Stratasys P750K, User Manual

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DOC08010 Rev. A (DRAFT 1)
5–9
Stratasys P750K User Guide
Preparing Models for Production
Model ȱ preparation ȱ involves ȱ the ȱ following ȱ basic ȱ steps:
1. Place ȱ objects ȱ or ȱ assemblies ȱ on ȱ the ȱ build ȱ tray.
2. If ȱ necessary, ȱ manipulate ȱ the ȱ object’s ȱ orientation ȱ and ȱ position.
3. Select ȱ the ȱ materials ȱ and ȱ model ȱ finish.
Just ȱ as ȱ Stratasys ȱ printers ȱ can ȱ produce ȱ different ȱ models ȱ on ȱ the ȱ build ȱ tray ȱ
using ȱ different ȱ materials, ȱ you ȱ can ȱ produce ȱ components ȱ of ȱ a ȱ model ȱ with ȱ
different ȱ materials. ȱ To ȱ do ȱ this, ȱ each ȱ part ȱ of ȱ the ȱ model ȱ must ȱ be ȱ a ȱ separate ȱ stl ȱ
file. ȱ If ȱ the ȱ model’s ȱ component ȱ parts ȱ were ȱ not ȱ saved ȱ in ȱ the ȱ CAD ȱ software ȱ as ȱ
separate ȱ stl ȱ files, ȱ you ȱ can ȱ use ȱ Objet ȱ Studio ȱ to ȱ separate ȱ the ȱ model ȱ into ȱ
component ȱ parts. ȱ (This ȱ is ȱ described ȱ in ȱ “Splitting ȱ Objects ȱ into ȱ Components” ȱ
on ȱ page 19 ȱ and ȱ in ȱ “Dividing ȱ Objects” ȱ on ȱ page 51.)
OBJDF Files:
Overview
An ȱ objdf ȱ file ȱ describes ȱ both ȱ the ȱ geometry ȱ of ȱ a ȱ single ȱ object ȱ and ȱ the ȱ
materials, ȱ and ȱ finish ȱ required ȱ to ȱ print ȱ it. ȱ The ȱ objdf ȱ file ȱ can ȱ represent ȱ an ȱ
object ȱ that ȱ is ȱ a ȱ single ȱ stl ȱ file, ȱ or ȱ an ȱ object ȱ assembled ȱ from ȱ component ȱ stl ȱ
files. ȱ
Objet ȱ Studio ȱ enables ȱ you ȱ to ȱ split ȱ an ȱ stl ȱ file ȱ representing ȱ a ȱ complex ȱ object ȱ
into ȱ an ȱ assembly ȱ of ȱ component ȱ stl ȱ files, ȱ and ȱ save ȱ the ȱ assembly ȱ as ȱ an ȱ objdf ȱ
file. ȱ Each ȱ part ȱ (stl ȱ file) ȱ described ȱ by ȱ the ȱ objdf ȱ file ȱ can ȱ have ȱ its ȱ own ȱ model Ȭ
material ȱ characteristic, ȱ so ȱ that ȱ the ȱ Stratasys ȱ printer ȱ produces ȱ the ȱ
component ȱ parts ȱ from ȱ specific ȱ materials. ȱ
Another ȱ use ȱ for ȱ objdf ȱ files ȱ is ȱ for ȱ saving ȱ a ȱ group ȱ of ȱ separate ȱ objects ȱ on ȱ the ȱ
build ȱ tray ȱ as ȱ one ȱ unit, ȱ together ȱ with ȱ their ȱ relative ȱ positions ȱ and ȱ materials. ȱ
This ȱ is ȱ especially ȱ useful ȱ for ȱ producing ȱ models ȱ in ȱ the ȱ future ȱ with ȱ the ȱ same ȱ
materials. ȱ In ȱ fact, ȱ when ȱ you ȱ save ȱ objdf ȱ files, ȱ you ȱ specify ȱ materials ȱ for ȱ
printing ȱ models ȱ without ȱ regard ȱ to ȱ the ȱ material ȱ cartridges ȱ loaded ȱ in ȱ the ȱ
printer. ȱ The ȱ same ȱ object ȱ can ȱ later ȱ be ȱ placed ȱ on ȱ build ȱ trays ȱ for ȱ printing. ȱ Each ȱ
time ȱ you ȱ send ȱ a ȱ build ȱ tray ȱ to ȱ the ȱ printer, ȱ you ȱ decide ȱ whether ȱ to ȱ allow ȱ
printing ȱ with ȱ substitute ȱ materials ȱ or ȱ only ȱ with ȱ the ȱ materials ȱ specified.
The ȱ Connex ȱ version ȱ of ȱ Objet ȱ Studio ȱ enables ȱ you ȱ to ȱ display, ȱ manipulate ȱ and ȱ
print ȱ component ȱ parts ȱ of ȱ a ȱ model ȱ assembly ȱ that ȱ was ȱ saved ȱ as ȱ an ȱ objdf ȱ file, ȱ
since ȱ each ȱ component ȱ is ȱ a ȱ separate ȱ stl ȱ file. ȱ This ȱ can ȱ be ȱ useful ȱ for ȱ printing ȱ
only ȱ specific ȱ parts ȱ of ȱ a ȱ model.
Further ȱ explanations ȱ of ȱ objdf ȱ files, ȱ and ȱ their ȱ features, ȱ appear ȱ throughout ȱ
this ȱ chapter.
Model Files
To ȱ produce ȱ models, ȱ you ȱ open ȱ one ȱ or ȱ more ȱ model ȱ files ȱ in ȱ Objet ȱ Studio ȱ and ȱ
position ȱ objects ȱ on ȱ the ȱ build ȱ tray. ȱ You ȱ can ȱ place ȱ objects ȱ on ȱ the ȱ build ȱ tray ȱ in ȱ
several ȱ ways:
•
by ȱ inserting ȱ individual stl or slc files ȱ (or ȱ an ȱ assembly ȱ of ȱ stl ȱ files).
•
by ȱ inserting an ȱ objdf ȱ file ȱ (an ȱ assembly).
•
by ȱ pasting ȱ objects ȱ that ȱ you ȱ copied ȱ to ȱ the ȱ Windows ȱ clipboard .