Unit 3: Concepts Modelers

Principle, Thermal jet printer, Sander's model market, 3-D printer.

Genisys Xs printer HP system 5
 Unit 3: Concepts Modelers

• 3D Systems ThermoJet printer (Multi-Jet Modeller)

• Sanders ModelMaker II (Inkjet Modelling Technology)
• Z-Corporation Z402 (3D printer)
• Stratasys Genisys Xs printer
• JP System 5

SLE:
• Objet Quadra system.
CLASSIFICATION
 PROCESSES

• Stereolithograghy (SL)
• Solid Ground Curing (SCG)
• Multi Jet Modelling (MJM)
• Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• The technology and the term were created in 1986 by Chuck
Hull, founder of 3D printing company 3D Systems. According to
him, SLA is a method of creating 3D objects by successively
“printing” layers, by which he meant a photosensitive material.

• In 1992, 3D Systems created the world’s first SLA apparatus,

which made it possible to fabricate complex parts, layer by
layer, in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

• SLA was the first entry into the rapid prototyping field during
the 1980s and has continued to advance itself into a widely
used technology.
Every standard SLA 3D printer is generally composed of four
primary sections:

• A tank filled with the liquid photopolymer: The liquid resin is

usually a clear and liquid plastic.
• A perforated platform immersed in a tank: The platform is
lowered into the tank and can move up and down according
to the printing process.
• A high-powered, ultraviolet laser
• A computer interface, which manages both the platform and
the laser movements
Stereolithograghy (SL)
Stereolithograghy (SL)
 Pros

• SLA is one of the most precise 3D printing techniques on the market.

• Prototypes can be created with extremely high quality, with finely detailed
features (thin walls, sharp corners, etc…) and complex geometrical
shapes. Layer thicknesses can be made as low as 25 μm, with minimum
feature sizes between 50 and 250 μm.

• SLA provides the tightest dimensional tolerances of any rapid prototyping

or additive manufacturing technology: +/- 0.005″ (0.127 mm) for the first
inch, and an additional 0.002″ for each additional inch.

• Print surfaces are smooth.

• Build volumes can be as high as 50 x 50 x 60 cm³ without sacrificing

precision.
 Cons
• Printing tends to take a long time.

• Steep slopes and overhangs require support structures during the building
process. Such parts may potentially collapse during printing or curing
phases.

• Resins are comparatively fragile and therefore not suitable for functional
prototypes or mechanical testing.

• SLA offers limited material and color choice, usually offering black, white,
grey and clear material. Resins are oftentimes proprietary and therefore
cannot be easily exchanged between printers from different brands.

• SLA printing costs are comparatively high (e.g. machine, materials, lab
environment).
 Solid Ground Curing
• Solid Ground Curing, also known as the Solider Process, is a process
that was invented and developed by Cubital Inc. of Israel.
•
• The SGC process uses photosensitive resin hardened in layers as with
the Stereolithography (SLA) process. However, in contrast to SLA, the
SGC process is considered a high-throughput production process.

• The high throughput is achieved by hardening each layer of

photosensitive resin at once.

• Many parts can be created at once because of the large work space and
the fact that a milling step maintains vertical accuracy.

• Wax replaces liquid resin in non-part areas with each layer so that
model support is ensured.
Solid Ground Curing
The steps in the process are as follows.

First, a CAD model of the part is created and it is sliced into layers using Cubital's
Data Front End (DFE) software. At the beginning of a layer creation step, the flat
work surface is sprayed with photosensitive resin, as shown below:
• For each layer, a photomask is produced using Cubital's proprietary
iconographic printing technique, as illustrated below:
• Next, the photomask is positioned over the work surface and a powerful
UV lamp hardens the exposed photosensitive resin:
• After the layer is cured, all uncured resin is vacuumed for recycling, leaving
the hardened areas intact. The cured layer is passed beneath a strong
linear UV lamp to fully cure it and to solidify any remnant particles, as
illustrated below:
• In the fifth step, wax replaces the cavities left by vacuuming the liquid
resin. The wax is hardened by cooling to provide continuous, solid support
for the model as it is fabricated. Extra supports are not needed.
• Once all layers are completed, the wax is removed, and any finishing
operations such as sanding, etc. can be performed. No post-cure is
necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MjvfrM1r6U
 Multi Jet Modelling (MJM)

Multijet modeling (MJM) was introduced by 3D Systems in 1996 as a

cheaper alternative to industrial grade Stereolithography machines.

Current market leaders - Objet

- 3D Systems
• Multi-Jet Modeling is known for its ability to create fine-detailed
objects.
• During the printing process, the 3D object is constructed layer by
layer using a print head.
• Multi-Jet Modeling makes it possible to create items rich in detail
with a smooth surface.
• It is similar to a conventional inkjet printer in the way it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apm5Gn2s_-M&t=127s
The printing process starts with the
carriage moving across the X-axis,
across the build platform.

As it moves, the print heads

selectively jet the resin, in the form of
droplets, onto the build platform.

Immediately after they're jetted, the

UV lights cure them into an ever
growing solid.
 Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)

The fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology was developed by S. Scott Crump in the
late 1980s and was commercialized in 1990. The double material approach was developed
by Stratasys in 1999.

Current market leaders - Stratasys, Inc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHO6G67GJbM
 Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
SLS technology invented at UT Austin in the ‘80s by Joe Beaman, Carl Deckard and Dave
Bourell.
• First successful machine: DTM Sinterstation 2000, in late 1990s
• DTM later acquired by 3D Systems

Current market leaders - 3D Systems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E5MfBAV_tA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruvRijM7f50
 3D Systems ThermoJet printer

• Multi-Jet Modelling (MJM) - 3D Systems in 1995

• Actua 2100 - ThermoJet printer - since 1998
• Thermoplastic material
• The parts have a layer thickness of 40 μm, an X-Y resolution of 85
µm and a droplet placement accuracy of ±100 μm.
• Complex models can be built as quickly as simple models
• Another advantage of the ThermoJet printer is that it is equipped
with a cartridge system for easy loading of the thermo polymer
material.
Specifications of the ThermoJet Printer
Sanders ModelMaker II (Inkjet Modelling Technology)

• Sanders Prototype Inc (SPI) in 1994.

• A dimensional accuracy of ± 13 µm over 229 mm in the Z axis and up

to ± 0.025 mm over 76 mm in the X-Y plane.

• PatternMaster -Concept Modellers.

• Thermoplastic material – ProtoBuild.

• Sanders Prototype Inc’s proprietary wax material, ProtoSupport.

• Building small models with intricate features -aerospace, electronics

and medical applications.
Systems specifications of PatternMaster
Z-Corporation Z402 3D printer (Three-Dimensional Printing)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and licensed to Z Corporation in 1994.

• Z402 – 1996

• Building speed of 25 to 50 mm per hour- The price of the Z402 system is

around $50,000.

• Two powder-binder systems, ZP11(starch and cellulose) and ZP100(plaster).

• The resolution of this process is dependent on the sizes of the binder droplets
and the powder grains, the placement accuracy of the nozzle and the way that
the binder diffuses through the powder due to capillary action.

• . Disadvantages of this technique are that the final parts may be fragile and
porous,
Specifications of the Z402 system
 Stratasys Genisys Xs 3D printer

• IBM - Fused Deposition Modelling

• 1995, Stratasys – IBM- Concept Modeller called the Genisys 3D

Printer

• Extruding a bead of polyester compound - computer-controlled

pump

• Accuracy - 0.3302 mm diameter orifice at a controlled rate.

Technical specifications of Genisys Xs
 JP System 5

• Schroff Development Corporation.

• Personal computer and a cutting device.

• A personal computer and a cutting device.

• Prototypes using paper sheets - cost is very low.

• Two versions of the system are available: the Standard System, and the Premier
System.

• The Standard System uses a Roland cutter with 216 x 279 mm adhesive paper.

• The Premier System employs a Graphtec cutter with 432 x 559 mm paper.

• This RP system is ideally suited for education but also can be used in other
applications.
The fabrication of models employing the JP System 5 includes the following steps

• A proprietary software package is used to slice the model into a series of cross
sections.
• The software then converts the slices to a HPGL plot file format which is sent
to a plotter.
• The sheets are layered by aligning specially cut orientation holes.
• The sheets are positioned on a registration board.
• An adhesive is sprayed on the first sheet.
• The support backing is removed exposing the adhesive layer. Each subsequent
sheet adheres to the exposed adhesive surfaces of the previous sheet.
• Sections formed by the nesting operation are cut.
• The final model is assembled.
Process steps of the JP System 5