3 D Printer Primer
EVERYTHING I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT 3D
PRINTERS BUT WAS AFRAID TO ASK
MY CONTACT INFO FOR QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS
PRESENTATION:
ART FLATER
CENTRAL 3D SYSTEMS
W223 N777 SARATOGA DRIVE
WAUKESHA, WI 53186
[email protected]
WWW.CENTRAL3DSYSTEMS.COM
3 D Printer Primer
Starting a 3d print job
File is completed
Prepare the build platform
Call up the file
Run the job
When the job is complete, we will remove and clean
the part.
I want to cover a common PowerPoint error
that many people make. Do not write out the
entire presentation on each slide, and then
read it to the audience. While this eliminates
the need for you to memorize your
presentation, it makes the presentation
tedious and boring and you will loose your
audience and end up with a poor quality
presentation and a group of people
who simply want to end their lives.
3 D Printer Primer
 A few rules for this presentation
 I run a company where nobody ever asks for a meeting with their
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parents or my boss
There are stupid questions.
If you ask a stupid question, I will be sure to point it out and make
fun of you. You can not bring your parents to a meeting with me and
my boss is all of my customers.
This is an overview of 3D printing and you will learn the
background of the technologies so you can talk intelligently about
the different technologies, materials and ways to create 3d objects.
Not laughing at my jokes will just cause me to tell more of them
Laughing at my jokes will probably also cause me to tell more
This is your presentation, so let’s make it a discussion
I understand I am the only thing standing between you and the bar
3 D Printer Primer
Terminology you will want to use to sound
smart
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“Build” This is what 3D printers do.
“3D CAD System” How you create a 3D design (well usually)
“Grow” term used to describe making end user parts
“Geometry” Not math, the way parts are built
“Support” Required to make parts that have complex geometries
“Build platform” size of the X and Y components of a 3D printer
“Build Envelope” Build volume (X x Y x Z axis) of the printer
“Additive Manufacturing” 3D printing
“Direct digital manufacturing” 3D printing
If I mention other terms you are not familiar with, stop me right away, or
I will drone on, expecting that you know exactly what I am talking about.
3 D Printer Primer
Presentation Agenda
1. 3D printing technologies
2. Deploying 3D devices
3. Using 3D printers
4. What type of printer should you get?
5. 3D Scanning- (bonus content)
6. Questions/Discussion
3 D Printer Primer
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3 D Printing technologies available today
SLA- the birth of 3D printing
FDM- most common 3 D printer
Powder bed fusion
Multi-jet modeling
FTI- Film transfer imaging
SLS- Selective laser sintering
DMLS- Direct metal laser sintering
LOM- Laminated object manufacturing
3 D Printer Primer
SLA Printing- Stereolithography
 First ever 3D printing invented by Chuck Hull
 Uses a vat of liquid photopolymer
 Cured layer by layer with a laser
 Extremely accurate
 Large build sizes
 Low cost to operate
 Multiple materials
 Parts are very durable
 Requires trained dedicated operators
 Hardware is expensive
 Works like this: http://www.3dsystems.com/3d-media/3dprinting-process-sla
3 D Printer Primer
FDM- Fused deposition manufacturing
1. Uses ABS, PLA or just recently, nylon
2. Makes things by layer- smaller layers= more expensive
machine
3. Poor accuracy
4. Requires support material to build complex structures
5. Low cost to run
6. Parts require processing and cleaning
7. Machine cost is low, and getting lower-Cube and Makerbot
are market leaders
8. Simple to use and understand
9. Parts are reasonably durable
10. Works like the machine you see running right now
3 D Printer Primer
Powder bed fusion (often called Z Corp Printer)
1.
Uses a bed of powder and HP inkjet cartridges
2. Fastest technology available
3. No support structures required to build even the most complex
shapes
4. Low cost to operate
5. Allows for multiple layers of objects to satisfy more prints in each
build
6. Full color
7. Durable parts
8. Parts require some processing after completion
9. Works like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSAdjGGhfwo&feature=playe
r_detailpage
3 D Printer Primer
Multijet modeling
1.
Uses UV curable plastics
2. Uses wax as a support material
3. Able to build any geometry, any way
4. Medium cost to run
5. Not as fast
6. Very accurate
7. Able to build complex parts other units can not make
8. Parts require processing after completion
9. Parts are durable
10. Multiple materials available
11. Works like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apm5Gn2s_M&feature=player_detailpage
3 D Printer Primer
Film Transfer Imaging- FTI
1. Uses UV Curable plastic
2. Uses one material for support and object
3. Builds upside down to work with gravity
4. Very durable parts
5. Limited materials
6. High accuracy for cost of equipment
7. Parts require washing and curing
3 D Printer Primer
Selective Laser Sintering
1. Fast
2. Accurate
3. Multiple materials available- starts as powder
4. Very accurate
5. End user parts
6. Equipment is $300,000+
7. Special power
8. Nitrogen generator required
3 D Printer Primer
DMLS Direct Metal Laser Sintering
1. Uses metal powder
2. Makes end user parts
3. Slow to “grow” things
4. Makes objects that can not be manufactured
5. Multiple metals available to print
6. Very expensive
7. This is the disruptive future of manufacturing
8. Works like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkwd2YXNy9I&fea
ture=player_detailpage
3 D Printer Primer
Deploying 3D printing systems
 Room requirements
 Capacity requirements
 Material considerations
 Service and support considerations
 Equipment capability
considerations
3 D Printer Primer
Don’t
1. Let everyone print to the equipment
2. Print jobs until they have been viewed by an
authority figure and they have approved the print
3. Allow untrained operators to submit print jobs
4. Print one file at a time if you can add more files to
the build platform
5. Create “informal” rules
3 D Printer Primer
Do:
1. Create a set of rules to follow to use the printer
2. Communicate these rules in person verbally
3. Communicate these rules in writing
4. Communicate the rules with signage
5. Watch over your system carefully in a secure area
6. Have a quality surge suppressor/lightning arrestor
7. Consider a UPS
3 D Printer Primer
Room requirements
1. Good heat and cooling- 68 to 75 degrees
2. No drafts or strong airflow near the device
3. Tile floor/carpet squares- easy to clean floor
4. Some devices require water or a sink
5. Some devices require the ability to use spray
lacquer
6. Power filter- a real one- not a power strip
7. UPS is useful in many cases
3 D Printer Primer
Capacity requirements
The number of students and the frequency of use will
determine the best device
 Whatever you estimate your usage- double it
 Remember 3D printers are relatively slow- even the fast
ones
 Few students (10 or less) and low usage = low cost to buy
or lease device- FDM –Makerbot/CubeX
 More students or usage = faster more expensive device,
that costs less to run- Powder Bed Fusion-3D Systems
160/260/460
3 D Printer Primer
Material considerations
What properties does the material have?
What do I want the parts to be able to do?
What does the material cost per cubic inch?
Can I get it from multiple sources?
How much waste is involved in a print?
Is there support material?
How do I clean a part?
How durable is the material?
3 D Printer Primer
Service and Support considerations
What happens if the machine breaks?
Is there a local service group to help?
Do I need a local service group?
Is a maintenance agreement available?-(MA should be
no more than 15% of the equipment cost)
Can the people who sell the unit actually help and give
advice on best practices?
Can I learn to fix these things myself?
3 D Printer Primer
Equipment capability considerations
1. What do I want to print? (basic or complex)
2. Do I want to teach full color?
3. Do I want a durable part or a throwaway?
4. How much speed will I need?
5. Will I need to make multiple prints (a class of 18 who
each might want a print of their project)
6. Can I use the equipment in other areas of the school?
(medical or geospatial modeling)
7. Can we show the device off to potential partners in
STEM?
3 D Printer Primer
Using 3D printers
A basic how to of setting up and running a job
What type of 3D printer should you get?
FDM
Powder bed fusion
FTI
Multijet modeling
3 D Printer Primer
FDM
 Various price points from $2,000 + or $70 per month on a
lease)
 Low cost ABS or PLA materials often available open source
 Multiple colors available (one color at a time)
 Simple
 Limited ability to run multiple jobs
 Complex and time consuming to run multiple jobs
 Support material required
 Post processing of parts required
 Limited geometries
 Low accuracy
3 D Printer Primer
Powder Bed Fusion
 More costly to get a machine ($20,000+ or $300+ per month
to lease)
 Lowest cost to run- often makes up the price difference
between FDM in operational cost
 Can print in full color
 Very fast
 No support material required
 No waste
 Environmentally friendly
 Parts require more processing after printing
 Parts are not always as durable
 Parts have no flex
3 D Printer Primer
FTI- Film Transfer Imaging
 Higher cost for equipment ($12,000+ or $300 per month
on a lease)
 Higher cost to operate
 More accurate than FDM but less accurate than powder
bed fusion
 Only one material for build and support
 Very durable parts
 Very complex parts
 Simple to operate
 Parts require significant processing after printing
3 D Printer Primer
Multijet Modeling
 Expensive to purchase or lease($60,000+ or $1,000
per month to lease
 Extremely accurate
 Satisfy multiple students in one build
 Slower, because of accuracy
 Durable parts
 Multiple materials
 Very east to make complex geometry parts
 Simple processing of parts
3 D Printer Primer
3D Scanning – the next driver of 3D printing
 The scanner we are using today is $399 from
Cubify.com
 Make 3D scans of students, teachers, objects.
 Print the scans
 Create a school fundraiser to pay for the 3D printer
by making full color busts of students for
parents/grandparents/relatives.
 Offer to superheroify anyone in full color
 This will sell better than pizzas or cookie dough
3 D Printer Primer
 Time for drinks and food
 Or questions
 I am not putting and ending slide on here that says
“thank you” because that is a lame way to end a
presentation.
3 D Printer Primer
Again, my shameless self promotion:
My Contact info for questions related to this
presentation:
Art Flater
Central 3D Systems
W223 N777 Saratoga drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
[email protected]
www.central3dsystems.com