MODERN

MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES

MN 201
November 03, 2011
 Introduction

Product Design and Development Phase

Engineering Activities – 3 distinct phases
• Design Phase
• Prototyping Phase
• Manufacturing Phase
 Major obstacles for mass
manufacturing
• Long lead time
Shoe industry 6 months
Garment industry 6 months
Car Industry 3-4 years
Airspace Industry 4-5 years (Boeing, Airbus)
Indian airspace 10-15 years (India)
Submarine 10-15 years
Arjun MBT 25 years
• Art to Part: As less as possible
 Why Rapid Prototyping?
• Because product designers would like to have a
physical model of a new part or product design rather
than just a computer model or line drawing
Creating a prototype is an integral step in design
A virtual prototype (a computer model of the part
design on a CAD system) may not be sufficient for
the designer to visualize the part adequately
Using RP to make the prototype, the designer can
visually examine and physically feel the part and
assess its merits and shortcomings
Advantages and Disadvantages
of RP
• Cost
• Accuracy
• Materials limited
• Time
 Introduction
Design Manufacturing

3 types of checks:
• Form Check aesthetic,
• Fitness Check assembly, etc.
• Function Check
 Product Design & Development
Cycle – Block Diagram
Conceptual Design Set of sketches e.g.
styling

Preliminary Design Specifications of

the product

Dimensions, materials,
Engineering Analysis Factor of safety,
Performance Indices
Conceptual Design:
Scanning also, as Total Design Activity
very rarely the
Detailed Design Drawings, BOM,
Design is started Tolerances, etc.
from blue
 Block Diagram …contd.

Prototyping
Parts

Testing (Inspection)
Test Reports

Tooling Tooling - Molds,

Dies, etc.

Optimization
Iterations, etc.
are missing
in the block
diagram Release to Manufacture
Product Fabrication Approaches

Joining

Machining

Layer
Deposition
or Rapid
Prototyping
Forming
 Tooling
(A) Material Removal Processes (Subtractive Type)
• Traditional Methods
Turning
Shaping, Planing
Drilling, Boring
Milling, Hobbing
Broaching, Tapping
Reaming, Grinding
• Requires tools and fixtures
• Non-traditional Methods: ECM, EDM, USM, EBM, IBM,
PAM, LBM, WJM, AJM, etc.
• Both processes require tools and are subtractive in
nature
 Tooling
(B) Net Shape or Material Forming Processes
• Traditional Methods
Forging
Casting
Deep drawing
Bending
Extruding
Die casting
Rolling
• Non-traditional Methods: 3D Laser Forming, Laser
Bending, etc.
• Tools are required in the form of moulds or tool and
die
 Tooling
(C) Material Addition Processes
• Traditional Methods
Welding
Soldering, Brazing
• Tools required in the form of holding fixtures
• Non-traditional Methods:
Rapid Prototyping Processes –
SLA, SLS, FDM, LOM, 3DP, BPM, etc
• RP processes do not require tools and fixtures
 Terminology
• Rapid Prototyping (RP)
• Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF)
• Desktop Manufacturing (DTM) Analogous to Laser Printer
• Freeform Fabrication (FFF)
• Direct CAD Manufacturing
• Layer Manufacturing Techniques (LMT)
• Material Deposition Manufacturing
• Material Addition Manufacturing
• Time Compression Technologies (TCT)
 Classification
• Liquid-Based Solid Based
FDM
• Solid-Based
LOM
• Powder-Based
MJM (Multi Jet Modeling)
Liquid Based Selective Laser Adhesive
SLA & Hot Press (SAHP)
Powder Based
SGC
SLS
Solid Object Ultraviolet
3DP
Laser Plotter (SOUP)
BPM
Light Sculpting
Multiphase Jet Solidification (MJS)
Two Laser Beam Plotter
Direct Shell Production Casting
(DSPC)
 RP Processes

Photopolymer Thermal
Photopolymer resin
sensitive to light –
cross linking takes
place – Monomer to
Polymer
 Classification of Rapid Prototyping
Processes (Bird’s Eye View)
• There are many ways to classify RP processes, but
best is to broadly classify them in terms of materials
 Liquid Based RP Processes – Solidification
through Curing
 Solid Based RP Processes – Material in the form
of wire, roll, laminates, pellets – Methods in the
form of Cutting and Glueing & Melting and
Solidifying / Fusing
 Powder Based RP Processes – Grain like form –
Joining and Binding through laser or binder / glue
• RP uses layer by layer additive approach to build
shapes
RP systems use liquid, powder or sheet materials to
form physical objects

[Courtesy: Kai & Fai]

Conversion of a solid model of an object into layers
(only one layer is shown)
[Courtesy: Groover]
PR Process Chain

[Courtesy: Chua, Leong & Lim]

 RP Process Chain
Steps:
1. 3D Modeling
2. Data Conversion and Transmission
3. Checking and Preparing
4. Building
5. Post Processing – Cleaning, Post Curing, Finishing
Step 1: Solid Modeling and Tessellation
• Surfaces of the
CAD model are
tessellated and
STL file is
exported
• Tessellation is
piecewise
approximation of
surfaces of CAD
model by using
series of
triangles
[Courtesy: Zeid]
 Step 2: Slicing
• After selecting part deposition orientation, tessellated
model is sliced
• This information is saved in standard formats like SLC
or CLI etc.

[Courtesy: Kai &

 Step 3
• Generation of Laser Scanning Paths or Material Deposition
Paths
• Deposition of Layers: various technologies for layer
deposition are used
 Liquid based : Stereolithography
 Powder based : Selective Laser Sintering
 Solid based : Fused Deposition Modeling, Laminated Object
Manufacturing, etc.
 Step 4: Post Processing
• Post Curing
• Removal of Support Structures
• Finishing by Sanding, Polishing or Painting
 Classification of RP Processes
Generative Manufacturing Process / Rapid Prototyping / Solid Freeform Fabrication

Solid Paste Liquid Gaseous

One or multi- Polymerization Polymerization

Wire Foil Paste Chemical
Component powder Polymerization Process
Reaction
LCVD
Melting & Cutting & Gluing Cutting &
Re-solidification Layer Laminated Polymerization
Fused Layer Modeling Manufacturing Solid Form
Ballistic Part Polymerization
Manufacturing

Solidification by Melting &

binder Re-solidification
Selective Laser
3D Printing
Sintering

Light of One Frequency Holography

Heat Lamp
Thermal Solid Ground Holographic
Polymerization Curing Laser Beam Interference Solidification
Stereolithography
 Rapid Prototyping Applications
• Design
 CAD Model Verification
 Visualization Object
 Proof-of-Concept
• Engineering, Analysis and Planning
 Form and Fit Models
 Flow Analysis
 Stress Distribution
 Mock-up
 Diagnostic and Surgical Operation Planning
 Design and Analysis of Custom Prosthesis and
Implants
 Rapid Prototyping: Limitations
• Part volume is generally limited to 0.125 cubic meters
or less depending on the RP machine
• Metal prototypes are difficult to make
• For metal parts, large production runs or simple
objects, conventional manufacturing techniques are
usually more economical
 Advantages of Rapid Prototyping
• Reduce product development time and cost
• Get products to market sooner
• Enhance communications between marketing,
engineering, manufacturing, and purchasing
• Present physical model at critical design reviews
• Perform functional prototype testing before committing
to tooling
• Generate precise production tooling
Example of RP-Product
Rapid Prototyping Products

Engine Manifold Valve

Medical Implant Electronic Packaging

 Rapid Prototyping Products
Complexity of Object to be manufactured is not a limitation
in Rapid Prototyping
 Rapid Prototyping Products

SL Model for resection Silicon Implant molded from a tool

template
LIQUID BASED RAPID
PROTOTYPING
PROCESSES
Stereolithography

[Courtesy: Kai & Fai]

SLA

[Courtesy: 3D Systems]
 SLA

(1) at the start of the process, in which the initial layer is added to
the platform; and
(2) after several layers have been added so that the part geometry
gradually takes form
Process

[Courtesy: Chua, Leong, Lim]

Part produced by SLA

[Courtesy: 3D Systems, Inc.]

 Process
• Layer thickness: 0.025 - 0.5 mm (0.001 - 0.020 in)
• Laser beam is focused by a computer-controlled
optical scanning system
• Polymer cured to a depth greater than one layer
thickness
• Main components of SLA system:
Control computer
Control panel
Laser
Optical system
Process chamber
Workstation software : 3D Lightyear (Win NT) /
UNIX-based Maestro software
 Principle of Liquid RP Processes
1. Parts are built from a photo-curable liquid resin that
cures when exposed to a laser beam which scans
across the surface of the resin – a photo
polymerization process

2. The building is done layer by layer, each layer being

scanned by the optical scanning system and
controlled by an elevation mechanism which lowers at
the completion of each layer
 Applications
• Physical Models for Visualization, Conceptualization,
Packaging and Presentation
• Prototypes for Design, Analysis, Verification and
Functional testing
• Parts for Prototype Tooling and Low Volume
Production Tooling
• Patterns for Investment Casting, Sand Casting and
Molding
• Tools for Fixture and Tooling Design, and Production
Tooling
 Solid Based
Rapid Prototyping
Processes
Stratasys’ FDM Titan RP Machine

[Courtesy: Stratasys Inc.]

Stratasys’ Dimension Concept Modeler

[Courtesy: Stratasys Inc.]

Stratasys’ Prodigy Plus Concept Modeler

[Courtesy: Stratasys Inc.]

 Process
• Slice thickness between 0.172 to 0.356 mm
• Tool paths of the build process are generated which
are sent to the FDM machine
• The model and support material is in the form of
filament on the spools and it is fed to extrusion heads
and heated to semi-liquid state
• The semi-liquid material is extruded through the head
and deposited in ultra thin layers from the FDM head
• As the air surrounding the head is at a temperature
below the materials’ melting point, the exiting material
quickly solidifies
• The head moves in X–Y direction
• When one layer is completed, the head moves on to
create the next layer
Cubital’s LOM-2030HTM Machine

[Courtesy: Cubital Technologies Inc.]

Cubital’s LOM-1015PlusTM Machine

[Courtesy: Cubital Technologies Inc.]

 LOM Process
• The RP component is built by joining laminations of
part cross sections
• The process consists of three phases:
Pre-processing
Building
Post-processing
LOM Building Process

[Courtesy: Cubic Technologies Inc.]

 Separation of LOM Part

Removal of part from Machine Elevator Platform

[Courtesy: Cubic Technologies Inc.]
Removal of Surrounding Wall

[Courtesy: Cubic Technologies Inc.]

Separation of Hatched parts from
Object

[Courtesy: Cubic Technologies Inc.]

Post Processing of the Part

[Courtesy: Cubic Technologies Inc.]