As part of the department’s research in this area, faculty and Ph.D students frequently subject numerous identical prototypes to the same experiment repeatedly to increase testing validity. This effort requires engineers to create multiple, and often tiny, test objects with 100% identical characteristics.

Students used 3D printing to create a model for the annual Cessna/Raytheon Missile Systems Student “DesignBuild/Fly” competition.

For years, the department sought the best method to produce large volumes of highly accurate testing prototypes. Under the direction of Professor Darryll Pines, dean of the Clark School, several 3D printing technologies were explored to improve the testing process. Ultimately, the school selected the Objet Eden 350V unit based on its resolution, accuracy, detail, and durability.

According to Pines, the printer had an immediate impact on productivity because it helped speed up research and testing processes by enabling the engineers to develop specimens faster and to recover more quickly from design process errors. “The printer technology reduced the prototype development cycle by a full year and yielded a cost savings of approximately $80,000/yr. It eliminated the need to pay for homemade prototype material such as aluminum and plastics that outside vendors marked up by nearly 1,000%,” He also added that the printer enhanced the validity of the department’s research findings by ensuring that test objects are always 100% identical.

Evan R. Ulrich, a graduate research assistant candidate in the department, commented that all aspects of the testing apparatus are now constructed with the printer.

He notes that there is no waiting on other people since he and others can produce their models in-house at a faster rate than before.

One of the university’s many applications of this technology was the examination and relation of how insects avoid obstacles during flight. The department used the Eden system in the design and manufacture of the first structure used aboard small helicopters that allowed sensors to test for close obstacle avoidance. It was reported that the Objet system reduced, by months, the time it would have taken to complete this research using prior methods.

The engineering department developed and manufactured the first structure used aboard small helicopters that allows sensors to test for close obstacle avoidance.

Ulrich has also seen the benefits of this technology in his own research activities, using Eden-generated models to study how the distinct flight patterns of winged plant seeds falling from trees might have application in unmanned vehicles. “The capabilities of such vehicles are often limited by the power required to simultaneously maintain flight and operate onboard electronics,” said Ulrich.

“But the flight mode exhibited by winged seeds requires little to no power. Using the Eden, he was able to quickly and cost-effectively test numerous design iterations leading to the invention of the smallest controllable robotic samara to date.

In addition, Ulrich – with a team of fellow students – used the Eden to create a model for the annual Cessna/Raytheon Missile Systems Student “Design/Build/Fly” competition. Organized through the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the contest challenges students to design, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio-controlled aircraft. The model had a four-foot wingspan and detailed specifications for wind tunnel conditions. The Maryland team finished very high in the competition.

“3D printing technology has proved itself as an asset that can help engineers and those who train them to better execute some of the most sophisticated and technical

research studies in the world,” said Pines. “It represents the future of aerospace studies and will surely help our best minds achieve the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.”

Objet Geometries
www.objet.com

University of Maryland
www.eng.umd.edu

MPF

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

One year or so ago, a light bulb went off in Mike Littrell’s head when he saw pictures of Bill Gould’s concept hot rod delivery truck. The car enthusiast and president of C.ideas had been searching for an opportunity that would showcase his company’s full service rapid prototyping (RP) capabilities, including RP build, finishing, painting, plating, and fused deposition modeling (FDM). His firm has been providing 3D printed prototypes and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) to engineers and product designers since 1998. Gould, president and CEO of Gould Studios, an industrial design outfit, primarily serves the medical device and consumer goods industries. However, as a car buff himself, he tinkered with auto designs on the side.

Littrell and Gould agreed to form a joint-venture hot rod with C.ideas building a large, eye-popping model from Gould’s SolidWorks software designs for use at trade shows and other exhibitions. Gould began the project by generating parts in 1/8 scale using the CAD software. He sent the designs to Littrell as IGES files. To create the larger model, Littrell resized Gould’s files to 1/4 scale – about the size of an office desk.

According to Littrell, the Model T was produced using multiple processes. For example, the entire body and engine block were built using FDM technology using C.ideas in-house acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with a honeycombed interior to reduce weight and build time while maintaining the exterior aesthetics and detail. The parts that required the most durability were produced in FDM. Highly detailed small and medium sized parts were created in Polyjet at 0.0006-in. layer slices.

The windshield, headlights, and taillight lenses were created using stereolithography (SLA) Accura 60 clear which was sanded, polished, and clear coated. The front tires were printed in an elastomer called Tango Black with a durometer of 70a for rigidity. The rear tires were built in Tango Plus with a durometer of 28a for the required elasticity in order to insert the large rear wheel. Once completed, the elastomer parts were soaked in C.ideas’ proprietary GT process to improve strength.

Littrell and Gould worked in tandem to make design changes that would help with the production of certain components. Gould adjusted some features to allow for wall thicknesses and mechanical assemblies after the model was finished, plated, and painted. He then created a number of hyperShot renderings so the he and Littrell could choose a color scheme. Gould also provided numerous photo rendering color studies so that Littrell and his team could determine the best color combination and decide which parts would be vacuum metalized. The goal of the whole project was to produce the entire model using only digital 3D printing technologies.

A Gould Studios solid model of the hot rod model.                                           Here is a wireframe view of the solid model.

A hyperShot rendering of a model ready to cruise Route 66.                             A 1913 Ford Model T Speedster rendered in hyperShot.

This design is illuminated with Gould’s own lighting created in HDR-LightStudio.   This is a hyperShot rendering of the original concept car design of a “C-cab delivery truck.”

Project facts

The hot rod CAD model includes 133 files of parts, assemblies, and sub-assemblies totaling 300 MB. An estimated 60-100 hours were spent designing the cars. System configuration: Custom Intel Dual quad-core (8 CPUs) running at 3.83 Mhz. Nvidia Quadro FX-1700 graphics card, twin 180 GB, 10,000 RPM hard drives built to specification by Datel Systems. A series of large fine-art prints will be offered on the Gould Studios website, created from select hyperShot renderings.

Gould Studios
www.gouldstudios.com

C.ideas
www.rapid3d.com

MPF

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

A typical semiconductor thermal team spends approximately 60% of its time on standard package thermal characterization and design, and the remaining time for customer-specific characterizations. The FloTHERM IC tool reduces the time spent on thermal characterization and design by providing an automated process that includes pre-verified thermal models to reduce the risk of modelling errors. The tool can also achieve reductions of up to 25% in the time usually needed for customer-specific characterizations.

The FloTHERM IC tool is based on proven Mentor Graphics technologies: FloTHERM CFD software, used to simulate airflow, temperature, and heat transfer in electronic systems, and the FloTHERM PACK Smart Parts modeling tool. This new solution addresses the following areas of a semiconductor package thermal characterization and design:

–Full-spectrum thermal metric and compact model generation with full adherence to published JEDEC standards
–Package-aware” parametric design for “what-if” analysis
–EDA tool interfacing for detailed modeling of BGA substrates for physical layout
–Data mining of simulation data to enable optimized design time and reuse

The product’s wizard-based user interface is simple to use, designed for both the core thermal team and field engineers. Supported fully by an intuitive and flexible library and database infrastructure, the software enables a range of JEDEC thermal metrics and compact models to be generated easily and efficiently.

New Technology Featured at SEMI-THERM 2010

FloTHERM IC technology will be showcased at SEMI-THERM 2010 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, February 21-25, 2010. Additional technical information about the product will be provided during the Mentor Graphics vendor presentation which will take place on February 23 at 2:00 PM in Ballroom E. Stop by the Mentor Graphics booth #202 for additional information.

For more information on the Mentor Graphics FloTHERM IC technology and other mechanical analysis solutions, visit the company website:  www.mentor.com/products/mechanical/products/flotherm-ic/.

Mentor Graphics
www.mentor.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

The new option of viewing data directly from the browser is a convenient way to work with many data files. The new function is beneficial when a quick look at the measurement data is required, for example, to select the desired data set. Additionally, different measurement data – for example multiple measurements of the same test – can be displayed on top of each other for graphical comparison.

The new module for correction of irregularities allows you to automatically correct negative effects in the measurement signals that might interfere with subsequent analysis. With long-term monitoring, only individual events that may occur only infrequently are relevant. Static conditions between these events expand the data volume and contain only static signal components. In addition, test results may drift due to the effect of temperature variations during long-term monitoring. In the event of a drift in a known measured value, an automatic reset to its origin facilitates monitoring of the test value. A further irregularity results from electromagnetic interference affecting the measurement data in the form of spikes. The new add-on module automatically corrects all these irregularities, such as flat lines, drift and spikes and provides clear display of relevant data.

HBM
www.hbm.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::