CH7 CONCEPT MODELLERS

TYPES OF MODELLERS

3D SYSTEMS THERMOJET PRINTER (MULTI-JET MODELLER) SANDERS MODELMAKER II (INKJET MODELLING TECHNOLOGY) Z-CORPORATION Z402 (3D PRINTER) STRATASYS GENISYS XS PRINTER JP SYSTEM OBJECT QUADRA SYSTEM

1. 3D SYSTEMS THERMOJET PRINTER

3D Printing (3DP) was developed by MIT; licensed to several companies including Soligen Corp and others.

Multi jet modeling was developed by 3d systems in 1995. The MJM machine was marked as the Actua 2100 but since 1998 it has been known as the Thermo jet printer. Thermo-jet has multiple ink-jet heads, which allow it to deposit and entire layer in one pass. This allows for true rapid model production

PROCESS

Ink-jet printing head deposits a fluid to fuse powder material. Unbound powder remains to support the part. The platform is lowered as more material is added and the process continues its future cycles. Part are the removed from machine, unbound powder removed and part continues postprocess.

PROCESS PARAMETERS
3D SYSTEMS, 2000 Resolution Maximum model size Modeling material 300DPI 250 x 190 x 200 mm Thermojet 88 and TJ2000 thermoplastic

Material color options

Material capacity

Neutral, grey, or black

5.9 Kg

Material loading Interface

2.3 Kg cartridge Ethernet 10/100 base-TX RJ-45 cable TCP/IP protocol

Platform support

Silicon graphics IRIX v6.5.2 Hewlett Packard HP-UX v 10.2 ACE Sun micro systems Solaris v2.6.0 IBM RS 6000 AIX v4.3.2 Windows NT v4.0
230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 6.3 Amps

Power consumption

Dimensions
Weight

1370 x 760 x 1120 mm

375 Kg

ADVANTAGES

produce extremely fine resolution and surface finishing; as good as CNC machining allow designers to effectively communicate design intent to others - other designers The Thermo Jet printer overcomes the limitations of 2D simulations, which do not fully convey design intent and require a technical understanding of how to interpret such drawings or screen views

The Thermo Jet printer's automated build process can supply this model in a few hours, compared to days or weeks for traditional modelmaking processes.

DISADVANTAGES

Relative long build time After the build, the part is enclaved inside a wax block and is required some solvent to dissolve wax Currently, only one proprietary thermoplastic material is available which limited the application of the process Because of the low speed and the size of the working envelop, it is not appropriate for large parts

APPLICATIONS

design visualization prototyping/CAD metal casting architecture education geospatial healthcare entertainment/retail

CASE STUDY : JEWELLERY INDUSTRY

In these cases by switching to Rapid prototyping machines you can expect to significantly reduce production time and cost for the completion of any project. The process works by using ArtSTL to convert any of your existing Art CAM relief files, (including wrapped rings), into Stereo Lithography (STL) format. The STL file is then transferred over to the Rapid prototyping machines (or 3D printer). Model master have found that the 3D Thermo jet from 3D Systems is a fast low cost solution for producing these. The Thermo Jet has a printer head producing a flow of hot wax built up layer-by-layer and in a matter of minutes gives you an accurate wax model of your Art CAM relief.

2. Sander Model Maker II

The Sander Model Maker product is produced and distributed by Sanders Prototype, Inc. of Wilton, NH, USA. It was developed in 1994 Ink jet printing comes from the printer and plotter industry where the technique involves shooting tiny droplets of ink on paper to produce graphic images. RP ink jet techniques utilize ink jet technology to shoot droplets of liquid-to-solid compound and form a layer of an RP model

PROCESS

This technology combines a proprietary thermoplastic inkjet technology with high0precision milling to build models or patterns that have a dimensional accuracy of +/13 micrometers over 229mm in the Z-axis and up to +/-0.025mm over 76mm in the X-Y planes

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Build envelop Layer thickness Minimum feature size Dimensional accuracy 304.8 x 152.4 x 228.6 mm 0.013mm-0.13mm 0.25mm +/-0.025mm per 25mm in X, Y and Z axes

Surface finish
Wall thickness

32-63 micro-inches (RMS)

1mm

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Size of micro-droplet Plotter carriage speed Footprint Supported formats 0.076mm Up to 500 mm per second 889 x 660 .STL, .SLC, .DXF, .OBJ, .HPP(HPGL)

System controller
Power requirements

IBM-compatible PC running Microsoft Windows 95 or NT 115V 60Hz or 230V 50Hz AC

3. THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

The three-dimensional printing (3DP) process was invented and patented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and licensed to Z-Corporation in 1994.the first system ,the Z402 was commercialized in 1996

PROCESS
Step 1 Import your 3D data file into our ZPrint software, and position as desired. The system automatically checks printer readiness and material stores, ensuring you always have the right amount of material to complete the job.

Step 2 If supplies do need to be replenished, simply insert a one-liter binder cartridge, connect a powder canister for automatic loading, or snap in a new print head. Step 3 Click "3D Print" and watch 3D model emerge from the bottom up one cross-section at a time. A new, expanded status display keeps you apprised of the machine and job status.

Step 4 When printing is complete, a vacuum and vibration system automatically removes as much as 80% of loose powder and recycles it for future use.

Step 5 Remove the remaining powder with lightly compressed air, in a fully enclosed chamber that vacuums away powder as you go. Unlike other systems, there are no physical support structures to remove with scraping tools.
Step 6 Finish and strengthen your model by dipping in Z-Bond sealant, dripping Z-Bond over model, or lighting brushing with Z-Max Step 7 a strong, brilliant color 3D model. Fast. In fact, this model was printed and finished in less than four hours.

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Build envelop Layer thickness Build speed 203 x 254 x 203 mm 0.076 to 0.256 mm 25-51 mm per hour

Dimensions
Weight

740 x 910 x 1070 mm

136 Kg

ADVANTAGES

5X faster than all other systems Output models in hours, not days Build multiple models at the same time by stacking and nesting parts Produce realistic color models without paint Better evaluate the look, feel, and style of product designs Automated setup and self monitoring Automated powder loading and recycling

4. STRTASYS GENISYS PRINTER

The process was developed by IBM and is similar to fused deposition modeling in January 1995, stratasys purchased this RP technology from IBM

The Genisys Xs 3D printer is a conceptual modeler. It produces high-quality models from a high-strength polyester compound . The models are ready to use right from the printer

PROCESS

Uses CAD wire frame, surface, or solid models Imports CAD file into a PC or UNIX-based workstation Slices file into horizontal layers Downloads layers to a 3D modeler Builds parts by depositing ultra-thin layers of molten thermoplastic one layer at a time Plastic solidifies in 0.1 seconds

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Build envelop Speed Reduction/Enlargement 305 x 203 x 203 mm 101 mm/second Print 3D models to meet your needs with selectable scaling

Functionality
Compatibility

Automatic operations nest multiple parts in the build envelop

Windows NT, Sun micro systems, Hewlett-Packard and silicon graphics workstations

Material Accuracy

Durable polyester +/- 0.356mm

Size and weight

Power requirements Heat estimation

914 x 816 x 737 mm 95 Kg

220-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 6A or 110-120 VAC, 60 HZ, 12A Ambient build temperature

Noise emission

62 dba operating

5. JP SYSTEM5
The JP system 5 is patented by Schroff Development Corporation. it is an inexpensive RP system that requires only a personal computer and a cutting device. The system produces prototypes using paper sheets and so the material cost is very low

PROCESS

A proprietary software package is used to slice the model into a series of cross sections The software then converts the slices to a HPGL plot file format which is sent to a plotter The sheets are layered by aligning specially cut orientation holes The sheets are positioned on a registration board

PROCESS

An adhesive is sprayed on the first sheet The support backing is removed exposing the adhesive layer. Each subsequent sheet adheres to the exposed adhesive surfaces of the previous sheet Sections formed by the nesting operations are cut The final model is assembled

6. OBJECT QUADRA SYSTEM

Object Geometries Ltd was founded in 1998 to develop a RP system that employees state-of-art inkjet technology and a proprietary photopolymer.

The company shipped the first system called Object Quadra in 2001

PROCESS

The Object Quadra Tempo process is based on Object's state-of-the-art Poly Jet polymer jetting technology. It uses 1,536 nozzles to jet layer upon layer of 20 microns (0.0008"). Each layer is printed by the jetting of model and support material an Object-developed photopolymer, with each layer cured by exposure to UV light For models with undercuts and overhangs, the Quadra deposits support material made of a photopolymer designed for easy removal.

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Build envelop Dimensions Input format 270 x 320 x 200 mm 1290 x 890 x 870 mm STL file

Print resolution
Building material

X-600 dpi Y-600dpi Z-1200 and 900 dpi

Photopolymer

Communication

LAN-TCP/IP

Power requirements

220VAC 60Hz/ 115VAC 50Hz 3KW Temperature 180 to 280 Humidity 30% to 80% Approx.220kg

Operational environment

Machine weight

Computer requirements

PC Pentium III