MEng8041 Rapid Prototyping and Tooling

MEng8041 Rapid Prototyping and Tooling
Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Material Science
By Fakada Dabalo Gurmesa
October 1, 2022
Fakada Dabalo (PhD Candidate) (JIT & UiS) MEng8041 Rapid Prototyping and Tooling October 1, 2022 1 / 50
Presentation Outlines
1 Metal printing
Overview of available technologies and processes
Printable materials and mechanical characteristics of printed parts
2 Rapid tooling
3 Data formats for exchange of design data to AM machines
1. Metal printing (MP)
MP is one of 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) process.
If 3D printing is using metal, the process is also known as 3D welding.
The Metal Printing Process (MPP) is a rapid manufacturing concept
aimed at developing the equivalent of a high-speed photocopier that
produces 3D objects.
The MPP is making a layer by manufacturing principles.
It all starts with making a virtual design and/or using a 3D scanner (to
copy an existing object) of the object desired to create.
1. Metal Printing Contd
MP is a process of making 3D solid objects from a digital file.

3D scanners use different technologies to generate a 3D model such as
time-of-flight, structured / modulated light, volumetric scanning and
many more.
3D scanner takes a 3D model

The potentials of the process are the possibility
1 To produce components with extraordinary material combinations,
2 To produce complex shaped components,
3 To produce components with a controlled porosity, and
4 To produce full density prototypes in metal that can be tested in their
actual application environment.
a) Available Technologies of Metal Printing and
Processes
Not all 3D printers use the same technology.
Some methods use melting while other use powder or softening
material to produce the layers.
There are 10 technologies of Metal 3D Printing:
FDM/Extrusion fused deposition modeling with metal filament
(stainless steel (316L, 17-4 PH), copper, titanium, bronze, tungsten,
aluminum).
SLM/PBF selective laser melting or powder bed fusion with laser
(aluminum, copper, nickel, stainless and tool steels, titanium, precious
metals),
a) Available Technologies of Metal Printing and
Processes Contd
EBM/PBF electron beam melting or powder bed fusion with electron
beam (aluminum, copper, nickel, stainless and tool steels, titanium,
precious metals).
Metal Binder Jetting (maraging steel, stainless and tool steels, nickel,
cobalt, titanium, aluminum, copper, bronze), WAAM wire arc additive
manufacturing (stainless and tool steels, titanium, nickel-based alloys),
DED Laser directed energy deposition (laser)(steels, cast iron,
nickel alloys, titanium alloys, aluminum, copper), DED eBeam directed
energy deposition (electron beam)(stainless and tool steels, nickel alloys,
titanium alloys), Metal Lithography (stainless steels, titanium, copper,
nickel, brass), Cold Spray (titaniums, coppers, stainless and tool steels,
aluminum, nickels, niobium, tantalum), Micro 3D Printing (steel, copper,
precious metals)
Selective Laser Sintering,
Direct Metal Laser Sintering,
Three Dimensional Printing,
Mechanical behavior characteristics of printed parts
"Good mechanical properties" is widely used in the 3D printing industry.
2. Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Rapid Tooling (RT)
A much-anticipated application of rapid prototyping is rapid tooling,
the automatic fabrication of production quality machine tools.
Tools often have a complex geometry, yet must be dimensionally
accurate to within a hundredth of a millimeter.
Process can create metal tools directly from CAD files using RP
Technique.
Production of functional products:- Other special applications: Reverse
engineering, flow visualization, medical models, etc...
2. Rapid Tooling (RT) Contd
RT is a term used to describe a process which either uses a rapid
prototyping model as a pattern to create a mould quickly or uses the
rapid prototyping process directly to fabricate a tool for a limited volume
of prototypes.
RT refers to mold cavities that are either directly or indirectly
fabricated using rapid prototyping (RP) techniques.
RT is generally categorized as soft or hard and direct or indirect
tooling as illustrated in Figure below.
Rapid Tooling RT Contd
The wide range of materials involved in tooling includes wax, wood,

photopolymers, thermal polymers, metals (such as tool steels),
ceramics (such as alumina and silica), and composites.
In soft tooling, the mold produced directly or indirectly is destroyed
after a single cast or is used for a small batch production such as
producing functional prototypes.
In contrast, molds produced in hard tooling are usually made of tool
steels, silica sand or composites that are used for high volume mass
production and actual fabrication of parts.
For example, tool steel molds and silica sand molds can be produced
tool steel molds and silica sand molds with the SLM and SLStechnique
respectively.
Rapid Tooling Contd
In indirect tooling, a master part is first produced in almost all the cases
in RT in order to obtain the final molding tool and generally requires at
least one intermediate step.
On the other hand, direct tooling involves no intermediate steps during
the production of the tool.
RT process use CAD/CAM techniques to make tools and moulds for
product assessment short production run and full production.
The most common RT methods are:
keltool
Sprayed metal tooling
ACES
Investment casting
Selective laser sintering
Stereolithography
Rapid Tooling Contd
Rapid Prototyping Process Step Although several rapid prototyping

techniques exist, all employ the same basic five- step process.
The steps are:
1 Create a CAD model of the design
2 Convert the CAD model to STL format
3 Slice the STL file into thin cross-sectional layers
4 Construct the model one layer atop another
5 Clean and finish the model
Advantages of RT
Minimizes design, manufacturing, and verification of tooling.

Customization
Constant Prototyping and Increased Productivity - Affordability
Storage
Employment Opportunities
Health Care
Limitations of RP
Cost
Accuracy
Finish
Strength
Material Options
Applications of RP
Historical Developments
Rapid Tooling
To Support Medical Applications
Surgical and Diagnostic Aids
Prosthetics Development
Manufacturing
Tissue Engineering and Organ Printing
Aerospace Applications
Automotive Applications
Reverse Engineering
Direct Tooling
Jewelry Design
Patterns for Casting
Molds for Casting
Patterns for Casting
Validation of Invention
Wind Tunnel Testing
Indirect Rapid Tooling: Aluminum filled epoxy tooling
In the indirect method, master patterns were produced with the SLS and
SL process as shown in Fig. a.
These master patterns were vacuum cast such that a silicon rubber mold
with a cavity (the same of the master pattern) can be produced.
An aluminum epoxy mixture is then poured into the silicon rubber mold
cavity to create the aluminum epoxy tooling that follows the shape of the
cavity as shown Fig. b.
These aluminum epoxy parts undergo further curing to improve
mechanical properties. These parts exhibit similar properties to that of
aluminum.
Indirect Rapid Tooling: Spray Metal Tooling
Currently, several industrial and government groups are working to
develop spray-metal tooling technologies.
Thermal metaldeposition technologies such as wire-arc spray and
vacuum plasmadeposition are being developed to essentially coat low
temperaturesubstrates with metallic materials.
The payoff results in a range oflow-cost tools that can provide varying
degrees of durability underinjection pressures.
The concept is to first deploy a high-temperature, highhardness shell
material to an RP positive, and then backfill the remainder of the tool
shell with inexpensive low-strength, lowtemperature materials and
cooling channels (if necessary).
Thisprovides a hard, durable face that will endure the forces and
temperatures of injection molding, and a soft backing that can beworked
for optimal thermal conductivity and heat transfer from themold.
The range of materials applied in MCP is limited to lowâĂŞmelting zinc
allows, aluminium and copper.
Although some successes are being achieved, the currentstumbling block
is the capability to deposit the harder, hightemperature material directly
onto the RP pattern without affectingthe integrity of the component
geometry.
One alternative is to usethe RP pattern to create a silicone-rubber mold,
which is used to create a ceramic spray substrate.
This ceramic substrate can then endurethe high-temperature metal spray.
However, as it sounds, time andcost are multiplied by this approach.
In wire-arc spray, the metal to be deposited comes in filamentform.
Two filaments are fed into the device, one is positivelycharged and the
other negatively charged, until they meet and createan electrical arc.
This arc melts the metal filaments, while simultaneously a high-velocity
gas flows through the arc zone and propelsthe atomized metal particles
onto the RP pattern.
The spray patternis either controlled manually, analogous to spray
painting, or automatically by robotic control.
Metal can be applied, in successivethin coats, to very low-temperature
RP patterns without deformationof the geometry.
Current wire-arc spray technologies are limited tolower-temperature
Direct Rapid Tooling: Direct AIM
In the direct rapid tooling techniques tools are manufactured with

application of rapid prototyping.
Direct AIM method was established by 3D systems. In this method a
mould cavity which is a negative of a model is made by curing epoxy
resin with a laser beam (in the same way as in stereolithography).
Moulds made in this way have good mechanical and thermal properties.
They can bear forming temperature up to 3000 C with application of
proper cooling system.
Manufacturing accuracy for this method is equal to ±0,12 mm.
The maximum number of parts in the particular production batch is
about 100.
Direct Rapid Tooling: Direct DMLS
Direct Metal Laser Sintering - DMLS method relies on sintering of

metal powder with a laser beam.
The base materials used in this process are brass and nickel powders.
The technology fuses metal powder into a solid part by melting it
locally using the focused laser beam.
Parts are built up additively layer by layer, typically using layers 20 µm
thick.
This process allows creating highly complex geometries directly from
the 3D CAD data, fully automatically, in hours and without any tooling.
DMLS producing parts with high accuracy and detail resolution, good
surface quality and excellent mechanical properties.
Direct Rapid Tooling: Quick cast process
Quick cast 3D process replaces traditional wax patterns for

investmentcasting with SLA patterns created in a robust durable material
without tooling and withoutdelay.
The products can be prepared within 2 - 4 days for small size and 1 - 4
weeks for themetal parts.
"QuickCast Tooling" process has the potential for truly dramatic cost and
time savings.
2. Rapid Tooling (RT) Contd
RT is divided in to two different categories.
1 Direct route - uses the CAD file to produce the tool in the final material.
Direct Rapid Tooling - Direct AIM, Quick cast process, Copper
polyamide, Rapid Tool, DMILS, Pro Metal, Sand casting tooling,
Laminate tooling, soft tooling vs hard tooling.
2 Indirect route - uses a rapid prototyping model as a master pattern or case
to make the moulds by established, more traditional routes.
Silicone rubber tooling, Aluminum filled epoxy tooling, Spray metal
tooling, etc.
Capturing 3D data of an object in computerized (digitized) form
Shortens design-to-market - is an effective time-compression technology
As RP becomes more mature, material properties, accuracy, cost and
lead-time have improved to permit it to be employed for the production
of tools. Some
Two part negative tooling is easily created with LOMTM systems. Since
the material is solid and inexpensive, bulk complicated tools are cost
effective to produce. These wood-like molds can be used for injection of
wax, polyurethane, epoxy or other low pressure and low temperature
Indirect Rapid Tooling
Indirect Rapid Tooling - Silicone rubber tooling,

Aluminum filled epoxy tooling,
Spray metal tooling, etc.
Direct Rapid Tooling - Direct AIM,
Quick cast process,
Copper polyamide,
Rapid Tool,
DMILS, Pro Metal,
Sand casting tooling, Laminate tooling,
soft tooling vs hard tooling.
Metal Printing
in general, do not need planning of process sequence manufactured in
one step
Software for Rapid Prototyping
3. Software for Rapid Prototyping
STL (Stereolithography) is a file format native to the stereolithography
CAD software created by 3D Systems. STL has several after-the-fact
backronyms such as "Standard Triangle Language" and "Standard
Tessellation Language".
The format was developed for 3D Systems’ first commercial 3D printers.
It is widely used for rapid prototyping, 3D printing and computer-aided
manufacturing.
STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three-dimensional
object without any representation of color, texture or other common
CAD model attributes.
The STL format specifies both ASCII and binary representations.
Binary files are more common, since they are more compact.
An STL file describes a raw unstructured triangulated surface by the unit
normal and vertices (ordered by the right-hand rule) of the triangles
using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. STL coordinates
must be positive numbers, there is no scale information, and the units are
arbitrary.
Instead of having a machine that has to communicate with all of these
different systems, there is a single, universal file format that every system
needs to be able to produce so that an RP machine can process what a
part looks like for slicing. This is the STL file.
Why is STL format used? The reason is because slicing a part is easier
compared to other methods such as B-rep (boundary representation) and
CSG (constructive solid geometry), which will need geometric reasoning
and data conversion.
To calculate the interaction between the geometry and a plane that
represents the slicing operation is not very efficient.
The slicing operation is computed by "intersecting" a ray of virtual lines
with the object of interest.
ASCII STL
An ASCII STL file begins with the line
Solidname where name is an optional string (though if name is omitted
there must still be a space after solid). The file continues with any
number of triangles, each represented as follows
3.2. Overview of solid view in rapid prototyping
SolidView/Pro RP is the most robust of the SolidView family of

products and is designed for companies doing their own rapid
prototyping work.
SolidView/Pro RP offers all SolidView/Pro features as well as advanced
rapid prototyping tools; compound cutting, file repair, z-correction,
shelling, offset, and automatic or manual object layout.
Optional CAD formats and network licenses are also available for
SolidView/Pro RP.
Just about anywhere you see a 2D engineering drawing, you can use the
SolidView family of products instead.
By giving everyone involved in the product development and support
process a 3D view they can move, scale, rotate and measure, you
increase their understanding of the data and improve their productivity.
Overview of solid view in rapid prototyping Contd
The advantages of SolidView over 2D drawings include:

Users can view and measure the 3D data
Valuable engineering time is not wasted on creating 2D drawings
Users can directly view up-to-date CAD data instead of outdated 2D
drawings
Complex designs and assemblies can be viewed on a low-cost PC, saving
plotting paper and supplies and reducing the security risk of drawing
disposal
3.2.1 Magics in rapid prototyping
Materialise Mimics is image processing software for 3D design and
modeling, developed by Materialise NV, a Belgian company specialized
in additive manufacturing software and technology for medical, dental
and additive manufacturing industries.
Materialise Mimics is used to create 3D surface models from stacks of
2D image data. These 3D models can then be used for a variety of
engineering applications.
Mimics is an acronym for Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control
System.
It is developed in an ISOenvironment with CE and FDA 510k premarket
clearance.
Materialise Mimics is commercially available as part of the Materialise
Mimics Innovation Suite, which also contains 3-matic, a design and
meshing software for anatomical data.
The current version is 20.0, it supports Windows 10, Windows 7, Vista
and XP in x64.
3.2.1 Magics in rapid prototyping Contd
Materialise Mimics calculates surface 3D models from stacked image
data such as Computed Tomography (CT), Micro CT, Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI), Confocal
Microscopy, X-ray and Ultrasound, through image segmentation.
The ROI, selected in the segmentation process is converted to a 3D
surface model using an adapted marching.
The Materialise Magics software uses the 80-byte header at the top of the
file to represent the overall color of the entire part. If color is used, then
somewhere in the header should be the ASCII string "COLOR="
followed by four bytes representing red, green, blue and alpha channel
(transparency) in the range 0âĂŞ255. This is the color of the entire
object, unless overridden at each facet. Magics also recognizes a material
description; a more detailed surface characteristic. Just after
"COLOR=RGBA" specification should be another ASCII string
",MATERIAL=" followed by three colors (3ÃŮ4 bytes): first is a color
of diffuse reflection, second is a color of specular highlight, and third is
an ambient light. Material settings are preferred over color. The per-facet
Software for Rapid Prototyping: Magics in RP
Materialise Mimics is image processing software for 3D design and
modeling, developed by Materialise NV, a Belgian company specialized
in additive manufacturing software and technology for medical, dental
and additive manufacturing industries.
Materialise Mimics is used to create 3D surface models from stacks of
2D image data.
These 3D models can then be used for a variety of engineering
applications.
Mimics is an acronym for Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control
System.
It is developed in an ISOenvironment with CE and FDA 510k premarket
clearance.
Materialise Mimics is commercially available as part of the Materialise
Mimics Innovation Suite, which also contains 3-matic, a design and
meshing software for anatomical data.
The current version is 20.0, it supports Windows 10, Windows, 7, Vista
and XP in x64.
Software for in RP: Magics communicator
Materialise Magics is a versatile, industry-leading data preparation and
STL editor software for AM that allows you to convert files to STL,
Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite Modules.
Product Information Âů Sinter Module. Materialise Magics, the top
choice of data preparation software for any 3D Rapid Prototyping team
saved about 80 hours by utilizing Materialise Magics STL. Materialise
Magics, the top choice of data preparation software for any 3D . Rapid
Prototyping team saved about 80 hours by utilizing Materialise Magics
STL. âĂć Magics rapid prototyping software enables you to import a
wide variety of CAD formats and to export STL files ready for rapid
prototyping, tooling and. How to make support and make ready models
for Digitalwax printer - GLORIOUS JEWEL - Duration: Magics is rapid
prototyping software and is a key element of the Magics e-Solution
Suite, a full range of. Magics RP is leading software, from Materialise
BV, for preparing STL CAD models for rapid prototyping and additive
manufacturing applications. âĂć 3D printing trends in additive
manufacturing, 3D printing, and rapid product development.
3.2.4 Internet based software
A web-based rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RP&M) system

offers a collaborative production environment among users.
RP& M providers use to implement the remote service and
manufacturing for rapid prototyping, to enhance the availability of RP&
M facilities, and to improve the capability of rapid product development.
Web-based RP& M systems from both the academic community and
industrial bodies all over the world.
A number of studies have been performed to explore the architecture,
key issues and enabling tools for developing web-based RP&M systems.
Various Architectures for Web-based RP& M Systems: A variety of
frameworks for developing web-based RP&M systems have been
proposed. The Tele-Manufacturing Facility (TMF) is probably the first
system that provides users with direct access to a rapid prototyping
facility over the Internet.
3.2.4 Internet based software Contd
TMF allows users to easily submit jobs and have the system
automatically maintain a queue. It can also automatically check many
flaws in .STL (Stereolithography) files, and in many cases, fix them. A
laminated object manufacturing (LOM) machine was first connected
with network, and then the .STL file of a part to be built could be
submitted to this machine via a command-line.
3.2.5 Rapid Manufacturing Process Optimization
(RPPO)
Process optimization
The parameters of RP can be classified as nuisance parameters, constant
and control parameters.
Nuisance parameters include age of the laser, beam position accuracy,
humidity and temperature, which are not controlled in the experimental
analysis but may have some effect on a part.
Constant parameters include beam diameter, laser focus and material
properties, etc. the constant parameters will affect the output of the
process and are controllable in a run.
These include layer thickness, hatch space, scan pattern, part orientation,
shrinkage of the material and beam width compensation, etc.
Layer thickness, hatch space, part orientation and depth of cure are the
most vital among the control parameters.
3.2.5 RPPO Contd
Identification of requirements and key manufacturing parameters

The functional requirements of a manufacturing process include
accuracy, strength, buildtime and efficiency of the process.
All the manufacturing requirements are also applicable to RP.
Surface accuracy is gaining a greater significance as more parts are used
as master patterns for secondary manufacturing process.
Build time is important in the general context of manufacturing for
scheduling and cost estimation.
Layer thickness, hatch space and orientation are the key control
parameters for SLS and SLA.
These are required indeed process-independent parameters, and can be
applied to other processes, such as LOM, FDM, etc.
Support structures are essential for SLA and FDM, but they are not
needed for LOM and SLS processes.
Factors influencing accuracy
The factors that most influence RP process accuracy can be considered in

three groups.
The first group includes factors causing errors during the data preparation
stage such as STL file generation, model slicing and part build direction.
The second group includes factors influencing the part accuracy during the
build stage such as process specific parameters.
The third group of factors is directly related to the part finishing
techniques employed.
Accuracy of a model is influenced by the errors caused during
tessellation and slicing at data preparation stage.
Decision of the designer about part deposition orientation also affects
accuracy of the model.
Data preparation errors
Errors due to tessellation: Most RP systems employ standard STL
input files. A STL file approximates the surface of the 3D CAD model
by triangles. Errors caused by tessellation are usually ignored because of
the belief that tessellation errors can be minimised by increasing the
number of triangles. However, in practice the number of triangles cannot
be increased indefinitely. The resolution of STL files can be controlled
during their generation in a 3D CAD system through tessellation
parameters.
Chord Height
Angle Control
Part Building Errors
There are two main types of errors in the part building process,
namely curing errors and control errors.
Curing errors refer to those errors that are caused by over-curing and
scanned line shape.
Control errors are those errors caused by layer thickness and scan
position control.
Both types of errors affect part accuracy.
Over-curing: Laser over-curing is necessary to adhere layers to form
solid parts. However, it causes dimensional and positional errors to
features.
Scanned Line Shape: A scanned line is created when a laser beam
scans the resin surface. The cross section of the scanned line is referred
to as the scanned line shape.
The part building process is assumed to be a stacking up of rectangular
shaped blocks.
Control errors: theoretically, the layer thickness should be at the defined
value and the border line should be positioned at the specified positions.
Errors of Parts infinishing
Some RP applications such as fabrication of exhibition quality models,

tooling or master patterns for indirect tool production require additional
finishing improving the surface appearance of the part.
To achieve this, the stair-step effect on important surfaces has to be
removed.
Usually, this is done by sanding and polishing RP models, which leads to
changes in feature shapes, dimensions and positions.
The model accuracy after finishing operations is influenced mostly by
two factors, the varying amount of material that has to be removed and
the finishing technique adopted.
These two factors determine to what extent the dimensional accuracy of
RP models will be reduced during finishing.
Varying amount of material and Finishing technique.
Influence of part build orientation
One of the most important decisions to be made when employing any

particular RP technology is the selection of the part build orientation.
This decision is a very important factor in minimising build time and
costs, and achieving optimal accuracy.
When making this decision, designers and RP machine operators should
consider a number of different process specific constraints.
This may be quite a difficult and time-consuming task.
Each RP process has specific technological capabilities that have to be
taken into account before build direction is selected.
Choosing the best orientation is a multi-criteria task that involves
trade-offs between maximising the surface smoothness and accuracy of
important features and minimising the build time and cost.
ALLIED PROCESSES
The following feature constraints should be considered in choosing
candidate build orientations for SL process. ïĆů User specified critical
surfaces: if these surfaces are planes, they have to be placed such that
their normal point in the build direction. In other words, they are
horizontal and upward facing. Cylinders, cones and surfaces of
revolution are oriented so that their axes are vertical. ïĆů Coordinate
system: since a coordinate system is usually created by the designer and
employed whilst modelling, the orientation of the coordinate axes may
represent the most logical build direction. It is placed so that the z-axis
points in the build direction. ïĆů Holes: in order to avoid hard- to
remove supports and stair-stepping inside holes, these are placed
orthogonally to horizontal planes. ïĆů Cuts: if these curve through the
part entirely or have a depth greater than a certain minimum, the planes
which they cut through placement planes are made horizontal.
Otherwise, they are ignored. ïĆů Protrusions: if these are created by
revolving a section, the axes are positioned so that they are vertical. ïĆů
Shells: these are orientated so that the concave part of the shell faces
Vacuum Casting
Possibilities of use RP techniques could be significantly extended by
taking advantages of devices for Vacuum Casting. It enable to produce
models from different resins (with properties very similar to finished
plastic or rubber products) and wax models for lost-wax casting process.
VC System consist of: vacuum chamber and heat chambers. Vacuum
chamber herself gives possibilities for producing silicon rubber moulds
and resin free of air bubbles generated during mixing. Main use of
vacuum chamber is casting of resins, waxes and other plastics in silicon
moulds - prepared in the first step from the RP models. It is easy to reach
wide range of resins, which gives possibilities to achieve variety
properties of produced products. It is possible to produce objects which
are similar in hardness and elasticity to rubber, and also to significantly
harder and less elastic like ABS plastic. Additionally it is possible to
produce dye models. It is possible also to produce wax models. In this
case is necessary to install additional unit to melt wax through heating up
to proper temperature. Next, wax models can be used in die casting
process for producing ceramic moulds.
Vacuum Casting Contd
Vacuum chamber is equipped in driver which manage all processes:
pumping out air from chamber, mixing resin components, and pouring
ready resin to mould. Characteristic technical data about our device for
vacuum casting are:
Working area which determine maximum dimensions of produced
moulds 450 x 425 x 530 mm;
Time for silicone rubber mould preparation: 12h;
Time for single resin casting: 40-50min.
Surface digitization
Technologies used commercially for the measurement of the surface of

objects with micro to macro sizes (i.e. from some cm up to several
meters) can be divided fundamentally into two groups: systems based on
laser scanning and systems based on white light projection. The used
equipment is different;however they are based on the same principle:
triangulation.
Surface generation from point cloud
A point cloud is a set of data points in some coordinate system.
In a three-dimensional coordinate system, these points are usually
defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and often are intended to represent
the external surface of an object.
Point clouds may be created by 3D scanners. These devices measure a
large number of points on an object’s surface, and often output a point
cloud as a data file. The point cloud represents the set of points that the
device has measured.
As the output of 3D scanning processes, point clouds are used for many
purposes, including to create 3D CAD models for manufactured parts,
metrology/quality inspection, and a multitude of visualization,
animation, rendering and mass customization applications.
While point clouds can be directly rendered and inspected, usually point
clouds themselves are generally not directly usable in most 3D
applications, and therefore are usually converted to polygon mesh or
triangle mesh models, NURBS surface models, or CAD models through
a process commonly referred to as surface reconstruction.
3. Data formats for exchange of design data to AM
machines
The PDES Initiation Effort proposed that the new standard should be
based on a "three layer" architecture, significantly influenced by the
ANSI/SPARC three layer architecture for database systems.
The layers within this architecture were:

1 An applications layer: data models concerned with individual
applications or disciplines such as mechanical products, electrical
products, and building and construction.
2 A logical layer: generic data models describing the common concepts
used by all product data applications, such as product structure, shape
(geometry and topology), and presentation;
3 A physical layer: a file format for data exchange.

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MEng8041 Rapid Prototyping and Tooling

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MEng8041 Rapid Prototyping and Tooling

Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Material Science

By Fakada Dabalo Gurmesa

Overview of available technologies and processes

Printable materials and mechanical characteristics of printed parts

3 Data formats for exchange of design data to AM machines

MP is a process of making 3D solid objects from a digital file.

3D scanner takes a 3D model

The wide range of materials involved in tooling includes wax, wood,

Rapid Prototyping Process Step Although several rapid prototyping

Minimizes design, manufacturing, and verification of tooling.

In the direct rapid tooling techniques tools are manufactured with

Direct Metal Laser Sintering - DMLS method relies on sintering of

Quick cast 3D process replaces traditional wax patterns for

Indirect Rapid Tooling - Silicone rubber tooling,

SolidView/Pro RP is the most robust of the SolidView family of

The advantages of SolidView over 2D drawings include:

A web-based rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RP&M) system

Identification of requirements and key manufacturing parameters

The factors that most influence RP process accuracy can be considered in

Some RP applications such as fabrication of exhibition quality models,

One of the most important decisions to be made when employing any

Technologies used commercially for the measurement of the surface of

The layers within this architecture were:

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