A critical skill, a solution to design
A critical skill, a solution to design
Traditional and Modern Technologies
Selina Rapulane
On 29 and 30 January, the Vaal University of Technology Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park’s design team and other teams involved in Additive Manufacturing (AM), such as Idea 2 Product and Casting Simulation, had a two-day, hands-on workshop on Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM).
The course was presented by Mr Bryan Bullock from Rapid3D. He kicked off his presentation covering the work that they have recently done. He then discussed the various AM design problems and solutions and the suitability of various 3D printing technologies and material, with a focus on constraints and considerations around the different technologies. He later took the team through the design of a part, with a view to the students printing their own parts.
The workshop was presented to offer the teams critical skills in design for AM as traditional manufacturing workflows are being redesigned to include it. This will ensure the teams stay ahead in the game as they continue to do their outstanding work.
“The DfAM workshop was very beneficial. All the previous Additive Manufacturing knowledge I had acquired was from engineers working on the machines and not designers designing for the processes, so it was insightful from a design perspective,” said designer Ms Pako Magagane.
She further mentioned that when she designs from here on forth, she will fully take advantage of the technology instead of just doing what engineers suggest. She said better advice can be given to the client, especially if AM is the preferable option for production.
“Instead of applying knowledge learned for conventional manufacturing processes like injection moulding or rotational moulding, I can now apply the new knowledge learned through this course,” she said.
When asked about the workshop, Mr George Fumba: Additive Manufacturing Technician, said that it was a fun session. He believes practicals were needed for others, especially in terms of exposure to machines.