FEATURE
3D PRINTING/ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
3d Printing: unleash your creativity
Over 23 years ago, the founders of Stratasys invented one of the first 3D printing technologies. So what happened next? Rachael Morling finds out from Zehavit Reisin, vice president | head of materials business and design segment, ROW Stratasys
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his article focuses on PolyJet Technology, which is said by Stratasys to be the most suitable technology for design. But when
Objet was founded by Hanan Gothait and Gershon Miller 23 years ago, the aim was to create a technology for rapid prototyping that would be affordable and office-friendly. At the time, this was seen as a breakthrough as it was the only technology capable of producing top quality parts which are moveable, and where the process was easy to use. In addition, it was the only technology with support dedicated material that could be removed in water, compared to a breakable support. This had an impact on the quality of the parts and the delivery time. In addition, the simple workflow was a breakthrough – it was about the engineer or product designer that could do it all, from CAD to Print, and not necessarily the ‘champion’, i.e. the expert at the Service Bureau. The first parts to come out of the printer
were samples to demonstrate rapid prototyping capabilities. Following this, the first real prototypes jobs came from automotive, consumer goods and service bureau’s where the focus was on Form – a realisation of a 2D CAD file. Later on came Fit and Functional testing for the purpose of prototypes. From its introduction, it took five years
before a significant ramp-up of the technology occurred. This enhanced the usage across various industries and different company sizes – from fortune 500 companies to small studios. Over the following years the technology
moved on greatly to something which is used across the world every day. However, the major leaps that happened were from single material to multi materials and digital materials, improvement of mechanical and thermal properties over time, introduction of elastomers, introduction of super clear materials mimicking
3D printing has become an integral technology in the design and development of products
Today, full colour realistic models that mimic the look and feel of the end use parts can be printed – such as this Audi tail light
PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate), full colour for design realism, and soluble support. Another leap, however, was in workflow – a smooth workflow from CAD to Print that is accessible and easy to use was – and still is – a major enabler. In addition to this, part size (all the way to 1m size parts), and an improvement in throughput of up to three times were also major achievements. Another aspect is compliance with
regulation in everything that is done, and in the last few years investment in sustainability with clear strategies and roadmaps. Following all these developments, 3D printing
has become an integral part of the design and development of products in leading industries.
evolving aPPlications
Over the years, the applications have changed from rigid parts made in a single material to full colour realistic models that mimic the look and feel of the end use parts. Examples include headlights or an armrest, as seen in the images. This initially focused on Form, then Fit and Form, and now Fit, Form and Function – all the way to tooling and end use parts. The medical industry has also seen many benefits, with pre-surgery medical modelling revolutionising the way surgeries are carried out, impacting directly on the health of patients. Furthermore, stone models for dental aligners is a key application that made it all very accessible.
12 DESIGNSOLUTIONS JULY/AUGUST 2021 It has been said that 3D printing has the
‘potential to change everything’, and this is thanks to reduced time to market, accessibility, office-ability, personalisation, and changes in supply chain from central to distributed supply – you can print from everywhere. Plus, reduced cost when compared to traditional or other manufacturing methods. Today, all industries are benefitting
from 3D printing – including consumer electronics/consumer goods, automotive, aerospace, dental, medical, education, fashion & art, service bureau’s, and mobility and transport. It is, for example, being used for producing figurines and in fashion as end use parts, and in tooling (dental included).
a standard manufacturing method
With the ability to save costs and deliver products to market faster, its ease of use, accessibility, secured IP when printing in-house vs out- sourcing, and because it is essentially ‘green’, 3D printing has become an essential technology. It enables shorter design cycles, higher
quality, and a freedom of design which unleashes creativity among designers and engineers. And, as for the future, 3D printing will become a standard manufacturing method – from prototyping to production. From saving lives due to shorter and more
accurate surgeries, to continuous innovations. Clear aligners in mass production are only enabled via 3D printing.
Stratasys
www.stratasys.com
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