With the idea of "want to reduce the outsourcing cost of product models and trial production" and "want to increase the number of trials and better product development", it is not uncommon to introduce live 3D printers. But on the other hand, "although it has been studied, it has not made a satisfactory thing in terms of modeling quality", "tried to use, but the sense of cost is not appropriate" and other reasons, there are also some reasons that have not been introduced.

　In particular, such sounds can be heard from sites that require large product models and trial-production components, such as white goods, cars, ships, aerospace and so on. Where does the large-scale modeling of 3D printers feel the topic?

　The first thing to consider is the shape and size. In the case of outputting the size above the maximum modeling size of the 3D printer, there is also a method of dividing it into multiple parts for modeling and fitting from behind, but it is time-consuming and laborious in pre-and post-processing, and it is difficult to find out the accuracy and strength. In addition, although there are 3D printers that can output large molds to some extent, they cannot be formed smoothly or can not get the desired accuracy due to deformation or warping, so they are often faced with quality problems. because it is large, the operating cost of materials and other costs will also be seriously affected.

　Through the introduction of 3D printers, if you can not achieve the desired results, there is no point in investment. Isn't that the truth "so far" on the scene where large models need to be made?

3D printers have great changes in images made by large models.

　3D printers are not suitable for making large models. It is based on past experience such as "although it has been studied, it has not been able to make satisfactory things in terms of modeling quality", "try to use it, the sense of cost is not appropriate" and so on. However, the technology around 3D printers is rapidly evolving, and it is not uncommon for things that could not be done before to be taken for granted. If you know the existence of the FDM (hot melt lamination) 3D printer "Stratasys F770", which symbolizes the evolution of the 3D printer, the images produced by the 3D printer for the "old" large model should have changed a lot.

　Xstrata has been working on FDM 3D printers for more than 30 years, supporting large-scale modeling, and providing industrial-oriented high-end 3D printers such as "Stratasys F900", which can be used not only for trial production, but also for final product / part manufacturing. Compared with the high-end model F900Currine F770, it has become the latest model with the main goal of model, trial production and fixture production and attaching importance to the cost advantage. The development of "Stratasys F123 Series" based on the imported performance of more than 500sets in China is self-evident based on the reliability and stability of recognized strategic technology and proprietary technology, and there is no compromise in performance and quality.

　The maximum shape size of F770 is 1000 × 610 × 610 mm, and the stack spacing is 0.178 × 0.254 mm. Ensure that the necessary and adequate construction mass can meet the needs of large-scale modeling. The materials that can be used are "ABS-M30" and "ASA", which are widely used in prototypes, etc., and can be provided in easy-to-handle boxes. The supporting material corresponds to soluble "SR-30".

　F770 limits the materials that can be used and divides the main uses into models, trial production and fixture production, thus bringing cost advantages to users and making them into a very balanced model. The physical price is also around 10 million yen, which is available at a price that is easier to reach. In addition, with regard to the material cost that you care about, it is about 1 / 3 more than before, and things that are unnecessary and above can also be used.

3D Printer is used to make large Hull Model for experiment

　Cost advantage is also important when making large models with 3D printers, but it must also be high-precision. This is not only because of the advantage of making a model close to the real object, but also can be used as a real-scale or scale model for experiment and analysis.

　In the development stage, the large-scale model (scale model) of the ship hull which is impossible to verify the physical size is modeled with a 3D printer as an example of Mitsui Shipbuilding Akashima Research Institute used in fluid tests.

　At present, the shipbuilding industry has been given two environmental-related tasks. One is to halve greenhouse gases by 2050. For this reason, first of all, the shape of the hull must be made more energy efficient than before. The other is to reduce the noise caused by propeller cavitation, which adversely affects marine life. As a countermeasure, it is necessary to develop components called "energy-saving appendages" installed near the propeller.

　In these research and development, the hull model made by repeatedly processing the wood and injecting wax into the wood mold is floating in the experimental pool and the fluid simulation on the computer. The topic here is the production of the hull model. Specifically, the above construction methods are made by the hands of craftsmen, but the outsourcing cost is needless to say, and it takes time to complete, so the number of experiments is limited, and a variety of changes are difficult to test. Of course, it is also difficult to make some modifications quickly according to the verification results. In addition, for the experiment which basically corresponds to the newly designed energy-saving appendage, if you want to verify as many shapes and patterns as possible, but for the same reason, it is difficult to achieve.

　Mitsui Shipbuilding Shoshima Research Institute uses Xstrata's 3D printer to solve these challenges. Using the modeling service "DFP (Digital Factory Portal)" developed by Stratis, the hull model is made by 3D printing mechanism. At this point, by dividing the hull into multiple parts and outputting them, the parts can be replaced for each part, and multiple changes can be verified during the experiment. In addition, through the hollow modeling of part of the internal structure, the modeling time is shortened, the material cost is reduced, and the weight is reduced. With regard to energy-saving add-ons, many patterns can also be easily verified. Such an idea can be said to be the key point that 3D printers can achieve.

　Here, we introduce an example of the business reform of the active use of 3D printers in the major task of environmental correspondence, but not only ships, but also scenes that require new efforts in all manufacturing will increase in the future.

　Yoshihiro Kawakawa, Japan Manufacturing and production Solutions Manager at Strathasi, said: "Field problems such as talent shortage, technology inheritance, energy conservation, SDGs (sustainable development goals), or topics highlighted by the coronal scourge. Today's manufacturing has a variety of themes. The number of people who cannot cope with the accumulation of the past and the status quo by brushing their teeth is also increasing. 3D printers can provide powerful solutions to the need for trial and error for new developers.

Large-scale modeling, active places and possibilities of 3D printers

　For example, the design of household appliances. In recent years, with regard to white goods, the tendency to attach importance to design is also increasing. Consumers are increasingly pursuing fashionable design, or compact, thin, and so on, and because of the coronal disaster, people pay more and more attention to living comfortably at home. In addition to the function and performance, the manufacturers also make great efforts on the design, but if there is a modeling area of the F770, it is easy to make the model in a short time if necessary. More designs can also be considered than ever before.

　Moreover, in the corresponding method of energy saving and environment, the fan with different performance and efficiency can be said to be the key component because of the slight shape difference. While meeting the required performance requirements, it not only requires no loss and high efficiency to rotate the fan, but also requires high silence and so on. In order to meet these requirements, not only the simulation on the table, but also the experiments in the real scale / scale model such as the above examples are also important, and the existence of F770 which can model various changes quickly and with high precision is indispensable.

　"the data obtained from the experiment is a valuable asset of the enterprise. However, so far, because the production of the experimental model takes time and cost, it is not easy to increase the number of experiments and verify various changes. If F770 is actively used in such a field, the production of high-precision experimental models can be internalized, so more experimental data can be obtained than ever before, "said Shoichi Takauchi, head of the sales and application engineer team in the company's product and service department.

　In fact, in the development of air-conditioning machines, not only the shape confirmation of sockets in the design stage, but also 3D printers are actively used in functional testing and verification model making. In addition, the automobile industry also uses the body scale model made by 3D printer to carry out wind tunnel experiments. "3D printer is not suitable for making large models" is a thing of the past. The large-scale modeling of 3D printers is not limited to the verification of design and design. In the context of experiments, various industries are also constantly using it.

　Now, if you are outsourcing the production of large models, consider it. In fact, it should be more than just outsourcing costs that become a burden. There are quotations, delivery adjustment and other time and energy, as well as waiting for delivery time. In case of incompleteness, we may need to start over. Actually get something before the incidental business, there will be a lot of pressure.

　If it can be internalized through the introduction of F770, we can not only control the cost and time, but also increase the research time of the design and the number of trials / experiments. In addition, you can also accumulate modeling skills within the company. Such measures will also help to enhance the competitiveness of the company's products, so it should bring greater benefits than simply "reducing outsourcing fees".

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