Hi All,
After a couple posts to Hiroshi’s 3D Print for Toys thread, I have received a huge amount of interest & requests regarding 3D printing. When I say printing I mean building a 3 dimensional part via a Rapid Prototyping (RP) process. Rather than hijack that thread I thought it would be helpful to post a tutorial covering the basics of creating & prepping your file for output to a buildable database, RP choices with their respective pros & cons for building your models, as well as some approximate costs for making parts. We happen to provide all these services through my company Paradigm Development Group but all this should apply no matter who you use. This process can get very tedious as we start to deal more & more with ever increasing huge file sizes. As always, anybody who has insight to streamlining the process please share. My apologies for some of the pix. I will try to add additional images taken under better lighting soon.
Hopefully I haven’t missed any glaring details.
CHEERS!
Josh Harker
Objet Polyjet 3D Printer
Resolution/Accuracy: 600x600 dpi (.0015”) X&Y, 1600dpi (.0006”) Z layers (.0012” on High Speed setting) per inch
Max Single Build Size: 19.3"x 15.4"x 7.9" (larger models can be built in pieces & reassembled
Pros: Highest resolution & accuracy available. Variety of materials & color options.
Cons: Consumable support material adds considerably to cost. On smaller models it is not an issue but become prohibitive as the parts get larger. Solutions are: to cut the model into pieces to help facilitate laying them flatter against the tray for building which requires less support material, Shelling the models so they are hollow (.030”-.100” wall thickness appropriate to model size) then splitting them into halves so the can be built open saving material consumption. These operations generally need to be executed in another program as ZB does not have the tool set.
SLA (stereolithography)
Resolution/Accuracy: +/- .006” in X&Y, .004” Z layers per inch
Max Single Build Size: 25"x 29"x 25" (larger models can be built in pieces & reassembled)
Pros: Economical larger models.
Cons: Much lower resolution than Objet Polyjet, “stair stepped” build lines, rigid supports that mar & chip the surface when removed. Limited material choices.
CNC Machining
Resolution/Accuracy: +/- .002” or better over entire part in X,Y&Z
Max Build Size: unlimited (models can be built in pieces & reassembled.
Pros: Can be cut from variety materials including:
-plastics (i.e. clear acrylic & polycarbonate can be polished to a glass clarity)
-metals (i.e. aluminum polishes nicely to mirror finish)
-wax
-modeling/foam boards (i.e. can be economical for very large to monument size models)
Cons: While extremely accurate, tooling marks & minimum cutter diameters can limit details & resolution. This becomes less of an issue on larger models where the details & resolution are relative to the size. Cannot reproduce complicated or multi-axis undercuts.
SLS (Stereo Laser Sintering)
Resolution/Accuracy: +/- .008” to .015 per inch in X,Y&Z
Max Single Build Size: 11"x 13"x 17" (larger models can be built in pieces & reassembled.
Pros: Extremely Strong. Variety of material choices.
Cons: Powdery/porous/textured surface. Poor accuracy & resolution.
Perfactory
Resolution/Accuracy: varies depending on material & settings from extremely high to poor
Max Single Build Size: 7.5"x 5.6"x 9" (larger models can be built in pieces & reassembled)
Pros: Very High resolution. Variety of material choices
Cons: While detail is good, accuracy is not. Small build envelope. Limited or no available service bureaus.
FDM, ZCorp, Dimension Printer & Others
Resolution/Accuracy: varies but generally poor to awful
Max Build Size: Varies (large models can be built in pieces & reassembled)
Pros: Economical
Cons: Poor tolerances & accuracy, poor resolution & details, extensive post finishing required. Dimension Printer parts finish & paint poorly due to wax ingredient in material.
*Objet, SLA, SLS, & CNC models can all be sanded, painted, electroplated, etc.
RP Process Approximate Cost Comparisons:
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Prices in the industry can vary wildly depending on process, who’s trying to undercut whom, if the industry is busy or in a downturn, individual workloads at different service bureaus, quality of customer service, quality of product, delivery time requirements, etc.
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Each model will vary in price considerably depending upon dimensional extents, volume, quantity of parts ordered, complexity of cleanup, if it’s to be built solid or hollow, material choices, print quality settings, etc.
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Quantity can effect price significantly. The more parts you order at one time typically the lower the price per part.
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Hollow parts are cheaper than solid parts obviously because of material consumption. Beware when comparing Objet quotes with SLA quotes that they are both quoted for either solid or hollow. You need to compare apples to apples so to speak. Hollow parts could be as much as 50% less on larger models
-These prices do not include CAD time for repairing, converting, combining subtools, shelling, cutting, etc.
The approx. cost for the “Demo Head” Zbrush tool file @ approx 1mil polygons is as follows:
1.3" tall (approx. 1” from tip of nose to back of head)
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Quality” (.0006" layers): $100 (solid)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $130 (solid)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $425 (solid)
3.9" tall (approx. 1” from tip of nose to back of head)
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Quality” (.0006" layers): $500 (solid)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $470 (solid)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $850 (solid)
10.4” tall (approx. 8” from tip of nose to back of head)
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Speed” (.0012" layers): $2120 (hollow)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $880 (hollow)
SLS Model (.008”-.015” layers): $1625 (hollow)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $2000 (solid)
The approx. cost for the “DemoSoldier” Zbrush tool file @ approx 850K polygons is as follows:
3.1" tall
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Quality” (.0006" layers): $135 (solid)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $130 (solid)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $450 (solid)
6.25" tall
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Quality” (.0006" layers): $365 (solid)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $260 (solid)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $900 (solid)
12.5" tall
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Quality” (.0006" layers): $1375 (solid)
Objet Polyjet 3D printed model “High Speed” (.0012" layers): $1100 (solid)
SLA Model (.004”-.006” layers): $1100 (solid)
CNC Machining/Renshape Urethane Board (+/- .002” or better in X,Y,Z): $1800 (solid)
How to Get Parts Built:
For an accurate quote, best thing is to send an .STL file that material consumption & build time #'s can be generated from.
-STL’s are best since this is the format needed by most process software to build. Also, the less work we have to do (converting, repairing, cutting, etc) the cheaper the part will be for you.
-ZTL’s are good because you can lower the res slider to 1 and save the file & end up with a very small file size considering all the information contained. Quick & easy to email for quotes but we have to do the conversions here which may increase the cost to you.
-OBJ’s work too but they are large & cumbersome & still need conversion before they can be used.
-If possible (especially for Objet Polyjet builds) cut your model into parts to help reduce the Z height of the build as much as possible. The lower the Z height of Objet builds the less time required to complete which translates into lower cost. For instance, a figure with an arm extended straight out in front of it could be laid flat on it’s back, but the arm would require many additional passes to build. If the arm was cut at the shoulder, it could be built along side of the body to reduce build time and reassembled after the print.
-For files that are too large to email (10MB+) contact us to get an FTP account username & password to post your files on our server. If more convenient, we can access your FTP site and pick the files.
Email (10MB or less) to:
[email protected]
To request FTP access, submit an RFQ, or contact us with any questions:
Paradigm Development Group, Inc.
www.pardev.com
Additional ZBCentral 3D printing threads:
Hiroshi’s 3D Print for Toys
Scott Spencer’s Halloween Boy
Jim McPherson’s Dragon & Halloween Kid
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