scholarly journals 3D Printed End of Arm Tooling (EOAT) for Robotic Automation

Robotics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Daniel Ong U Jing ◽  
Declan Devine ◽  
John Lyons

This research furthers the practice of designing and manufacturing End of Arm Tooling (EOAT) by utilizing a low cost additive manufacturing Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique to enable tool weight saving and provision of low cost EOATs on demand, thereby facilitating zero inventory lean manufacturing. The materials used in this research for the fabrication of the EOAT parts were Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and nylon with infill densities of 20% and 100%. Three-point flexural tests were performed to determine the differences in strength and stiffness between varying polymers, infill ratios, and a standard metal part. Additionally, potential weight savings were identified and challenges with utilizing low cost FFF technologies are outlined. A motion of programmed trajectories was executed utilizing a standard 6-axis robot and the power consumption was evaluated. This study demonstrates the utility of using thermoplastic material with the fabrication of 3D printed parts used in EOATs.

Author(s):  
Pawan Verma ◽  
Jabir Ubaid ◽  
Andreas Schiffer ◽  
Atul Jain ◽  
Emilio Martínez-Pañeda ◽  
...  

AbstractExperiments and finite element (FE) calculations were performed to study the raster angle–dependent fracture behaviour of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic processed via fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing (AM). The fracture properties of 3D-printed ABS were characterized based on the concept of essential work of fracture (EWF), utilizing double-edge-notched tension (DENT) specimens considering rectilinear infill patterns with different raster angles (0°, 90° and + 45/− 45°). The measurements showed that the resistance to fracture initiation of 3D-printed ABS specimens is substantially higher for the printing direction perpendicular to the crack plane (0° raster angle) as compared to that of the samples wherein the printing direction is parallel to the crack (90° raster angle), reporting EWF values of 7.24 kJ m−2 and 3.61 kJ m−2, respectively. A relatively high EWF value was also reported for the specimens with + 45/− 45° raster angle (7.40 kJ m−2). Strain field analysis performed via digital image correlation showed that connected plastic zones existed in the ligaments of the DENT specimens prior to the onset of fracture, and this was corroborated by SEM fractography which showed that fracture proceeded by a ductile mechanism involving void growth and coalescence followed by drawing and ductile tearing of fibrils. It was further shown that the raster angle–dependent strength and fracture properties of 3D-printed ABS can be predicted with an acceptable accuracy by a relatively simple FE model considering the anisotropic elasticity and failure properties of FFF specimens. The findings of this study offer guidelines for fracture-resistant design of AM-enabled thermoplastics. Graphical abstract


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Travieso-Rodriguez ◽  
R. Jerez-Mesa ◽  
Jordi Llumà ◽  
Giovanni Gomez-Gras ◽  
Oriol Casadesus

Purpose The aim of this paper is to analyze the mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication and compare these results to analogous ones obtained on polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA–wood specimens to contribute for a wider understanding of the different materials used for additive manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach With that aim, an experimental based on an L27 Taguchi array was used to combine the specific parameters taken into account in the study, namely, layer height, nozzle diameter, infill density, orientation and printing velocity. All samples were subjected to a four-point bending test performed according to the ASTM D6272 standard. Findings Young’s modulus, elastic limit, maximum stress and maximum deformation of every sample were computed and subjected to an analysis of variance. Results prove that layer height and nozzle diameter are the most significant factors that affect the mechanical resistance in pieces generated through additive manufacturing and subjected to bending loads, regardless of the material. Practical implications The best results were obtained by combining a layer height of 0.1 mm and a nozzle diameter of 0.6 mm. The comparison of materials evidenced that PLA and its composite version reinforced with wood particles present more rigidity than ABS, whereas the latter can experience further deflection before break. Originality/value This study is of interest for manufacturers that want to decide which is the best material to be applied for their application, as it derives in a practical technical recommendation of the best parameters that should be selected to treat the material during the fused filament fabrication process.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 651 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Moises Baca Lopez ◽  
Rafiq Ahmad

The application of single homogeneous materials produced through the fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology restricts the production of high-level multi-material components. The fabrication of a sandwich-structured specimen with different material combinations using conventional thermoplastics such as poly (lactic acid) (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) through the filament-based extrusion process can demonstrate an improvement on its properties. This paper aims to assess among these materials, the best material sandwich-structured arrangement design, to enhance the mechanical properties of a part and to compare the results with the homogeneous materials selected. The samples were subjected to tensile testing to identify the tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus of each material combination. The experimental results demonstrate that applying the PLA-ABS-PLA sandwich arrangement leads to the best mechanical properties between these materials. This study enables users to consider sandwich structure designs as an alternative to manufacturing multi-material components using conventional and low-cost materials. Future work will consider the flexural tests to identify the maximum stresses and bending forces under pressure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 108 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 2525-2539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Fadzli Bin Abdollah ◽  
Mohamad Nordin Mohamad Norani ◽  
Muhammad Ilman Hakimi Chua Abdullah ◽  
Hilmi Amiruddin ◽  
Faiz Redza Ramli ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Cardona ◽  
Abigail H Curdes ◽  
Aaron J Isaacs

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most popular additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies due to the growing availability of low-cost desktop 3D printers and the relatively low cost of the thermoplastic filament used in the 3D printing process. Commercial filament suppliers, 3D printer manufacturers, and end-users regard filament diameter tolerance as an important indicator of the 3D printing quality. Irregular filament diameter affects the flow rate during the filament extrusion, which causes poor surface quality, extruder jams, irregular gaps in-between individual extrusions, and/or excessive overlap, which eventually results in failed 3D prints. Despite the important role of the diameter consistency in the FFF process, few studies have addressed the required tolerance level to achieve highest 3D printing quality. The objective of this work is to develop the testing methods to measure the filament tolerance and control the filament fabrication process. A pellet-based extruder is utilized to fabricate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament using a nozzle of 1.75 mm in diameter. Temperature and extrusion rate are controlled parameters. An optical comparator and an array of digital calipers are used to measure the filament diameter. The results demonstrate that it is possible to achieve high diameter consistency and low tolerances (0.01mm) at low extrusion temperature (180 °C) and low extrusion rate (10 in/min). 


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Saad Bhamla ◽  
Brandon Benson ◽  
Chew Chai ◽  
Georgios Katsikis ◽  
Aanchal Johri ◽  
...  

AbstractSample preparation, including separation of plasma from whole blood or isolation of parasites, is an unmet challenge in many point of care (POC) diagnostics and requires centrifugation as the first key step. From the context of global health applications, commercial centrifuges are expensive, bulky and electricity-powered, leading to a critical bottle-neck in the development of decentralized, electricity-free POC diagnostic devices. By uncovering the fundamental mechanics of an ancient whirligig toy (3300 B.C.E), we design an ultra-low cost (20 cents), light-weight (2 g), human-powered centrifuge that is made out of paper (“paperfuge”). To push the operating limits of this unconventional centrifuge, we present an experimentally-validated theoretical model that describes the paperfuge as a non-linear, non-conservative oscillator system. We use this model to inform our design process, achieving speeds of 125,000 rpm and equivalent centrifugal forces of 30,000 g, with theoretical limits predicting one million rpm. We harness these speeds to separate pure plasma in less than 1.5 minutes and isolate malaria parasites in 15 minutes from whole human blood. By expanding the materials used, we implement centrifugal microfluidics using PDMS, plastic and 3D-printed devices, ultimately opening up new opportunities for electricity-free POC diagnostics, especially in resource-poor settings.


Designs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross J. Friel ◽  
Maria Gerling-Gerdin ◽  
Emil Nilsson ◽  
Björn P. Andreasson

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if 3D printed lenses with wavelength specific anti-reflective (AR) surface structures would improve beam intensity and thus radar efficiency for a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)-based 60 GHz radar. This would have potential for improved low-cost radar lenses for the consumer product market. Methods: A hyperbolic lens was designed in 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and was then modified with a wavelength specified AR structure. Electromagnetic computer simulation was performed on both the ‘smooth’ and ‘AR structure’ lenses and compared to actual 60 GHz radar measurements of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) lenses. Results: The simulation results showed an increase of 10% in signal intensity of the AR structure lens over the smooth lens. Actual measurement showed an 8% increase in signal of the AR structure lens over the smooth lens. Conclusions: Low cost and readily available Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing has been shown to be capable of printing an AR structure coated hyperbolic lens for millimeter wavelength radar applications. These 3D Printed AR structure lenses are effective in improving radar measurements over non-AR structure lenses.


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