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Applications of 3D Printing

Dr. Ben Wood

& Dr. Greg Gibbons

© 2012

WHO USES 3D PRINTING?WHAT FOR?

A couple of questions to start…

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Architecture

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Marketing/Advertising

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Medical

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Furniture

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Fashion

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Animation

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SME Application

• Injection mould tool ~£10,000– Requires high volume– Difficult to modify– Tool required for each product

• Insert tooling– Simpler pocket tool required– 3D printed insert– Lifetime of 10-200 parts– Low insert cost– Easy to modify/replace

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IIPSI 3D Printing Capabilities and R&D

Dr. Greg Gibbons

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3D Printing

• MJM– Connex 260 (Objet)

• Laser Sintering– EOS P380i

• EBM– Arcam S12T

– FDM• 400mc (Stratasys)

• Dimension (Stratasys)

• Prusa (RapRep)

– 3DP• Z450 (ZCorp)

• Z310+ (Zcorp)

• Significant capability in commercial 3D Printingtechnology

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FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling)

• 400mc– Wide range of materials

• Thermoplastics• High temperature• High impact

– Have in-house facility to manufacturebespoke feedstock

• Xtrutech twin-screw extruder• Novel material capability• Metal, ceramic filled - sensors and actuators a

possibility

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FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling)

• Prusa RepRap

– Lowest cost 3D Printing systemavailable

– Range of low-cost thermoplastics

– Initial test-bed for novel materials

– Evaluating system for appropriateapplications

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3DP (3D Printing)

• Z450– Enables full colour printing of

working assemblies– Upgraded to ZP150 (stronger

and whiter, more vividcolours)

• Z310+– Mono printer– Utilised for materials and

applications research

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MJM (Multi-Jet Modelling)

• Connex 260– Multi-material printing– 10 variations in material

properties in one build• Stiffness variation• Density variation• Colour variation• Transparency variation

– Potential for research• Novel material combinations• Offering new product capability

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LS (Laser Sintering)

• P380i– Range of functional thermoplastics

• Polyamide 12• Aluminium / polyamide 12• Carbon fibre / polyamide 12• Polyamide 11/12 co-polymer

– Polystyrene• Supports direct manufacture of complex

investment cores

– Potential for research• New materials• New applications

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3DPrinting Research Activities

– Polymeric / composite 3DP• High resolution hybrid

polymer / compositedeposition

• High resolution 3DPhotocopying

• Medical modelling

• Low cost 3DP

– Metallic and metalcomposite 3DP

• High resolution lasermelting

• Electron beam melting

• Plasma Transferred Arc /CNC

• In addition, WMG has significant 3DP researchactivity, supported by a number of technologies

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Plasma Transferred Arc / CNC

• Hybrid system utilising PTA todeposit metals and alloys, withCNC material removal– 2 powder feeds

– 1 wire feed

– CNC machine between layers

• Advantages– Repair and augmentation of parts

– Functionalise parts

– Hybridise parts

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Plasma Transferred Arc / CNC

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High Resolution 3D Photocopying

• Using laser printing principle for layer-wiseaddition of functional materials

• Advantages:– High rate

– High resolution

– Multi-material

– Low cost

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Medical Modelling

• Surgical training– Working with Prof Abrahams in Institute of Clinical

Education

– Investigating benefit of ‘low cost’ medical models forclinical training

– Moving towards more realistic anatomical models using3D multi-material printer

• Surgical procedural planning– Provide service to UHCW for a range of orthopaedic

surgical interventions

– Developing into a range of areas, including midwifery

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Medical Modelling

• AirPROM– FP7 project– 33 partners– 11 EU countries– €12M– 2011-2015

• Developing customised treatmentmethodology for COPD

• WMG leading the physical validation ofmacro-airway modelling

0 s 0.3s 0.6s 0.9s1.2s

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Medical Modelling

• Compare CFD-PIV

– Establish inflow conditions• CFD to test transition length

• For fully developed flow: tube-trachea

• Upper and lower airway

• Compare to MRI Velocimetry

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Low Cost 3DP

• Utilising ultra low cost 3DP systems

– New materials development and evaluation

• Supported by in-house polymeric / compositefilament manufacture

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• Bespoke system hybridisingMJM with syringe deposition– 2 x 512, 14pl nozzle heads, individually

addressed

– High viscosity liquid dispensing

– Continuous flow for deposition of resins withhighly suspended solids

– SmartPump for deposition of higher viscosityresins and pastes at extremely highresolution

Hybrid 3D Printing

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Day 2 Preview

• Physical to Digital– Laser Scanning

• Digital to Physical– Prototyping

• Adding functionality with novel ALM– Plastic and printed electronics

• Low volume manufacturing– Bridging the gap between prototyping and production

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DR. BEN WOOD@BENJAMINMWOODB.M.WOOD@WARWICK.AC.UK

We’d love to hear your project ideas…

“We can work with you to develop new products usinginnovative polymer technologies”