Lecture 1 Part 3 Flashcards
What are some of the benefits of AM for direct manufacture regarding the supply chain?
Manufacture is localised, reducing carbon footprint through less transportation and reducing turnaround time for replacement parts
Just in time production, e.g. produce all parts for one unit in a single build
Spare parts, no need to keep warehouses of spares, easy to keep old parts for outdated products on file, there is only one tool required for a vast number of parts
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding materials
- Cost (small market, not many sales, captive market)
- Range (e.g. Injection molding has far more)
- Knowlede of long term material properties
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding Integrity of parts
- Mechanical properties
- Accuracy
- Geometric tolerances
- Repeatability (we can work with given properties, but we need to obtain them each time)
- Surface finish (including stair-stepping)
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding systems?
- Machine cost
- Build speed (independent of area)
- Build volume (large and small-scale)
- Automation (set-up and post-processing) –less mess!
Issues to overcome regarding software and training?
- System selection
- Build parameters/orientation
- Design for AM
- Efficient use
Issues of Intellectual property?
- Who owns the data if I design something and upload it to a service bureau?
- Piracy –lessons to learn from the Music Industry?
What are some liability issues with self printed parts?
- Possible dilution of responsibility
- Who is responsible for failures (system manufacturer, material supplier, software producer, manufacturer, me?)
Future directions of AM
What will we see in the future?
- Wider range of materials as large manufacturers become more involved
- More diverse system sizes, and faster speeds
- Full-colour parts (not very good at the moment)
- Fully automated systems
- Integrated electronics / multi-functional parts
- Increased crossover between ‘hobbyist’ and ‘workplace’ systems
- More suitable CAD systems for range of users
AM in medicine
Personalisation in AM implants
Personalisation of implants
Personalised surgary, a model could be made to guide a surgeon in your surgary
How could AM be used for bone implants?
- Computerised Tomography (CT) data converted to CAD format
- Produce implants for reconstruction/replacement
- Use of bioactive materials limits the possibility of rejection by the human body
Tissue engineering scaffolds are being printed what are some of the things to be considered in this area?
- Porous scaffolds allow cells to form into correct shape, pore size is critical
- Different cells require different pore size:
E.g. bone engineering needs different size for bone cells and blood vessels
There has been substantial research in this area, but uptake has been slow, regulations regarding testing and specification of human implants slow things down
What would some challenges be when looking at printing a knee joint?
bone and cartilage require different pore sizes and should be grown simultaneously to provide optimum bonding
Functional grading of the two materials can be made possible using the geometric freedom of AM
Why would you bother to print electronics on a 3d printer when the performance is so much worse than standard systems
to show that it is possible and to encourage others to develop the electronics to a more practical state
Are there restrictions on AM?
YES, there are always restrictions on manufacturing processes
- Minimum feature sizes tolerances
- Structural integrity
- Support/powder removal
- Part strength
we can produce complex geometries more easily, but we still have to work with process/ system/ material boundaries
Can we make things that are impossible by any other method?
NO, but we can make things that are impossible to manufacture economically using traditional techniques
What is the state of the mechanical properties like in AM?
Early systems had poor mechaical properties
Properties are now beginning to compete well with ‘traditional’ techniques
Can a set of properties be aweful or are they just not what we are used to, there is always an application for a set of properties
Do you think 3D printers will become as common and as useful as personal computers?
Before computers we
- Searched for information
- Kept budgets
- Wrote letters
- Read books
- Stored photos
PC just makes this more efficient
Before 3D printers did we make alot of stuff for ourselves or did we just buy from the shops, are our habits likely to change?
Will everyone have one in their home?
Prices ARE coming down, and more and more systems available… but that doesn’t mean we’ll all buy one
People who will actually have them in their home:
- Hobbyists, including those who simply like tinkering, or the challenge of making the system better
- People with children… (and who quite fancy the idea of one?)
- Most likely to be a surge in purchases, largely due to all the media hype
Will we be able to fix everything that breaks using printed parts?
Currently:
- Quality of parts is generally not production standard
- Range/colour of materials, to give ‘exact fit’
- Availability of data
- Motivation –it’s simply easier for someone else to do it!
Most likely to see increasing numbers of stores providing 3D Printing services as well as 2D
Service industries will make better use (e.g. car manufacturers license Halfords to produce replacement parts in-store)
Should we restrict what we can print i.e. 3D printed gun?
Can we stop it
If we can stop it, should we stop it
will it be a slippery slope
how far should creative applications be restricted
