An Overview and Applications for Amateur Radio Paul Cowley W0YR 3D Printing An Overview and Applications for Amateur Radio Paul Cowley W0YR

Basics of 3D Printing 3D Printing creates a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model Additive manufacturing process Can employ different additive techniques, processes, and materials including: Material extrusion (Fused Deposition Modeling aka Fused Filament Fabrication is the most common process today) Light polymerization (Consumer-grade Stereolithography is starting to emerge as a viable process) Powder bed (Currently expensive. Typically use laser or heat sintering, mostly used for metals and ceramics)

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) https://reprap.org/wiki/File:FFF.png

Types of FFF Printers Cartesian Printers (most common type) Print head typically moves on X, Z axes Printer bed typically moves on Y axis Advantages Higher print resolution Lots of technical support available Less expensive than competing designs Consumer-friendly design that is simple to understand Disadvantages Slower print speeds than Delta printers Weight is greater than Delta printers Often limited capabilities when printing tall objects

Types of FFF Printers Delta Printers (somewhat common) Print head is held by three supports in a delta configuration Advantages More efficient use of printer bed area Faster than Cartesian printers due to lighter print mechanism (reduced inertia) Disadvantages Circular build area Must be physically much taller than Cartesian printers for same build volume Harder to print objects with large flat/horizontal surfaces Currently less-precise than Cartesian printers (lower print resolution)

Types of FFF Printers Polar Printers (very uncommon) Use a polar coordinate reference Advantages None? Disadvantages Different than mainstream units, so available support is limited

Some Available FFF Materials PLA (Polylactic Acid) Easy to print, low warping during print, hard but potentially brittle material PETG (Polyester Terepthalate – Glycol-modified) Slightly flexible, very tough and durable, suitable for food contact ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) High impact strength, UV-resistant, little/no warping during print, releases potentially harmful vapors during print ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) Strong UV-resistance, high wear and impact resistance, releases potentially harmful vapors during print PC (Polycarbonate) Very tough, heat resistant to ~140°C, BPA-free Nylon Strong and tough material, requires special filament drying and handling procedures

Amateur Radio Applications

Amateur Radio Applications Design and build custom enclosures for equipment or projects Design and build custom antenna parts Insulators, coil forms, mounts, Design and build custom tools and equipment Equipment stands, mounting brackets, soldering tools, vises, wrenches, etc Repair or modify existing objects If you can dream it up, you can probably 3D print it!

A Few Sources for Designs https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=amateur+radio http://www.makexyz.com/3d-models-Amateur-radio https://satnogs.org/documentation/projects/ https://wiki.satnogs.org/File:V3.jpg

3D Printing Workflow Create the design in 3D CAD software and export mesh file (typically in .STL or .OBJ file format) Fusion360 (very powerful professional cloud-based CAD/CAM software – free for hobbyists) TinkerCAD (simple, free, browser-based program) Blender (free and open-source software, geared more toward graphic designers) SketchUp (limited feature set is available free, paid subscriptions offer more features) OpenSCAD (free parametric code-driven 3D CAD software) Import mesh file into “slicer” software to convert 3D model into layer-by-layer G-Code (RS-274 protocol) using appropriate parameters for your design, material, and printer Cura (free) KISSlicer (free / $35 pro version – multiple extruder support) Slic3r (free, open-source) OctoPrint (free, open-source)

Fusion360 Screenshot

OpenSCAD Screenshot

3D Printing Workflow Import compiled G-Code into printer G-Code commands the printer movements, extrusion, other parameters Example G-Code commands

Example G-Code

Hands-On Demonstration Start with Thingiverse design https://www.thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=52734 Customize and export .STL file from Thingiverse Customizer Import .STL file into Slic3rPE (Slic3r Prusa Edition) Export G-Code for Prusa i3 MK3 Print!

Alternatives to Owning a 3D Printer Create or download your design and have a third-party print and ship to you Wider array of materials and processes than most hobbyists You DO pay for the convenience! Shapeways Xometry Protolabs 3D Hubs i.materialise Sculpteo ***DISCLAIMER: I have not personally used ANY of these services!

Questions?