How to Improve Speed, Accuracy and Quality in Additive Manufacturing
By Rafael Hasbun,
Sr. Field Application Engineer, FARO Technologies
Additive manufacturing, the process of adding materials, layer upon layer, to build a complete product, saves manufacturers time and money. So, it’s no surprise that, as manufacturers struggle to meet budget and time constraints when designing and developing new products, the additive manufacturing market is poised for significant growth.
As a matter of fact, a recent report by Reportlinker.com, “Global Additive Manufacturing Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report by Printer Type, by Technology, by Component, by Applications, by Material, by Vertical, by Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022-2028,” predicts that the global additive manufacturing market will see a compounded annual growth rate of 18.9% during the forecasted period, ultimately reaching $44.6 billion by 2028, up from its current size of about $14 billion. The growth is expected to be fueled by demand in the automotive, aerospace and healthcare markets, which leverage additive manufacturing processes to accelerate the prototyping of parts.
What is Additive Manufacturing?
Typically, additive manufacturing relies on Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners and sophisticated software to direct hardware, such as 3D printers, to deposit material, layer by layer, in precise geometric shapes to create an object rather than using traditional subtractive methods that remove material via milling, machining, carving or shaping to create an object. The process of additive manufacturing allows manufacturers to print parts as a single piece, reducing material waste and saving time and reducing costs when prototyping and reverse engineering parts.
The Role of 3D Laser Scanners in Additive Manufacturing
More and more, 3D laser scanners are being used as the first step in additive manufacturing because they further hasten the product development process. 3D scanners can scan the measurements, features and details needed to create the part in mere minutes, whereas it can take hours to gather only the simplest physical dimensions of a part using traditional measurement methods, such as calipers and coordinate measurement machines (CMM). The detailed 3D scans are then sent to a sophisticated computer software program, which uses the collected data to create a virtual 3D model for printing.
Not only do 3D scanners provide faster and more detailed measurements, but they also increase accuracy due to the high-resolution of the data and reduce instances of human error associated with traditional measurement methods, ensuring quality control of the first article created. 3D scanning can also be used to inspect and diagnose failure in parts that were created via an additive manufacturing process. A 3D-printed part can be tested under stress in the environment in which it is intended to be used and, following these tests, 3D laser scanners can be employed to find and diagnose any deformities or critical points of failure in the part to further ensure product quality and quicken subsequent product iterations.
3D scanning is also superior to traditional measurement methods when it comes to capturing objects that have pre-formed surfaces, complex curvatures or textured surface finishes because these types of features are not easily measured with traditional tools. 3D scanning also rises to the challenge of reverse engineering, which is often employed by the automotive industry to create custom or discontinued parts. Reverse engineering a physical object for additive manufacturing requires accurate measurement of the part’s height, width, depth, diameter and circumference, as well as complex details such as the radius and textures of certain features. 3D scanning efficiently and precisely acquires all the data associated with the part’s surfaces, details and intricate features, allowing accurate and detailed data to be sent to the printer for additive manufacturing.
Improvements to Scanning Technologies Overcome Additive Manufacturing Challenges
Despite the numerous advantages of using 3D scanning in the additive manufacturing process, there are some associated challenges, such as scanning large and heavy parts. However, recognizing the issue, some newer technologies, such as the Quantum Max FaroArm® portable coordinate measuring machine, offer larger reach to provide more comfortable articulation for better extension over and around large objects. When combined with the FARO® 8-Axis Max Rotary Worktable, a modular component that can be used with any FaroArm, the need to relocate or reposition the scanning device is nearly eliminated. Traditionally, technicians would have to scan a large part one section at a time and then move the scanner to the next section. The movement could result in inaccurate data, but with the rotary worktable, the part can be mounted to the table, which spins like a Lazy Susan, allowing the part to be captured without moving the scanner, eliminating errors and increasing accuracy of the data.
Another challenge associated with traditional 3D scanners is that they often have difficulty scanning parts that are dark, shiny or reflective. In these instances, technicians typically spray the part with powder to achieve a matte finish in order to achieve an accurate scan, but this may be a thing of the past due to the introduction of optically superior blue-laser technology. FARO’s Quantum Max ScanArm, the most advanced portable measurement tool that features three purpose-built, hot-swappable Laser Line Probes (LLPs), offers capabilities such as rapid prototyping, reverse engineering and 3D modeling of free-form surfaces. The blue-laser technology permits scanning of challenging surfaces, including those that are dark or reflective, simplifying the process and increasing the accuracy of scanning these objects prior to additive manufacturing applications.
Complicated software used to convert scans for printing was another challenge for additive manufacturers, but today even the most sophisticated software programs are becoming more user friendly. For example, FARO RevEng™ Software allows users to more accurately capture and more easily edit meshes for the creation of models for 3D printing. Using the software in combination with 3D scanning products allows data ranging from high-resolution color point clouds to simple meshes to be transformed into detailed meshes, providing more insight into the design and composition, as well as visual differentiation between materials and textures. The intuitive user interface visually displays all the tools within a single screen, facilitating easy manipulation and customization of the 3D object to meet specific design requirements, further increasing the workflow productivity of reverse engineering in additive manufacturing applications.
Putting it All Together
Recently, Adam LZ, an automotive YouTuber and motorsports racer, partnered with FARO and software provider Oqton to create a custom part for a racecar using FARO’s 3D scanning technology, Oqton’s Geomagic Design X software and additive manufacturing. Initially the dash of the car contained a navigation console that needed to be removed because it was adding unnecessary weight to the vehicle. The goal of the project was to quickly create a customized, lightweight part that would properly fill the pocket left in the dash after the navigation system was removed.
First, the dash, including the navigation console, was removed from the vehicle and placed on the 8-Axis Max where, despite its large size, it was easily scanned with the FARO ScanArm. “Securing the dash to the 8-Axis Max and rotating it made for less work and more accuracy in the scan because we didn’t have to manipulate or move the piece or the scanner,” says Will Pitarello, senior applications engineer with FARO. “Less movement equals more accuracy and reduces the variables that could introduce errors into the data collection.”?
Scanning the entire dash allowed designers to understand where the navigation system resided in the piece. With this step complete, the navigation console was removed and scanned to provide insight into the shape of the console itself, as well as the metal clips that held it securely within the dash. A third scan was taken of the void left in the dash to provide understanding of the geometry beneath the void, including the mounting points, so that the newly created part would fit the void and properly attach to the existing mounts. “It was important to scan the entire dash and the navigation console itself, as well as the open pocket created when the navigation system was removed and the geometry beneath it, so that the new, customized part will not only cover the area, but will clip properly onto the existing mounting points,” says Greg George, applications engineer manager, with Oqton.
The three scans were then brought together using Geomagic Design X software to create a 3D model that was used to very rapidly manufacture a part via additive manufacturing. Thanks to the accuracy of the scan, which included the geometries of the void, the surface textures of the dash, the mounting points and all the other necessary features, along with the rapid pace of additive manufacturing, success was achieved and a well-fitting part that matched the leather-like surface texture of the original dash and mounted to the existing clips was designed and produced by the next day.
“The nice thing is that with additive manufacturing, you have the ability to quickly make a part and once the part is available, you can determine if it’s the right fit and the right weight,” says George. “And, if by chance, it’s too heavy or isn’t right, you can iterate on this very quickly using these same technologies and make another part that fits better or weighs less just as quickly.”
It's easy to see that today’s 3D laser scanning technologies and user-friendly software packages help innovative additive manufacturers speed their workflows while ensuring accuracy and quality of the produced parts, making them more profitable and efficient than ever before.