3D Printing

Welcome to the 3D printing tutorials page! Inquire below for interesting and useful tutorials regarding design, preparing files, and navigating CAD Software. For ECE’s 3D printing videos, click HERE.

Discover the world of 3D printing within the state-of-the-art ECE Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory

3D Printing Design

Below are some links that give a helpful overview on the foundations of 3D printing design using CAD software such as SolidWorks and Tinkerine. Also, Inquire below for other helpful link like saving an STL file, and a brief introduction about  3D printing (BMEG 257).

Additional Helpful Tutorials

Inquire below for help on Material Jetting 3D printing, and how to access built – in CAD tutorials!

Dr. Leo Stocco's Tutorials

ECE's Dr. Leo Stocco has created a set of tutorials on  Material Jetting 3D Printing.

Sam Lee our summer 2016 Mech. Coop. has developed a 3d printing overview document and a Solidworks and 3d printing tutorial for specific use with our ECE FDM Printers (Tinkerines Ditto Pro) during project courses.

Preparing a Parts File for submission:

  1. Open the parts file in SolidWorks and close any assemblies that the part is included in
  2. Open the “Save As” menu dialog
    1. Set the file as a .STL file
    2. Click on “Options…”
      1. Set “Deviation” to the lowest value available
      2. Set “Angle” to 5 degrees (angles less than the value provided will produce larger .STL files which may or may not be printable)
    3. Save the file/s

Preparing an Assembly File for submission:

  1. Open the assembly file in SolidWorks
  2. Open the “Save As” menu dialog
    1. Set the file as a .STL file
    2. Click on “Options…”
      1. Set “Deviation” to the lowest value available
      2. Set “Angle” to 5 degrees (angles less than the value provided will produce larger .STL files which may or may not be printable)
      3. Check/uncheck the “Save all components of an assembly in a single file” box
        • Checking the box will print the entire assembly as a single part
        • Unchecking the box will result in an individual part file for each part in the assembly
    3. Save the file

Tutorial on preparing files (PDF)

Designing cost & time efficient parts:

  1. Trim unnecessary flanges or walls
  2. Minimize support material used:
    1. Rotate the part so it sits as flat as possible on the table
    2. Orient parts to eliminate gaps where support material is needed
    3. Produce your part as an assembly of smaller parts
  3. Specific to Objet printers:
    1. Select a glossy finish
    2. Manually position multiple parts so that they overlap in the Z-axis

Tutorial on efficient design (PDF)

Other notes on designing for 3D printing:

  1. Try to keep files under 100MB
    1. Files over 500MB will fail
    2. To reduce file size when generating STL file, increase angle
  2. Minimum of 0.25mm clearance between parts in a joint
  3. Use "Evaluate / Clearance Verification" feature in SolidWorks when designing assemblies
  4. Some assemblies cannot be broken free if designed pre-assembled:
    1. Large diameter shafts
    2. Small diameter shafts (<5mm)
    3. Mechanically connected joints that require multiple joints to be freed simultaneously

Tutorial on designing various joints & parts (PDF) - Design Files (ZIP)

CAD Software Tutorials

BONUS!

Most CAD Softwares have easy to follow built-in Tutorials under the help tab, take advantage and USE IT!
For Solidworks the recommended basic ones for ELEC project Courses are:

  • Introduction (1-hour Practice)
  • Lesson 1: Parts (30 min Practice)
  • Lesson 2: Assemblies (45 min Practice)