The University of Auckland

Project #54: Reconfigurable Platform for 3D Printers

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Description:

Additive manufacturing (otherwise known as 3D printing technology) has been rapidly developed in the past decades; its applications spread to almost every corner in our lives, including aerospace, automotive, engineering, medicine, biological systems, marine and etc. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of common 3D printing methods. However, when printing products with overhangs, support structures are often needed, which leads to extended build time and post-process, material waste, and sometimes collapsed part. A lot of research has been done to reduce the support material used. However, all these work are focusing on improving the support structures themselves. Little research has been on eradicating support structures. In this project, a reconfigurable platform will be created as the print bed in an effort to minimise and even get rid of any support. The main objectives of this project are as follows:

  1. Investigation of feasible mechanisms for a reconfigurable platform (e.g. small pins controlled by computer to collectively provide a surface that conform to the 3D model).
  2. Configuration algorithm is to be developed based on any given geometry.
  3.  The platform dimensions: 20cm X 20cm, with a 10cm maximum height variation of the platform.
  4. Development of a new slicing/printing algorithm based on the platform developed.

Type:

Undergraduate

Outcome:

A reconfigurable platform as the print bed in an effort to minimise and even get rid of any support

Prerequisites

Micro-processor programming; motion control

Specialisations

Categories

Supervisor

Team

Allocated (Not available for preferences)

Lab

Lab allocations have not been finalised