Connected Additive Manufacturing
3D printing | IoT | Manufacturing
The Additive Manufacturing aka 3D Printing open source community has done an exceptional job in crafting reliable mechanical, electronics, firmware and software ecosystem. Barrier to entry is quite low as there is plenty of resources available . IoT is another technology that has a parallel development timeline. It is highly reliable and widely adopted for monitoring and control applications. There has never been a better time to get started with 3D printing.
Read on to know more about 3D printing and how to get started with FDM printing.
Brief Overview of 3D Printing
Additive Manufacturing has been around since a few decades with significant patents filed around SLA technology in the 80’s. The cost of owning a 3D printer has reduced from $2000 in 2014 to $200 as of 2022. It finds major use in creating obscure replacement parts to small batch production and prototyping applications.
Two most popular technology for 3D printing are FDM & SLA.
i. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
Fused deposition modeling (FDM), also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is the most widely used type of 3D printing at the consumer level. FDM 3D printers are well-suited for basic proof-of-concept models, as well as quick and low-cost prototyping of simple parts, such as parts that might typically be machined.
FDM 3D printers work by extruding thermoplastic filaments, such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), PLA (Polylactic Acid), through a heated nozzle, melting the material and applying the plastic layer by layer to a build platform. Each layer is laid down one at a time until the part is complete.
ii. SLA (Stereolithography)
Stereolithography was the world’s first 3D printing technology, invented in the 1980s, and is still one of the most popular technologies for professionals. SLA resin 3D printers have become vastly popular for their ability to produce high-accuracy and watertight prototypes and parts in a range of advanced materials with fine features and smooth surface finish. SLA resin formulations offer a wide range of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties to match those of standard, engineering, and industrial thermoplastics.
Major con for using SLA is the smells associated with liquid resin. Cleaning and maintenance can be tedious and time consuming.
Getting Started — FDM
The Machine
The machine is the mechanics and electronics performing the process. Ender 3 V2 is a good starter machine for FDM printing. It is economical, easy to maintain and upgrade. It comes with a Meanwell power supply which is CE Certified. It has a decent printing volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm and the machine runs quietly.
Time required to mechanically assemble the machine is approx. 2:30 — 3 hours. Detailed assembly videos are available on YouTube to make the process simpler. Bed levelling probe can be added to make the bed levelling process simpler.
The Firmware
The firmware is code running on the machine’s processor. It is an RTOS based on FreeRTOS to control the heaters, display and motors. As the default firmware has a lot of limitations, it is recommended to immediately upgrade the firmware to Marlin which is an open source firmware upgrade. It requires a few steps to check if the processor (STM32) has required flash memory capacity. Other than that is it basic copy paste and guides are available on YouTube.
Printer Software
These printers are not IoT enabled by default. The default way to use the machine is transferring control files (gcode) through micro SD Card and controlling the machine through the display. In 2022 there is a better way to do it.
Octoprint is an open source web interface to monitor, control and transfer files remotely making it an IoT poster boy. It should be installed on a Raspberry Pi 4. The machine is connected with Pi serially through USB cable. The Pi is connected to LAN through WiFi / Ethernet. The Pi can be accessed remotely though other services. It connects the printer directly to Octoprint.
Octoprint has a number of cool plugin for timelapse capture from camera.
Slicing Software
Slicing software converts the 3D model (STL) to machine code (gcode). Ultimaker Cura is a capable open source software with good preinstalled printing profiles for a solid out of the box experience. It can be diretly connected to Octoprint via plugin. Finding the balance between the Print Quality and Print Time comes with experimenting with a few printing.
CAD Designing
From an engineers perspective CATIA, Solidworks and Fusion 360 are good options for drafting a 3D model. 3D modeling skills are essential to make custom machine parts or to convert an idea to a physical form. Like any other skill, 3D designing comes with a learning curve. It is a rewarding skills and can be useful for both additive and subtractive manufacturing processes.
Cloud Libraries
- Thingiverse is a popular open source cloud library filled with quirky and innovative designs by the community. It is a great place to share ideas or to print cool things you did not know you needed.
- Printables is another good resource to find models designed by the community.
- Cults3D is a platform for high quality models designed by professionals across categories like figurines, jewellery, gadget, etc. It has paid models that are well worth the cost. Go to place for high quality model for SLA printing.
🚀 Proven steps for efficiently getting started with 3D Printing
Step 1: Rough Design
- Preferred Tool: Pen & Paper
Step 2: Engineering Drawing (2D)
- Preferred Tool: CAD Software — Fusion 360 / Solidworks
Step 3: 3D Model Design
- Preferred Tool: CAD Software — Fusion 360 / Solidworks
- Output file: <>.STL
Step 3: Slicing the model
- Preferred Tool: Ultimaker-Cura
- Output file: <>.gcode
Step 4: Print Over the air
- Tool: Octoprint
😥 Pain Points for Ender 3 V2
- Bed Levelling — Can be solved by using a auto bed leveller.
- Extruder grub screw slippage — Solved by using thread locker in extruder grub screw.
- Filament Change time — Possible solution is replacing the bowden arrangement with direct extrusion system.
The First Layer is the most crucial element of a sucessful 3D print. It makes or breaks the print. Period.
Tip: Start the print at 30–35% speed for the first layer. Use brim option for improving the bed adhesion.
Conclusion
IoT integration makes the process of controlling and monitoring the the machine a good experience. With the integration of IoT a fleet of machines can be managed easily.
