3D PRINTING

AN INTRODUCTION FOR EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS

Bob MulderMsc. Student Earth Structure & dynamics, Utrecht University

CONTENTS

• What is 3D printing?• How does it work?

• Why is it important to know about?• A fammiliar example

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

• “an additive type of manufacturing process where base materials are shaped in 3 dimensions to form an object”

In short:an additive manufacturing process

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

• A wide variety in types of 3d-printers exist today. The specifications vary by in type of material printed, color printed, maximum printable volume, and type of additive applications.

- The materials:Wood Bamboo plastics Gypsum WaxMetals Carbon fiber concrete NylonRubber

And many more...

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

Concrete as a material

Copper as a material

Full color plastics

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

bamboo

Most common: single color plastics

rubber

HOW DOES 3D PRINTING WORK?

• To make a 3D-printed object, three things are needed:- Acces to a 3D printer & asociated slicer-software- A 3D model (preferably as .stl format for direct compatability)- patience...

3D printing is a process that can take up a lot of time, depending on the resolution. The print resolution is in direct relationship with the thickness of one layer of the printable model.A 0.1 mm resolution model could be composed of 100 “slices”, whilst the 0.2 mm resolution model is then composed of 50 “slices”.

HOW DOES 3D PRINTING WORK?

• Acces to a printer:privately owned, work-related, Internet acces “HUB” (www.3dhubs.com)

• A 3D Model:3D models are widely available on the internet (www.thingiverse.com), the file has to be in an .Stl format for direct 3d printer slicer-software compatibility. The 3d printer software slices the model into thin slices (resolution) and generates a “Gcode”. This code directs the internal X,Y & Z-axis motors to slowly build up the 3d model, and can directly be uploaded to the 3d printer.

HOW DOES 3D PRINTING WORK?

• The mechanics:The motors direct a “printing Head” to move over a levelled surface. The motors are driven by the Gcoderepresenting the model. In the case of a plastics 3D printer, The Thermo-sensitiveplastic is pushed through an “extruder”, and laid on thelevelled surface by the movements of the Printhead.

3d printing timelapse

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT?In Earth sciences, 3D models are used to visualise and spatial and temporal relations. These models are accesed or created by using GIS software, such as ArcGIS, Erdas Imagine, Agisoft Photoscan. Interaction is usually through a viewer, whilst the data remains digital.Models can also be obtained from subsurface processing software such as Schlumberger’s Petrel, Opentect or Kingdom suite.Even before computer assisted modelling, visualisation of geometric and spatial relationships are of key importance in understanding geologic and morphologic processes ( Contour maps, Sketchbook discriptions, sedimentology, etc.).

A FAMMILIAR EXAMPLE: DEM OF LIMBURG

• In the practicals of Advanced GIS for geoscientist a DEM had been generated of an assigned study area, by interpolizing contour lines.

• By Using ArcGIS, a 3d printer, and the L-drive of the University of Utrecht, A DEM has been generated within the extent of the southern area of the Dutch province Limburg.

EXPECTATIONS

• 3D printing is a process which is still subjected to leaps in technological development, and many printers are maintenance intensive.The amount of simultaneous moving parts is large and a single part failure will always result in a failed print.

The greatest challenges lie in upscaling the maximum printable volume, decreasing print-time whislt maintaining resolution, and, minimising chances of mechanical failure.

CONCLUDING

• 3D printing is a valuable tool that should be incorporated in Earth Sciences.• A way to display 3D data as Analog!• An eyecatcher for presentations.• An innovation in production methods

3D printing, is here to stay as an innovation. It has already been proven invaluable to advances in aerospace design, robotics, construction and medicine, It is up to geoscientist to start pushing the application of this new technology in Earth Sciences, being limited only by to extent of our imagination and accesibility to data.

3D printed full colour bathemtry profile (src: port of Melbourne)

3D printed single colour subsurface layer cake

BECAUSE SO MUCH IS ALREADY POSSIBLE