PROTOTYPE FOR FIT INVESTIGATIONS

TALAL ALSARDIA-DR. LÁSZLÓ LOVAS-DR. PÉTER FIZCERE

BME Department of Vehicle Elements and Vehicle Structure Analysis
Ph.D. Student, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer
alsardia@edu.bme.hu, lovas@kge.bme.hu, ficzere@kge.bme.hu

[15. January 2021.]

Abstract. Additive manufacturing nowadays is being a powerful tool and promising technology
because of its advantages. It had a great interest in industrial applications, combined with a focus on
educational institutions. This work aims to present a detailed approach of employing Three-
Dimensional (3D) printing technology for fit investigations and creating a physical model (prototype)
at a low-cost. by using the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) method for printing a prototype of two
plates for performing an inspection process. How the prototype fits with other components and
measuring instruments? We made a fit validation of a three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D-
CAD) model, using 3D-Printing technology as a step before fabricating the plates.

Keywords: Additive manufacturing, Fused Deposition Modeling, fit investigations.

1. INTRODUCTION

Additive manufacturing (AM) means or defined as the “Process of joining materials to

make parts from 3D model data, layer upon layer opposed to subtractive manufacturing and
formative manufacturing methodologies”. while a 3D printer is” A machine used for 3D
printing”. 3D-Printing technology is the “Fabrication of objects through the deposition of a
material using a print head, nozzle, or another printer technology” [1]. The history of AM
[2],[3] goes back to 1980 when Hideo Kodama made the first 3D printing patent application
for inventing a prototyping system based on the ultraviolet (UV) Light for hardening
photopolymer material. Three years later, an American engineer Charles Hull, a co-founder
of a 3D Systems company, invented the first commercial Rapid prototyping technologies
using the stereolithography machine (SLA). In the printing process, this machine can
handle (.stl) file format. He had the patent for it in 1986. Carl Deckard, in 1987, invented
another printing process that uses the laser as the source of the power for sintering the
material powder, known as the “Selective Laser Sintering” (SLS) process. 3D System, in
1988, sells the first 3D printer for rapid prototyping the SLA-1. In 1989, “ Fused
Deposition Modeling” (FDM) a process discovered by Scott and Lisa Crump Scott in
which a spool of continuous thermoplastic material in the shape of filament fed a heated
head in the printer and movement of this head controlled by a computer to create the
desired geometry of an object layer by layer. In the same year, two company Stratasys, Inc
and “Electro-Optical System” (EOS) GmbH in Germany, were founded by Crump and
Hans Langer Respectively. Development of a process known as “Laser Additive
Manufacturing” (LAM) in 1997 by Aero Met, which is part of MTS Systems Corp, LAM
uses a high-powered laser for fusing powdered titanium. Institution of Wake Forest for
Regenerative Medicine, in 1999, transplanted the 1st 3D printed organ in a patient body
successfully. In 2005, Dr. Adrian Bowyer started the ‘‘RepRap” project as an open design
project, which stands for Replicating Rapid prototype. RepRap project aims to develop a
3D printer that can produce most of its components. Because of this concept, “Darwin” 3D
printer becomes available in 2008 at a commercial level. The price of an FDM 3D printer
reaches below 1000$ since the patent expiration was in 2009. in the same year, 3D printers
that supported materials like “Poly-lactic Acid” (PLA) and “Acrylonitrile Butadiene
Styrene” (ABS) were available for consumers, with an online library for files that can be
used by 3D printers. In 2011, the creations of a complete aircraft and prototype of a car
body using 3D-printing technology. The development of the “Digital Light Processing”
(DLP) printing process was in 2012. this process uses a projector for curing the
photopolymer resin. In 2015, a 3D bio-printer technology was introduced to the market
using a specific type of bio-ink. Figure 1illustrates the general classification of AM
processes based on the state of the raw material used in this technology; however, there are
over 170 3D-printer manufacturers nowadays, including a wide range of applications of this
technology in a variety of Sector like the medical field, engineering industrial application,
education purposes [4]. In this paper, a detailed approach to employ FDM printing
technology. A configuration based on a designed 3D-CAD model will be printed, with the
target of inspections of how this prototype will fit along with other parts like the
measurement instrument before the step of machining the actual model from stainless-steel
material.

Figure 1 Classifications of AM processes based on the state of used raw materials[5]

2. PROCEDURE

3D CAD model shown in Figure 2 represents a design using Solid edge 2020 software
for a suggested test rig for performing experimental research on bolted link self-loosening
because of vibrational based excitation.
 Figure 2 Test apparatus

Bolt and nut mechanism coupled two stainless-steel plates together, as shown in Figure
3. In the experimental study approach, a set of different measuring sensors will be mounted
on the two plates for data collection, e.g. (strain gauges with different shapes). It comes in
handy to use 3D-printing technology to facilitate the investigation of prototype fit with
other parts at low-cost. The flowchart in Figure 4 outlines the main process steps.

Figure 3 Bolted link

 A 3D-printer available at Budapest university of technology and economics, Faculty of
transportation and vehicle engineering, Department of vehicle element and vehicle
structures analysis, is used for printing the two plates. And the printer brand is a Zortrax
M200 3D-printer using ABS material, the standard printing parameters of the 3D-printer
were applied, so the ABS material was extruded at 250℃ at a speed of 50 mm/sec with a
heated bed surface at 60℃. And the following sections will cover further details related to
the printing process.

Figure 4 3D-Printing steps

3. Prototype for fit investigations

3D printing or rapid prototyping processes have been used for a long time to produce
object prototypes. Although CAD models are excellent geometry representation, it is not
always clear how efficiently a model fits and satisfies the prescribed functions until you
have an actual CAD model
The investigated 3D model consists of two plates; one of these plates shown
in Figure 5. Creating the geometry was made using Solid Edge software.
This software has the capability of generating a file with a specific format
(.stl) type, such that another program can handle slicing the geometry for the
printing process.

Figure 5 3D-CAD model of the plate

4. STL file conversation

3D-CAD model refers to a file that represents the desired geometry surface information.
a specific file format is needed to perform the printing process by the 3D printer, as an
example for this file type is “Stereolithography CAD software” or “Surface Tessellation
Language” another name is “Standard Triangular Language” or simple as STL file. 3D
Systems company created this type of format and released it in 1987. Solid Edge software
can generate the STL file format using the built-in function, after setting the parameters as
shown in Figure 6, an STL file consisting essentially of a long list of triangles that
collectively cover the surface of the object as shown in Figure 7. It has the virtue of being
relatively simple to generate an STL file format for both standards ASCII and binary file
versions [6].
 Figure 6 Parameter for generating (.stl) file format

Figure 7 Model representation using (.stl) file format

5. Orientation

In this process, the primary concern is to figure out the best orientation of the model on
the 3D printer platform during the printing process, in which selecting which face of the
geometry is the base and all the other layers will be parallel to it. It is good practice to
choose a suitable geometry orientation to minimize the needed support if there is some
midair printed feature of the model which needs to be supported. If there are midair
features, then there are two options either; to lay down external support or the 3D printer
will print them by bridging across geometrical gaps. In our prototype case, the hollow
cylinder feature is an example of that, where the 3D-printer bridged the cylindrical gaps.
Figure 8 shows the selected orientation for the plates during the printing process.
 Figure 8 Model orientation on the platform

3D-printer can’t use a direct CAD model until Since 3D-printer can’t use a direct 3D-
CAD model file format, a conversion into another file format such that the 3D printer can
understand, and control is needed. 3D printers lay one layer at a defined time of the
filament material, and the division of the model into printable layers is known as slicing.
Generation of an STL file containing information about the model surfaces is necessary
since the machine will divide it into printable layers, Based on the selected geometry
dimensions and the capability of the 3D printer itself [6].

6. Printing parameters setup

Printing process parameters were as follows: the 3D-printer is Zortrax M200, printing
material is ABS filament material, and the standard default parameters of the 3D printer
were used, with automatic support creation, so the ABS material was extruded at 250℃
with honey cup pattern with 20% filling option at a speed of 50 mm/sec with heated bed
surface at 60℃, Table 1 summarized the 3D printer parameter set up, while Figure 9 shows
were to modify these set of parameters.
 Figure 9 3D-Printer parameters set up

Table 1
Printing parameters
Parameter Setting
1 Nozzle diameter 0.4 mm
2 Layer thickness 0.19 mm
3 Infill pattern Honey cup
4 Infill density 20%
5 Speed 50 mm/sec
6 Platform surface temperature 60℃

After setting the 3D-printer parameters, there is an option for visualizing the printing
process versus time as a print preview, such that the time estimation at a different level of
process completions can be determined with a 3D preview based on the defined parameters
as shown in Figure 10-Figure 13)

Figure 10 Printing process preview at a 2% level complete

 Figure 11 Printing process preview at a 70% level complete

Figure 12 Printing process preview at a 90% level

Figure 13 Printing process preview a 100% complete

7. G _ code to SD Card
 G-code is a series of commands used in controlling the printing process in the 3D
printer, this series of commands is uploaded into the 3D printer using an SD card, the frame
ware (printer micro-controller/ operating system) interprets the G-code during the printing
execution process. Typical G-code functions include commanding an extruder to heat to a
specific temperature, instructing the printer to pause until the extruder reaches the desired
temperature, moving the extruder to some (x, y, z) position, and carrying out related tasks.

8. CONCLUSIONS

3D printing technology is a powerful tool used for geometry fit investigation of a

designed geometry. 3D printing technology selection as a part of the educational learning
process, combined with the advantages of the technology itself: e.g., speed, low cost, and
flexibility. Figure 14Figure 15) show the printing process at different timing.

Figure 14 Printing progress

Figure 15 Printing progress

In this approach, the Zortrax M200 3D printer used for printing a 3D cad model, using
ABS material and the previous procedure steps, with the defined parameters. Figure 16
shows the final printed model. The time needed for printing both plates was 7 hours and 46
minutes using 37g of ABS material. In this approach, the model's physical properties is not
a point of interest., Figure 17 shows the final assembly of the geometry after the 3D-
printing process, the investigated geometry shows good agreement with the expected
target, and no modifications are needed to enhance the structure compatibility with other
parts.

Figure 16 The printed model final product

Figure 17 Assembled joint

9. REFERENCES

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