fitting; design both, print and test. Then
you can select the one that works or the
section of each design that works and
try again. Through the iterative process
made possible by a stack system, you
can do all this testing there and then.
If, as in many cases, you have several
designers working on one project then
the components from each workstation
can be sent to the stack through a net-
work and printed together, each part on
a different platform, with no need to wait
for prints to finish. You’ll get more out
of the design process if you can quick-
ly design, print and test ideas without
needing to wait hours or days.
How does it improve the
design workflow?
Having a stack of connected 3D printers
in front of you, as you would with a pen
and paper, means that those notes and
tweaks can be made with convenience
and speed. We’ve seen how stacks of-
ten develop vertically, but they can also
be horizontal. For example, there might
be an individual printer on your desk, but
this can be part of a network that allows
surplus printers to work on overflow
from other projects.
Being able to see the print form phys-
ically in front of you as you design the
piece will help highlight any issues with
the design. Are the overhangs too great?
Did you leave enough space for a screw-
driver to fit the screw hole you made?
Being able to see the product build will
highlight issues faster than with any oth-
er process. You can stop the print, tweak
the design and start the print again.
Making and testing designs
Using a lightweight and cheap material
for the initial prototypes such as PETG
will give you a good idea of the size,
shape and structure. You’ll also be able
to check whether parts fit together in
the way that you intended, and all screw
holes, slots and fittings are the right siz-
es and accessible.
The function is, of course, the most im-
portant factor, but in many cases being
able to check out the aesthetics of a
piece is equally important. A 3D print will
enable you to do this.
Once the function of a part is final-
ised, multiple aesthetic designs can
be printed and tested across the stack
quickly without slowing down other
parts of the design process. Again, you
can see the designs print and evolve
them through CAD to get the look and
style you want.If your design features working parts that
need to support a working load such as
gears, then a Nylon NYLFORCE Glass
Filament can be used for its strength,
heat and wear resistance. If you have
load bearing parts that need to support
weight, then a PETG CarbonFill can be
used.If you’re unsure of the material that
would be best suited for your part, then
test out different materials on the stack
so you can make the right decision.Getting to the design
you want
There’s a big difference between having
a single 3D printer and a stack. The latter
is designed to be an integral part of the
design process, enabling you to test and
develop ideas fluidly.As one printer tests one idea, you can
evolve other purposes on a second or
third platform, speeding up the develop-
ment process. This is a flexible approach
to design that can suit both professional
designers and hobbyists.When time is tight the ability to test ide-
as quickly and efficiently is paramount,
which is what multiple 3D printers can
do. While a bank of 3D printers can
be a solution, however, it’s not ideal. It
means each printer can only be used
individually and rarely offer an all-in-one
connected solution. There’s also little to
no likelihood that multiple large-scale
printers could fit comfortably on your
desktop. By contrast, a stack takes up
little room, just the footprint of a stand-
ard 2D printer, and it’s always accessible
to test ideas.Having a stack gives you direct access
to iterative design; print, try, test, devel-
op and continue the cycle until you get
to the design you want. No other man-
ufacturing process enables such directand fluid access to the design process
and helps you realise your designs as
quickly.To learn more on how small, stackable
3D printers and how they can make 3D
printing faster and more accurate, down-
load CEL UK’s white paper, Stackable:
the key to faster and more accurate 3D
printing’.http://www.cel-uk.comFeature: Stackable 3D printer
dpaonthenet.net 33
About the author:
Chris Elsworthy is
CEL-UK’s MD and Lead
Mechanical Engineer