Practical 3D Printing: CAD

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CAD

05.22

00:00	We've covered a lot of ground up to this point in the course with plenty of considerations around different types of 3D printing as well as how they're used in many different applications.
00:09	It's been a lot to take in so in case all of this seems a little overwhelming or unclear we've put together a simple four -step process that you can follow for any 3D printing project.
00:21	This section of the course isn't about teaching you anything new.
00:24	This is about understanding how to implement everything that you've already learned into real-world 3D printing projects.
00:32	Of course, every project and type of 3D printing is going to call for a different approach.
00:36	So, think of this as reiterating the important concepts in one place for clarity and in the order they'll typically be carried out in.
00:44	If anything we cover over these four steps doesn't ring a bell or make total sense to you be sure to check back to the relevant module in the course for a refresher.
00:54	Let's start with the first step in the process which involves CAD.
00:57	As we've noted throughout the course, 3D printing is possible without 3D modelling skills, but your projects will certainly benefit from it.
01:05	In saying that, CAD, meaning computer -aided design, encompasses a lot of different processes, not just 3D modelling.
01:13	Think of it more as an overall design ideology and what needs to be considered when working with these computer-controlled manufacturing processes to get the best results.
01:23	Before we start designing, we need to understand exactly what we're trying to accomplish.
01:28	Not only does this include the problem that we're trying to solve, or more simply, what function the design serves, but also how we're going to successfully bring the design to life.
01:39	This means deciding what material and manufacturing process best fits our purpose.
01:44	For this discussion, we'll assume that everything points to using additive manufacturing.
01:48	Maybe for the cost of low-volume production, or to meet our timeframe.
01:53	Or for the flexibility it offers in designing the part, or any combination of these.
01:58	Regardless of the reasoning, what's of primary importance is DFM, or design for manufacturing.
02:04	Essentially, this means keeping in mind the limitations of the manufacturing process, but also the strengths, so we end up with the best possible results at the end.
02:14	This naturally requires a sound understanding of the manufacturing process, which we now have from this course.
02:20	Each type of 3D printing comes with its own collection.
02:23	So, rather than list them all out here again, be sure to check back to the relevant module, or check out the attachment below this module.
02:33	In it, we've provided a list of commonly used features in our designs, and some recommended values for their sizings.
02:40	There are also other considerations, like avoiding enclosures in our design that could trap uncured liquid resin or unfuse powders.
02:48	If we're designing a part to be machined, but we want to 3D print a prototype first, then some features may need to be adjusted for the different set of DFM considerations.
02:58	In terms of the practical skills around 3D modelling, as we've already mentioned, this isn't the focus of this course, and I recommend checking out the HPA 3D Modelling and CAD for Motorsport course to pick up that knowledge.
03:11	But, here's a few best practices to keep in mind no matter what software you're working with.
03:17	When designing parts for 3D printing, we'll usually be working with solid modelling, even though our slices will mostly work with mesh files.
03:25	Surface modelling is a great way to achieve the complex curves that additive manufacturing is so good at bringing to life, but we need to convert these to solid models before moving to the next stages.
03:36	Each part of our design that is going to be an individual component in the real world, is best represented as an individual component in CAD.
03:44	In this way, we can control the position and movement relationship between parts of assemblies more accurately.
03:51	These relationships, strong references, and fully defined drawings make our modelling process much cleaner and easier, and build a strong foundation that won't fall over if we ever need to go back and make changes.
04:04	This becomes more and more critical as models gain complexity.
04:08	Once we're happy with our model, some 3D modelling programs like Fusion will allow us to transfer it directly to the slicing software that we'll be looking at in the next step.
04:18	Alternatively, we can either export a mesh file, typically in STL format, or a STEP file to open in our slicer or send to the manufacturer to produce our design for us.
04:29	That covers our first step of CAD for our 3D printing process, so let's highlight the key points to remember before moving on.
04:37	The design process starts by understanding not only the problem we're trying to solve, but also what material and manufacturing process or type of 3D printing we're going to be using.
04:47	From here, we can start creating a 3D model of our design.
04:51	But it's important to always keep in mind the manufacturing process to ensure we get the best from our project and we don't need to waste time and money repeating anything.
05:01	Past this, there's numerous skills and best practices that can be applied to this stage depending on our application.
05:07	But when we're happy with the design, it's just a matter of exporting a STEP or mesh file that can be used to manufacture the part or transferring our 3D model directly to the slicing software.