COURSE: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Module No. 5: OTHER PROCESSES

Lecture No-2 Rapid Prototyping Technology (RPT)

Background:

In this age of fast growth (rapid technology age), customer demands are increasing rapidly.
Customers do not like to wait. The traditional processing time needs to be shortened. It is a
‘Buyers market’ today, instead of a ‘Sellers market’ as it used to be in the past. In the quest for
fast manufacturing, all non-productive times need to be eliminated. The traditional method
involves time loss on concept designing, manufacturing, assembly and testing. For example, in
case of a foundry, lot of time is spent on pattern designing, making, getting the casting done and
then evaluating its performance. This initially involves designing and redesigning, until a
satisfactory product is developed, which is a very slow process. In order to get this time
recovered, to overcome the slow trend and grow up with the requirements of the next generation,
the most logical answer to the future of design and manufacturing is the Rapid Prototyping
Technology (RPT).

Introduction:

Rapid prototyping (RP) is a technology wherein the physical modeling of a design is done using
a specialized machining technology. The systems used in rapid prototyping quickly produce
models and prototype parts from three-dimensional (3D) computer aided design (CAD) model
data, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan data and such data created from 3D digitizing
systems. Using an additive approach for building shapes, the systems in RP join different
materials like liquids or powder to form some physical objects. Layer by layer, the RP machines
fabricate these powdered ceramic, wood, plastic and metal powders using very small and thin
horizontal cross sections of the generated computer model. Rapid prototyping is an emerging
technology, the definition of which is derived from the key concept - making it rapid. Rapid
prototyping is creating a profound impact on the way companies produce models, prototype
parts, and tooling. A few companies are now using it to produce final manufactured parts. It is
believed that rapid prototyping shall occupy a major share in manufacturing techniques in the
years to come.
Steps in RPT

 Creation of the CAD model of the (part) design,

 Conversion of the CAD model into Standard Tessellation Language (STL) format,
 Slicing of the STL file into thin sections,
 Building part layer by layer,
 Post processing/finishing/joining.

Major RP Technologies:

1. Photo Masking or Solid Ground Curing technique.

2. LOM (Laminated Object Manufacturing)
3. SLA (Stereolithography)
4. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
5. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
6. Thermo Jet Process
7. 3D Printing
8. Ballistic Particle Manufacturing (BPM)

1. Photo masking or Solid Ground Curing :

A mask is generated by electro-statically charging a glass plate with negative image of cross
section of the required part. In the meantime, a thin liquid polymer is spread across the surface of
the work-plane. The mask plate with a negative image of the liquid polymer is positioned over
the thin polymer layer and exposed under the ultraviolet laser lamp for few seconds.

All parts of the exposed photopolymer layer get solidified with one exposure. However, the area
shaded by the mask is left in a liquid form and is wiped off with vacuum suction head and
replaced by hot wax which acts as a support to the solidified polymer layer. A face mill makes
the surface of wax and polymer flat and to desired thickness. All the above steps are repeated till
final model embedded in removable wax is obtained.
2. Laminated Object Manufaccturing:

This tech
hnique is esp
pecially suitted for produ
ucing parts ffrom laminaated paper, pplastic, metaal etc.
The scheematic of an
n LOM setup
p is shown in
i Fig. 5.2.11. A laser beeam cuts the contour off part
cross-secction. Severaal such sectiions when glued
g or wellded yield thhe prototypee. The layerrs are
built up by
b pulling a long, thin sheet
s of pre--glued materrial across thhe base platte and fixingg it in
place witth a heated roller
r that acctivates the glue. Then a laser beam
m is scannedd over the suurface
and cuts out the outtline of that layer of th
he object. Thhe laser inteensity is set at just the level
needed to
o cut throug
gh a single layer
l of matterial. Then the rest of the paper iss crosshatchhed to
make it easier to breeak away laater. The base plate mooves down, aand the whoole process starts
again. Th
he sheet of material is made
m signifi
ficantly wideer than the bbase plate, sso when the base
plate moves down, itt leaves a neeat rectangullar hole behiind. This scrrap materiall is wound oonto a
second ro
oller, pulling
g a new secction across the base plaate. At the eend of the bbuild processs, the
little crosshatched columns are broken awaay to free thhe object. T
The materiall used is ussually
paper, th
hough acrylicc plastic sheeet, ceramic felts can bee used. The LOM is parrticularly suiitable
for large models.
 Fig. 5.2.1 Schematic
S of
o the Lamin
nated Objecct Manufactturing process in RPT

1. Stereeolithograph
hy (SLA):

In this technology, th
he part is pro
oduced in a vat
v containinng a liquid w
which is a phhoto-curable resin
acrylate. Under the influence of light of a sp
pecific waveelength, smalll moleculess are polymeerized
into largeer solid mollecules. The SLA machiine, whose sschematic iss shown in F
Fig. 5.2.2, crreates
the proto
otypes by traacing the lay
yer cross sections on thhe surface off liquid polyymer pool w
with a
laser beaam. In the in
nitial positio
on the elevattor table in the vat is inn the top most position. The
laser beaam is driven
n in X and Y directionss by program
mme driven mirrors to ssweep acrosss the
liquid su
urface so as to
t make it solidified
s to a designed depth (say,11 mm). In thhe next cyclee, the
elevated table is low
wered further. This is reepeated untill the desiredd 3-D modeel is created. The
figure sh
hows a modiffied design in
i which a contact windoow allows thhe desired arrea to be expposed
to light, masking
m the area which remains liqu
uid.

Fig. 5.2.2
5 Schem
matic of the Stereo
S litho graphic proocess used in
n RPT.

d Deposition
4. Fused n Modeling::

In this technique, a spool of therm

moplastic fillament is fedd into a heatted FDM exttrusion headd. The
X and Y movements are controllled by a com
mputer so thaat the exact ooutline of eaach section oof the
prototypee is obtained
d. Each layeer is bonded
d to the earllier by heatiing. This meethod is ideaal for
producin
ng hollow objjects. The scchematic of the
t FDM is shown in Fig. 5.2.3.

In this teechnique, th
he object is made by sq
queezing a ccontinuous tthread of poolymer throuugh a
narrow, heated
h nozzlle that is mov
ved over thee base plate. The thread m
melts as it passes througgh the
nozzle, only
o to get hardened
h agaain immediaately as it touches (and sticks to) thhe layer beloow. A
support structure
s is needed
n for ceertain shapes, and this iss provided bby a second nozzle squeezing
out a sim
milar thread, usually of a different co
olor in order to make it eeasier to disttinguish them
m. At
the end of
o the build
d process, th
he support structure
s is bbroken awayy and discaarded, freeinng the
object. The
T FDM method produ
uces models that are phyysically robuust. Wax caan be used aas the
material, but generallly models arre made of ABS
A plastic.

Fig. 5.2.3
5 Schem
matic of the F
FDM processs

5. Selecttive Laser Sintering

S (SL
LS):

In this method,
m a thiin layer of powder
p is ap
pplied usingg a roller. Thhe SLS usess a laser beaam to
selectively fuse powdered materrials, such ass nylon, elasstomers and metals into a solid objeect as
shown in
n the Fig. 5.2
2.4. The CO2 laser is often used to siinter successsive layers oof powder innstead
of liquid resin. Partss are built up
pon a platform which siits just below
w the surfacce in a bin oof the
heat-fusib
ble powder.. A beam of
o laser then
n traces the pattern on the very first layer theereby
sintering it together. The platfo
orm is furth
her lowered by the heigght of the ssecond layerr and
powder is
i again app
plied. This process is continued uuntil the parrt is compleeted. The exxcess
amount of
o powder at each layer helps
h to supp
port the part during its build-up.

Fig
g. 5.2.4 Scheematic of th
he Selective Laser Sinteering processs

6. 3-D Systems:
S

In this sy
ystem, in orrder to build
d a part, the machine sppreads a singgle layer of powder ontto the
movable bottom of a build box. A binder is then printedd onto each layer of powder to form
m the
shape of the cross-section of the model. The bottom of thhe build boxx is then lowered by one layer
thicknesss and a new layer of pow
wder is spreaad. This proocess is repeaated for everry layer or ccross-
section of
o the modell. Upon com
mpletion, thee build box is filled witth powder, ssome of whiich is
bonded to form the part,
p and som
me of which
h remain loosse. The stepps involved iin the processs are
shown in
n Fig. 5.2.5.
 Fig. 5.2.5
5 Schema
atic of the 33-D systems
7. Therm
mo Jet Proccess:

This tech
hnique uses an inkjet printing
p head
d with a binnder materiaal to bind ceeramic and other
powders spread by ro
oller prior to
o application
n by a sprayy gun. Wax pparts producced in this syystem
can be ussed as sacrifi
ficial patternss for investm
ment casting. The main aadvantage off the methodd is in
the produ
uction of reelatively com
mplex castin
ngs without the need foor a tooling, and hencee cost
effective. Complex metal
m parts may
m be produ
uced from coomputer aideed design (C
CAD) models in a
relatively
y short perio
od of time. Wax
W patterns need to be ffinished to a high standaard. One prooblem
with the system is th
he requiremeent of a support system. The suppoort system leeaves undulaations
on all do
ownward facing surfacess of the patteern. Thereforre, the suppoorts need to be removedd, and
surfaces are required
d to be cleaaned by han
nd. This proocess is best suited to small numbber of
complex parts that would
w otherrwise requirre a significcant amountt of coring to accommodate
undercut features.

8. Ballisstic Particle Manufactu

uring (BPM):

The BPM
M system uses
u piezo-drriven inkjet mechanism
m to shoot ddroplets of molten materials
which geet cold-weldeed together on
o a previou
usly depositeed layer. A laayer is createed by movinng the
droplet nozzle
n in X and Y direcctions. The base-plate
b iss lowered byy a specifiedd distance after a
layer is formed,
f and a new layerr is created on the top oof the previoous one; finnally the moddel is
created.
RAPID MANUFACTURING:

Rapid manufacturing may be considered as an extension of Rapid-Prototyping technology. It

involves automated production of parts by instructions directly fed by the CAD data which is
modeled earlier. Currently, only a few final products are prepared by these machines. This
technology is not suitable for mass production but for small batches and one-off production
articles, it is cheaper since no tooling is involved. Some of the final components that are
produced are: customized dinner-wares, helmets for individual heads (customized), jewellery
patterns, spark erosion electrodes and reverse engineering parts.

Applications of RPT:

 It is mainly used in modeling, Product Design and Development,

 Reverse Engineering applications,
 Short Production Runs and Rapid Tooling,
 In medical applications, RPT is used to make exact models resembling the actual parts of a
person, through computer scanned data, which can be used to perform trial surgeries,
 RP techniques are used to make custom-fit masks that reduce scarring on burn victims,
 Selective laser sintering (SLS) has been used to produce superior socket knees,
 Very tiny, miniature parts can be made by electrochemical fabrication,
 In jewelry designs, crafts and arts.

Future developments:

 As the Rapid Prototyping Technology gets further advanced, it can lead to substantial
reduction in build-up time for manufacturing.
 Further improvement in laser optics and motor control can improve the accuracy.
 The development of new materials and polymers so that they are less prone to curing and
temperature induced warpages.
 Much anticipated development is the introduction of non-polymeric materials including
metals, ceramics, composites and powder metallurgy.
 Developments in ceramic composites can further increase the range of rapid prototyping.
 Currently, the size is also a restriction; capability for larger parts shall be expected in the near
future.
 Currently, the demand is low and with the further technology advancement, awareness and
training, this can be increased.
 Advancement in computing systems and viability to support net designs from a distant
country to be fed directly on the RP machines for manufacturing is a new possibility.

Limitations and Challenges ahead:

 Unfamiliarity with the application of RPT exists. Therefore, its complete adaptability and
how exactly this new and advanced technology will be of help and is not known.
 In view of high equipment cost, very few organizations can invest in these new machines.
 Currently, RPT is more limited to modeling, specimen making and designing.
 The RPT is at present limited to making of paper and plastic type products only.
 Replacing steel by composites is still not easy and people fear its implications.
 RP companies usually limit the marketing efforts and industry awareness; hence most
engineering and manufacturing professionals are not fully aware of the RP potentials.

The Fig. 5.2.6 indicates some common appliances, wherein the blades of fan, covers and
components of oven, projectors are made by the rapid manufacturing techniques.
Fig.
F 5.2.6 So
ome applica
ations of Raapid Manufaacturing