Prototypes
SB3 / FAQ
Faq
What a prototype is for?
A prototype is used to verify the goodness of a project without creating definitive equipment. With current systems it is possible to obtain an object directly from a 3D cad.
How can a prototype be built?
There are three ways to make a prototype:
-
manual: the modeller creates the piece by cutting, gluing and working raw materials.
-
traditional: the prototype is obtained using machining with chip removal.
-
rapid prototyping: the object is layered additively with a rapid prototyping system.
Who needs the prototype?
The prototype is used by designers (to verify the aesthetics), designed (to verify the goodness of the project), printed (for a clearer vision of the construction of the mold), marketing (to present a product without creating a definitive equipment).
How many types of rapid prototypes can you make?
There are different technologies to build rapid prototypes. Today they are basically used 2: selective laser sintering and stereolithography. The former offers greater mechanical consistency of the part at lower costs and precisions, while the latter offers considerable precision at high costs and lower mechanical consistency.
Technical features
What are the maximum dimensions of a rapid prototype?
It depends on the prototyping system used. In ABS, for example, it is possible to make pieces up to 250 x 250 x 250mm, in sintered nylon, monolithic pieces of 300 x 300 x 600 mm.
What is an STL?
It stands for “Standard Triangulation Language”, the triangulation of the surfaces of an object that serves as a starting point for all rapid prototyping systems.
Workshop
What is a toolpath?
It is a series of displacements, in the form of coordinates, that the machine tool performs for the realization of a piece.
What is high speed milling?
It is a mechanical processing that exploits the high rotation speed and the rapid movement of the tool to remove chips. It is particularly suitable for finishes and superfinishes of a piece. It is flanked by traditional processing where the spindle speed is lower.
Reverse Engineering and Modeling
What do we mean by CAD?
It is a software used for the design. CAD stands for Computer Aided Design. With modern systems you can draw any object.
What is Reverse Enginering (RE)?
It is the realization of a mathematics starting from an existing physical piece. It starts from a scan of the object to obtain a cloud of points that serves as a support to reconstruct the 3D.
Preparation of files: useful tips
File format
As already indicated, the most common format is the STL. Other accepted formats are: STP, IGES, IGS, STEP, DWF. In case you need to send more than one file, we suggest enclosing all the material in an archive (ZIP or RAR) and making a single upload.
File size
The maximum file size that can be loaded through the request form is 25 MB. For larger files please contact us by email (info@sb3.it) to request information on how to proceed.
Tolerance parameters
When preparing the STL files to be sent, we recommend setting the tolerance parameters according to the following indications: 0.001mm for the smallest geometries and 0.02mm for the larger ones, while keeping in mind that in the majority of the rapid prototyping processes the minimum thickness required is 0.6 mm.
Support in preparation
In case you need to process particular files, high quality files of particularly important dimensions or if you simply need a support in the preparation of the 3D to send, we suggest you to contact us by email (info@sb3.it): the staff of our technical office will be at your disposal to provide all the necessary clarifications.