Application of Rapid Prototyping for Metal Artwork Design

Transcription

1 Application of Rapid Prototyping for Metal Artwork Design Prof. Tai-Shen Huang Yun-chu Wang Graduate Institute of Design, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan No.168, Jifong E. Rd., Wufong Township Taichung County 41349, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Phone: ext Fax: Abstract Owing to the quick development of science and technology industry in recent years, the environment of industry changes fast. Under the situation, the craft industry should not only keep its traditional element but develop new technology according to the changing environment. Using digital technology to coordinate with industrial design can save time of follow-up making by complete digital data. Creators of craft can focus on their original ideas and let those ideas develop to higher level. Through this, creators can promote the original creativity and design of crafts. It s a trend that uses digital technology to coordinate with industrial design. This research takes jewels design as an example, and use Z-printer rapid machine to create a new casting process instead of conventional investment casting process. The new casting process can create more complex parts than lost wax casting. A series of innovative products can be designed by using digital technology and the casting process. Keywords: Rapid Prototyping, Metal Artwork Design, Creative industries, Investment casting, Craft 1. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, it s more important that provide higher experience value than symbol value as to consumer product. Today s hand-touch economy is different with traditional craft economy, it overthrows some thoughts and actions of binary opposition in the past (For example: rare vs. mass production; handicraft vs. technology; luxury vs. proper price.) Some hand-touch products can be found in chain store; they can be combined with high technology and can be proper price with high quality.

2 Since an enterprise has to confront speedy change of multiplicate products and shorter product life cycle in market, rapid prototyping technology becomes a useful tool which can directly built touchable object from CAD digital model in a short time and also can provide the form of object for designer as shown in figure 1. This technology has widely been used all over the world to reduce the development processes of product, to reduced time to market and to enable faster decision making. The rapid prototyping machine can be classified to three types, liquid-state, solid-state and powder-state, according to the forming materials. Among these different RP machines, powder-state type machine (Zprinter450 3D-Printing) is not only the lowest priced colour printer machine, but outputs brilliant colour models with timesaving automation and an even easier printing process. Powder-state type machine doesn t need support material, it can contract post treatments process. By using this machine, designer can obtain the RP parts with high-resolution no matter its complex or simple geometry. The RP part also can be used as a mould for casting; then final model can be created by pouring melting metal into the RP part. Therefore, this research tried to create a new process for jewels design by using the machine in order to improve the production efficiency and to substitute for lost wax casting. 'Lily' lampshade 'Hidden' Interior goods 'Silver Shaman' jewel These products were made by Selective Laser Sintering(SLS) ( Figure 1. The application of rapid prototyping machine in the product design. 2. 3D RINTER MACHINE 3D printer forming process is the most promising technology now, because it is the world s fastest print speed and can produce realistic colour models without paint. Meanwhile, the characteristic of powder material is very useful for the application of rapid tooling, especially for making lost wax product. This research will try to utilize the RP process to create a part served as ceramic model, and then directly use the RP part to produce metal art products. The new production process can extend the application field of rapid prototyping The Applications of ZPrinter Rapid Prototyping System According to different materials used by 3D printer machine, designers can select the best

3 material to support the needs of a specific application described as below: (1) Making strong and colour products: it is suitable for applications ranging from concept modeling to final products. (2) Direct casting metal part: it can make a strong mould part which can withstand the heat required to cast non-ferrous metals without incurring the costs and lead time delays of tooling. (3) Producing investment casting patterns: designer can use this machine to fabricate parts, and then dip in wax to produce investment casting patterns without moulds or geometric constrains The advantages and disadvantages of ZPrinter rapid prototyping system The advantages and disadvantages of ZPrinter 450 machine are listed in the table 1: Table 1: Advantages and disadvantages of ZPrinter rapid prototyping system. Advantages 1. The fastest forming speed. 2. Simple post processing. 3. Straightforward to operate and easy to maintain. 4. Does not require solid support materials. Disadvantage 1. Powder cannot be too tiny or just like fluctuating dust. 2. Cannot make complex mold. 3. Have serious shrinkage after coating 3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS Conventional process of metal artwork design can create a unique product by handmade. When customer needs some more the same product, it is difficult to produce duplicate ones. This research attempt to build a cast mould which can be function as direct casting for metal artwork design by using rapid prototyping technology. Meanwhile, designer also can produce RP part to be a final product according to digital CAD model Experimental steps for Artwork design Since the research started half year ago, the first step is to find suitable temperature which can be directly used for mould casting made by the powder of 3D printer RP machine. The flow chart of design process from digital design model to RP mould is listed in the Figure 2. Final design Digital design and final form decision Creating STL file Producing RP part For mould casting Final RP product Figure 2. Flow chart of design process and application of 3D Printers Rapid Prototyping.

4 In the design step, a CAD model was created by CATIA software and then export to STL format which can be used by the 3D printer rapid prototype machine. In order to test the new process that the RP part served as casting mould, the low melting temperature metal material, tin, was used for creating the final metal artwork part. The processes are listed as below (Figure 3): CAD model Step 1: Designer draws a CAD model by using CATIA software. (At this moment, a simple model used in this test experiment for verifying the new process, more complex model will be tested next time.) System parameters setting Step 2: After checking the CAD model, save it with STL format and export to rapid prototyping software for further editing. Creating 2D images of the cross sections Step 3: Cutting the solid model into digital cross sections, or layers along the z axis, and then sends 2D images of the cross sections to RP machine. Step 4: 3D printing. Post processing Step 5: After printing, the ZPrinter removes powder automatically. Cleaning Step 6: Remaining powder is removed with air in enclosed chamber.

5 Coating Step 7: Add strength with infiltrants. Step 8: Final RP mould. Casting experiment Step 9: Melting tin (232 ) Step 10: When the temperature reaches to 232 and melt, pour it into the RP mould quickly. Step 11: Waiting for cooling down to room temperature. Step 12: Final artwork part made with RP mould. The RP mould can produce parts as many as you need. Figure3. Experiment processes for metal artwork design. 4. CONCLUSION In this study, the initial assumption has been set up. In the current, 3Dprint powder is gypsum powder. It can withstand a temperature of 232. The follow-up will continue to experiment in other high melting metal, to the application of technology on product design.

6 This study focuses only on ZCORP s Zprinter450 powder RP machine, to exam the process about application of product-related experiment creation. At this stage, all the experiment are based on tin to be creative materials. Use RP to let powder become mold to replace the wax mold can save more time in craft area process. In the future, other metal will be the experiment target. In this study, the Zprinter powder RP machine had been used for creativity experiment in the field of craft product. At this stage, all experiments are based on tin which is low melt temperature non-ferrous material. Although the RP part can directly be used as mould for casting, the disadvantage is cannot withstand high melt temperature materials. The problem will be tested in the near future. Initial assumptions at this stage has been set up, the current 3D print powder gypsum powder for the experimental phase of the powder can withstand a temperature of 232,Machine tool through the powder produced by direct casting of metal, save irrigation wax mold and cast the time and cost; but the shortcomings can not be high melting point metal casting and mold powder low frequency re-use in the mold design is also restricted. In metal craft, the use of industrial technology-assisted process, the trend of the future, at this stage, the mold design constraints, the follow-up experiments will be explored further for the benefit of technology in the process of casting a more rapid time-saving. 5. REFERENCE 1 Wu zhao-yi (2006). Handle the economy - a feeling of fashion. Taipei: Common Wealth magazine Huang chung-yee (2005). Powder-based rapid molding machine to explore the nature of the molding. Thesis, Pan tian-you (2005). 3D Printing systems in the development of rapid prototyping. Thesis,5-9. Chua Chee Kai & Leong Kah Fai, Huang tai-shen Translation (1997). The principle of rapid prototyping and manufacturing applications. Taipei: Liuhe Press. John, R., Lindbeck, Huang tai-shen Translation (1999). Product design and manufacture. Taipei: Liuhe Press. N.Hopkinson, R.J.M. Hague, P.M. Dickens (2006). Rapid Manufacturing: An Industrial Revolution for the Digital Age. England: John Wiley.