FUNDAMENTALS

OF RP
FDM

SLS

TYPES OF RP

SLA

3D PRINTER

INPUT, METHOD, MATERIAL,

APPLICATION

Figure 2.1: The Rapid Prototyping Wheel

depicting the 4 major aspects of RP

Input refers to the electronic information

required to describe the physical object with
3D data.

There are two possible starting points a

computer model or a physical model.

The computer model created by a CAD

system can be either a surface model or a
solid model.

On the other hand, 3D data from the

physical model is not at all straightforward.

It requires data acquisition through a

method known as reverse engineering.

In reverse engineering, a wide range of

equipment digitizer, to capture data points
of the physical model and reconstruct it in
CAD system.

 While

they are currently more than

20 vendors for RP systems, the
method employed by each vendor
can be generally classified into the
following categories:
photo-curing,
cutting and glueing/joining,
melting and solidifying/fusing and
joining/binding.

 Photo-curing

can be further
divided into categories of
single laser beam,
double laser beams and
masked lamp

 The

initial state of material can come

in either
solid, liquid or powder state.

In

solid state, it can come in various

forms such
a pallets, wire or laminates.

The

current range materials include

paper, nylon, wax, resins, metals and

ceramics.

 Most

of the RP parts are finished

or touched up before they are
used for their intended
applications.
Applications can be grouped into:
Design
Engineering, Analysis and Planning
Tooling and Manufacturing

wide range of industries can

benefit from RP and these
include, but are not limited to,
aerospace,
automotive,
biomedical, consumer,
electrical and electronics products.

LIQUID BASED, SOLID BASED,

POWDER BASED

Liquid-based RP systems have the initial form

of its material in liquid state.
Through a process commonly known as curing,
the liquid is converted into the solid state.
The following RP systems fall into this
category:
1)
2)
3)
4)

3D Systems Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA)

Cubitals Solid Ground Curing (SGC)
Sonys Solid Creation System (SCS)
CMETs Solid Object Ultraviolet-Laser Printer (SOUP)

5) Autostrades E-Darts
6) Teijin Seikis Soliform System
7) Meikos Rapid Prototyping System for the Jewelry
Industry
8) Denkens SLP
9) Mitsuis COLAMM
10)Fockele & Schwarzes LMS
11)Light Sculpting
12)Aaroflex
13)Rapid Freeze
14)Two Laser Beams
15)Micro-fabrication

As is illustrated in the RP Wheel in Figure 2.1,

three methods are possible under the Photocuring method.
The single laser beam method is most widely use and
includes all the above RP systems with the exception of
(2), (11), (13) and (14).
Cubital (2) and Light Sculpting (11) use the masked
lamp method, while the two laser beam method is still
not commercialized.
Rapid Freeze (13) involves the freezing of water
droplets and deposits in a manner much like FDM to
create the prototype.

Except for powder, solid-based RP systems

are meant to encompass all forms of
material in the solid state.
In this context, the solid form can include
the shape in the form of

a wire, a roll, laminates and pallets.

The following RP systems fall into this

definition:
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

Referring to the RP Wheel in Figure 2.1, two

methods are possible for solid-based RP
systems.

RP systems (1), (3), (4) and (9) belong to

the Cutting and Glueing/Joining method,

while the Melting and Solidifying/Fusing

method used RP systems (2), (5), (6), (7)
and (8).

In a strict sense, powder is by-and-large in

the solid state.
However, it is intentionally created as a
category outside the solid-based RP systems
to mean powder in grain-like form.
The following RP systems fall into this
definition:
1)
2)
3)
4)

3D Systemss Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

EOSs Corporation EOSINT Systems
Z Corporations Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP)
Optomecs Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS)

5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Soligens Direct Shell Production Casting (MJS)

Fraunhofers Multiphase Jet Solidifcation (MJS)
Acrams Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
Aeromet Corporations Lasform Technology
Precision Optical Manufacturings Direct Metal
Deposition (DMDTM)
10)Generis RP System (GS)
11)Therics Inc.s Theriform Technology
12)Extrude Hones PrometalTM 3D Printing Process

All the above RP systems employ the

Joining/Binding method.

The method of joining/binding differs for the

above systems in that some employ a laser
while others use a binder/glue to achieve
the joining effect.

PROCESS, MATERIAL,
ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS

History:
Worldwide first RP-technology at all
Patented 1984
Commercialized 1988 by 3D-Systems Inc.

The generative approach:

Production of parts by addition of material instead of
removal (like for example by cutting,etc)
Layer-by-layer build up >>bottom-to-top<<
Easy manufacture of undercuts, complex structures,
internal holes

Realization by Stereolithography
Local solidification of a light-sensitive liquid
resin (photopolymer) using an UV laser
Scanning of the cross-section areas to be
hardened with the laser focus.

Layer by layer curing of a liquid

photopolymer by a laser
Control of laser by a scan-mirror system

Process steps

Lowering of table by the thickness of one layer

Application/leveling of liquid resin
Scanning with laser
Again lowering of table

Supports
Needed for manufacture of undercuts
Build up with part similar to a honey-bee-structure

Process chain of SLA

Process chain of SLA (Cont..)

 Only

photopolymer of different
qualities available
temp.-proof,
flexible,
transparent etc)

High part complexity

High accuracy
Support structure required

Part size: 250x250x250 mm3 to

1000x800x500 mm3
Accuracy: 0.05 mm
Facility costs: 50 000 605 000 US$

PROCESS, MATERIAL,
ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS

 Melting

of a wire-shaped plastic
material and deposition with a xyplotter mechanism

Characteristics

Limited part complexity

Two different material for part and
support

 Thermoplastics

ABS,
Nylon,
Wax etc)

Fabrication of functional parts

Minimal wastage
Ease of support removal
Ease of material change

Restricted accuracy filament diameter

1.27mm
Slow process
Unpredictable shrinkage
Part size: 600x500x600 mm3
Accuracy: +/- 0.1 mm
Facility costs: 66 500 290 000 US$

PROCESS, MATERIAL,
ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS

 TYPE

Produced by 3 D Systems, USA

Developed & patented by Univ of Texas,
Austin
Material: only technology directly process
thermoplastic, metallic, ceramic &
thermoplastic composites
Model: sinter station 2000, 2500 &
2500plus, Vanguard

 TYPE

Produced by EOS, Germany

First European for plastics, & manufacturer
Capable to produce 700 x 380 x 580 (mm)
First worldwide system for direct laser
sintering
Model:
EOSINT P thermoplastic ( eg nylon )
EOSINT M metal
EOSINT P 700 plastic

Local melting/sintering of a powder by a laser

Direct: the powder particles melt together
Indirect: the powder particles are coated with
a thermoplastic binder which melts up
Characteristics

High part complexity

Many materials available
Burning out of the binder and infiltration might be
required
Relatively high porosity and surface roughness
Usually no supports needed

 Wax
Thermoplastics
Metal
Casting

sand
Ceramics

TYPE 1 (3D System)

Good part stability precise controlled
environment
Wide range of processing materials nylon,
polycarbonates, metals etc
No part supports required material as support
Little post-processing required - blasting &
sanding
No post-curing required model solid enough

TYPE 2 (EOS)
Good part stability precise controlled environment
Wide range of processing materials polyamide,
polystyrene, metals etc
No part supports required or only simplified support
reduce building time
Little post-processing required good model finishing
High accuracy low shrinkage & in separation building
No post-curing required model solid enough
Built large part large build volume (700x380x580)

Part size: 250x250x150 to 720x500x450

mm3
Accuracy: +/- 0.1 mm
Facility costs: 275 000 850 000 US$

TYPE 1 (3D System)

Large physical size of the unit need big space.
High power consumption high wattage of laser for
sintering.
Poor surface finish use large particle powder

TYPE 2 (EOS)
Dedicated systems for plastic, metal & sand only.
High power consumption high laser power for
metal sintering.
large physical size of unit use large space

PROCESS, MATERIAL,
ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS

 Produced

by Z Corporation, USA
Core Technology invented & patented
by MIT
Materials: starch & plaster formulations
Model:
Z 400 entry level & education
Z 406/ 510 Color Printer builds
Z 810 - large build volume

Local bonding of starch powder by a

binder using an ink jet (patent of MIT)

Characteristics

Very high building speeds

Easy handling
Binder available in different colors
Infiltration necessary
Ideal for fast visualization

Process steps

Spread a layer of powder

Print the cross section of the part
Spread another layer of powder
Parts are printed with no supports to remove
Refer z corp.doc

 Starch

powder (Z Corp.)
Other manufactures offer systems for
ceramics or metals

High speed layer printed in seconds

Versatile - used for automotive, aerospace,
footwear, packaging, etc
simple to operate - straightforward
No wastage of material can recycle
colour enable complex colour scheme

Part size: 200x250x200 mm

Resolution 600 dpi in x-y-direction
Facility costs: 49 000 67 500 US$

Limited functional parts models are weak

limited materials starch & plaster-based
only
poor surface finish need post-processing