Printer: DittoPro
Print Time: 4h 00m
Resolution: 200 microns
Support Structure: No
f anyone out there is looking to improve their design to manufacturing workflow 3DP is the way to go.
I'm now in the habit of printing every technical drawing prior to sending it to machining, and then including the 3D printed piece with the technical drawings that are submitted to the machinist. I've found this really helps in a few ways:
1.) I can double check (in real life!) that the part I've designed is actually what i want. I've been caught off guard a few times in the past, where a piece that looks right in Solidworks were not as i'd expected when holding them in my hand for the first time.
2.) I can use the parts to have a discussion with the machinists to discuss tool path and tooling restrictions. I've found this particularly useful lately as I've been working on some parts with deep internal pockets, and the end-mill sizes have been a limiting factor in the designs.
3.) I've actually found that the cost of machining has been reduced when i offer the machinist a 3D parts to quote from. I think this is because they can quote the part with more confidence, and remove some of the uncertainty they have when looking ta 2D drawings.
One important thing to consider is the printing vs. machining tolerances. If i want to make mating parts i typically have to tweak the 3D files pre-printing to have greater tolerances. I may post more about this later, but generally i find that i have to leave a minimum of 20 Thou for mating parts.
