This document discusses 3D printing technology and the problem of needing support structures when printing objects that overhang at angles greater than 45 degrees. It proposes a solution that involves giving the 3D printer's platform degrees of freedom and spherical motion so that it can rotate as needed to keep the nozzle, printed object plane, and gravity parallel, eliminating the need for support structures.

1. TARUC
Wong Ziliang
Cheng Guan Jie

2. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY - INTRODUCTION
3D printing technology is a technology which makes a three-dimensional solid object
from a digital file.
Product is being created by laying down successive layers of materials until the
product is done through additive process.

3. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
TYPE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
• Stereolithography (SLP)
• Digital Light Processing (DLP)
• Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP)
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
• Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)

4. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING (FDM)
FDM technology works using plastic filament or metal wire which is unwound from a
coil and supplying material to an extrusion nozzle which can turn the flow on and off.
The nozzle is heated to melt the material and extrude in horizontal and vertical
directions by numerically controlled mechanism, directly controlled by a computer-aid
manufacturing software package.
The product is produced through that as the material hardens immediately after
extrusion from the nozzle.

5. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
SUPPORT IN 3D PRINTING
During 3D printing, each layer is printed as a layer of heated filament threads which
sticks to the threads below and around it. Each thread is printed slighted offset from
its previous layer, which allows a product to be built up to angle of 45°, allowing prints
to beyond its previous layer’s width.
When a feature is printed with an overhang beyond 45°, it can sag and requires
support material beneath it to hold up.

6. PROBLEM STATEMENT
3D printing a product which has an inclination exceed 45° requires support during the
printing process.
During the process, printing support takes time and requires additional materials to
print it out.

7. BOUNDARY CONDITION
• The support material focuses on FDM technology.
• No reheating process is needed to strengthen printed objects

8. PROCESS FLOW

9. ENGINEERING SYSTEM
System
Nozzle
Support
Product
Platform

10. FUNCTION ANALYSIS

11. CAUSE AND EFFECT CHAIN ANALYSIS

12. ENGINEERING CONTRADICTION
• If support is built, then it prevents toppling, but this takes time and cost.
Improving Parameters:
• Stability of object’s composition
• Shape
• Manufacturing precision
Worsening Parameter:
• Loss of time
• Loss of substance

13. INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES
Improving parameters Worsening Parameters Inventive Principles
Stability of the object’s composition Loss of time 27,35
Stability of the object’s composition Loss of substance 2,14,30,40
Manufacturing precision Loss of substance 10,24,31,35

14. INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES
#35 Parameter Change
Increase the degree of freedom of the 3D printing flexibility.
#14 Spheroidality – Curvature
Introduce curve platform

15. PROPOSED SOLUTION
The platform of 3D printer will have degree of freedom, which means the platform will
be able to move. The platform will coordinate with the nozzle to print out the product.
For the motion of the platform, it should be designed as the spherical motion.
The solution aims to rotate the platform, so that the nozzle of the 3D printer, the
plane of the printed part and the gravity are parallel.