Tutorials

How to 3D Print Jigs & Fixtures, Part 2: Designing for Print

Shuvom Ghose
in 3D Printing
57 6 Beginner
This is the second part of a four-part tutorial series on how to optimize your manufacturing jigs & fixtures for 3D printing. Today, we'll go over what to do in each design pass as you're optimizing your part, including specific steps to do in your CAD package, your print-preparation tool, and if you're bold, your FEA package. Later installments of this series will deal with FDM material selection and post-processing for jigs & fixtures.
fdm stratasys printing 3d fea solidworks fixtures jigs

Designing for FDM Production Parts

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
37 0 Beginner
This best practices tutorial concentrates on factors that impact the quality, value, and performance of FDM production parts. There are a number of design considerations, material choices and performance objectives that should be taken into account when designing for additive manufacturing. Tailoring these decisions to the FDM manufacturing process allows the benefits of FDM to be maximized.
designing parts stratasys production fdm

How to 3D Texture Your Parts for FDM Printing Using SOLIDWORKS 2019!

Shuvom Ghose
in 3D Printing
35 7 Beginner
Instructions on how to create physical, repeating textures you can FEEL and TOUCH on your 3D prints, using a new feature found in SOLIDWORKS 2019. (And this technique will work with ANY type of 3D printer, not just Stratasys!)
texture fdm displacement bump stratasys solidworks

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Design Guidelines

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
26 0 Beginner
This tutorial is designed to give you a foundation of what to consider when designing and printing a part for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). FDM is an additive manufacturing technology that extrudes thin layers of thermoplastic layer by layer until a part is completed. FDM produces robust production parts in engineer-grade thermoplastic, with the added benefits of speed and design freedom possible with 3D printing. The cutting-edge technology is utilized across industries like aerospace, energy and transportation for production components.
sdm 3dprinting stratasys guidelines design modeling fdm

How to 3D Print Jigs & Fixtures, Part 1: Choosing Your Target

Shuvom Ghose
in 3D Printing
24 5 Beginner
This tutorial series will take users who are new to 3D printing and show them how to: - Choose which Jigs or Fixtures from your factory floor might be best improved with 3D printing (Part 1) - Optimize your J&F designs for 3D printing by using stress-analysis tools, CAD tools and new 3D print prep tools (Part 2) - Choose which FDM materials to print in for best performance (Part 3) - Post-process your Jig or Fixture for greater utility with inserts, painting, numbering, etc. (Part 4)
stratasys dfam fdm fixtures jigs

Variable Density FDM parts with Advanced FDM in GrabCAD Print

Dave
in 3D Printing
23 1 Intermediate
A tutorial on how to create an FDM part with discrete zones with different infill patterns & densities. This is a great but simple tactic for reducing the print time and cost of your designs as well as making them both stiff and lightweight.
multibody print grabcad infill fdm advanced stratasys

Finishing Options for FDM and PolyJet 3D Printed Parts

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
22 1 Beginner
Finishing or secondary operations encompasses a broad range of processes that change a manufactured part’s properties. Engineers can employ finishing simply to improve part’s appearance and reshape it to meet certain dimensions, or use it to enhance functionality, such as increasing strength, chemical resistance, electrical conductivity and more. Secondary operations basically turn raw parts into finished goods and this isn’t limited to traditional manufactured parts. 3D printed parts can also be enhanced with secondary operations, but much like designing for additive manufacturing, different processes and best practices apply. Throughout the product design and manufacturing process, engineers should also be thinking about how 3D printed parts can be finished. Determining the appropriate finishing operations depends on the additive process, material and geometry as well as the desired aesthetics and functionality. This guide explains the primary finishing operations additive manufacturing service providers implement for FDM and PolyJet 3D printing technologies, grouped by possible finishing objectives, and compatible materials and applicable design considerations.
blasting sanding smoothing stratasys 3dprinting polyjet finishing fdm

How to 3D Print Jigs & Fixtures, Part 3: Advanced Features and Advanced Materials

Shuvom Ghose
in Tooling
17 4 Expert
Building on parts 1 and 2 of the series, this tutorial takes you through an ENTIRE agile design cycle for a real fixture we needed in our office, exploring the use of DFAM, advanced infill techniques to save printing time and finishing by going through a material selection process to print in one of the stiffest materials out there- Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber! It's a total, soup-to-nuts, fixtures tutorial!
fiber dfam stratasys fdm advanced carbon fixture

How to Create Texturing Patterns on FDM 3D Printed Parts

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
16 0 Beginner
When producing FDM parts that will be installed in user-facing applications, or when FDM prototypes need to have a more interesting appearance, surface profile and finish are critical. Texturing a part file allows for a unique pattern or design to be built directly into part surfaces, reducing the layer line visibility as well as post-processing time. Coatings and paint can be applied directly to the textured surface to create a finished part.
3-matic insight grabcadprint stratasys fdm patters texturing

How to create complex Voronoi lattices in nTopology for printing in FDM, DLP and Powderbed!

Shuvom Ghose
in 3D Printing
14 2 Intermediate
We cover how to create complex, strong, organic, yet lightweight shapes for 3D printing using a powerful next-generation generative software, called nTopology, and then compare the results on three different 3D printing methods- FDM, DLP (P3) and Powderbed (SAF)!
voronoi saf sls dlp fdm stratasys lattice ntopology

How to Insert Metal During an FDM 3D Print Job

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
14 1 Beginner
If not done right, metal that is inserted in FDM parts can look sloppy and unprofessional. With a few easy steps, a metal part can be inserted seamlessly and damage-free.
stratasys 3dprinting inserts metal fdm

How to FDM Print for Part Sliding Clearance

GrabCAD Tutorials
in Assemblies
13 4 Intermediate
If you are 3D printing parts that have to fit/slide together after printing, you will need to put some sort of clearance between those parts in your CAD system. A good starting place is a clearance 2x the layer height you are going to print at, but you should make a few smaller test prints at different clearances to see if the 2x layer height rule holds for your particular situation and orientation. Have fun and happy printing!
GrabCAD Print sliding clearance printing 3d fdm

How to Insert a Z Pause in a Stratasys Printer

Anirudh Krishnakumar
in 3D Printing
13 0 Intermediate
How do I use a Stratasys printer with multiple materials? Multiple colors? How do I add metal inserts in my 3D printed part? This tutorial explains how to use Stratasys software to insert pauses (Z-pause) during an FDM print job, to change materials, colors or to add metal inserts. Go to Step 1 for some documentation and examples of parts printed with Z Pause.
multi-material multi-color pause stratasys printing 3d fdm

How to Solvent Smooth 3D Printed FDM Parts

Stratasys
in 3D Printing
12 1 Beginner
The normal surface finish of FDM parts is suitable for most purposes, but in applications where a smoother surface is required, solvent smoothing is an alternative to sanding, filling, and mass finishing.
finishing processing parts fdm stratasys smoothing 3dprinting

How to Paint an FDM Printed Part

GrabCAD Tutorials
in 3D Printing
12 2 Intermediate
This tutorial will teach you how to paint FDM parts. There are many reasons to paint 3D printed parts, whether it’s for UV protection, sealing or just to make them aesthetically pleasing.
printing 3d post-processing painting fdm
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