Form Labs 3D Printer Workflow Improvement
Form Labs Resin Tank Shelving
Form Labs Printer Shelf & Resin Cartridge Storage
Form Labs Post Processing System
Projects
Overview
While working as an assistant manager for my graduate fellowship at UW-Madison’s Design and Innovation labs, I was tasked to improve the organization, storage, workflow, and safety associated with the operation of our nine Form Labs resin SLA printers. These nine printers would produce over 1000 prints using 10+ different materials during each school semester.
The improved workflow could be split into three stages:
Pre-processing —> Form Labs Resin Tank Shelving
Printing —> Form Labs Printer Shelf & Resin Cartridge Storage
Post-processing —> Form Labs Post Processing System
To tackle the pre-processing stage, I designed and updated aluminum extrusion shelving to properly store resin materials to extend shelf life, contain fumes, and speed up material changes during work shifts. The printing stage was improved by making the printers more accessible from the rear and reorganizing the printers. I made the most improvements to the post-processing stage to significantly improve the air quality in the building, a key ask from the stakeholders. A new shelving unit was designed to hold the wash stations, a custom drying station, cure stations, and a sink for rinsing parts with IPA. All stations were designed with aluminum extrusion to allow staff to design custom additions for future growth. UV resistance plastic was used to encase the resin tank storage shelving and the post-processing system.
Post Processing System
Printer Shelving + Tank Storage
Processes Utilized
3D printing
(FDM, SLA, SLS)
Waterjet
3D Modeling & Rendering (Solidworks)
Laser Cutter
CNC Router
Metal Cutting
Top Skills Utilized
Parametric CAD Modeling
Design for Assembly
Mechanical Design
DFAM
Form Labs Resin Tank Shelving
Objective
To provide the UW-Madison Makerspace with a long-term storage solution for their Form 2 and Form 3 resin tanks. Staff at the Makerspace should be able to easily integrate the storage solution into their 3D printing workflow and it should safely store the resin.
Form 2 Resin Tank
Form 3 Resin Tank
Staff need to be able to quickly see what resin tanks are in use
Must be able to hold at least 20 resin tanks (Form 2 and Form 3 tanks)
Protects resin from harmful UV light (UV light will cure the resin)
Solution must be maneuverable around the Makerspace
Lockable
Can be quickly assembled
Made with equipment at the Makerspace (laser, 3D printers, machine shop)
Design Constraints
Solution
The shelving unit was designed in Solidworks and rendered with Solidworks Visualize. Two shelving units were built to accommodate 40 resin tanks and to leave room for future expansion. Lockable castors were used to allow staff to move the shelving around the makerspace. Two doors were designed to reduce the risk of tipping due to the sudden change of the center of gravity from a larger door. Locks were integrated into each door, but not added at the user’s request. The shelving is still used today to store 40 resin tanks for the Makerspaces’s Form Lab Printers.
Framing
The frame of the shelving was built using 40 mm t-slot aluminum extrusion allowing for easy customization, sizing, accessory compatibility, and quick assembly. All the T and L brackets were cut in-house on a waterjet using 6061 .25” aluminum sheet to reduce cost. The aluminum extrusion was ordered in 10 ft lengths to reduce overall cost and then cut to size on a miter saw.
Siding
UV resistance acrylic was chosen for the doors (similar material as the form labs printer shields) to prevent curing of the resin from UV light. Black HDPE sheets were used for the siding to give them a clean look. All panels were cut down on a table saw to the proper size. Gaskets were placed alongside all panels and around the door to seal the tank storage shelving unit.
Shelves
Four custom 3D printable brackets compatible with T-channel fasteners were designed to hold shelves made from acrylic. A Form Labs Fuse SLS powder printer was used to print large batches of the brackets in Nylon 6 powder. Acrylic was chosen for the shelves because the resin was easy to clean off. A laser cutter was used to cut the acrylic shelves to size.
Form Labs Printer Shelf & Resin Cartridge Storage
Objective
To provide the UW-Madison Makerspace with a long-term storage solution for their Form 2 and Form 3 resin printers and resin cartridges. Staff at the Makerspace should be able to easily access printers to change cartridges, remove the print beds, start prints and assess which materials are still available. Users entering the facility to print parts need to be able to see what materials are available as well.
Form 2 Printer
Form 3 Printer
Resin Cartridge
Design Constraints
Shelving needs to support the weight of 10 Form 3 printers.
Staff and users need to be able to quickly see what cartridges (materials) are available.
Must be able to store at least 30 cartridges
Cartridges must be easily accessible
Solution must be maneuverable around the Makerspace
Lockable
Can be quickly assembled
Made with equipment at the Makerspace (laser, 3D printers, machine shop)
Solution
The 3D printer storage shelf with integrated resin cartridge storage was designed using the same 40 mm aluminum extrusion used for the movable resin tank storage solution. Two layers were integrated into the movable storage shelf to accommodate the 10 potential 3D printers. The center of the shelving was designed to hold 75 resin cartridges and be accessible with doors. Gas springs were installed to support the weight of the doors and allow for smooth opening. Paneling sealed the cartridge compartment and allowed staff to lock away the expensive material. Plywood was cut to shape using a Laguna 4 ft x 8 ft CNC router to fit the frame and accommodate the strut for the gas springs. Black paint was applied to match the other shelving.
Framing
The frame of the shelving was built using 40 mm t-slot aluminum extrusion allowing for easy customization, sizing, accessory compatibility, and quick assembly. Quick locking 90 degree brackets were used to install the shelving. The aluminum extrusion was ordered in 10 ft lengths to reduce overall cost and then cut to size on a miter saw.
Door Mechanism
Although aluminum extrusion was a great option for this shelving the opening position of the doors did pose a challenge. The weight of a single door was 15 lbs resulting in quick opening with enough force to injure an unsuspecting user. Two 15 lb gas springs were chosen to open the door without the assistance of the user once a small input was given. Magnetic latches were used to secure the doors closed.
Form Labs Post Processing System
Objective
To provide the UW-Madison Makerspace with a long-term storage solution for their Form Wash machines and Form Cure machines. The system should also contain a method to dry components prior to curing. Staff at the Makerspace should be able to easily and quickly use the system to post process resin components. Harmful fumes should be contained within the system.
Form Wash
Form Cure
Build Plate
Design Constraints
System must have a smooth process flow to reduce downtime during post processing.
Must hold 4 Form Cure and 4 Form Wash Systems
System must have a drying station for post washed parts.
Can contain fumes from resin prints and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) baths.
Solution must be maneuverable around the Makerspace
Additional storage available to store wash station consumables and post processing accessories
Contain a sink to spray parts down with IPA. IPA must be collected.
Reduce foot print the post processing steps use in the facility
Can be quickly assembled
Made with equipment at the Makerspace and Engineering Machine shop
Solution
Initial Post Processing Setup
The new post processing system designed with Solidworks improved the workflow and safety while adding additional storage space for the staff at the Makerspace. It also allowed the Makerspace to repurpose the space to add 5 additional Bambu lab X1 carbon FDM printers to their selection.
The workflow for the space was as follows:
Remove print bed from Form Labs Printer
Place print bed with print into Form Wash system for X time
Remove print bed and remove print
Spray print down with IPA to remove any remaining resin
Place print into drying station for X time
Place print into Form Cure system for X time
Distribute print to user (user would remove supports)
Compacting the post processing steps into one movable system designed with 40mm aluminum extrusion reduced the travel time between each step. The drying time was reduced with an faster drying station utilizing four high speed, high air flow computer fans to quickly evaporate the IPA remaining from washing. Gaskets were installed into the extrusion to seal the fumes into system. The system was designed to use the airflow from the fans to filter the fumes through a carbon filter.
Framing & Bi-fold Doors
Similar to the tank and printer shelving units 40 mm t-slot aluminum extrusion was used for the frame. The T-brackets were cut on a waterjet from 0.25” 6061 Aluminum sheet. Five doors were designed into the system to allow the user to access the wash stations, the sink, and the additional storage on the bottom. The bi-fold doors were designed to slide along the extrusion on rails while opening to open smoothly. Additional vertical space was planned into the system to allow the washing buckets in the Form Cures to fully retract upwards. The extrusion was ordered in 10 ft pieces to reduce cost and cut to size. The paneling was also bought in large 4 ft x 8 ft sheets and cut to size. Orange UV resistant acrylic sheet was initially specified for the doors, but was not implemented to save cost. Four lockable castors were installed at the base to allow the system to be moved.
Drying Station
One design requirement of the system was the ability to quickly dry washed prints prior to placing them into the Form Cure. This is done to allow for remaining IPA to evaporate, allowing the part to cure correctly. Air drying is typically used, but takes a significant amount of time for larger prints. A drying station using eight PC fans was designed to sit above the Form Wash stations. High flowrate and quiet fans were chosen to quickly dry prints. An air outtake vent was designed in to use the airflow from the fans to filter fumes through a carbon filter through the back of the storage unit. The station was designed to be built with aluminum sheet, but was transitioned to acrylic to make it easier for new staff members to assemble.
Drawings
Drawings were created to convey assembly instructions to Makerspace Staff and for future documentation. Drawings and CAD would be used to build additional storage in the future as the College of Engineering was looking to double their student enrollment.
