Producing a real component directly from a design file - that is the core idea behind 3D printing. What sounds simple and was seen early on as the manufacturing method of the future turns out to be a multi-layered and complex task in practice. The actual manufacturing process begins with the creation of the design file and its transfer into print files. The last few years have shown very clearly that a lot has to be considered here in the first step. From the alignment of the parts on the build plate to the design of the support structures, depending on the features defined in the detail file, the rest of the process, especially the post-processing, can be relatively simple or very challenging.
Innovative 3D printing software
The latest software package from the Franco-German software developer CoreTechnologie also sits at this interface between design and printing. With 4D_Additive, CAD data of all common 3D formats can be optimized for 3D printing within a very short time. The sophisticated inspection, healing and repair functions ensure that high-quality mesh models are sent to the printer. This ensures that the part that the creator of the design file had in mind is printed. Additional analysis functions such as wall thickness and clearance checks help to optimize the files. To create lightweight designs, 4D_Additive can automatically calculate lattice structures such as honeycomb, octet or center point shapes. Although plastic printing is the main area of application, it can also be used for the additive manufacturing of metal components. The software creates suitable support structures for this application, for example. The data of all common machine types, such as installation space and available materials, are integrated and intelligent nesting functions ensure an optimal arrangement of the parts in the installation space or on the build plate.
Aesthetic and functional surface finishing
In addition to the functions listed above, the 3D printing software 4D_Additive now also offers a special texture library that is based on the main VDI guideline. With the optimized textures module, it should be possible to visually and functionally enhance the surfaces of 3D printed components with just a few clicks.
The textures of the optimized tool of the 4D_Additive software improve the appearance, give additively manufactured components an aesthetic look and conceal irregularities that occur during production and printing, similar to injection moulding. For the new type of surface finishing, special textures based on the VDI 3400 standard are now available in the textures module. The surface finishes of the VDI 3400 Surface Finish Guideline of the Association of German Engineers (VDI) are used worldwide for products that require a certain texture or finish for aesthetic and functional reasons.
a certain texture or grain is required for aesthetic and functional reasons. The user benefits from the fact that, in contrast to the time-consuming process of creating textures in toolmaking, surface design in additive manufacturing is possible in just a few seconds on any 3D/CAD geometry with the help of suitable software.
The 4D_Additive software works directly with the exact CAD models; designers and engineers can simply select the appropriate texture for surface design and surface finishing from the extensive texture library. The desired surfaces and texture areas are selected with just a few clicks and the surface structures predefined in the library are generated. The stair-stepping effect, which is particularly undesirable in 3D printing
stepping effect, which is particularly undesirable in 3D printing, is automatically concealed.
The relevance of surface finishing is increasing, particularly in the increasingly important process of additively manufactured small series parts. From a commercial point of view, products with textures and graining with a high surface quality and aesthetics are more attractive to customers and convey a higher quality standard. This can also save an otherwise necessary further (mechanical) work step.
