Seminar Report 2020-21 3D Printing

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is any of various processes for

making a three-dimensional object of almost any shape from a 3D model or other
electronic data source primarily through additive processes in which successive layers
of material are laid down under computer control. A 3D printer is a type of industrial
robot. Early AM equipment and materials were developed in the 1980s. In 1984,
Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp, invented a process known as stereo
lithography employing UV lasers to cure photopolymers. Hull also developed the STL
file format widely accepted by 3D printing software, as well as the digital slicing and
infill strategies common to many processes today. Also during the 1980s, the metal
sintering forms of AM were being developed (such as selective laser sintering and
direct metal laser sintering), although they were not yet called 3D printing or AM at
the time. In 1990, the plastic extrusion technology most widely associated with the
term “3D printing” was commercialized by Stratasys under the name fused
deposition modelling (FDM). In 1995, Z Corporation commercialized an MIT-
developed additive process under the trademark 3D printing (3DP), referring at that
time to a proprietary process inkjet deposition of liquid binder on powder.

Fig.1.1 3D Printing Architecture

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AM technologies found applications starting in the 1980s in product

development, data visualization, rapid prototyping, and specialized manufacturing.
Their expansion into production (job production, mass production, and distributed
manufacturing) has been under development in the decades since. Industrial
production roles within the metalworking industries achieved significant scale
for the first time in the early 2010s. Since the start of the 21st century there has been a
large growth in the sales of AM machines, and their price has dropped substantially.
According to Wohlers Associates, a consultancy, the market for 3D printers and
services was worth $2.2 billion worldwide in 2012, up 29% from 2011. Applications
are many, including architecture, construction (AEC), industrial design, automotive,
aerospace, military, engineering, dental and medical industries, biotech (human tissue
replacement), fashion, footwear, jewellery, eyewear, education, geographic
information systems, food, and many other fields.

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CHAPTER 2

3D-PRINTER

3D-Printer is a machine reminiscent of the Star Trek Replicator, something

magical that can create objects out of thin air. It can “print” in plastic, metal, nylon,
and over a hundred other materials. It can be used for making nonsensical little
models like the over-printed Yoda, yet it can also print manufacturing prototypes, end
user products, quasi-legal guns, aircraft engine parts and even human organs using a
person’s own cells. We live in an age that is witness to what many are calling the
Third Industrial Revolution. 3D printing, more professionally called additive
manufacturing, moves us away from the Henry Ford era mass production line, and
will bring us to a new reality of customizable, one-off production.

3D printers use a variety of very different types of additive manufacturing

technologies, but they all share one core thing in common: they create a three
dimensional object by building it layer by successive layer, until the entire object is
complete. It’s much like printing in two dimensions on a sheet of paper, but with an
added third dimension: UP. The Z-axis. Each of these printed layers is a thinly-sliced,
horizontal cross-section of the eventual object. Imagine a multi-layer cake, with the
baker laying down each layer one at a time until the entire cake is formed. 3D printing
is somewhat similar, but just a bit more precise than 3D baking.

In the 2D world, a sheet of printed paper output from a printer was “designed”
on the computer in a program such as Microsoft Word. The file - the Word document
which contains the instructions that tell the printer what to do. In the 3D world, a 3D
printer also needs to have instructions for what to print. It needs a file as well. The
file, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file is created with the use of a 3D modeling
program, either from scratch or beginning with a 3D model created by a 3D scanner.
Either way, the program creates a file that is sent to the 3D printer. Along the way,
software slices the design into hundreds, or more likely thousands, of horizontal
layers. These layers will be printed one atop the other until the 3D object is done.

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CHAPTER 3

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive manufacturing is a truly disruptive technology exploding on the

manufacturing scene as leading companies are transitioning from “analog” to “digital”
manufacturing. Additive manufacturing uses three dimensional printing to transform
engineering design files into fully functional and durable objects created from sand,
metal and glass. The technology creates products layer by layer – after a layer’s
particles are bound by heat or chemicals the next layer is added and the binding
process is repeated. It enables geometries not previously possible to be manufactured.
Full-form parts are made directly from computer-aided design (CAD) data for a
variety of industrial, commercial and art applications.

Fig.3.1 Additive Manufacturing

Manufacturers across several industries are using this digital manufacturing

process to produce a range of products, including: engine components for automotive
applications, impellers and blades for aerospace use, pattern less sand moulds for
pumps used in the oil and energy industry, and medical prosthetics which require
easily adaptable design modifications. This advanced manufacturing process starts
with a CAD file that conveys information about how the finished product is supposed
to look. The CAD file is then sent to a specialized printer where the product is created
by the repeated laying of finely powdered material (including sand, metal and glass)
and binder to gradually build the finished product. Since it works in a similar fashion

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to an office printer laying ink on paper, this process is often referred to as 3D printing.
The 3D printers can create a vast range of products, including parts for use in
airplanes and automobiles, to replacing aging or broken industrial equipment, or for
precise components for medical needs.

There are tremendous cost advantages to using additive manufacturing. There

is little to no waste creating objects through additive manufacturing, as they are
precisely built by adding material layer by layer. In traditional manufacturing, objects
are created in a subtractive manner as metals are trimmed and shaped to fit together
properly. This process creates substantial waste that can be harmful to the
environment. Additive manufacturing is a very energy efficient and environmentally
friendly manufacturing option. Additive manufacturing swiftly creates product
prototypes – an increasingly critical function that significantly reduces the traditional
trial-and-error process – so new products can enter the market more quickly.
Likewise, it can promptly create unique or specialized metal products that can replace
worn or broken industrial parts. That means companies can avoid costly shut downs
and drastically compress the time it takes to machine a replacement part.

With additive manufacturing, once a CAD drawing is created the replacement

part can be printed. Storage of bulky patterns and tooling is virtually eliminated.
Major global companies, including Ford, Sikorsky and Caterpillar, have recognized
that additive manufacturing can significantly reduce costs while offering design
freedoms not previously possible. They have begun to implement the technology into
their manufacturing processes. Additive manufacturing has robust market capabilities
ranging from aerospace to automotive to energy, and it is not uncommon to find 3D
printers in use at metal-working factories and in foundries alongside milling
machines, presses and plastic injection moulding equipment.

Companies that use additive manufacturing reduce costs, lower the risk of trial
and error, and create opportunities for design innovation. A serious limitation of
subtractive manufacturing is that part designs are often severely comprised to
accommodate the constraints of the subtractive process. Additive manufacturing
enables both the design and the materialization of objects by eliminating traditional
manufacturing constraints.

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A large number of additive processes are now available. They differ in the
way layers are deposited to create parts and in the materials that can be used. Some
methods melt or soften material to produce the layers, e.g. selective laser melting
(SLM) or direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused
deposition modelling (FDM), while others cure liquid materials using different
sophisticated technologies, e.g. stereolithography (SLA). With laminated object
manufacturing (LOM), thin layers are cut to shape and joined together (e.g. paper,
polymer and metal). Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, and some
companies consequently offer a choice between powder and polymer for the material
from which the object is built. Some companies use standard, off- the-shelf business
paper as the build material to produce a durable prototype.

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CHAPTER 4

EXTRUSION DEPOSITION

In extrusion deposition, Fused Deposition technique is used. Fused Deposition

Modelling (FDM) was developed by Stratasys in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. In this
process, a plastic or wax material is extruded through a nozzle that traces the part's
cross sectional geometry layer by layer. The build material is usually supplied in
filament form, but some setups utilize plastic pellets fed from a hopper instead.

Fig.4.1 Extrusion deposition

The nozzle contains resistive heaters that keep the plastic at a temperature just above
its melting point so that it flows easily through the nozzle and forms the layer. The
plastic hardens immediately after flowing from the nozzle and bonds to the layer
below. Once a layer is built, the platform lowers, and the extrusion nozzle deposits
another layer. The layer thickness and vertical dimensional accuracy is determined by

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the extruder die diameter, which ranges from 0.013 to 0.005 inches. In the X-Y plane,
0.001 inch resolution is achievable. A range of materials are available including ABS,
polyamide, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, and investment casting wax.

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CHAPTER 5

GRANULAR MATERIAL BINDING

Another 3D printing approach is the selective fusing of materials in a granular

bed. The technique fuses parts of the layer, and then moves the working area
downwards, adding another layer of granules and repeating the process until the piece
has built up. This process uses the unfused media to support overhangs and thin walls
in the part being produced, which reduces the need for temporary auxiliary supports
for the piece. A laser is typically used to sinter the media into a solid. Examples
include selective laser sintering (SLS), with both metals and polymers (e.g. PA, PA-
GF, Rigid GF, PEEK, PS, Alumide, Carbonmide, elastomers), and direct metal
laser sintering (DMLS).

Fig.5.1 Granular Material Binding

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) does not use sintering for the fusion of powder
granules but will completely melt the powder using a high-energy laser to create fully
dense materials in a layer wise method with similar mechanical properties to

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conventional manufactured metals. Electron (EBM) is a similar type of additive

manufacturing technology for metal parts (e.g. titanium alloys). EBM manufactures
parts by melting metal powder layer by layer with an electron beam in a high vacuum.
Unlike metal sintering techniques that operate below melting point, EBM parts are
fully dense, void-free, and very strong. Another method consists of an inkjet 3D
printing system. The printer creates the model one layer at a time by spreading a layer
of powder (plaster, or resins) and printing a binder in the cross-section of the part
using an inkjet-like process. The strength of bonded powder prints can be enhanced
with wax or thermoset polymer impregnation.

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CHAPTER 6

PROCEDURES FOR PRINTING

There are some procedures for printing. First you must create a computer
model for printing the object. For creating that, you can use Computer Aided Design
Software like AutoCAD, 3DS Max etc. After the object file is created, the file need to
be modified. The object file contains numerous amount of curves. Curves cannot be
printed by the printer directly. The curves has to be converted to STL (Stereo
lithography) file format.

Fig.6.1 Procedures for Printing

The STL file format conversion removes all the curves and it is replaced with
linear shapes. Then the file need to be sliced into layer by layer. The layer thickness is
so chosen to meet the resolution of the 3D printer we are using. If you are unable to
draw objects in CAD software, there are many websites available which are hosted by
the 3D printing companies to ease the creation of 3D object. The sliced file is
processed and generates the special coordinates. These coordinates can be processed
by a controller to generate required signal to the motor for driving extruder. This layer
by layer process generate a complete object.

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6.1 DESIGNING USING CAD

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to assist in the

creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software is used to
increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve
communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing.
CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other
manufacturing operations. CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-
based graphics to depict the objects of traditional drafting, or may also produce raster
graphics showing the overall appearance of designed objects. However, it involves
more than just shapes. As in the manual drafting of technical and engineering
drawings, the output of CAD must convey information, such as materials, processes,
dimensions, and tolerances, according to application- specific conventions.

CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D)

space; or curves, surfaces, and solids in three-dimensional (3D) space. CAD is an
important industrial art extensively used in many applications, including automotive,
shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics,
and many more. CAD is also widely used to produce computer animation for special
effects in movies, advertising and technical manuals, often called DCC digital content
creation. The modern ubiquity and power of computers means that even perfume
bottles and shampoo dispensers are designed using techniques unheard of by
engineers of the 1960s. Because of its enormous economic importance, CAD has been
a major driving force for research in computational geometry, computer graphics
(both hardware and software), and discrete differential geometry.

The design of geometric models for object shapes, in particular, is

occasionally called computer-aided geometric design (CAGD). Unexpected
capabilities of these associative relationships have led to a new form of prototyping
called digital prototyping. In contrast to physical prototypes, which entail
manufacturing time in the design. That said, CAD models can be generated by a
computer after the physical prototype has been scanned using an industrial CT
scanning machine. Depending on the nature of the business, digital or physical

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prototypes can be initially chosen according to specific needs. Today, CAD

systems exist for all the major platforms (Windows, Linux, UNIX
and Mac OS X); some packages even support multiple platforms which enhances the
capabilities of 3D printing into a new level.

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CHAPTER 7

APPLICATIONS

Three-dimensional printing makes it as cheap to create single items as it is to

produce thousands and thus undermines economies of scale. It may have as profound
an impact on the world as the coming of the factory did. Just as nobody could have
predicted the impact of the steam engine in 1750 or the printing press in 1450, or the
transistor in 1950 . It is impossible to foresee the long-term impact of 3D printing. But
the technology is coming, and it is likely to disrupt every field it touches. Additive
manufacturing's earliest applications have been on the tool room end of the
manufacturing spectrum. For example, rapid prototyping was one of the earliest
additive variants, and its mission was to reduce the lead time and cost of developing
prototypes of new parts and devices, which was earlier only done with subtractive tool
room methods (typically slowly and expensively). With technological advances in
additive manufacturing, however, and the dissemination of those advances into the
business world, additive methods are moving ever further into the production end of
manufacturing in creative and sometimes unexpected ways. Parts that were formerly
the sole province of subtractive methods can now in some cases be made more
profitably via additive ones.

Standard applications include design visualization, prototyping/CAD, metal

casting, architecture, education, geospatial, healthcare, and entertainment/retail. 3D
printer came with immense number of applications. All the traditional methods of
printing causes wastage of resources. But 3D printer only uses the exact amount of
material for printing. This enhances the efficiency. If the material is very costly, 3d
printing techniques can be used to reduce the wastage of material. Consider printing
of a complex geometry like combustion chamber of a rocket engine. The 3D printing
will enhances the strength and accuracy of the object. Conventional methods uses
parts by parts alignment. This will cause weak points in structures. But in the case of
3D printed object, the whole structure is a single piece. 3D printer has numerous
application in every field it touches. Since it is a product development device, rate of
production, customization and prototyping capabilities need to be considered.

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CHAPTER 8

RAPID PROTOTYPING

Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale

model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design
(CAD) data. Construction of the part or assembly is usually done using 3D printing or
"additive layer manufacturing" technology. The first methods for rapid prototyping
became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype
parts. Today, they are used for a wide range of applications and are used to
manufacture production-quality parts in relatively small numbers if desired without
the typical unfavourable short-run economics. This economy has encouraged
online service bureaus. Historical surveys of RP technologystart with discussions
of simulacra production techniques used by 19th-century sculptors.

Fig.8.1 Rapid prototyping

Some modern sculptors use the progeny technology to produce exhibitions.

The ability to reproduce designs from a dataset has given rise to issues of rights, as it
is now possible to interpolate volumetric data from one-dimensional images. As with
CNC subtractive methods, the computer-aided-design computer-aided manufacturing
CAD-CAM workflow in the traditional Rapid Prototyping process starts with the
creation of geometric data, either as a 3D solid using a CAD workstation, or 2D slices

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using a scanning device. For RP this data must represent a valid geometric model;
namely, one whose boundary surfaces enclose a finite volume, contain no holes
exposing the interior, and do not fold back on themselves. In other words, the object
must have an “inside.” The model is valid if for each point in 3D space the computer
can determine uniquely whether that point lies inside, on, or outside the boundary
surface of the model. CAD post-processors will approximate the application vendors’
internal CAD geometric forms (e.g., B-splines) with a simplified mathematical form,
which in turn is expressed in a specified data format which is a common feature in
Additive Manufacturing: STL (stereolithography) a de facto standard for transferring
solid geometric models to SFF machines. To obtain the necessary motion control
trajectories to drive the actual SFF, Rapid Prototyping, 3D Printing or Additive
Manufacturing

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CHAPTER 9

AUTOMOBILES

In early 2014, the Swedish supercar manufacturer, Koenigsegg, announced the

‘One:1’, a supercar that utilises many components that were 3D printed. In the limited
run of vehicles Koenigsegg produces, the ‘One:1’ has side-mirror internals, air ducts,
titanium exhaust components, and even complete turbocharger assembles that have
been 3D printed as part of the manufacturing process An American company, Local
Motors is working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Cincinnati Incorporated
to develop large scale additive manufacturing processes suitable for printing an entire
car body. The company plans to print the vehicle live in front of an audience in
September 2014 at the International Manufacturing Technology Show. Produced from
a new fibre-reinforced thermoplastic strong enough for use in an automotive
application, the chassis and body without drivetrain, wheels and brakes weighs a scant
450 pounds and the completed car is comprised of just 40 components, a number that
gets smaller with every revision.

Fig. 9.1 Shows the 3D CAD model of a bike

Jacky Wan from Redicubricks. The 3D printed bike is made of over 40 individual
pieces and Wan details his print and build process over on Ultimakers blog. He even
includes a link to his 3D files so you can build one yourself if you think you’re up to
it. The project is certainly not for beginners. When designing the bike replica, Wan
imposed several goals on himself; He wanted to maintain the external looks of the

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bike, all parts needed to snap fit together to make gluing easier, keep seams and
striation to a minimum and everything needed to print on his Ultimaker: Original.
Of course 3D printing a realistic motorcycle replica wasn’t going to make it easy for
him to meet to those goals.

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Seminar Report 2020-21 3D Printing

CHAPTER 10

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTING

10.1 ADVANTAGES

 Create anything with great geometrical complexity.

 Ability to personalize every product with individual customer needs.
 Produce products which involve great level of complexity that simply could
not be produced physically in any other way.
 Additive manufacturing can eliminate the need for tool production and
therefore reduce the costs, lead time and labour associated with it.
 3D printing is an energy efficient technology.
 Additive Manufacturing use up to 90% of standard materials and therefore
creating less waste.
 Lighter and stronger products can be printed.
 Increased operating life for the products.
 Production has been brought closer to the end user or consumer.
 Spare parts can be printed on site which will eliminate shipping cost.
 Wider adoption of 3D printing would likely cause re-invention of a number of
already invented products.
 3D printing can create new industries and completely new professions.
 Printing 3D organs can revolutionarise the medical industry.
 Rapid prototyping causes faster product development.

10.2 DISADVANTAGES

 Since the technology is new, limited materials are available for printing.
 Consumes more time for less complicated pats.
 Size of printable object is limited by the movement of extruder.
 In additive manufacturing previous layer has to harden before creating next
layer.
 Curved geometry will not be much accurate while printing.

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CHAPTER 11

CONCLUSION

As the 3D printer is a device, it should be analysed with the advantages and

disadvantages, how the device can change the society and engineering etc in mind.
The very nature of 3D printing, creating a part layer by layer, instead of subtractive
methods of manufacturing lend themselves to lower costs in raw material. Instead of
starting with a big chunk of plastic and carving away (milling or turning) the surface
in order to produce your product. Additive manufacturing only "prints" what you
want, where you want it. Other manufacturing techniques can be just as wasteful. 3D
printing is the ultimate just-in-time method of manufacturing. No longer do you need
a warehouse full of inventory waiting for customers. Just have a 3D printer waiting to
print your next order. On top of that, you can also offer almost infinite design options
and custom products. It doesn't cost more to add a company logo to every product you
have or let your customers pick every feature on their next order, the sky is the limit
with additive manufacturing.

Whether you are designing tennis shoes or space shuttles, you can't just design
whatever you feel like, a good designer always take into account whether or not his
design can be manufactured cost effectively. Additive manufacturing open up your
designs to a whole new level. Because undercuts, complex geometry and thin walled
parts are difficult to manufacture using traditional methods, but are sometimes a piece
of cake with 3D printing. In addition, the mathematics behind 3D printing are simpler
than subtractive methods. For instance, the blades on a centrifugal supercharger
would require very difficult path planning using a 5-axis CNC machine. The same
geometry using additive manufacturing techniques is very simple to calculate, since
each layer is analysed separately and 2D information is always simpler than 3D. This
mathematical difference, while hard to explain is the fundamental reason why 3D
printing is superior to other manufacturing techniques. It almost always better to keep
things simple and additive manufacturing is simple by its very nature.

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