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1-Visitor
March 29, 2016
Question

Documenting a model for 3D printed object

  • March 29, 2016
  • 3 replies
  • 4162 views

Within the last two years our company began making fixtures for use in our production environment.

Recently we discovered we were able to 3D print a part that we previously purchased consumable molds. This discovery has lead to incredible cost and time savings.

The issue we dealing with now is how to document this model. The finished part does not come out as an exact replica of the solid model which is where the concern is.

The dimensions in the solid model are the correct sizes in order to produce the correct sizes.

So the question is how do you document a part that will knowingly not match the solid model (which is ok and "intended") so that it can be sent through quality assurance and the next engineer will know what is going on?


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3 replies

17-Peridot
March 29, 2016

Normally when you have problems in the fabrication process you make allowances for this in the drawing.

In your case, you probably have some sag from an unsupported section.

The problem is, each 3D printer will behave somewhat differently so you may also have to specify the printer and settings on your drawing so that inspection has a heads up on what is critical and what is not.

13-Aquamarine
March 29, 2016

We model the desired shape, then use the scaling functions on the 3d printer to adjust the print to match the desired dimensions. 

17-Peridot
March 29, 2016

@Bill_Chapman - Is this a printer calibration issue or shrinkage?

13-Aquamarine
March 29, 2016

I believe that it is for shrinkage, but I suppose it could be used to accommodate calibration issues as well.  We have a low end printer.  It does not have shrinkage compensation that I know of, so the scaling is what allow us to print objects to the correct dimensions. 

1-Visitor
April 8, 2016

All,

Thanks for the input. Sorry for the delayed response as I got pulled off of this project for several days.

After reading your posts I talked with my manufacturing engineer and convinced him to make the Creo model accurate and adjust his settings on his printer.