Saroj Manandhar, MatterHackers’ June Hacker of the Month, shares his secrets and techniques to reaching the modern, detailed prints all of us crave.
Saroj Manandhar, an Engineering Supervisor at The Toro Firm, first discovered about 3D printing when he attended a tradeshow in 1999, the place he set his eyes on a Stratasys FDM 3000. Proper then and there, he knew he needed to have one.
He got down to procure one for his firm as quickly as attainable. “My aim was to combine 3D printing in our growth course of in hopes of saving money and time,” mentioned Manandhar, including that “in lower than a month, we had been utilizing the FDM 3000 across the clock to print our prototypes in a matter of hours somewhat than the standard methodology of constructing molds that will have taken us a number of weeks and price fifty instances extra.”
Since then, Manandhar’s firm has procured a number of different massive FDM printers, they usually have not seemed again since: “we develop our merchandise solely using 3D printed elements. It additionally helps that 95% of our elements are plastic. We proceed to save lots of effectively over $250,000 in tooling yearly and minimize down on growth time by 10 – 6 weeks per mission.”
Entranced by what 3D printing may accomplish, Manandhar waited for the day when 3D printers grew to become extra inexpensive so he may start to work on some private initiatives. “I’ve all the time wished my very own 3D printer for a very long time,” states Manandhar, “and with the 3D printers now being extra inexpensive, I lastly procured two Airwolf HD printers in 2014.”
With loads of follow utilizing Solidworks, Manandhar started designing his first print for pleasure: Ironman. “I thought-about it a private problem to mannequin the complete Ironman swimsuit,” claims Manandhar, “it took me a number of weeks to finish the mannequin and some extra weeks to print the elements within the Airwolf and FDM printers.”
With outcomes like this, we might say it was positively well worth the wait.
Ironman MK17
So, what’s his secret to producing prints that appear to be they have been forged?
Step 1: Use an automotive filler/primer to coat the prints. Manandhar makes use of Dupli-color automotive primer.
Ironman MK42 – Top 46″
Step 2: Sand the surfaces. 200 – 300 grit sand paper is really helpful.
Millennium Falcon
Step 3: Paint the elements in your required colour. Dupli-Coloration and Rust-Oleum paint works effectively.
Robo Cop – ED-209
Step 4: Coat the print in 2-3 layers of clear polyurethane. Manandhar makes use of Rust-Oleum clear coat.
Hyperlink – The Legend of Zelda
Manandhar has printed loads of profitable fashions utilizing the above steps, at each his house and at work. Due partially to his wonderful prints, he hopes that 3D printing will proceed to develop into extra areas and turn out to be extra accessible: “I consider that our era has the duty to organize the subsequent era in 3D printing – each faculty and faculty ought to tailor programs in ‘Fast Fabrication’ and supply funding to maintain this system.”
“With the speedy advances in 3D printing of not solely plastic, however different supplies comparable to metallic, carbon fiber, meals, organic, and even development supplies,” confirms Manandhar, “there isn’t a doubt that 3D printing will affect the best way we stay sooner or later.”
We could not agree extra.
Do you suppose you’ve got what it takes to be our subsequent Hacker of the Month? Merely observe us on Fb/Twitter or e-mail media@matterhackers.com. Inform us about your mission or 3D printed creation, and you could possibly be featured in our subsequent publication. Hacker of the Month can even win 3 free spools of PRO collection PLA or ABS filament to additional their pursuit of 3D printing greatness.
