Assignment 5: 1. Test the design rules for your printer(s) (group project) 2. Design and 3D print an object (small, few cm) that could not be made subtractively 3. 3D scan an object (and optionally print it) (extra credit: make your own scanner)

 

1. Test the design rules for your printer(s) (group project) We print the test that Neil suggested in our printer in our printer (see on the right) and it seems that it worked well at first sight: a sharp peak, a cavity, and several moving hinges. However, there were some details that didn't work well: 1. The thin horizontal cavity that is on one side of the test didn't worked out (see on the right for the thin cavity I am refering to in a 123D Design model) 2. The sharp edges didn't work out well as you can see in the flower below. Probably it was that the temperature was too hot but I did not printed again.
A5_flower_fusion360_issue
A5_test1_image2
A5_test_thin_cavity
A5_test1_image5
The characteristics of the printer that we used were the following: The temperature of the MakerBot is 230 degrees Celcius from each side and the temperature of the platform was 110 degrees Celcius. The material that we used was the ABS Plastic.
2. Design and 3D print an object (small, few cm) that could not be made subtractively Summary. Things that I learned about 3d printing: 1. Drastic changes in temperature in the environment might generate problems. 2. Very high temperatures on your printer will generate more strings between the separate parts of your print. 3. Low temperatures will not allow different layers to stick. 4. The printer didn't print if there was not a solid base. 5. You need a print level 6. You need to use an adhesive so your material doesn't stick to your print surface 7. Be aware if your model can be printed by your type of printer. 8. I checked that after the 6th line (extruded horizontal line, see below) you cannot distinguish the lines. This means that this is the finest line the 3d printer can print. So I measured how thick this line was in Corel Draw, and it was 1.21mm.

 

A5_How thin the printer can print
Designing a Small Flower in 3d with Fusion 360 Key things: Use every object that you create as component and not as an object, and be aware of using the same Cartesian plane (XY, YZ or XZ, fusion360 calls it plane or planar face) so your figures are aligned. For printing I design a flower in Fusion 360, where there were unions and not subtractions. Here are the steps to make the small flower in Fusion 360, I also posted a video which is a small tutorial. 1. Build a sphere of 20mm of diameter 2. Select on your left hand side over the option "Bodies" the option "Create components with bodies" 3. Select "CREATE" then the figure of "Cylinder" 4. Place the cursor over the plane you want to work with (I chose in the video between the green and the red line) and click with your mouse 5. Place the cursor where you want to start your petal and decide the radius of your petal and the depth. I choose 20mm of radius and 2mm of depth. 6. Repeat the process until you finish with your petals. 7. For drawing the stem, you need to draw a new component. On your right hand side it will give you a window with the option Component 1, you click your mouse over it and choose the option "New Component". 8. Select "CREATE" then the figure of "Cylinder" but with a smaller radius, I choose "3mm". 9. Choose the option "MODIFY" and then "Align" Select the tip of the stem of your flower and then the central part of your other object (the one that has the petals). 10. Choose that you are going to join them. 11. At the end I recommend you make a base, by creating a new component and following a similar step as you did for the stem. I didn't add this last part in the video.
flower fusion 360
Printing the small flower in MakerBot 1, Before you print you print your flower is important to export the object in stl format. On your right hand side you choose the component you want to print, click the right button. Select the option "Save as STL". 2. Open MakerBot in the computer that is connected to the 3dPrinter 3. It is imporant that you choose in the option where you move it, to place it on the surface "Lay Flat". Also choose the dimensions you want to use. 4. Check the quality in which you want to print which is 1. high, 2. medium or 3. low 5. Check the temperature, in our case, we always set the temperature to 230 degrees Celcius from each side and 110 degrees Celcius to temperature of the platform. 6. Make sure that the adhesive is correctly placed and the material inside the 3d printer is not stuck. 7. Print. It took like an hour to print.
A5_flower_made_fusion360
A5_3dprinter_5
A5_3dprinter_4
A5_3dprinter_3
A5_3dprinter_6
3. 3D scan an object (and optionally print it) (extra credit: make your own scanner)
First attempt: Scan a pear made up of clay with a Revscan My first attempt to scan a pear and a banana made up of clay which was a model they had in the lab. Before we begin let me summarize how to set up a Revscan Summary of how to setup and use the Revscan: 1. First you have to connect the main connector of the scanner 2. The scanner is connected through a board to the computer and then you open the program Vxelements 3. You push the button New Project 4. You push the button scanner 5. You take the scanner and push the button of the scanner and then a red light (laser) will turn on. 6. The program tells you if the object is close or far. In the left hand side there is a bar that turns up red on the top if it is too close, and red on the button to indicate that it is far 7. Before scanning you have to put some little dots of acrylic so the machine knows where the object is positioned and where is not. 8. You cannot move very fast the scanner because there are some faces of the object that can be overlapped, so it is always better to move slowly, this was actually good tip learned before using 123D Catch. 9. You can change the specifications of the program, so you can close holes or capture finer edges erase the objects that are not of the main object you scan. You can do this type of edition in Meshmixer Once you have your scan: Step 1. Push the button of Edit Facts and save your files in stl binary Step 2. Import those files into Meshmixer Step 3. Edit the files in Meshmixer in the following way: First you have to erase all the areas that you don't want to print. You select an area with brush or rope, choosing the following options: select —> edit separate. Then there is a box that opens at the right with the name of the two objects, then you select the one that you want to erase and it disappears. Then if you want to change the dimensions, you choose the following. Analysis— > units dimensions. In the option Edit --> Make solid, many of the holes will close up. Second Attempt with Scanner using 123d catch I explored with different materials using 123d catch. This program is really fun to use because you can take pictures with your cell phone around the object you want to scan. You have to take more than 20 pictures but it works well in solids, not with objects that are made up of glass or tin. The resolution of my camera was 5312 X 2988 pixeles. Scanning a Pear of glass 1. I tried using 123d Catch with different material, for example, first with glass. 2. Then, it seems that the camera cannot distinguish between the glass and the coach that was supporting it Scanning a decoration made up of tin 3. Then, I tried with a heart made up of tin, and it didn’t work as well because it seems that the reflection of the material could not capture the 3 dimensions of the figure, so it basically produce a scan of the books that were behind. Key car alarm 4. So I understood that I need something really solid that will not reflect any light, so I decided to scan the keys of my car. And it did worked out. First I took approximately like 20 pictures of my keys over the table with my cell phone using the program of 123d Catch. After it finished to upload the pictures it starts creating the 3d image. You decide if you want to keep it or not. Then you create the frame of the object so you can save it to your models. Afterwards on your computer you can download the files. I opened it first in Meshmixer and then 123D design. In meshmixer you can select it as a solid and then the area under it (that was the scan of the table where it was located) disappears. Third Attempt with Scanner using Revscan and Vxelements with an object with holes I tried a to scan something that had holes and it was the most difficult thing, because it seemed that it was not going to be that difficult with the scanner. I tried putting an acrylic dot to every side of the wood where there was a hole. I did the scan several times. The image looked something like this in Meshmixer (imported from .stl). However when I tried to import it to Meshmixer I didn't look god at all. So I still do not know if there is a specific scan that works. The same happened when I tried it with 123d Catch.
a5_Pear and Banana of Clay
A5_perascan1
Screenshot 2016-03-02 00.57.42
A5_prueb2_peracristal
A5_prueba1_pera_123catch
A5_prueba3_realtinheart
A5_prueba3_books behaind tin heart
A5_key_first image in 123d catch
A5_key_in_meshmixer_withtable
A5_key_secondimage_meshmixer
A5_key over the table
A5_seat_with_holes
20160229_170050
Screenshot 2016-02-29 21.41.23
All my files are in this folder in Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u5nup3rjf6wraiw/AADHYlqKCm5yuAH2huF2pNpra?dl=0