Project number
16077
Organization
Raytheon Missile Systems
Academic year
2016-2017
Sensitive electronics need to be shielded from shock and vibration but mitigation methods are time-consuming and expensive. The goal of this project was to design a variable durometer 3-D printer that can facilitate the implementation of shock and vibration mitigation in devices subject to vigorous motion.
A 3-D printer was modified for compatibility with a dual extruder and Diamond Hotend mixer. The printer varies the durometer, or hardness, of the material it is printing by feeding hard and soft filaments through the specialized hotend at variable rates dictated by the dual extruder.
The team developed software to postprocess existing dual-extrusion G-code, a machine tool programming language. The software replaces the extrusion values for specified tool changes with the respective ratios of filament that create the necessary durometer. The printer then prints the part with the specified durometer at locations chosen by the user.
A 3-D printer was modified for compatibility with a dual extruder and Diamond Hotend mixer. The printer varies the durometer, or hardness, of the material it is printing by feeding hard and soft filaments through the specialized hotend at variable rates dictated by the dual extruder.
The team developed software to postprocess existing dual-extrusion G-code, a machine tool programming language. The software replaces the extrusion values for specified tool changes with the respective ratios of filament that create the necessary durometer. The printer then prints the part with the specified durometer at locations chosen by the user.