PERFACTORY ® Perfactory® RP Rapid Prototyping System

PERFACTORY®
Rapid Prototyping System
Guide How to generate build jobs
Perfactory® RP
Envisiontec GmbH
Brüsseler Str. 51
D-45968 Gladbeck
Germany
Phone:+49 2365 915460
Email:[email protected]
Introduction
This tutorial is a short instruction how to create a building job by using PerfactoryRP from the
Perfactory Software Suite.
A building job will be generated in a few following steps.
1. Loading all model and support data in PerfactoryRP.
2. Choosing the type of machine and material.
3. Placing the parts on the building platform.
4. Generate the building job for the machine.
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Tutorial - How to create a building job
Version 5/2004
Guide : Creation of a building job
The first step to creating a building job is to start the „Perfactory StartCenter“.
Perfactory
StartCenter
The easiest way to start is simply make a double-click on the Perfactory Start Center - Icon that
you find on you desktop (It looks like the left picture).
The Perfactory Start Center window offers you some modules for preparing your data. Start the
PerfactoryRP module with a mouse click on the PerfactoryRP - button.
After starting PerfactoryRP you can begin with your preparations to create a building job.
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Step 1: Open all models and supports for your scene
¬
Menü:
File
Hot Key:
Strg+O
Open...
Toolbar:
This command allows you to open one or more parts into your scene by choosing the filename.
There are some ways to select multiple files in one step :
• Press and hold the left mouse button. Now a selection box appears which helps you to
select the files you want.
• Press and Hold the „Ctrl“ - key. Now you can select and deselect files simply by making
left mouse-clicks on the filenames.
Press the „Open“ - Button to open the selected (highlighted) files. After that a dialog box
apears with some information and some processing options. It is recommended to use the
default values so simply click the „OK“ - button.
Remark:
For a complete scene you need all models you want to build and all corresponding support data
files. A support data file can be identificated via filename: The last characters of a support file
are „_s“:
• model name:
shell.stl
• support name: shell_s.stl
Hint:
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A click on the button
offers you some file filters to set the type of displayed files.
Tutorial - How to create a building job
Version 5/2004
Step 2: Machine and Material selection
Menü:
-
Hot Key:
-
Toolbar:
-
After all models and supports were loaded, a dialog box apears. You have to select a the type of
machine and the material you want to use:
If you click the button
you will get a list of available Perfactory machines and material types-
• First choose the entry for your machine..
• Now choose the size of your building plate.
• Finally choose your type of material.
To confirm your selection click the „OK“ - button.
Remark:
For every material there are similiar entries. They differ only by there last part. This part
identifies the slice thickness for which the material parameters were optimized.
Please pay attention to select the material entry which slice thickness corresponds to the slice
thickness you want to use for building your parts.
That means, if you want to build a part with slices of 50 µm (micrometer) then select your
material that covera the selected sliced thickness (last part in material name: „_50um“).
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Step 3: Automatic Placement
Filter
Hot Key:
-
¬
Menü:
Automatic Placement...
Toolbar:
This Option enables you to make a fast arrangement of your parts on the building plate.
At the option „Spacing“ enter the distance of the parts to each other in mm(here 1.0 mm).
Select the type of placement at the option „Placement“. You can select between three types:
1.) Retain Placement. Selecting this option won’t change the current arrangement.
2.) Part contours. Selecting this option will place the parts according their contours.
3.) Bounding Box. Selecting this option will place the parts according their bounding
rectangle.
Remark:
The option „Part contours“ will cause the best placement results.
With the option „Level at building platform“ you can level parts that are over/below the
building platform at the building platform. Support structures will be regarded.
To confirm your selection click the „OK“ button. Every part will be automatically placed on the
building platform now.
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Tutorial - How to create a building job
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Step 4: Generating a build job
¬
Menü:
File
Hot Key:
Strg-B
Build...
Toolbar:
Using this command you can create a build job in a fast and easy manner.
After performing this command a dialog window titled with „Perfactory Build Job Preparing“
appears.:
If the button „Build“ (bottom left) is disabled, you have to made some settings. Press one by
one the red flashing buttons to make all needed settings.
Remark:
Before you press the button „Build“ be sure that every Setting like slice thickness, support
thickness or exposure parameters a correct.
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After pressing the button „1“ a dialog window appears titled with “Enter data processing
parameter“:
First press the button
and select the slicing thickness for your parts you want to build.
The second option allows you to set the thickness for the support. The option „Avoid tapered
edges“ should be enabled and set to 20° (see Chapter 2.5.13: „How to widen support data“)
There are three options for automatically reparing invalid data. It is highly recommended to
enable this options!
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Tutorial - How to create a building job
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After pressing the button „2“ a dialog window appears titled with “Placement at building
platform“:
The Option „Num. copies“. allows you to make some copies of your scene. The „Max.:“ - value
tells you the maximal number of copies that are possible.
Enter the distance between the scene copies in the edit field „Spacing“. A bigger distance can
reduce the number of copies you can build.
Positioning: With the cursor (arrow) icon you can shift the scene on the building plate. Use the
cross icon to center the scene on the building platform.
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After pressing the button „3“ a dialog window appears titled with “Enter building parameter“:
First press the button
Remark:
to select the type of material you want to use for your building job.
For every type of material there are similar entries which differs only by their last part. This last
part identifies the slice thickness for that the material parameters were optimized. Please be
sure you select the right material for the right layer thickness you want to use for your parts.
After choosing the material verify the parameter for burn-in and standard layers (see
„Current“). If required you can change this parameter simply by selecting and editing the value.
Finally set the „number of solid base plates“. This base plates are for a better contact of the
part to the building plate. The default value is 4 solid base plates.
Remark:
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The solid base plates are ADDITIONAL layers and the bounding box of all parts to be build are
used to generated these layers.
Tutorial - How to create a building job
Version 5/2004
After pressing the button „4“ a dialog window appears titled with “Machine Selection/job
saving“:
Use „Current selected IP-Adress“ to enter the IP adress for the machine you will use to build
your scene.
Use „Name of the selected machine“ to enter the IP adress for the machine you will use to build
your scene.
Enter at least the IP-adress or the name of the machine. If both information not available use
the network searching function. Press the button „Search network“. If searching is finished you
will see the result in the list below1. Now select your machine with a double click from the list.
Important:
The button „Check machine status“ checks whether a connection and a communication to the
machine is possible. You have to made this step if the current status is „unknown“!
Choose the option „Job file (.job)“ to save the building job in a file too. This option is useful if
you want build it another time again.
If you select the option „Save only to file“ (which is only enabled if the previous option is
enabled) the jobfile will only sbe aved to file and NOT sent to the machine. Using this option
you can generate a jobfile without an active machine.
1. Searching the whole network can last some minutes so please be patient.
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Step 5: Build the job.
After you have made your settings please check all settings in the overview.
When no button is flashing and all settings are as expected you can press the „Build“ - button
to start the data processing and build job generation.
The .stl data file will be processed to a job file. This jobfile will be send to the machine and/or
saved to your hard disk (according to your settings in dialog 4).
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Tutorial - How to create a building job
Version 5/2004