3.

Multiple materials in one printing

3D printers are helpful in manufacturing complex geometrical shape of objects

and it can also use variety of materials to print a specific object. However, in
manufacturing mechanical products it requires multiple specific materials to define
realistic representation of the desired design. In Figure #, the object has been printed
using two different materials. According to Shin K. H. et. al. (2003) , printing
heterogeneous object are not simple to manufacture. An object containing multiple
materials can be classified into two groups. A heterogeneous solid model contains
multiple materials within the part but the different materials can be looked at as distinct
areas. A functional graded model contains a gradient between materials where the
materials changes in each layers.

FIGURE #: 3D printer with two extrusion heads

The two major problems in printing objects containing multiple materials are the
modeling and the manufacturing. At the current day, computer aided technologies are
still in the process of research and in this case there are only few 3D printers that print
objects with multiple material. As the 3D printer progresses, there are proposed
methods to model multiple material within a single object, which contains their own
perks and problems. According to Kou X.Y. and Tan S.T. (2007), after designing the
object with multiple materials, the printer in use must be assessable in printing such
object. Even if the printer is compatible in printing the object, it must be closely monitor
if the produced material is fitted to the required quality of the design.

3D printers requires the assistance of a computer wherein to print an object the

computer requires some factors to communicate with the 3D printer. These factors are
the communicated data, computational overhead, representational capabilities and
accuracy of the model. In a research, to provide feasibility for heterogeneous 3D
printing a proposed method are given, which are the use of voxels, finite element-based
approach, constructive representation, or mathematically defined representation. (Kou
X.Y. and Tan S.T. (2007). Also the geometry and the material distribution must be

observed when modeling the object.

Figure #: Voxels method Figure #: Finite element-based approach

Figure #: Constructive Representation or Mathematically Defined Representation

Manufacturing the object with multiple material still bring new challenge to 3D
printers, the more complicated the data for printing the more complicated the processing
becomes. 3D printer works by building layers or mesh of the object and before the
printer can produce the heterogeneous object, the model has to be sliced into layers
and each path of the layers must be planned. The complexity of slicing each layer
depends on the complexity of the layers of a particular type of model. In addition to the
layers, its orientation also affects the printing of each part (Kou X.Y. and Tan S.T.
(2007). The 3D printer itself is also limited to what action or work it can do especially to
objects with multiple materials. With this problems, in a research by Christ S., et. al.
(2015), they introduce the approach of injecting small fibers of separate materials mixed
to the primary material that is use for printing. Which in sense, this will make the object
stronger and flexible.

4. Orientation of the Printed Object

In 3d printing, considering the orientation of printing the object can have a huge
effect when it comes to maximizing or minimizing one or more manufacturing
considerations. In computer aided manufacturing, the 3D printers analyze our design by
our design in the AutoCAD or by the use of standard triangle language file (Kulkarni P.,
Marsan A., Dutta D., 2000). Considering the usage of the object, certain feature is more
important that others that is appropriate to their purpose. Optimization of the object is
inclined to the orientation of production in a 3D printer. Wherein knowing the right
orientation can affect the build time, quality of the part and its physical property.

There are many factors that affect the manufacturing process that relate to the
build direction, this considerations or factors depend on the part and the purpose of the
part. Accuracy, build time and the amount of support structure are the most important
variables when minimizing or maximizing some purpose of the printed object. The
amount of orientations is theoretically infinite. Therefore, an engineer or designer must
realize that some may don’t have optimal orientation that will meet the efficiency of the
design (Pandey P.M., Venkata R. N., Dhande S. G. 2007).

Figure #: Primary Object Design with Multiple Orientations

Different methods have been suggested to find the proper orientation to print
objects with its optimal quality. Cusp height and Ra values are used to evaluate the
surface roughness to grade the potentiality of different orientation (Pandey P.M.,
Venkata R. N. Dhande, S. G., 2003). Recently, genetic algorithms became a way to
solve the orientation problems (Phatak A. M., Pande S. S., 2012). Though, the genetic
algorithm may not actually test the quality of the object especially when finding proper
orientation to be use that is fitted to its desired function.
5. Speed of Printing Object

In relation to the manufacturing and orientation of the object, build time is also an
important factor for 3D printers. Traditional manufacturing and 3D printing have their
own advantages and disadvantages. Traditional manufacturing have a hard time doing
complex geometry while 3D printers are more complex to use compared to the
traditional. In 3D printing the build time or the speed is proportionally equal to the height
of the object that needs to be produce.

Figure #: Relationship of build height to build time: 1 h 48 m (left) and 1 h 10 m (right) (Brajlih T.,
Valentan B., Balic J., Drstvensek I., 2011).

The pre-planning of the object up to post process of designing the object in the
software also requires time to complete. The time spent on planning depends on the
complexity of the model and the complexity of the process and the efficiency of the
software being used is also a barrier on how quickly a plan can be produce. In here the
planning stage consumes more time for the reason that it answers how accurate a
product to produce accordingly to the application of the specific part or object. In
completion, additional time may require in choosing material and preparing the needed
tool. There are different kinds of 3D printers and no matter which kind machine a
engineer will be using, the machine is limited by physical problems.

Conclusion

These are some problems encountered by a new emerging computer aided

technology. Here 3D PRINTING is one of emerging technology because of its great use
in manufacturing products. You just need the blueprint of the object you want to print
then the 3D printing machine will create the object for you by printing it in layers. Using
3D printing in manufacturing products it will help the producers to save space and save
time. Save space because it does not need huge factories or huge manufacturing set
ups and save time because it can quickly create or make products. Even if there are
technical difficulty and complexity when using such technology, there are some
research that will address this different kind of problems that will the optimize the
efficiency of 3D printers for easy usage.