3D display and printing

Abstract

C093: 3D Display and Printing explore methods to convert 3D data obtained using 3D measurement systems into a format suitable for 3D display and 3D printing.

There is an increasing demand to reduce time taken to develop new products in the market. Two effective methods are through the use of reverse engineering and 3D printing. Reverse engineering requires the CAD model of the original product to be worked on. Device such as a 3D profilometer is a viable option to obtain 3D data which could then be converted into 3D CAD model. Modifications can then be made to the model and previewed in 3D before sending it for 3D printing. Therefore this project explores methods to seamlessly integrate the above functions together.

For the conversion of data to 3D stereoscopic viewing, methods such as image rendering, video rendering and the software – eDrawing 2013 for Solidworks were used. Data were also converted to STL format which is compatiable for 3D printing using the software – Geomagic Studio 10