Week 5 ( 1 March 2017 )
3D scanning and printing
Assignment
for this week is to work with the the 3D printer as well as with 3D scanner, limits and print something that can't be made subtractively, and 3D scan an object.
The 3D printer we have in our lab is weistek speed version
1.3D Printing
2.3D Scanning
I even not heared about the 3D printer earlier. It was first time I am seeing this device and how it works
This week's Assignment are learning and testing 3D scan and 3D print. In Fablab kuwait we have weistek 3D printers which are fast very fast , Almond2, da Vinch and Creatable D2. 3D print got so popular over the past few years. It allows makers to test prototypes way faster than conventional ways.
I designed a simple 3D object in the tinker CAD and generated the STL file of corresponding.
In Tinker CAD, I created new file and started to design.
I used Star tool and then inserted the heart symbol.
Then I grouped it together and then exported to stl.
I used Real vision which is the Application assosciated with Weistek for converting the 3D file in to fcode which is the machine file format for the printer.
I printed my design from the printer after loading the file in to the printer.
I printed my design from the printer after loading the file in to the printer.
I adjusted the temperature of nozzle and heat bed so that my print will be fine to get properly.
Non subtractible Design
After this design now I wanted to make something non-subtractible so I used tinkercad to design the same since I felt it comfortable to design with tinker cad as a beginer its the best in my opinion to recommend inorder to grab the basic ideas and concepts of the designed.
I managed to draw something like this where a ball inside a cage of heart shape where I believe even though after the print the ball will be movable.
Finally it looks like this after joining all the parts together
This is non subtractible because this design cannot be made using traditional tools.
<tinker cad link>
I heared about 3D scanning which is used for in video games. Here in this week we have to scan any object and make it to 3D printable format.
Here in Our fablab There is sense 1st generation scanner from 3D systems.
Firstly I opened the Sense application after connecting the scanner with a windows OS enabled laptop.
I have to choose object or person I am going to scan. I preferred myself to scan. So I chooses Person.
Then I need to select the head or Full body. I choosed Head.
I sat on a chair and my colleague helped me to scan.
I rotated my chair 360 degree to get the complete 3D.
I saved the design output after erasing and cropping of the 3D model.There is an option to solidify.So that un closed corners will be closed.
I saved my 3D scanned output.
Later I decided to make a 3D print of it.
I converted my STl file out put to fcode for machine file
I found some difficulty during printing process. For there are some instances that the printer stops. I checked my file as well as the printer calibration and found nothing was wrong with it. Then we tried to change the HD card used inside the 3D printer to a USB, and then there, the object was printed perfectly as shown below. I was very confident of how the final product would seem considering the shaky hands during the scanning process and the image above of the design, but the final product was far better than the design itself and the details of the face was very visible as well.
When they say 3D printing, it’s just as easy as it seems to be. I thought by just clicking print botton you can print anything you want. But I was wrong, I’ve experience some difficulties and failures. I've learned that checking the printer before using is very important for you to save time and materials as well.