MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

ME-303

Department of Mechanical Engineering

HITEC University, Taxila Cantt

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 Rapid Prototyping
• A collection of processes used to fabricate a
model, part or tool quickly.
• Rapid prototyping techniques are capable of
producing models in hours or days compared
to the traditional techniques of machining
which usually required weeks , if a computer
model of the part has been generated on a
CAD system

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 Rapid Prototyping
• The first commercial rapid prototyping process
was brought on the market in 1987.

• Nowadays, more than 30 different processes

(not all commercialized) with high accuracy and
a large choice of materials exist.

• These processes are classified in different

ways: by materials used, by energy used, by
lighting of photopolymers, or by typical
application range.
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 Parts Made by Rapid-Prototyping

(c)
(a)

(b)

Figure 20.1 Examples of parts made by rapid-prototyping processes: (a) selection of parts from
fused-deposition modeling; (b) stereolithography model of cellular phone; and (c) selection of parts
form three-dimensional printing. Source: Courtesy of Stratasys, Inc., (b) and (c) Courtesy of 3D
Systems, Inc.

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 Rapid Prototyping
• In the Rapid Prototyping process the 3D CAD
data is sliced into thin cross sectional planes
by a computer.
• The cross sections are sent from the computer
to the rapid prototyping machine which build
the part layer by layer

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 Rapid Prototyping
• The program part for the production of parts
usually consist of the following steps
• Geometric Modeling: modeling the component
on a CAD system to define its enclosed volume.
• Tessellation of the geometric model: the CAD
model is converted into a format that
approximates its surfaces by facets. The
universally accepted format is the STL format.
• Slicing of the model into layers: the model is
sliced into closely spaced parallel horizontal
layers.
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Slicing of a solid model into layers

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 Computational Steps
in Rapid Prototyping

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Support Materials and Structures in
Parts

Figure 20.4 (a) A part with a protruding section which requires support material. (b)
Common support structures used in rapid-prototyping machines. Source: P. F. Jacobs,
Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing: Fundamentals of Stereolithography. Society of
Manufacturing Engineers, 1992.

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 Classification Rapid Prototyping
• Subtractive Processes (Material
Removal)
• Additive (Material Build-up)
• Formative (Sculpture)

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 Classification of RP techniques
• There are about 30 RP techniques and they
can be classified in various ways.
• One popular classification method is based on
the form of the starting material in the RP
process
– Liquid based
– Solid based
– Powder based

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Characteristics of Additive Rapid-Prototyping Technologies

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Liquid-Base Rapid Prototyping Systems
• The starting material in these technologies is a
liquid
• About a dozen RP technologies are in this
category
• Some common liquid based system employed
in the industry are
– Stereo lithography
– Solid ground curing
– Droplet deposition manufacturing

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 Stereo lithography (STL)
• It was the first RP method based on metal
addition.
• A process for fabricating a solid plastic part out of
a photosensitive liquid polymer using a directed
laser beam to solidify the polymer
• Part fabrication is accomplished as a series of
layers, in which one layer is added onto the
previous layer.
• Production time may vary between one hour to
several hours.
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Stereo lithography (STL)

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 Stereolithography

Figure 20.5 Schematic illustration of the stereolithography process.

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Stereolithography (Video)

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 Part Build Time in STL
Time to complete a single layer :
Ai
Ti = + Td
vD
where Ti = time to complete layer i;
Ai = area of layer i;
v = average scanning speed of the laser beam at the surface;
D = diameter of the “spot size,” assumed circular;
and Td = delay time between layers to reposition the worktable

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 Part Build Time in STL - continued
Once the Ti values have been determined for all
layers, then the build cycle time is:
ni
Tc =  Ti
i =1
where Tc = STL build cycle time; and nl = number of layers used
to approximate the part
▪ Time to build a part ranges from one hour for small parts of
simple geometry up to several dozen hours for complex parts

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 Solid Ground Curing
• It works by curing a photosensitive polymer
layer by layer to create a solid model
• It uses an ultraviolet light source through a
mask that is positioned above the surface of
the liquid polymer.
• It is a faster RP method
• No post curing of the completed prototype
model is required as in stereo lithography.

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Solid Ground Curing (SGC)

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Solid Ground Curing (Video)

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Droplet Deposition Manufacturing
• This operates by melting the starting material
and shooting small droplets onto a previously
formed layer.
• The deposition of droplets for each new layer is
controlled by a spray nozzle work head.
• The term droplet deposition manufacturing refers
to the fact that small particles of work material
are deposited as projectile droplets.
• Working materials include wax , thermoplastics
and low melting metals.
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 Solid Based RP Systems
• The common feature in these RP systems is
that the starting material in these processes is
in solid form
• Two common systems in this category are
– Laminated object manufacturing
– Fused deposition modeling

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 Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)

• LOM produces a solid physical model by stacking

layers of sheet stock that are cut to an outline
corresponding to the cross sectional shape of a
CAD model.
• The layers are bonded one on top of the previous
one prior to cutting.
• Starting material can be paper, plastic, cellulose,
metals etc.
• Sheet material is usually supplied with adhesive
backing to eliminate an adhesive coating step
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Laminated Object Manufacturing

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 Laminated-Object-Manufacturing

Figure 20.11 (a) Schematic illustration of the laminated-object-manufacturing process.

(b) Crankshaft-part examples made by LOM. Source: (a) Courtesy of Helsis, Inc. (b)
After L. Wood.
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27
(Week-14)
LOM (Video-1)

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LOM (Video-2)

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 Fused Deposition Modeling
• It is an RP process in which a filament of wax
or polymer is extruded onto the existing part
surface from a work head to complete each
layer.
• The extrudate is solidified and cold welded to
the cooler part surface in about 0.1 sec.
• The part is fabricated from the base up, using
a layer by layer procedure similar to other RP
systems.

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Fused-Deposition-Modeling

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FDM (Video-1)

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FDM (Video-2)

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 Powder Based Systems
• The starting material in these technologies is a
powder
• Two common powder based system employed
in the industry are:
– Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
– 3D printing

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 Selective Laser Sintering
• SLS uses a moving laser beam to sinter heat
fusible powders in areas corresponding to the
CAD geometric model
• After each layer is completed a new layer of loose
powders is spread cross the surface using a
counter rotating roller.
• To facilitate the process powders are preheated
• The powders are gradually bonded by a laser
beam sintering process.
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Selective-Laser-Sintering

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SLS (Video-1)

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SLS (Video-2)

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 Problem 1
• A prototype of a tube with a square cross section is to
be fabricated using Stereolithography.
• The outside dimension of the square = 100 mm and the
inside dimension = 90 mm (wall thickness = 5 mm
except at corners). The height of the tube (z-direction) =
80 mm. Layer thickness = 0.10 mm.
• The diameter of the laser beam (“spot size”) = 0.25
mm, it moves at a velocity of 500 mm/s.
• Compute an estimate for the time required to build the
part, if 10 s are lost each layer to lower the height of
the platform that holds the part
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 Solution
Layer area Ai same for all layers.
Ai = 1002 – 902 = 1900 mm2

Time to complete one layer Ti same for all layers.

Ti = (1900 mm2)/(0.25 mm)(500 mm/s)+ 10 s
= 15.2 + 10 = 25.2 s

Number of layers nl = (80 mm)/(0.10 mm/layer)

= 800 layers

Tc = 800(25.2) = 20,160 s = 336.0 min = 5.6 hr

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 Problem 2
• The part in Problem 1 is to be fabricated using fused
deposition modeling instead of Stereolithography.
• Layer thickness is to be 0.20 mm and the width of the
extrudate deposited on the surface of the part = 1.25
mm.
• The extruder work head moves in the x-y plane at a
speed of 150 mm/s.
• A delay of 10 s is experienced between each layer to
reposition the work head.
• Compute an estimate for the time required to build
the part.
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 Solution
Use same basic approach as in Stereolithography.
Layer area Ai same for all layers. Ai = 1002 – 902
= 1900 mm2
Time to complete one layer Ti same for all layers.
Ti = (1900 mm2)/(1.25 mm)(150 mm/s)+ 10 s =
10.133 + 10 = 20.133 s
Number of layers nl = (80 mm)/(0.20 mm/layer) =
400 layers
Tc = 400(20.133) = 8053.33 s = 134.22 min = 2.24 hr

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 Three Dimensional Printing
• It uses an ink jet printer to eject an adhesive
bonding material onto successive layers of
powders.
• The binder is deposited in areas corresponding to
the cross sections of the solid part.
• The binder holds the powder together to form
the solid part.
• After the building process the part is heat treated
to strengthen the bonding .
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Three Dimensional Printing

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Three-Dimensional-Printing

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3D printing (Video)

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A TED Talk

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 Problems with Rapid Prototyping
• The principal problems with current RP
technologies include
– Part accuracy
– Limited variety of materials
– Mechanical performance of the fabricated parts

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 Problems with Rapid Prototyping
• Sources of error limit part accuracy in RP systems
– Mathematical
– Process related
– Material related
– Mathematical include approximations of part surfaces
used in RP data and differences between the slicing
thicknesses and actual layer thicknesses
– Steps between layers is also a problem
– Material related errors include shrinkage and
distortion.

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 Problems with Rapid Prototyping
• There is a limit to the variety of materials that
can be used for RP processes
• STL is limited to photosensitive polymers
• The materials generally used are not strong
• So there is a limit to testing the mechanical
properties so part verification is difficult

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