Modern Machine Shop and MoldMaking Technology present ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, a quarterly supplement reporting on the use of additive processes to manufacture functional parts. More at additivemanufacturinginsight.com.
Issue link: https://am.epubxp.com/i/364508
AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com September 2014 — 15 Simplifying and Streamlining Conceptual Design for the Non-Expert By Olivier Suire, Industry Market Director, Dassault Systèmes Innovative conceptual designs are the key to successful products. Today's comprehensive 3D devel- opment solutions allow designers to easily design and visualize ideas before a prototype is even created. Even though manufacturers rely on technology to rapidly design, communicate, prototype and produce real functional parts, many of today's technologies are still seen as constraining innovation, however. Luckily, there are solutions available that allow non-experts to make their designs into a reality. As the world of design becomes more social and conceptual, collaboration and accessibility are critical. Users—even those without years of expertise in 3D design—must be able to collaborate widely and leverage the latest 3D manufacturing and 3D printing technologies in order to be more competi- tive and innovative. Today's 3D design technology has become increas- ingly user-friendly. In the past 20 years, versions of the traditional hard-to-use 3D design software have been created that allow users to use the technology, without months of training. New-age social sharing has created many communities and design-sharing sites, which allow members to learn how to become profcient with the technology—and to even reuse some of the work others have done before them. Tese sites ofer a variety of tips and tricks, advice, and guidance for beginners. Several high schools and universities have also incorporated the basics of 3D design software into their curricula. GeorgiaTech recognized that the need for advanced systems engineers was fast approaching a peak and wanted to bring advanced systems engineering education to a new level. Te university collaborated with the University of Detroit Mercy, and the University of New Haven, Connecticut, to create a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) summer camp for high school students. As the design process becomes increasingly social and concep- tual, it is critical to incorporate 3D design technology into today's educational curricula. Tis camp is one example of how schools are bringing more industry realism into curricula and addressing the entire STEM pipeline to provide industry with the employable and competitive workforce it needs. 3D design software also empowers creators to use 3D printing, which has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. 3D printing is seen as a way to level the playing feld and enable everyday designers and makers to bring their creations to life. In order to design something to build with a 3D printer, however, you will likely need to use some form of 3D design software. Gavin Gear, a blogger for Windows, recently used his new 3D printer to design and build a customized phone case for his Nokia Lumia 928. Te easy-to-use software allowed him to create a 3D model of his phone in order to construct a case around it. He was able to create a "skin" around the phone and then push the surface of the phone out of it, and then create a new surface, resulting in a consistent ofset thickness between the two surfaces. Te tools then allowed him to subtract the phone volume from the overall volume, leaving him with the correct sizing for his custom-de- signed case. Years ago, this would have just been a dream for an everyday designer like Gavin. Terence Loring, owner of 3 Pillar Designs in Vancouver, Canada, designed a prosthetic foot for a duck that had lost a foot as the result of an unfortu- nate encounter with another animal. When designing the prosthetic, Terence made sure he had a complete understanding of the duck and his current limitations before developing a list of requirements. He was able to test the design, sizing and functionality of the piece before ftting it to the duck's leg. While Terence had