Service Learning Week 3 - Geometry for manufacturing from 3d scans

A common problem with 3d scanning is that the geometry you get from it isn't great for manufacturing. 3d scanners generate a cloud of individual measurement points which are converted into a mesh of triangles. That's all fine and dandy if you want to 3d print a part or render it in a computer generated scene, but what if you want to generate some real parametric design files that you can modify easily in a program like SolidWorks? Also what if you want to prepare the models for manufacturing on a 2.5 or 3 axis milling machine? Well that's the topic for this week.

The solution comes in reverse engineering software like Geomagic which Monterey Penninsula College are currently evaluating. Geomagic mixes aspects of 3d scanning software with aspects of CAD software like Solidworks to allow for easy tracing of models. That converts them from a cloud of points or mesh of triangles to a clean structure of shapes like circles with defined radii, fillets, and other parameters that are easy to modify.

To see what this kind of workflow might be like I setup a trial version of geomagic on a PC at MPC. Then I scanned an old pulley with their high end roland 3d scanner. This point cloud and incomplete mesh was imported in to Geomagic which allows you to perform operations to close gaps, smooth bumps, and trim excess data from the raw scans. With that work complete you get a finalized sealed up mesh which can be used for tracing.

Tracing the general pulley shape from the side created a new model of the pulley which is the kind of geometry you need for regular CAD programs that are for mechanical engineering instead of art/sculpture. The pulley could then be imported in to a large assembly, modified to fit different belts or shafts, and manufactured with CAM software. Overall Geomagic provides a great solution for converting these kinds of models and I look forward to examining the software more and providing a purchase recommendation to the school. 

Service Learning Week 2 - It's go time

Service Learning Week 2 - It's go time

Lights, cameras, and action...these are all things that will be found in my upcoming documentary. Also to be featured are lasers. Some of these lasers will cut things, some will convert physical objects into 3d files on a computer, and some will turn liquid in to solid forms. That's for the future of this class though. This kind of a blog post should really start with the present or the past. 

So what was this week about? Well I went to MPC and checked out all their equipment. After spending a good amount of time going back and forth between "wow this is crazy" to "man you guys are really going places" we settled down. With the excitement at a manageable level we commenced with assembling and testing their new stereo-lithographic Form2 3d printer. Then we downloaded some parts and send the printer off on it's way for a 5 hour print. This part was quick because we have had several Form printers at my work which make great fixture components. 

With the printer running at full steam shooting a laser into a box filled with a liquid resin to harden it I jumped on the vinyl cutter. This machine had some driver issues which were quickly resolved. Then I learned about all the things you can do wrong when operating the machine. This led to eventual success with a fully setup machine loaded with blue vinyl and ready to cut out some pokemon logos. The key learning take away from this process is that computer controlled vinyl cutters let you make very large quantities of stickers for very cheap quickly. They are also ultra simple to operate after you make the first few mistakes. 

Aside from awesome machines there was a bit of paperwork for the class. I don't mind this paperwork though because it is not as rigid as other classes. It is a lot of reflection about your understanding of the world, how you fit into it, etc so that you can help make it a better place. If it was more rigid I would be a bit out of luck because that hasn't worked out for me traditionally. So thanks to the people involved in structuring this! I'm pretty sure you are the only people that will read this post so have a good week as well. 

Service Learning Week 1 - Getting everything in place

Week 1 - Getting everything in place

At the beginning of this week I thought I was doomed because my service opportunity was agreed upon but the details weren't really fleshed out. A few text messages with my friend and everything was locked down though. Monterey Peninsula College has lots of work to do setting up new equipment and software to get ready for the fall. I'll try to be there once a week because it is a long drive to get there from my house. When Saturday is not an option for my service learning partner then I can take time off work. Overall this is great though and basically what I have been doing for many years. Selecting equipment, purchasing it, installing it, learning it, training others on it, and integrating it into peoples work flows is awesome. Adding new capabilities to this community college will have a long lasting impact on the community. 

With the stress of figuring out my service opportunity melting away into excitement of machinery there was another interesting aspect of this weeks assignments. The other fun assignment I had was to write about the history of my family and technology.  To do this I went to my parents house and sat out on their patio with them. We started at the beginning with my dads first computer, through our first e-mail, and up to my collection of manufacturing robots. It was a really great experience. Combined with our weekly reading though it made me really appreciate my life. I have had a uniquely consistent opportunity to learn and use high end technologies before most people know they exist. This has shaped me as a person and I hope to continue to share the skills I have collected with others.