4. 3D printing and scanning¶
Link for Group assignment¶
3D Printing¶
In this week, we learned about the principles of how 3D printers work using two main printers. Creality and UltiMaker. Note: The Creality printer had a faster printing speed than Ultimaker one had and is newer as well, so it had a few advantages over Ultimaker.
Creality¶
Starting off with Creality.
The Creality K1 3D printer is a high-performance machine designed for both beginners and experienced users. It features a sleek, modern design with a sturdy build, making it a reliable choice for 3D printing enthusiasts.
The K1 has a building volume of 300 x 300 x 300 mm, allowing for the printing of larger objects. It is equipped with a high-precision linear rail system that ensures smooth and accurate movement of the print head, resulting in high-quality prints.
A high-speed CoreXY 3D printer, the Creality K1 is made for dependable and quick production. Important characteristics include:
1. Printing Speed
For quick prototyping, up to 600 mm/s. 220 x 220 x 250 mm is the build volume.
2. CoreXY Design Offers accuracy and stability at fast speeds.
3. Heating
A nozzle that can reach 300°C and a fast-heating build plate that can reach 100°C.
4. Bed Leveling
Convenient auto-leveling with AI assistance.
5. Touchscreen
An intuitive user interface for simple use.
6. Connectivity
USB, LAN, and Wi-Fi are supported.
7. Prints a variety of materials
including as PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU, thanks to filament compatibility.
Professionals and enthusiasts looking for performance and speed are its target audience.
Ultimaker¶
Known for its accuracy, dependability, and intuitive design, the Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer is a highly respected product in the desktop 3D printing market. Part of Ultimaker’s printer line, this device is renowned for its professional-grade capabilities while being affordable for both businesses and enthusiasts.
Main features¶
Precision and Quality With layer heights as small as 20 microns, the Ultimaker 2+ can print at high resolutions. This makes it perfect for producing functional components, beautiful sculptures, and intricate prototypes.
Swappable Nozzles The printer has a system of interchangeable nozzles that can accommodate nozzle diameters of 0.25mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm. This adaptability makes it possible to balance print speed and detail.
Feeder System Optimization Its upgraded geared feeder improves filament control, facilitating material changes and lowering the risk of filament jams or slippage.
Open Filament System The Ultimaker 2+ offers adaptability for a number of applications by supporting a broad variety of 2.85mm filaments, including PLA, ABS, CPE, and other specialty materials.
Build capacity The printer can produce medium-sized prints with accuracy because of its large build capacity of 223 x 223 x 205 mm.
Heated Bed and Enclosed Design Better adhesion and less warping are guaranteed by the heated build plate, particularly for materials like ABS. Its design helps keep most prints in a steady atmosphere even though it is not completely enclosed.
Simple user interface Ultimaker’s Cura software, which is user-friendly and comes with a number of pre-configured profiles for best performance, powers the printer. Expert users are able to adjust parameters to meet certain requirements. Whether you’re a novice experimenting with 3D printing or an expert looking for a sturdy device for intricate tasks, the Ultimaker 2+ provides a good mix of quality, usability, and convenience of use.Ultimaker’s Cura software, which is user-friendly and comes with a number of pre-configured profiles for best performance, powers the printer. Expert users are able to adjust parameters to meet certain requirements. Whether you’re new to experimenting with 3D printing or an expert looking for a sturdy device for intricate tasks, the Ultimaker 2+ provides a good mix of quality, usability, and convenience of use.
Applications¶
Organizations including education, product design, engineering, and architecture make extensive use of the Ultimaker 2+. It is a well-liked option for functional parts manufacture and prototyping due to its accuracy and dependability.
Design testing using Creality¶
The first task for this week was to test if the K1 printer was working efficiently before creating the individual designs. Note: Ultimaker was not used for the tasks of this week. Therefore, Creality will be only mentioned.
Step 1¶
Creality software needed to be used to access the K1 printer by clicking here.
After accessing the software, this will be the default layout.
Step 2¶
On the top left corner, be sure that the plate type is smooth PEI.
On the middle right of the interface, the configuration distance is preferred to be 0.2mm as the default of the printer located at the quality section.
Step 3¶
The designs will be 3D printed as displayed in the layout below.
Individual 3D printed designs¶
As for my individual designs, I designed a baseball bat as a sports theme pre requested for this week’s tasks and got some ideas on how to create it from here.
This design was inspired by the videos below:
Part one Part 2 The design can be downloaded below.
Note: The printing was attempted twice and during one of the attempts, my baseball bat design had errors in 3D printing the rounded handle of the baseball bat as shown below, so a cylindrical design was created for making the baseball bat stable.
3D scanning¶
Using specialized technology, 3D scanning is the process of creating a digital 3D representation of an object or environment by recording its actual dimensions and shape. This technology gathers accurate measurements and surface features using techniques like time-of-flight, photogrammetry, structured light, and laser triangulation. Industries including manufacturing, healthcare, gaming, and heritage preservation make extensive use of 3D scanning. Rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, the development of virtual reality, and even the establishment of digital archives of historical relics are all made possible by it. This technology is a flexible tool for contemporary applications because the generated 3D models can be examined, altered, or 3D printed.
Contact¶
Conduct contact 3D scanning is a technique that uses a mechanical probe or sensor to physically interact with an object’s surface to record its measurements and geometry. This method, which is frequently used in a controlled setting, involves pressing the probe on the item to measure exact spots on its surface. A thorough and precise 3D model of the object is produced using the data gathered. High-precision applications, including metrology, reverse engineering, and quality control, are common uses for contact scanning. It works well with things that are sturdy and stiff, but it might not be the best option for soft, delicate, or easily malleable objects because the probing process could harm or change their shape. Even though it operates more slowly than non-contact techniques, it is nevertheless quite dependable for getting precise measurements.
Non-Contact¶
One way to capture an object’s shape and geometry without making physical contact is through non-contact 3D scanning. Rather, it collects data using optical technologies including photogrammetry, structured light, and lasers. To measure surface features and provide an accurate digital 3D representation, these scanners either emit light onto the object or take pictures of it. For large, soft, or delicate materials that may be destroyed or inaccessible for contact-based techniques, non-contact scanning is perfect. Intricate features and rough surfaces can be captured, and it is quicker than contact scanning. Applications include the fields of product design, medical imaging, cultural preservation, and entertainment sectors like animation and gaming. Because of its adaptability, this approach is popular in both the artistic and industrial domains.
Assigned tasks for 3D scanning¶
The second task for this week was using an app which was the one recommended by our tutors during the lectures which is called Scaniverse, which is a non-contact type of 3D scanning.
Here are some objects that were 3D Scanned using Scaniverse below.
Round chair
Table chair
Spark plug
Cylindrical object
Cylindrical object (first attempt)
Cylindrical object (second attempt)
Rick statue pens holder
Both chairs had some errors in some parts for the circular one and at the bottom for the normal chair. As for the spark plug, it was the most accurate 3D scanned object out of all the other ones, both the cylindrical objects had some issues at the top and sides and the Rick pens holder was wearing out due to 3D scanning angle errors.
Another aplication used for the second task was called the 3D scanner app.
Objects scanned for this app were not better than the recommended one but it had a cool feature called true depth but it can be only used by the phone’s front camera.
button sample
3D print object
True depth vase
3D scan using Xbox Kinect¶
The third task for this week was to create 3D printed objects of ourselves using the Xbox Kinect which uses structured light that is a non-contact type of 3D scanning using a software called Skanect.
Step 1¶
The person who will be 3D printed had to sit in front of the Xbox Kinect to be captured using the structured light.
Note: Red lines shown in the picture must be decreased for more accuracy in the final result.
step 2¶
design a 3D printed object with mechanism¶
The final task for this week was to create a 3D designed object that includes mechanisms. For my design, I chose to create a combined planetary gear along with the handles.
Method of creating the whole design was collected from this video.
Link of design downloaded here.