Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing
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?The status quo: pre-3D manufacturing?
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Perhaps, we immerse ourselves into new technologies to an extent that we forget about its basics. This is the case with 3D manufacturing because it appears unprecedented altogether. More so, people appear to have forgotten that this type of manufacturing has been around for decades.Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing This is true when considering that 3D manufacturing is all about additive manufacturing. In fact, 3D technology as a whole has been labeled additive manufacturing seeing that it operates on like principles. In particular, additive manufacturing relates to a manufacturing processes in which materials are deposited layer by layer to generate tangible products. This manufacturing technology involves creation of 3-dimensional objects via laying down successive layers of material ?hence the name 3D manufacturing. Thus, it is evident that pre-3D manufacturing is all about additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping. The manufacturing techniques form the basis of 3D printing
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The present 3D manufacturing is built on mature set of industrial technologies as well as processes collectively referred to as additive manufacturing. Rapid prototyping originated in America and was initially commercialized in the 1980s. Worth noting is that conventional rapid prototyping is also known as solid free form fabrication or layered manufacturing. From such definitions, it is evident that rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing constituted the state of affairs prior 3D manufacturing. Rapid prototyping was facilitated by computer invention, and rapid prototyping as a manufacturing technique was used for the physical modeling of new products design out of CAD (computer aided design) data without using any special tooling tools. Predictably, the rapid procedure reduced the lead time needed to create prototypes of products through eliminating much of the process engineering resources requirements. Altogether, rapid prototyping as well as additive manufacturing were some of the commonly used manufacturing techniques prior 3D manufacturing. Additive manufacturing resulted from developments in a range of different technology areas. Like other manufacturing processes and or technologies, enhancements in computing power as well as reduction in mass storage cost paved the way for processing the huge data amounts typical of modern-day 3D CAD models within rational periods. Today, we have become somewhat accustomed to having great computers as well as other complex automated machines and sometimes it becomes difficult for us to understand the way the pioneers struggled developing the first additive manufacturing equipments. Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing
To begin with, traditional machining processes are undoubtedly relevant to rapid prototyping. In addition, rapid prototyping technologies were divided into subtractive as well as additive processes (Gibson 2010, p. 12-22). In most cases, research in the area of rapid prototyping has focused on additive processes most likely because this has contributed to modern-day additive manufacturing and or 3D technology as a whole. Nonetheless, the nature of manufacturing processes (whether additive or subtractive) means that different approaches have their innate advantages as well as disadvantages. Characteristically, traditional subtractive processes lead to good material processability. Indeed, these processes constitute pre-3D manufacturing and have been around for years. Since the beginning, they had the capacity to machine a range of materials in solid form. Yet, material processability remained a problem for most of rapid prototyping methods. During that time, rapid prototyping had countless limitations including the fact that each method required a particular form of material such as solid pellet or filament or powder. As a result, some of the rapid prototyping applications were limited through the choice of material. As an example, a range of rapid prototyping technologies could be used in fabricating scaffolds in tissue engineering, but most of them had material weaknesses including the requirement of rigid filaments as well as material in powder form (Yeong et al 2004, p. 643-652). What is more, the fabricating process was laborious, time consuming as well as challenging to create lattice structures via such methods or processes.
As mentioned above, traditional subtractive techniques of processes experienced developments over the years. Their benefits revolved around accuracy and diversity of materials. However, challenges emerged in using rapid prototyping processes in the form of toolpath generation and fixture design as well as issues including accessibility for material removal.Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing Worth noting is that the standard approach used to plan parts for traditional machining include defining the features on the part as well as matching them to a collection of processes that can generate the required geometry. The invention of CAD software meant the ability to create toolpath automatically for rather simple geometries. However, early software still required one to select surfaces, characteristics on the part as well as specify toolpath strategies independently. Altogether, it is evident that pre-3D manufacturing was guesswork to say the least. More so, the rapid machining process involved a setup strategy in which a rotary device was used to turn around stock material, which was fixed between opposing chunks. Moving round the stock via an indexer eliminated the inherent challenge of retaining reference co-ordinates linked to reclamping parts in a traditional fixture. Once the operations were complete, the support were severed in a final sequence of operations. Post processing was conducted via minimal support contact patches on it.
(Frank 2009, web)
The above figures demonstrate the approach in which a part is being machined through sacrificial supports to preserve it at its end along rotation axis. Most early manufacturing methods of processes adopted such strategies.
On the other hand, additive processes also constituted pre-3D manufacturing. In particular, these processes have seen considerable growth leading to modern-day 3D technology. Nonetheless, additive processes do not have limitations as far as geometric capabilities is concerned. Indeed, layers are added via the use of support structure that nearly overcomes the archetypal challenge of undercuts as well as hollow geometry in some scenarios. Since they were commercialized in the 1980s, considerable levels of enhancements have been witnessed in terms of accuracy as well as ease of use and materials used. Materials, however, provided challenges mainly because of the need to apply, fuse, or cure small layers together ? a characteristic prevalent in additive manufacturing. For instance, widely seen as the first commercial rapid prototyping technology, stereolithography represents an additive rapid prototyping process originally designed as a laser-based approach with a liquid resin. Worth noting is that there is a level of layer depth control and since the beginning this is unique among additive prototyping systems. As we know with modern-day 3D manufacturing, material choices have expanded significantly not only to include basic elastomeric materials but also dual material systems.
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Worth noting is that among the reasons for developing additive technology revolved around the fact that CNC (computer numerically controlled machining) technology was unable to generate satisfactory production within the required time. This was because CNC machining was quite slow, cumbersome as well as difficult to use. On the other hand, additive manufacturing was rather easy to set up leading to quick results ?though had poor accuracy as well as limited material capability.Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing With enhancements in additive manufacturing technologies, vendors of earlier technology realized competition was a reality and CNC machining dramatically improved (Zhu et al 2007, 599-601). It can be argued that earlier technology would have developed anyway, but arguments are there that the supposed threat from additive manufacturing led to improved techniques altogether. In fact, the emergence of early hybrid prototyping technologies including Space Puzzle molding that employed both high-speed machining as well as additive methods indicate the manner in which the two were used to exploit their benefits. Altogether, a key enabling characteristic of additive manufacturing part manufacture involves the use of layers as predetermined cross sections of the eventual 3D model. As is the case with modern-day 3D manufacturing, additive manufacturing technologies are all about using layers of material added together. Developments will continually refine them to include various capabilities.
In sum, the state of affairs prior 3D manufacturing was marred with myriad limitations and or challenges. Perhaps, this makes modern- day 3D manufacturing a wholly disruptive technology altogether. Nonetheless, it is evident that early manufacturing technologies had no capabilities anywhere near 3D printing. Gradual developments were made on rapid prototyping and other technologies over the years leading to refined manufacturing techniques or processes.Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing During this refining process, computer invention and played a critical role because possibilities seemingly became endless. Indeed, CAD software enabled people to experiment with different views before embarking on real manufacturing process. Together with developments in other fields, modern-day 3D manufacturing was in the pipeline. Presently, additive manufacturing appears poised to takeover manufacturing industries via the invention of 3D printing.
Bibliography
Frank, M, 2009, The Rapid Manufacturing and Prototyping Laboratory (RMPL), [online], Available: http://www.ie.imse.iastate.edu/rmpl/default.aspx
Gibson, I et al, 2010, Additive manufacturing technologies, Springer, USA.
Yeong, W et al, 2004, Rapid prototyping in tissue engineering: challenges and potential, Trends in Biotechnology, Vol.22, No. 12, p. 643-652.
Zhu, H et al, 2007, Compound rapid prototyping based on CNC machining and layered manufacturing, Journal of Liaoning Technical University (Natural Science Edition), Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 599-601.Status Quo: Pre-3D Manufacturing
