Prototypes - Afinia H-Series 3D Printers




Afinia H-Series 3D Printer
The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer provides a “Out of the Box 3D Printing Experience” as the 3D Printer comes fully assembled with easy to install software for both the PC and Mac. The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer can prototype a part or model that is up to 5 inches cubed in dimensions. The output is accurate to within .15mm (6 thousandths of an inch), and has 30% of the strength of injection molded parts.

Easy to Use
The portable Afinia H-Series 3D Printer is just under 11lbs making it easy to transport. It can also be operated in standalone mode. Once the file is downloaded to the device, the USB connection between the 3D printer and computer can be disconnected – even while printing.

Software
The 3D Software is compatible with both the PC and Mac, and features an easy-to-use interface for laying out, orienting, duplicating, and scaling parts. Simply use the included utility to calibrate the printhead height, and within minutes you are printing. It easily imports STL files, and the output can be customized in terms of the amount of support material and “raft” (base support) printed. Breakaway support material is simple to remove, and tools for aiding the breakaway are included. Design files for 3D printing can be created using online software, professional software such as SolidWorks, or by downloading from the extensive online 3D printer community for free.

Filaments
The Afinia H-Series 3D printer uses inexpensive, high-quality ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic filament for 3D printing. ABS plastic filament colors included: natural, black, red, blue, yellow, green, white, gold, purple and pink, as well as "glow in the dark" blue and green.

Prototyping - 3D Prinitng Materials and Support

In this rapidly changing economic world, Prototyping and 3D Printing is a very important element in the manufacturing and design industry. This is more-so because in human perspectives, to appreciate something that is being created before the actualisation of the end product requires some form of visualisation. This is where 3D Printing and Prototyping comes in handy. I am able to come across an Expert Article on the subject and it is listed below in part - Enjoy...

3D Printing And Support Materials

By Chris Waldo

3D printing is a seriously cool technology that exists to help us manufacture the very odd things in the design world. CNC cutting and various machining methods can't make anything. Mold manufacturing methods can't make anything. I'm not going to say that 3D printing can make everything either, however it can make quite a bit more. When it comes down to using 3D printing for manufacturing purposes, there are so many more possibilities. In other articles, I've discussed the benefits to powder based 3D printing. Today, I want to cover the magic about support materials within the world of 3D printing.

If you don't know already, 3D printing is the layer by layer creation of pretty much whatever you're interested in making. A machine will lay down layers of material in accordance to a 3D design. A designer, artist, architect, product developer, engineer, or whatever you'd like to call him or her will have to design a file on the computer. This file will then serve as the blueprint for 3d printing processes. The extruders within the actual 3D printers themselves will work with this design to create a final piece. A hot glue gun-like head will then begin laying down layers of material. When an extruder lays down layers of material, it can only do so much. For example, it isn't easy for a hollowed out center to be manufactured. Grooves, curves, and intricate centers are very difficult to manufacture. However, within various forms of 3D printing are support materials. This material is the key to creating very intricate pieces and designs.

How do these materials help when it comes down to manufacturing complex parts? Well, essentially - material is laid down like it normally would be. When there is a hollow space or a groove to where material couldn't have been previously, a layer of support material will be laid down. There are various forms of support material out there. Some support material may be a slightly hard gel. Others may be made out of the actual material itself. Other types of support material will simply be dissolved away when exposed to a chemical, leaving the final product.

The capabilities of these supports are endless! There are so many options when it comes down to actually producing complex pieces that have the capabilities of intricate centers, hollowed spaces, floating pieces, and other advanced designs. There are so many benefits to having the capabilities of support materials. There is just so much to gain from this!

By having support materials in the arsenal of materials and manufacturing, complex pieces...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Waldo - OR - http://EzineArticles.com/7317293