking more like modern art than
technical part. Or perhaps the design you have in mind has great geometry but
you wish that some parts could have regions that are dense and strong while
other regions would work with minimal infill.
In Part
One of this blog post about GrabCAD
Print software, we covered the basics of setting up and printing a part;
now we’ll look at several of the advanced features that save you set-up time
and result in better parts.
Behind the Scenes Repairs
Stratasys GrabCAD Print software, available as a free download, is crafted for users setting up solid models for 3D printing on Stratasys FDM and PolyJet printers. Once you’ve started using it, you’ll find one of its many useful advanced features is the automated STL file-repair option.
Imported STL file, with GrabCAD Print ready to automatically repair errors. PADT image.
Most people still create solid models in CAD software then convert
the file to the industry-standard STL format before opening it in a given 3D
printer’s own set-up software. Every CAD package works a little differently to
generate an STL file, and once in a while the geometry just doesn’t get
perfectly meshed. Triangles may overlap, triangles may end up very long and
very skinny, or the vector that signals “point in” or “point out” can get
reversed.
Traditionally, the 3D printer set-up program reacts to these
situations by doing one of two things: it prints exactly what you tell it to
print (producing weird holes and shifted layers) or it simply refuses to print
at all. Both situations are due to tiny errors in the conversion of a solid CAD
model to a tessellated surface.
GrabCAD Print, however, gives your file a once-over and
immediately flags sections of the model in need of repair. You can see a
color-coded representation of all the problem areas, choose to view just some
or all, and then click on Automatic Repair. No hand-editing, no counting layers
and identifying sections where the problems reside – just a click of the
virtual button and all the problem regions are identified, repaired and ready
for the next processing steps.
CAD vs. STL: Do So Much More with CAD
GrabCAD Print also uniquely allows users to bring in their models in the original CAD file-format (from SolidWorks, Autodesk, PTC, Siemens, etc.) or neutral formats, with no need to first convert it to STL. For FDM users, this means GrabCAD recognizes actual CAD bodies, faces, and features, letting you make build-modifications directly in the print set-up stage that previously would have required layer-by-layer slice editing, or couldn’t have been done at all.
For example, with a little planning ahead, you can bring in a multi-body CAD model (i.e., an assembly), assemble and group the parts, then direct GrabCAD to apply different parameters to each body. This way you can reinforce some areas at full density then change the infill pattern, layout, and density in other regions where full strength is unnecessary.
Here’s an example of a SolidWorks model intended for
printing with a solid lower base but lighter weight (saving material) in the
upper sections. It’s a holder for Post-It® notes, comprising three individual
parts – lower base, upper base and upper slot – combined and saved as an
assembly.
Sample multi-body part ready to bring into GrabCAD Advanced FDM. Image PADT.
Here was my workflow:
1 – I brought the SolidWorks assembly into GrabCAD, assembled and grouped all the bodies, selected an F370 Stratasys FDM printer, chose Print Settings of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and 0.010 inches layer height, and oriented the part.
2 -To ensure strength in the lower base, I selected just that section (you can do this either in the model tree or on the part itself) and opened the Model Settings menu at the right. Under Body, I chose Solid Infill.
3 – Next I selected the upper base, chose Hexagram, and changed the Infill Density to 60%.
4 – Lastly, I selected the upper slot section, chose Sparse, and changed the Infill Density to 35%.
5 – With all three sections defined, I clicked on Slice
Preview, sliced the model and used the slider bar on the left to step through
each section’s toolpath. For the screenshots, I turned off showing Support
Material; the yellow bits indicate where seams start (another parameter that
can be edited).
Here is each section highlighted, with screenshots of the
parameter choices and how the part infill looks when sliced:
Upper base set up in GrabCAD to print as Hexagram pattern, 60% infill; sliced toolpath shown at right. Image PADT.
Upper slot section set up in GrabCAD to print as Sparse pattern, 35% infill; sliced toolpath shown at right. Image PADT.
So that you can really see the differences, I printed the part four times, stopping as the infill got partway through each section, then letting the final part print to completion. Here are the three partial sections, plus my final part:
Lower base (solid), upper base (hexagram) and first part of upper slot (sparse), done as partial prints. Image PADT.
Completed note-holder set up in GrabCAD Print using advanced infill features, weighted toward the bottom but light-weighted internally. Image PADT.
Automated Hole Sizing Simplifies Adding Inserts
But like the old advertisements say, “But wait – there’s
more!” Do you use heat-set inserts a lot to create secure connections between
3D printed parts and metal hardware? Planning ahead for the right hole size,
especially if you have different design groups involved and fasteners may not
yet be decided, this is the feature for you.
Sample part set up for easy insert additions, using advanced, automated hole-resizing features in GrabCAD Print. Image PADT.
In your CAD part model, draw a hole that is centered where you know the insert will go, give it a nominal diameter and use Cut/Extrude so that the hole is at least the depth of your longest candidate insert. Save the file in regular CAD format, not STL. Next bring your part into GrabCAD Print and go to Model Settings in the right-hand menu.
This time, click on Face (not Body) and Select the inner cylindrical wall of your hole. Several options will become active, including Apply Insert. When you check that box, a new drop-down will appear, giving you the choice of adding a heat-set insert, a helicoil insert or creating a custom size. Below that you select either Inch or Metric, and for either, the appropriate list of standard insert sizes appears.
Automatic hole-resizing in GrabCAD Print, for a specific, standard heat-set insert. Image PADT.
Choose the insert you want, click Update in the upper middle of the GrabCAD screen, and you’ll see the hole-size immediately changed (larger or smaller as needed). The new diameter will match the required oversized dimensions for the correct (melted into place) part-fit. You can even do this in a sidewall! (For tips on putting inserts into FDM parts, particularly with a soldering iron, see Adding Inserts to 3D Printed Parts: Hardware Tips.)
Note that this way, you can print the overall part with a sparse infill, yet reinforce the area around the insert to create just the right mass to make a solid connection. The Sliced view will show the extra contours added around each hole.
Sliced view showing insert holes with reinforced walls, done in GrabCAD Print. Image PADT.
Manufacturing notes automatically created in GrabCAD Print when insert holes are resized. Image PADT.
To document the selected choices for whoever will be doing
the insert assembly, GrabCAD also generates a numbered, manufacturing-footnote that
lists each insert’s size; this information can be exported as a PDF file that
includes a separate close-up image of each insert’s location.
GrabCAD Print keeps adding very useful functions. Download it for free and try
it out with template versions of the various Stratasys 3D printers, then email
or call us to learn more.
PADT Inc.
is a globally recognized provider of Numerical Simulation, Product Development
and 3D Printing products and services. For more information on Stratasys
printers and materials, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
3DPrinting-Glossary.com Covers Everything from Machines and Materials to Pre- and Post-Processing Terms
After searching the internet for a resource you can’t find, have you ever sat at your desk and said to yourself “I wish someone would take the time to create this. I could really use it.” Here at PADT, we have been saying that for many years about the need for a comprehensive reference on the terms used in Additive Manufacturing. Then we realized that the only way to get it done was to roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves. And so we did.
This free online resource contains over 250 terms with definitions for each one. We write each definition and reviewed it amongst our team of long term users of Additive Manufacturing. After over 25 years in the business, we should know the difference between direct laser melting and selective laser sintering. And even if we are off a little, it is a start and we encourage the community to send us corrections, recommendations, and especially new terms to add to this compendium.
Check it out and let us know what you think. More details are below in the official Press Release, which you can also find in PDF and HTML.
And do not hesitate to contact PADT for any of your Additive Manufacturing, Product Development, or Simulation needs. The same expertise that went into creating this resource is applied to every project we work on and every product we sell.
3D
Printing Glossary Now Available from PADT Provides Most Comprehensive Online
Resource for Additive Manufacturing Terminology
3DPrinting-Glossary.com Covers Everything from
Machines and Materials to Pre- and Post-Processing Terms
TEMPE, Ariz., March 3, 2020 ─ PADT, a globally recognized provider of numerical
simulation, product development, and 3D printing products and services, today announced
the launch of the most comprehensive online Glossary of industry terms relevant
to additive manufacturing. The new site, www.3dprinting-glossary.com, includes more than 250 definitions in nine
different categories.
“In addition to being an outstanding partner to our customers, PADT strives to be a trusted advisor on all things additive manufacturing,” said Eric Miller, co-founder and principal, PADT. “Our goal for the glossary is to help educate the community on the evolving terminology in our industry and serve as a critical resource for students and professionals seeking 3D printing knowledge and clarification.”
The company
has been a provider of additive manufacturing services since 1994. They are
also a Stratasys Platinum Partner that has sold and supported Stratasys
equipment in the Southwest for over fifteen years. Many of their employees are
recognized and award-winning experts in the AM community.
The creation
of PADT’s 3D Printing Glossary was the result of a companywide effort to gather
and define the terms used in the industry daily. The user-friendly website
allows visitors to search for terms directly or by category. PADT will continue
to support and update the glossary as the industry grows and innovates.
The nine glossary
categories include:
Additive Manufacturing Processes
Build Characteristics
General
Manufacturing Term
Material
Post-Processing
Pre-Processing
Product Definition
System Characteristic
Since founding
PADT in 1994, the company’s leadership has made a great effort to become more
than just a reseller or service provider.
They want to be a resource to the community. In addition to investing in
entrepreneurs, serving on technology boards and committees, and speaking at
industry events, PADT donates a great deal of money, time and resources to
STEM-focused educational initiatives. The 3D Printing Glossary is another
resource that PADT has created for the benefit of students as well as up and coming
professionals in the engineering and manufacturing industry.
PADT is also
asking the community to contribute to this effort If users notice a term is
missing, disagree with the definition, or have more to add to the definition,
they ask that readers email additions or changes to info@padtinc.com.
About PADT
PADT is an engineering product and services
company that focuses on helping customers who develop physical products by
providing Numerical Simulation, Product Development, and 3D Printing solutions.
PADT’s worldwide reputation for technical excellence and experienced staff is
based on its proven record of building long-term win-win partnerships with
vendors and customers. Since its establishment in 1994, companies have relied
on PADT because “We Make Innovation Work.” With over 90 employees, PADT
services customers from its headquarters at the Arizona State University
Research Park in Tempe, Arizona, and from offices in Torrance, California,
Littleton, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Austin, Texas, and Murray, Utah,
as well as through staff members located around the country. More information
on PADT can be found at www.PADTINC.com.
Where are you on your New Year’s resolutions? They often
include words such as “simplify,” “organize” and “streamline.” They can be timely
reminders to rethink how you do things in both your personal and professional
lives, so why not rethink the software you use in 3D Printing?
Preparing a CAD solid model or an STL file to print on a 3D
printer requires using set-up software that is typically unique to each
printer’s manufacturer. For Flashforge equipment, you use FlashPrint, for
Makerbot systems you use MakerBot Print, for Formlabs printers you use PreForm,
and so on.
GrabCAD Print software for setting up STL or CAD files to print on Stratasys 3D printers (main screen). Image courtesy PADT.
For printers from industrial 3D printing company Stratasys, the go-to software is GrabCAD Print (along with GrabCAD Print
Mobile), developed for setting up both fused deposition modeling (FDM) and PolyJet technologies in
new and efficient ways. Often just called GrabCAD, this versatile software
package lets you organize and control prints assigned to one of more than 30
printer models, so the steps you learn for one printer transfer directly over
to working with other models.
If you’ve previously used Stratasys Catalyst (on Dimension
and uPrint printers), you’ll find similarities with GrabCAD, as well as some enhanced
functionality. If you’re accustomed to the fine details of Stratasys Insight,
you’ll see that GrabCAD provides similar capabilities in a streamlined
interface, plus powerful new features made possible only by the direct import
of native CAD files. Additionally, you
can access Insight within GrabCAD, combining the best of both traditional and
next-generation possibilities.
Simple by Default, Powerful by Choice
GrabCAD lets users select simplified default settings throughout,
with more sophisticated options available at every turn. Here are the general
steps for print-file preparation, done on your desktop, laptop or mobile device:
1 – Add Models: Click-and-drag files or open them from
File Explorer. All standard CAD formats are supported, including SolidWorks, Autodesk,
Siemens and PTC, as well as STL. You can also bring in assemblies of parts and multi-body
models, choosing whether to print them assembled or not. (Later we’ll also talk
about what you can do with a CAD file that you can’t do with an STL.)
2 – Select Printer: Choose from a drop-down menu to
find whatever printer(s) is networked to your computer. You can also experiment
using templates for printers you don’t yet own, in order to compare build
volumes and print times.
3 – Orient/Rotate/Scale Model: Icons along the right
panel guide you through placing your model or models on the build platform,
letting you rotate them around each axis, choose a face to orient as desired,
and scale the part up or down. You can also right-click to copy and paste
multiple models, then edit each one separately, move them around, and delete
them as desired.
4 – Tray Settings: This icon leads to the menu with
choices such as available materials, slice height options, build style (normal
or draft), and more; always targeted to the selected printer. These choices
apply to all the parts on the tray or build sheet.
5 – Model Settings: Here’s where you choose infill
style, infill density (via slider bar), infill angle, and body thickness (also
known as shell thickness) per part. Each part can have different choices.
6 – Support Settings: These all have defaults, so you
don’t even have to consider them if you don’t have special needs (but it’s
where, for example, you would change the self-supporting angle).
7 – Show Slice Preview: Clicking this icon slices the
model and gives you the choice to view layers/tool paths individually, watch a
video animation, or even set a Z-height pause if you plan on changing filament
color or adding embedded hardware.
8 – Print: You’re ready to hit the Print button,
sending the prepared file to the printer’s queue.
Scheduling Your Print, and Tracking Print Progress
A clock-like icon on the left-side GrabCAD panel (the second
one down, or third if you’ve activated Advanced FDM features) switches the view
to the Scheduler. In this mode, you can see a day/time tracking bar for every
printer on the network. All prints are queued in the order sent, and the
visuals make it easy to see when one will finish and another start (assuming
human intervention for machine set-up and part removal, of course).
Scheduling panel in GrabCAD Print, showing status of files printing on multiple 3D printers. Image courtesy PADT.
If you click on the bar representing a part being built, a
new panel slides in from the right with detailed information about material
type, support type, start time, expected finish time and total material used
(cubic inches or grams). For printers with an on-board camera, you can even get
an updated snapshot of the part as it’s building in the chamber.
Below the Scheduler icon is the History button. This is a
great tool for creating weekly, monthly or yearly reports of printer run-time
and material consumption, again for each printer on the network. Within a given
build, you’ll even see the files names of the individual parts within that job.
Separately, if you’re not operating the software offline (an
option that some companies require), you can enable GrabCAD Print Reports. This
function generates detailed graphs and summaries covering printer utilization
and overall material use across multiple printers and time periods – very
powerful information for groups that need to track efficiencies and
expenditures.
And That’s Just the Beginning
Once you decide to experiment with these settings, you begin to see the power of GrabCAD Print for FDM systems. We haven’t even touched on the automated repairs for STL files, PolyJet’s possibilities for colors, transparency and blended materials, or the options for setting up a CAD model so that sub-sections print with different properties.
For example, you’ll see how planning ahead allows you to bring in a multi-body CAD model and have GrabCAD identify and reinforce some areas at full density, while changing the infill pattern, layout, and density in other regions. GrabCAD recognizes actual CAD bodies and faces, letting you make build-modifications that previously would have required layer-by-layer slice editing, or couldn’t have been done at all.
Stay tuned for our next blog post, GrabCAD Print Software, Part Two: Simplify Set-ups, Save Time, and Do
Cool Stuff You Hadn’t Even Considered, and reach out to us to learn more
about downloading and using GrabCAD Print.
PADT Inc.
is a globally recognized provider of Numerical Simulation, Product Development
and 3D Printing products and services. For more information on Stratasys
printers and materials, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
Taking risks attempting to capture design intent at the end of the process requires a lot of post-processing (coloring, assemblies, a mix of technologies, etc.) – when its too time consuming, expensive and late to make changes or correct errors. Stratasys PolyJet 3D printing technology is developed to elevate designs by realizing ideas more quickly and more accurately and taking color copies to the next level.
By putting realistic models in a designer’s hands earlier in the process, companies can promote better decisions and a superior final product. Now, with the Stratasys J8 Series, the same is true for prototypes. This tried and tested technology simplifies the entire design process, streamlining workflows so you can spend more time on what matters –creating, refining, and designing the best product possible.
PADT is excited to introduce the new StratasysJ826 3D printer
Based on J850 technology, the J826 supplies the same end-to-end solution for the design process and ultra-realistic simulation at a lower price point. Better communicate design intent and drive more confident results with prototypes that realistically portray an array of design alternatives.
The Stratasys J826 3D Printer is able to deliver realism, shorter time to market, and streamlined application thanks to a variety of unique attributes that set it apart from most other Polyjet printers:
High Quality – The J826 can accurately print smaller features at a layer thickness of 14µm to 27µm. As part of the J8 series of printers it is also capable of printing in ultra-realistic Pantone validated colors.
Speed & Productivity – Three printing speed modes (high speed, high quality & high mix) allows the J826 to always operate at the most efficient speed for each print. It can also avoid unnecessary down-time associate with material changeovers thanks to it’s built-in material cabinet and workstation.
Easy to Use – A smooth workflow with the J826 comes from simple integration with the CAD format of your choice, as well as a removable tray for easy clean up, and automated support creation and removal.
Are you ready to learn how the new Stratasys J826 provides the same quality and accuracy as other J8 series printers at a lower cost?
Provide the requested information via the form linked below and one of PADT’s additive experts will reach out to share more on what makes this new offering so exciting for the enterprise design world.
In 1925, when the automotive industry was rapidly growing in
response to consumer and industrial needs, a group of independent auto parts
resellers joined to form the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA). A
founding member was the Genuine Parts Company; this group later acquired a
number of other NAPA stores and gave rise to ad campaigns stressing the
importance of buying genuine auto parts from a well-known, trusted source.
Stratasys 3D printing filament is crafted to stringent standards, ensuring dimensional consistency and repeatable material properties. Image courtesy PADT.
Following that same philosophy is a good idea for users
involved with industrial 3D printing (additive manufacturing/AM). How do you
know your part will print consistently, and display measureable, repeatable
material properties, if you can’t rely on the consistency of the AM material’s
own production?
At PADT, we print the gamut of filament options on our Stratasys industrial 3D printers, from ABS and TPU to production-grade Nylons and certified Ultem ® . As both an authorized AM system reseller and service provider, we count on the quality of the materials we source for ourselves and our customers, so it’s enlightening to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Stratasys filament production-process.
Ingredients Matter
Great recipes start with the finest ingredients, right? It’s no different when you’re producing filament for demanding applications: start with qualified raw materials from reputable sources. Standard Stratasys filament (like ASA and ABS), Engineering Grade materials (including polycarbonate and Nylon 12) and most Support materials are made in Israel at one of the two Stratasys corporate offices, while the High Performance materials such as Nylon 12 Carbon-Fiber (CF), Antero and Ultem ® products are produced at the original Minnesota location.
The raw stock for 3D printing filament comes in pellet form. Image courtesy Shutterstock.
Stratasys buys polymers in pellet form from chemical suppliers such as France-based Arkema, who blends the proprietary polyethyl ketone ketone (PEKK) base formula for Antero and Antero ESD materials, and SABIC who supplies the raw pellets for Ultem ® -based filaments.
Some pellets are fed directly into the filament production equipment while others are compounded like a custom pharmaceutical: mixed and blended with stabilizers and colorants, extruded as interim-stage filament, cooled and then granulated all over again into new pellet stock. (Given that FDM is an extrusion-based technology, one of the seven standard AM technologies defined by ISO/ASTM52900-15, it’s interesting that extrusion plays a key role in the material production-process itself.)
Polymer Pasta
Whether you’ve made your own fresh pasta or just watched a
child crank out endless strings of PlayDoh, you can envision the next steps in
filament production, starting with melting the pellets into a viscous liquid resin.
Chaffee Tran, Stratasys’ Materials Product Director, explains, “Resin is (then)
run through a screw extruder and forced through a die (metal perforated with
precision holes), cooled as it comes out, and wound onto spools.” An optical
monitor continuously checks for “ovality” of the filament as it moves past, and
triggers a stop for anything out-of-round beyond tolerance. If you’ve ever
struggled with a printer that jammed because of inconsistent filament
diameters, you’ll understand the importance of this process requirement.
Loading bays for Stratasys F370 office-environment FDM 3D Printer. Image courtesy Stratasys.
Filament for the Stratasys F123 plug-and-play series of
printers is packaged on-site as bagged or boxed spools. Filament for the
industrial printers such as the F380cf, F450 and F900 gets loaded into sealed
canisters that hold larger volumes in both standard and extended capacity. For
all filament types, Tran says, “We have full traceability of our finished
products via serial number and manufacturing lots. This can be traced back to production
documents, to link back to the production-line settings and batch lots of resin
used.”
Canister of Stratasys Ultem® 9085 filament, with production documentation for traceability. Image courtesy Stratasys.
One Step Beyond:
Certification
For truly demanding applications, the quality process gets kicked up another notch. Ultem ® 9085 Aerospace and Ultem ® 1010 Certified Grade (CG) are shipped with Certificates of Compliance that confirm the production parameters down to the exact machine type and location where the filament is manufactured. “Certified Ultem ® has a higher sampling rate of finished goods for various filament properties and tighter internal specification,” adds Tran.
This tightly regulated process allows Stratasys to be the only AM company offering material certified by the Aircraft Interior Solution (AIS), a process – developed in collaboration with the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) – that provides the necessary tools, documentation, and training needed to guide aerospace producers down the aircraft qualification process. In order to meet the requirements aerospace manufacturers face, their parts must not only be made from the AIS certified version of the Stratasys Ultem ® 9085 material, but must also be printed on a certified F900mc Gen II system, in accordance with a string of aerospace standards documents. (For more information see details provided by NCAMP.) That’s what you call Quality Control.
For historical details about the development of standards for qualifying non-metallic materials for aircraft applications, now including the first polymer AM material, download this nine-page document, A Path to Certification:
Today’s aircraft increasingly rely on non-metallic component design to save on weight and therefore fuel consumption. Certified Ultem 9085® filament from Stratasys plays a key role in supporting the design and use of 3D printed flight-qualified parts. Image courtesy Stratasys.
Even if your part production process is not as stringent as that demanded for the AIS program, you’ll avoid jammed drive-gears and cross-wound spools and get consistent part performance when your Stratasys printers run “genuine Stratasys” filament. Classic ABS, chemically resistant Antero, flexible TPU and new, fine-finish Diran are just some of the materials that will offer you repeatable results. Ask us for more details, and stay tuned as Stratasys launches even more options for true industrial applications.
PADT Inc. is a
globally recognized provider of Numerical Simulation, Product Development and
3D Printing products and services. For more information on Stratasys printers
and filaments, contact us at info@padtinc.com.
Way back in 2011, PADT participated in our first Governor’s Celebration of Innovation, or GCOI. We actually won the award for being a Pioneer that year, and we also started making custom awards with our 3D Printing systems. And every year we get to see friends, customers, and partners take a PADT original home. 2019 was no different.
You can read about the event in the Phoenix Business Journal here.
This year FreeFall Aerospace was won the Innovation Award for startups. They are part of the ANSYS Startup program and someone we really enjoy working with. In addition, Qwick won the Judges award. They are a local software startup that we have interacted with through our mentoring and angel investing activities.
This year’s awards came out nice, combining PolyJet and Stereolithography to make a kinetic sculpture:
We were pleased to watch these being handed out to eight winners. The Tucson winners, half of those recognized, were happy to show their’s off:
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