Designing with Inspire/Materialise 3-matic for Additive

Manufacturing
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Original Model

This model was previously designed and possibly optimized for traditional manufacturing techniques
(ie. machining).
Material: Ti-6Al-4V
Weight: 6.203 lbs
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Simplify
We now create our design space by filling in all pockets and removing existing fillets. We can also use
the Solid Edit tools to separate our design and non design space regions.

Remove holes Remove fillets Push/Pull to fill in gaps

Solid Edit design/non

design space regions Note: Attached Video shows this process in < 1 minute.
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Assigning Loads/Supports

Next step is assigning loads and supports 5

1
4

6
2

Load Cases 1-4 are unit

loads in specific
directions along global
axis on the front
bracket connection
point 7
3 Load Cases 5-7 are unit
loads in specific
directions along global
axis on back bracket
connection point
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Optimization Setup

Due to the design freedom Additive Manufacturing gives, we are not assigning any manufacturing
constraints. Inspire will give us the most optimized concept given only one Shape Control, Symmetry
along the Y-Z Plane. We will Maximize Stiffness given a 30% Mass Target.
Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Results

Results show a hollow, complex structure only manufacturable by Additive Manufacturing

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Traditionally with Inspire we export this result to CAD for further refinement. Since we are 3D Printing
this part, we will take this result at the STL level into Materialise 3-matic for refinement.

First we Import our Inspire STL result

and clean it up with the automatic fixing
tools. Auto Adjust Normals is needed
here. By just using the clean up tools in
Materialise 3-matic we can prepare a
printable part, but we want a smoother,
cleaner, and aesthetically pleasing part.
Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Using the sketching tools and CAD-like features in Materialise 3-matic, we manually create desirable
contours based on Inspires results.
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One of the best advantages in using Materialise 3-matic is its smoothing capabilities with tessellated
surfaces:

By performing a
Smooth > Reduce
> Subdivide >
Smooth iteration,
we now see a
much cleaner,
realigned STL of
the previously
tessellated
surfaces
 Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Further comparison between Inspire results and refined, smoothed results from Materialise 3-matic
 Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Lastly we make slight sizing modifications to the non design space lugs to account for shrinkage in the
smoothing operation
Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Evolve Rendering Results

Results are now print ready (rendered with Evolve)

Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Evolve Rendering Results

Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Evolve Rendering Results

Approximate Bracket Weight: 3.553 lbs, ~ 40% Mass Savings

Copyright 2014 solidThinking, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Contact:
solidThinking, Inc
1820 E. Big Beaver Rd.
Troy, MI 48108/ USA