RAPID PROTOTYPING, TOOLING AND RE-ENGINEERING

Topics to be covered
Unit I
Introduction
Need Development of RP systems RP process chain Impact of Rapid Prototyping and Tooling on Product Development Benefits Applications Digital prototyping Virtual prototyping

Topics to be covered
Unit II
LIQUID BASED AND SOLID BASED RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS Stereolithography Fused deposition Modeling Laminated object manufacturing 3 D printing Working Principles details of processes products materials advantages limitations and applications Case studies.

Topics to be covered
Unit III
POWDER BASED RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS Selective Laser Sintering Direct Metal Laser Sintering Working Principles details of processes products materials advantages limitations and

Three Dimensional Printing

Laser Engineered Net Shaping Selective Laser Melting, Electron Beam Melting deposition Modeling

applications
Case studies.

Topics to be covered Unit IV

REVERSE ENGINEERING AND CAD MODELING Basic concept Digitization techniques Model Reconstruction CAD model preparation Data Requirements geometric modeling techniques: Wire frame, surface and solid modeling data formats Data interfacing Part orientation and support generation Model Slicing and contour data organization direct and adaptive slicing, Tool path generation

Data Processing for Rapid Prototyping: Support structure design

Topics to be covered
Unit V
RAPID TOOLING Classification: Soft tooling, Production tooling,

Bridge tooling; direct and indirect

Fabrication processes Applications Case studies automotive, Aerospace electronic industries

Topics to be covered
Introduction
Need
Development of RP systems RP process chain Impact of Rapid Prototyping and Tooling on Product Development Benefits Applications

Digital prototyping
Virtual prototyping

Need
Global competition Customer-driven product customisation, Accelerated product obsolescence Continued demands for cost savings To improve business processes Speed up the product development cycle Rapid Prototyping (RP) has emerged as a key enabling technology with its ability to shorten product design and development time.

RP technologies can be virtual and physical.

Prototype
Dictionary a first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which

other

forms are developed

3 Aspects of Prototype
What to be prototyped System or Sub assembly or a Component of a System How to make Virtual Mathematical models Ex: Flow on Aerofoil of an air craft Virtual Reality

Physical A physical model to feel and test

How accurate it should be Foam

3 Aspects of Prototype

Types of prototypes described along the three aspects of approximation, form and implementation.

Use of Prototype

Helps in thinking, planning, experimenting and learning process Clearing doubts To Feel

Testing and proofing

Communicating information to other teams Synthesize product concepts (assembly)

Helps in scheduling the product development

process

Use of Prototype
Feel
Example Designing the appropriate arm support of an office

Testing and in the early design of folding reading glasses for the pqoofing elderly
concepts and ideas of the folding mechanism can be tested Communicati by building rough physical prototypes to test and prove these ng ideas to check if they work as intended infoqmation to the management and clients

chair

to otheq teams

3D representation is superior to that of a 2D sketch of the product a physical prototype of a cellular phone Example: a physical prototype of a cellular phone

Use of Prototype
Synthesize pqoduct concepts
A prototype can also be used to synthesize the entire product concept by bringing the various components and subassemblies together to ensure that they will work together greatly help in the integration of the product and surface any problems that are related to assembling the product together Ex: A Tablet

Helps in scheduling the pqoduct developmen t pqocess

used as markers for the start or end of the various phases of the development effort

Development of RP systems
Topography
Dictionary : 1. The configuration of a surface and the relations among its man-made and natural features 2. Precise detailed study of the surface features of a region

Photo sculpture.
Sculpture Dictionary : 1. A three-dimensional work of plastic art 2. Creating figures or designs in three dimensions

Development of RP systems
The development of RP is closely tied in with the development of applications of computers in the industry the emergence of RP systems could not have been possible without the existence of CAD many other technologies and advancements in other fields such as manufacturing systems and materials have also been crucial in the development of RP systems

Development of RP systems
Historical development of RP and related technologies

Development of RP systems
Historical development of RP and related technologies
1770 Mechanization 1946 First Computer 1952 First NC Machine tool 1960 First Commercial Laser 1961 First Commercial Robot 1963 First interactive graphics system

1988

First Commercial Rapid Prototyping System

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Prototyping or model making in the traditional sense is an age-old practice.

The intention of having a physical prototype is to realize the

conceptualization of a design. Thus, a prototype is usually required before the start of the full production of the product. The fabrication of prototypes is experimented in many forms material removal, castings, molds, joining with adhesives, etc. and with many material types aluminum, zinc, urethanes, wood, etc.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
First Phase: Manual Prototyping

Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Prototyping

Third Phase: Rapid Prototype

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
First Phase: Manual Prototyping
rPrototyping had begun as early as humans started to develop tools to help them live.

rHowever, prototyping as applied to products in what is considered to be the first

phase of prototype development began several centuries ago. rIn this early phase, prototypes typically are not very sophisticated and

fabrication of prototypes takes on average about four weeks, depending on the

level of complexity and representativeness. rThe techniques used in making these prototypes tend to be craft-based and are

usually extremely labor intensive.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Prototyping
rAs applications of CAD/CAE/CAM become more widespread, the early 1980s saw the evolution of the second phase of prototyping Soft or Virtual Prototyping. rVirtual prototyping takes on a new meaning as more computer tools become available computer models can now be stressed, tested, analyzed and modified

as if they were physical prototypes.

rFor example, analysis of stress and strain can be accurately predicted on the product because of the ability to specify exact material attributes and properties.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Prototyping
rWith such tools on the computer, several iterations of designs can be easily carried out by changing the parameters of the computer models. rAs products and their corresponding prototypes become twice as complex as before, the time required to make the physical model increases tremendously to about 16 weeks. rThis is because the prototyping process still depends on craft-based techniques albeit higher precision machines, such as CNC, become available.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Prototyping
rEven with the advent of RP in the third phase, there is still strong support for virtual prototyping. rPeople argued that there are still unavoidable limitations with RP. rThese include material limitations (either because of expense or through the use of materials dissimilar to that of the intended part), the inability to perform endless what-if scenarios and the likelihood that little or no reliable data can

be gathered from the rapid prototype to perform finite element analysis (FEA).
rSpecifically in the application of kinematic and dynamic analysis, they described a program which can assign physical properties of many different materials, such as steel, ice, plastic, clay or any custom material imaginable and perform kinematics and motion analysis as if a working prototype existed.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Prototyping
rDespite such strengths of virtual prototyping, there is one inherent weakness, that such soft prototypes cannot be tested for phenomena that is not anticipated or accounted for in the computer program. rAs such, there is no guarantee that the virtual prototype is 100% problemfree.

Development of RP systems
Three Phases of Development Leading to RP
Third Phase: Rapid Prototype
rRP of physical parts, otherwise known as solid free-form fabrication or desktop manufacturing or layer manufacturing technology, represents the third phase in the evolution of prototyping.

rThe invention of this series of RP methodologies is described as a

watershed event because of the tremendous time savings, especially for complicated and difficult to produce models. T rhough parts (individual components) are relatively three times as complex as parts made in 1970s, the time required to make such a part now averages only three weeks. r Since 1988, more than 30 different RP techniques have emerged and commercialized.

Development of RP systems
Parallels between geometric modeling and prototyping
Geometric Modeling Prototyping

First Phase: 2D Wireframe

Started in mid-1960s Few straight lines on display may

First Phase: Manual Prototyping

Traditional practice for many centuries

be:
circuit path on a PCB plan view of a mechanical component Natural drafting technique

Prototyping as a skilled crafts is:

traditional and manual based on material of prototype Natural prototyping technique

Development of RP systems
Parallels between geometric modeling and prototyping
Geometric Modeling Prototyping

Second Phase: 3D Curve and Surface Second Phase: Soft or Virtual Modeling Prototyping

Mid-1970s Increasing complexity

Mid-1970s Increasing complexity

Representing more information

about precise shape, size and surface

Virtual prototype can be stressed,

simulated and tested, with exact mechanical and other properties

contour of parts

Development of RP systems
Parallels between geometric modeling and prototyping Geometric Modeling Prototyping
Third Phase: Solid Modeling Third Phase: Rapid Prototyping

Early 1980s Edges, surfaces and holes are knitted together to form a cohesive whole

Mid-1980s Benefit of a hard prototype made in a very short turnaround time is its

Computer can determine the

inside of an object from the outside.

main strong point (relies on CAD

modeling) Hard prototype can also be used

Perhaps, more importantly, it can

trace across the object and readily find all intersecting surfaces and

for
limited testing Prototype can also assist in the

Development of RP systems - Topography

A layered method was proposed by Blanther as early as 1990 - for making moulds Both positive and negative 3D surfaces were to be assembled from a series of wax plates cut along the topographical contour lines Further refined by Perera [1940], Zang [1964] and Gaskin [1973]

Matsubara [1972] described a layer manufacturing process to form casting moulds.

DiMatteo [1976] proposed a process for layer manufacturing 3D objects from contoured metallic sheets that are formed using a milling cutter. Nakagawa reported the use of lamination techniques for fabrication of blanking tools [1979], press forming tools [Kunieda and Nakagawa, 1984] and injection moulding tools [Nakagawa et aI., 1985

Development of RP systems - Photosculpture

This is a technique Bogart. [1979] proposed in the 19th century for creating replicas of 3D objects. The technique involves photographing the object simultaneously with 24 cameras equally spaced around a circular room and then using the silhouette of each photograph to carve 1/24th of a cylindrical portion of the object.

Attempts were made by other developers [Base. 1904: Monteah. 1924] to improve the technique by alleviating the manual carving steps.
Morioka [Morioka, 1935; Morioka. 1944] proposed the use of structured lighting to create contour lines of an object photographically and then using these lines to cut and build the object from sheets.

alleviating -Make easier

Development of RP systems - Photosculpture

In 1956, Munz [Munz. 1956] patented a layer manufacturing system for fabricating the cross-sections of a scanned object by selectively exposing a transparent photo emulsion

The system produces the layers by lowering a piston in a cylinder and adding appropriate amounts of photo emulsion and fixing agent.

alleviating -Make easier

FUNDAMENTALS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

A model or component is modeled on a computeraided design computeraided Manufacturin g (CAD CAM) system

The solid or surface model to be built is next converted into a format dubbed the STL (StereoLithogra phy) file format which originates from 3D Systems.

A computer program analyzes an .STL file that defines the model to be fabricated and slices the model into crosssections.

STL Conversion

CAD MODEL

Slicing

TO AN RP MACHINE

The Rapid Prototyping Wheel

FUNDAMENTALS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Input
Electronic Input - to describe the physical object with 3D data two possible starting points

a computer model
can be either a surface model or a solid model a physical model requires data acquisition through a method known as reverse engineering

Reverse Engineering, a wide range of equipment can be used, such as CMM (coordinate measuring machine) or a laser digitizer, to capture data points of the physical model and reconstruct it in a CAD system.

FUNDAMENTALS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

20 vendors for RP systems classified into the following categories:

Method
photocuring cutting and glueing/joining Melting and solidifying fusing and joining
binding

single laser beam double laser beams masked lamp.

FUNDAMENTALS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Material
Either solid, liquid or powder In solid state, it can come in various forms such as pellets, wire or laminates. The current range materials include

Paper
nylon Wax

Resins
Metals ceramics.

FUNDAMENTALS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Applications Most of the RP parts are finished or touched up before they are used for their intended applications. Applications can be grouped into (1) Design

(2) Engineering, Analysis, and Planning

(3) Tooling and Manufacturing. A wide range of industries can benefit from RP and these include, but are not limited to, aerospace, automotive, biomedical, consumer, electrical and lectronics products.

Applications

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
ability to experiment with physical objects of any complexity in a

relatively short period of time

relative complexity index has increased project completion time reduces Depending on the size of production, savings on time and cost could range from 50% up to 90%

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
Project time and product complexity in 25 years time frame

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
Results of the integration of RP technologies

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
Benefits to Product Designers

vproduct designers can increase part complexity with little significant

effects on lead time and cost. vMore organic, sculptured shapes for functional or aesthetic reasons

can be accommodated.
vThey can optimize part design to meet customer requirements, with little restrictions by manufacturing. vcan reduce parts count by combining features in single-piece parts that are previously made from several because of poor tool accessibility or the need to minimize machining and waste. vWith fewer parts, time spent on tolerance analysis, selecting fasteners, detailing screw holes and assembly drawings is greatly reduced.

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
vThere will also be fewer constraints in the form of parts design without regard to draft angles, parting lines or other such constraints. vThey can minimize material and optimize strength/weight ratios without regard to the cost of machining. vFinally, they can minimize time-consuming discussions and evaluations of manufacturing possibilities.

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
vBenefits to the Tooling and Manufacturing Engineer vThe main savings are in costs. vThe manufacturing engineer can minimize design, manufacturing and verification cost of tooling. vHe can realize profits earlier on new products, since fixed costs are lower.

vHe can also reduce parts count and, therefore, assembly, purchasing
and inventory expenses.

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
vBenefits to the Tooling and Manufacturing Engineer
The manufacturer can reduce the labor content of manufacturing, since partspecific setting up and programming are eliminated, machining/casting labor is reduced, and inspection and assembly are also consequently reduced as well.

Reducing material waste, waste disposal costs, material transportation costs,

inventory cost for raw stock and finished parts (making only as many as required, therefore, reducing storage requirements) can contribute to low overheads. Less inventory is scrapped because of design changes or disappointing sales.

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
vBenefits to the Tooling and Manufacturing Engineer
In addition, the manufacturer can simplify purchasing since unit price is almost independent of quantity, therefore, only as many as are needed for the short-term need be ordered.

One can purchase one general purpose machine rather than many special
purpose machines and therefore, reduce capital equipment and maintenance expenses, need fewer specialized operators and less training.

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Direct Benefits
vBenefits to the Tooling and Manufacturing Engineer
A smaller production facility will also result in less effort in scheduling production. Furthermore, one can reduce the inspection reject rate since the number of

tight tolerances required when parts must mate can be reduced.

One can avoid design misinterpretations (instead, what you design is what you get), quickly change design dimensions to deal with tighter tolerances and achieve higher part repeatability, since tool wear is eliminated. Lastly, one can reduce spare parts inventories (produce spare on demand, even for obsolete products).

ADVANTAGES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Indirect Benefits
vBenefits to Marketing it presents new capabilities and opportunities time-to-market reduced risk products which fit customer needs much more closely, products offering the price/performance of the latest technology, new products being test-marketed economically. vBenefits to the Consumer

much wider diversity

one can buy affordable products

CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Based on initial form of material LiquidBased SolidBased PowderBased

CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Liquid-Based (1) 3D Systems Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA) (2) Cubitals Solid Ground Curing (SGC) (3) Sonys Solid Creation System (SCS) (8) Denkens SLP (9) Mitsuis COLAMM (10) Fockele & Schwarzes LMS (11) Light Sculpting

(4) CMETs Solid Object Ultraviolet-Laser (12) Aaroflex

Printer (SOUP)
(5) Autostrades E-Darts (6) Teijin Seikis Soliform System (7) Meikos Rapid Prototyping System for the Jewelry Industry

(13) Rapid Freeze

(14) Two Laser Beams (15) Microfabrication

CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Solid-Based (1) Cubic Technologies Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) (2) Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) (3) Kira Corporations Paper Lamination Technology (PLT) (4) 3D Systems Multi-Jet Modeling System (MJM) (5) Solidscapes ModelMaker and PatternMaster

(6) Beijing Yinhuas Slicing Solid Manufacturing (SSM), Melted Extrusion Modeling
(MEM) and Multi-Functional RPM Systems (M-RPM) (7) CAM-LEMs CL 100 (8) Ennex Corporations Offset Fabbers

CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Powder-Based (1) 3D Systemss Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) (2) EOSs EOSINT Systems

(3) Z Corporations Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP)

(4) Optomecs Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) (5) Soligens Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC) (6) Fraunhofers Multiphase Jet Solidification (MJS) (7) Acrams Electron Beam Melting (EBM) (8) Aeromet Corporations Lasform Technology (9) Precision Optical Manufacturings Direct Metal Deposition

(DMDTM)
(10) Generis RP Systems (GS) (11) Therics Inc.s Theriform Technology (12) Extrude Hones PrometalTM 3D Printing Process

Virtual Prototyping
vVirtual Prototyping (VP) is a means of carrying out the analysis and simulation of vproducts employing digital mock-ups (3D product representations). vThis allows product performance to be investigated before any physical

parts are built.

vVP is usually tightly integrated with CAD/CAM and sometimes referred to as Computer Aided Engineering (CAE).