Defence university collage Department of Production engineering

Manufacturing systeM engineering Course of Modern Manufacturing System PE 6412

Term Paper

Title:

Rapid prototyping for agility in manufacturing (SLS and MDF)

Prepared By: Diribssa Tadesse

Instructor: Prof. Ramaprasad.H

Abstract
Prototyping or model making is one of the important steps to finalize a product design. It helps in conceptualization of a design. Rapid prototyping (RP) is used to save time and cut costs at every stage of the product development process. Prototypes can now be produced in a matter of hours that have typically taken weeks or even months to make. The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model of integration of CAD/CAM with Rapid PrototypingTechnology (RPT) for infusing agility in traditional manufacturing environment. With increased competition from the global economy, manufacturers face the challenge of delivering new customized products more quickly than before to meet customer demands. A delayed development or delivery is nothing but business failure. In this paper rapid prototyping technique is discussed in detail and its significance in the agile manufacturing is highlighted. Agility requires the capability to survive and prosper in a competitive environment of continuous and unpredictable change by reacting quickly and effectively to changing markets, driven by customer-designed products and services. There is a demand for tooling with complex geometry to be produced quickly at low cost. This paper provides an overview of RP technology in brief and emphasizes on their ability to shorten the product design and development process. Classification of RP processes and details of few important processes is given. An attempt has been made to include some important factors to be considered before starting part deposition for proper utilization of potentials of RP processes. Introduction Prototyping or model making is one of the important steps to finalize a product design. It helps in conceptualization of a design. Before the start of full production a prototype is usually fabricated and tested. Manual prototyping by a skilled craftsman has been an ageold practice for many centuries. Second phase of prototyping started around mid-1970s, when a soft prototype modeled by 3D curves and surfaces could be stressed in virtual environment, simulated and tested with exact material and other properties. Third and the latest trend of prototyping, i.e., Rapid Prototyping (RP) by layer-by-layer material deposition, started during early 1980s with the enormous growth in Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies when almost unambiguous solid models with knitted information of edges and surfaces could define a product and also manufacture it by CNC machining. In the design and development of new products, making sufficient quantity of prototypes for assessment requires tools (Juster 1994). The important issue is to produce

them quickly and cheaply. Otherwise the development cost can be expensive and fail to get the prototype to the market as soon as possible. So far, traditional methods for production of tooling either for prototype or large-scale batch rely on CNC and EDM machining.

LITERATURE REVIEW BASIC PRINCIPLE OF RAPID PROTOTYPING PROCESSES RP process belong to the generative (or additive) production processes unlike subtractive or forming processes such as lathing, milling, grinding or coining etc. in which form is shaped by material removal or plastic deformation. In all commercial RP processes, the part is fabricated by deposition of layers contoured in a (x-y) plane two dimensionally. The third dimension (z) results from single layers being stacked up on top of each other, but not as a continuous z-coordinate. Therefore, the prototypes are very exact on the x-y plane but have stair-stepping effect in z-direction. If model is deposited with very fine layers, i.e., smaller z-stepping, model looks like original. RP can be classified into two fundamental process steps namely generation of mathematical layer information and generation of physical layer model. WHAT IS RAPID PROTOTYPING TECHNOLOGY (RPT)? The term rapid prototyping (RPT) refers to a class of technologies that can automatically construct physical models from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) data. These "three dimensional printers" allow designers to quickly create tangible prototypes of their designs, rather than just two-dimensional pictures. Such models have numerous uses. They make excellent visual aids for communicating ideas with co-workers or customers. In addition, prototypes can be used for design testing. Designers have always utilized prototypes; RPT allows them to be made faster and less expensively. In addition to prototypes, RP techniques can also be used to make tooling (referred to as rapid tooling) and even production-quality parts (Rapid manufacturing). For small production runs and complicated objects, rapid prototyping is often the best manufacturing process available. RAPID PROTOTYPING PROCESSES The professional literature in RP contains different ways of classifying RP processes. However, one representation based on German standard of production processes classifies RP processes according to state of aggregation of their original material. Here, few important RP processes namely Stereolithography (SL), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Laminated Object Manufacturing

(LOM) are described.

Rapid Prototyping achievements

Reduction in prototyping times (from weeks to days) Reduction in prototyping costs (from thuousands to hundreds $) Increase of the possible design iterations (from 2-3 to 8-9) Increase of possible form, fit, function tests

Shorter design cycle Reduced Time-to-Market.

Useful Conditions for rapid prototyping(RP)

Single unique item or small number of copies needed Shape of object is in computer form Shape is too complex to be economically generated using conventional methods

Advantages of RP
CAD data files can be manufactured in hours. Tool for visualization and concept verification. Prototype used in subsequent manufacturing operations to obtain final part Tooling for manufacturing operations can be produced Cost reduction is up to 50%. Processing time reduction up to 75%. High design fiexibility to enable short term component Modifications Prototyping can increase creativity through quicker user feedback. Encourages active participation among users and producers. Early visibility of the prototype gives users an idea of what the final system looks like, and mainly decreases delivery time. Disadvantages of Rapid Prototyping Not suitable for large work pieces. Often lack flexibility. Project management is difficult. Possibility of causing system to be left unfinished.

Rapid Prototyping Technologies

Six basic commercial technologies: StereoLithography (SL) Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Solid Ground Curing (SGC) Inkjet technologies (3D Plotting, MJM, 3DP..)

Fig1 Examples of pars made by RP processes.

1. Stereolithography (SL)
3D Systems, Valencia, CA patent 1986, beginning of RP photopolymerization using UV laser accuracy 0.025 mm epoxies, acrylates

Fig 2a Stereolithography process.

Fig2b Stereo lithography process.

2. Laminated Object Manufacturing LOM

Cubic Technologies, Carson, CA (former Helisys) patent 1985 cross-sectional cutouts fused together accuracy 0.076 mm paper, plastic

Fig 3 Laminated Object Manufacturing LOM process

Fig 4 LOM process Laminated implies laying down of layers which are adhesively bonded to one another Uses layer of paper or plastic sheets with heat activated glue on one side of the product parts Excess material to be removed manually Simplified by preparing the laser to burn perforations in cross-sectional pattern LOM uses sheets as thin as 0.05mm Compressed paper has appearance and strength of soft wood, and often mistaken for elaborate wood carvings.

3. Solid-Base Curing (SBC)

Cubital, Troy, MI (Failed 2000) patent 1991 photopolymerization using UV light passing through a mask accuracy 0.510 mm Photopolymers

Also called Solid ground curing Entire slices of part are manufactured at one time So large throughput is achieved Most expensive & time consuming The entire process is shown

4. Inkjet technologies(3D Plotting, MJM, 3DP) a) 3D Plotting

Solidscape Inc., Marrimack, NH Inkjet technology Dual heads deposit part material (thermoplastic) and support material (wax) Accuracy 0.025 mm (layers 0.013 mm) Thermoplastic (build) Wax, fatty esters (support)

3D Plotting applications: Spare pare production like gear, roller bearings, machine parts etc b) Multi-jet Modelling (MJM)
Accelerated Tech., 3D Systems, Solidimension Ltd Inkjet technology Multiple heads deposit support material and part material cured immediately by UV light Accuracy 0.020 mm Photopolymers

c) 3D Printing(3DP)
Z Corporation, Burlington, MA Printing head deposits binder solution onbuild powder Accuracy 0.076 mm Waxes, acrylates, epoxies

Schematic illustration of the three-dimensional-printing process. Source: After E. Sachs and M. Cima. 3-D Printing process
Print head deposits an inorganic binder material Binder directed onto a layer of ceramic metal powder A piston supporting the powder bed is lower incrementally with each step a layer is deposited and unified by binder Commonly used materials Aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, silica and zirconium. Common part produced by 3-D printing is a ceramic casting shall Curing around 150 C 300 F Firing 1000 C 1500 C

5. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

3D Systems, Valencia, CA (former DTM) patent 1989, Carl Deckards master thesis fusing polymeric powders with CO2 laser accuracy 0.040 mm polycarbonate, nylon, wax, glass-filled nylon, powder coated metals or ceramics

a)

b)

Fig5. SLS process

SLS based on sintering of nonmetallic powders onto a selective individual objects Basic elements in this process are bottom of processing chambers equipped with two (2) cylinders

Powder feed cylinder which is raised incrementally to supply powder to part-build cylinder through a roller mechanism

Part-build cylinder which is lowered incrementally to where the sintered part is formed.

Set of the proper computer files and the initiation of the production processes Machine operate unattended and provide rough part after few hours Finishing operations as sanding and painting Labor intensive & production time varies from few minutes to few hours Layer of powder is first deposited on part build cylinders A laser beam controlled by instruction from 3-D file is focused on that layer tracing & sintering a particular cross-section into a solid mass & dust is taken off.

Another layer of powder is now deposited this cycle is repeated again and dust is shaken off. One of the new approaches is to use Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) for production of

tooling directly from a computer aided drawing (CAD). SLS is one of the many rapid prototyping technologies that are based on a layer manufacturing approach. It was developed for polymers initially and has been extended to metals. The processing sequence in SLS involves many steps as follows: A three-dimensional CAD solid model of the part is represented by a series of triangles and stored as an STL file. The STL file is then divided into many layers. A CO2 laser beam scans the cross-section of the object and fuses the wax and phenolic resin coated metal powders together and to the underlying layer. After the first layer is built, another fresh layer of powder is added. In Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process, fine polymeric powder like polystyrene, polycarbonate or polyamide etc. (20 to 100 micrometer diameter) is spread on the substrate using a roller. Before starting CO2 laser scanning for sintering of a slice the temperature of

the entire bed is raised just below its melting point by infrared heating in order to minimize thermal distortion (curling) and facilitate fusion to the previous layer. The laser is modulated in such away that only those grains, which are in direct contact with the beam, are affected (Pham and Demov, 2001). Once laser scanning cures a slice, bed is lowered and powder feed chamber is raised so that a covering of powder can be spread evenly over the build area by counter rotating roller.

6. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Stratasys, Eden Prarie, MN patent 1992 robotically guided fiber extrusion accuracy 0.127 mm casting and machinable waxes, polyolefin, ABS, PC

A gantry robot controlled extruder head moves in two principle directions over a table Table can be raised or lowered as needed Thermo plastic or wax filament is extruded through the small orifice of heated die Initial layer placed on a foam foundation with a constant rate Extruder head follows a predetermined path from the file After first layer the table is lowered and subsequent layers are formed

In Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process a movable (x-y movement) nozzle on to a substrate deposits thread of molten polymeric material. The build material is heated slightly above (approximately 0.5 C) its melting temperature so that it solidifies within a very short time (approximately 0.1 s) after extrusion and cold-welds to the previous layer as shown in figure 8. Various important factors need to be considered and are steady nozzle and material extrusion rates, addition of support structures for overhanging features and speed of the nozzle head, which affects the slice thickness. More recent FDM systems

include two nozzles, one for part material and other for support material. The support material is relatively of poor quality and can be broken easily once the complete part is deposited and is removed from substrate. In more recent FDM technology, water-soluble support structure material is used. Support structure can be deposited with lesser density as compared to part density by providing air gaps between two consecutive roads.

Fig8. Selective Laser Sintering System

Fig. Fused Deposition Modeling Process (after Pham and Demov, 2001
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is the rapid prototyping technology that forms threedimensional objects from CAD generated solid or surface models. A temperature-controlled head extrudes ABS plastic wire layer by layer and as a result, the designed object emerges as a fully functional three-dimensional part. Why use rapid prototyping? Rapid prototyping (RP) is used to save time and cut costs at every stage of the product development process. Prototypes can now be produced in a matter of hours that have typically taken weeks or even months to make. With rapid prototyping, companies are now able to verify and change designs with much less investment in time and money, And if Idaho manufacturers utilize this technology, it should

improve their capability to bring products into the marketplace in a more timely manner and at a more competitive price. WaterWorks uses a water-based solution to simply wash away the supports right down the drain. Your model is left smooth and clean no nicks or scratches and the fine details remain intact. Youll find that the convenience of this special feature lets your designers, engineers and manufacturers get down to business, instead of spending their time removing supports from newly created prototypes. FDM Features: Competitive with other RP technologies Strong and durable model APS plastic (with color choices) and Elastomer material choices Water proof, paintable Maximum size- 10 x 10 x 16 Rapid prototype models can be used as design evolution, manufacturing tools (assemblies, test fixtures, visual aids), sales tools (internal and external), estimating tools (prototype parts included in drawings) and master patterns for composite molds. The time it takes to develop a concept from its initial phase to its introduction to the marketplace can be critical. Manufacturers are always looking for ways to shorten this process. With the assistance of computer-assisted design tools, such as CAD, manufacturers have taken significant steps toward utilizing these tools to design and develop new products. Traditionally, Engineers have created three-dimensional models and prototypes by using conventional methods of fabrication, such as machine tooling. Long turnaround times result in delays in getting products to market. Rapid prototyping (RP) was developed to automate new product development and to shorten the development cycle significantly.- Stratasys Inc. For more information on Rapid Prototyping, contact Steve Hatten at 426-2182 or shatten@boisestate.edu.

Applications of Rapid prototyping (RP)

Production of individual parts Production of tooling by Rapid Prototyping (Rapid Tooling)

Benefits to Rapid prototyping (RP) Technologies

Visualization, verification, iteration, and design optimization Communication tool for simultaneous engineering Form-fit-function tests Marketing studies of consumer preferences Metal prototypes fabricated from polymer parts Tooling fabricated from polymer parts

Conclusions
Rapid prototyping (RP) is used to save time and cut costs at every stage of the product development process. Prototypes can now be produced in a matter of hours that have typically taken weeks or even months to make. With rapid prototyping, companies are now able to verify and change designs with much less investment in time and money,

Rapid prototyping is a new tool, which used appropriately ... allows the manufacturing enterprise to run smoother increases throughput and product quality New uses and applications are discovered everyday Future areas include new materials directly deposited (metals, ceramics) In general Rapid Prototyping decreases development time by allowing corrections to a product to be made early in the process. By giving engineering, manufacturing, marketing and purchasing a look at the product early in the design process, mistakes can be corrected and changes can be made while they are still inexpensive. Rapid Prototyping improves product development by enabling better communication in a concurrent engineering environment. In the given paper the proposed conceptual model of CAD/CAM and RPT integration can yield valuable and interesting developments for achieving agility and thereby acquire global competitiveness.

REFERENCES 1. Internet 2. Chua, C.K., Leong, K.F. (2000) Rapid Prototyping: Principles and Applications in Manufacturing, World Scientific. 3. Gebhardt, A., (2003) Rapid Prototyping, Hanser Gardner Publications, Inc., Cincinnati. 4. Pandey, P.M., Reddy N.V., Dhande, S.G. (2003a) Slicing Procedures in Layered Manufacturing: A Review, Rapid Prototyping Journal, 9(5), pp. 274-288. 5. Pandey, P.M., Reddy, N.V., Dhande, S.G. (2003b) Real Time Adaptive Slicing for Fused Deposition Modelling, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, 43(1), pp 61-71.