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FEA
Data Communication in Color 3D
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1.1
Application Description
The
use of 3D Printing to output Finite Element Analysis (FEA) data improves
communication among participants in the design process, regardless of training
or experience. Discovery and understanding of design flaws early in the design
process before they lead to manufacturing or functionality problems is a
critical part of the design process. When a problem is discovered that
requires
an
internal or external customer to reconsider and perhaps modify certain
favored
features,
discomfort and friction can develop between the engineering team, the industrial
designers
and the end decision maker. The use of 3D color parts to express the findings of
FEA
firmly
establishes the critical issues and the need for change, builds clarity and
trust among the
parties,
leading to faster solutions and better products.
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1.2 Case
Example: Crown Cork and Seal
The
following is an excerpt from Machine Design magazine™s February 2002 Issue. In
the article,
Michael
Mooney of Crown Cork and Seal describes his experience using Z Corp. concept
models
to
communicate FEA data.
Our
typical process involves choosing one or several FEA data sets to print in 3D
and outputting
the
data to the VRML file format. We then import this data into MAGICS Z, a special
software
available
with the Z Corp. 3D printer, and add color text labeling and highlights. Our
customers
are
always concerned with confidentiality and it is reassuring to them to see their
name and the
words
confidential stamped right on the part in color. The text labeling is also
helpful in version
tracking.
We then export the data to the Z Corporation color file format and press "print" in the Z
Corporation
software. The Z Corp. 3D Printer can build several parts at once and typically
takes
several hours.
In
meetings with our customers, we use these parts to explain issues and challenges
in the
design.
Some more detailed case examples follow, but in general the reactions have been
the
same.
The customers can more quickly understand the issues and consider the color
parts to be
more
convincing "proof" of the problem than a computer screen or sheets of paper.
The parts
serve
as excellent demonstration pieces to help explain the issues in detail to the
customer -we
find
that we can educate the customer more in a two hour meeting than we could
previously
accomplish
in a much longer period of time. This helps the customer understand the issue,
but
also
presents our firm as a technology leader and a trusted expert in the field.
Again, our
customers
see that we are finding and solving problems rather than creating them.
The
challenges we face as a team are not unique to our situation or our industry.
For example,
we
have a relationship with the engine development group at Ford and they are also
well into
using these
tools to help spot and fix latent problems
in designs. They are, for instance,
color
coding
parts by wall thickness, so that members of the entire manufacturing process can
look at
the
parts and immediately give input about potential issues in the fixturing or
tooling process.
They
are also printing out other types of FEA data with their color 3D printer to
communicate
design
challenges across the development process.
Conclusion:
In our experience, using 3D color appearance models to represent FEA data is
very
effective
in identifying problems, demonstrating the need for change and getting consensus
on
improved
designs. This more effective communication helps strengthen our customer
relationships
and ultimately make better products.
Case
Studies: |
Vacuum
Effects on Hot Fill Container. |
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We use
FEA
to
test the effects of vacuum for "hot-fil". containers or
pressure
for beer and carbonated beverages. Hot-fill
bottles
are filled with a liquid at or above 80°C in
order to sterilize the contents. When a liquid or
semi-viscous
product is heated to this temperature the
volume expands. For water at 85°C this
expansion
is just slightly more than 3%. |
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click to |
Enlarge |
After these products are packaged
hot
they are cooled down with a water spray. The
product
volume then decreases by the 3%, causing a
vacuum
to form and the bottle to deform inward. If the
vacuum
effects pull the bottle out of round, this will
have
impacts on labeling, storage, shelving and
customer perception.
To
combat this, bottles are thermally stabilized and
designed
with vacuum panels, which if designed
correctly
will expand and then contract without
affecting
the geometry of the rest of the bottle.
To
determine if the bottle would successfully manage these vacuum effects, we ran
FEA on the
shape,
revealing a problem. This picture shows that areas of the bottle other than the
panels
were
being deformed by the vacuum, representing a problem. We saw that this would
require a
design change, so we printed the part in color and used it to explain the problem to
the customer
and
propose the solution. The problem was immediately clear and we were able to
agree on the
necessary
design changes the same day.
Buckling
under Top Load. |
We
also use FEA to check for
buckling, which is when the plastic creases as a result of a
top load. The bottle is exposed to a top load when the
container is filled, capped, and stacked in several layers of
boxes on a truck or stored in a warehouse.
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A
poorly
engineered bottle deforms under this top load and
permanently creases the plastic, presenting a flawed
product to the customer when it reaches the shelves.
The
picture shows the bottle under the top load identified in
the customer specification and demonstrates the failure
mode. In this case the part clearly shows the impact both in
the color data on the surface, but also in the shape of the
bottle itself.
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click to |
Enlarge |
Not
only are we able to print Color FEA data on
this model but we also can print deformed models to
represent the actual affects under these top load conditions.
This
was especially effective in
working with thecustomerŠthey had a very tangible sense of the
problem and we were able to
quickly agree on a good solution.
Additional
Case Study from Ford–.
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Color-coding
surface by wall thickness. Ford
has
developed a method for color-coding the surface of
the part to represent the wall thickness of this section.
This quickly lets members of the product team
highlight potential problems and special production
requirements
for the piece.
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–.and
from Aerospace
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click to Enlarge |
How do you send a ‚hard-copy™ of 3D data ?
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Consulting aerospace
engineers wanted to
communicate with clients in another location. But
without the FEA software and the engineer to run it at
the client™s site, they could only send a
2D print out of their analysis.
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click to Enlarge |
But, with the Z406,
they easily printed
multiple models at the important harmonics, and sent
them to the client. This enabled their client to easily
discuss and compare results. This also eliminated any
potential problems with file compatibility and hardware,
and communication and problem-solving could begin as
soon
as the client held the part.
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