May 02
Objet Braingear model printed in a single print job! No assembly was required.
In any assembly that involves mechanical interaction between components, defining the right tolerances according to the model material and the manufacturing process is a key factor for success. Designing a part for rapid prototyping is not an exception.
There are two methods of prototyping assemblies with an Objet 3D printer – either print individual components to be assembled later, or print the whole assembly in one single print job. The method you choose will depend on the type of assembly you require…
Individual components for subsequent assembly: use this method for the following circumstances:
- If you don’t have a multi material printer (such as an Objet Connex), and need to use different materials due to mechanical properties or colour specifications.
- When, due to the complexity of the assembly, the support removal is a challenging process (intricate channels or hard to reach inner gaps).
A tolerance of 0.3 mm (12 thou) between touching surfaces will let you assemble the components once they are finished and allow the parts to move and interact freely.
3D printing the assembly in one transaction: this is the preferred method if you don’t need to use different materials / colours in a moving model and assembly is not required; this method is also a time saver.
You will need to allow a 0.3 mm (12 thou) tolerance between touching surfaces to allow the support material to fill the gaps between parts and prevent the moving components to be bonded together.
Take a look at the example, this was created in a single print job without the need for assembly and the individual gears move as required!
Feb 22
Purchasing a 3D printer, like any capital investment decision, involves a careful analysis, as it will have a strong impact in your organization. There are several elements to consider: internal needs, current and future applications, industry trends, available technologies and, of course, budget.
Don’t rush the decision, but don’t postpone it forever. Making a decision without gathering and analyzing all the information can lead to a wrong and deceiving purchase. Postponing it may mean missing savings, delays in your R&D process and being behind your competition.
You will be overwhelmed by the huge amount of information available, sales people from several vendors trying to influence your decision, lack of awareness of new applications within your company, and a confusing threshold in price and machine capabilities.
In the next few posts I will review in detail each and every item to be considered through the purchase decision. Stay tuned for the next chapters:
- It is about you.
- What is the best technology for me?
- Is my budget in line with my needs?
- How to present the project to the management.
- Benchmarking: don’t buy before you try.
- Hidden needs: you may not know everything you can do.
- ROI: Losing money and have not realized it?
- I have a 3D printer in house, what is next?
If you are currently outsourcing the prototyping process, and are considering the purchase of an in-house solution, this white paper is for you:
Dec 05
Its time to upgrade the computer you’re using to send your models to your Objet 3D Printer, do you need to call Javelin to set it up? Although we can come and set it up for you, it’s not too hard to do yourself. Here are some instructions. We’ll walk through configuring the network adapter, installing the Objet 3D Studio software and setting it up to communicate with an Objet 3D printer in this tip. Since we are replacing an existing computer, this tip will not go into detail on all of the wiring between the printer, computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse. You can make notes of the existing wiring before pulling it apart.
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Nov 14
One of the most import pieces in the Wall-E, body, is finally printed. It determines how the limbs and the head are connected. In addition, I printed the other leg and one arm.
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Sep 13
So, we have an Objet Connex 500 3D Printer here at the office, and I got thinking – what could I print that would really demonstrate the capabilities of this incredible machine and push it’s limits. There’s some complex automotive components with moving components that would have made interesting show pieces for our 3D Printer lab, but being a fan of the WALL-E movie by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, I just found my printer test subject. It’s appealing, will look cool, and has an ample supply of moving parts…
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Feb 14
Javelin had a couple of special visitors last week. MPP Kevin Flynn and Cabinet Minister Sandra Pupatello visited the Javelin office in Oakville on Thursday, February 10th. Minister Pupatello is responsible for Economic Development and Trade for the Government of Ontario. It was our pleasure to have a private meeting with both where we got a chance to tell them about our business and also ask them a couple of questions. We had a terrific conversation with them.
From left to right: John Carlan - Javelin co-owner, Kevin Flynn - MPP for Oakville, Sandra Pupatello - Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Ted Lee - Javelin co-owner, and Wes van Ooyen - VP of Engineering, Pharmatrust.
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