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Wearable Components | 3D Systems

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Creating prototypes for testing and end-use validation is critical to ensure the perfect fit of your wearable products, but they can be time consuming and expensive to produce with conventional methods.

Our 3D Printing solutions enable rapid design iteration and evaluation of these complex components, delivering functional prototypes with the look, feel, quality, and mechanical properties of the final product.

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More Consumer Technology Applications

Wearable 3D printed fitness tracker never needs to be recharged

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Voting shortlists for the 2021 3D Printing Industry Awards are now open. Who do you think should receive top honors this year? Have your say now.

Researchers at the University of Arizona’s College of Engineering have used 3D printing to create a smart health monitoring device that’s able to operate continuously without ever having to be manually recharged.

Dubbed ‘bio-symbiotic’ by its creators, the tracker harvests electricity via a power casting unit, that wirelessly charges its integrated antenna. In turn, the device uses this power to capture the biosignals and energy generated by wearers as they work out, in a reciprocal process that allows it to function for unprecedented periods.

Using 3D printing, the team has also been able to customize their patch-like fitness monitor so that it stays attached to users during exercise, while its sensors monitor the wearers’ biosignals with such a high level of accuracy, that they can identify the deformation within each muscle and calculate an adopter’s workout intensity. 

“There’s nothing like this out there,” said Philipp Gutruf, an author on the paper and Assistant Professor at the university. “We’ve introduced a completely new concept of tailoring a device directly to a person, and using wireless power casting to allow the device to operate 24/7, without ever needing to recharge.”

The engineers’ 3D printed device can be customized to monitor different muscles around the human body. Photo via the Science Advances journal.

An ever-lasting fitness tracker?

Wearable electronics aren’t just useful workout tools for gym goers, but when worn constantly, they can gather sufficient data to identify early warning signs of deadly conditions such as cardiac arrhythmia. What’s more, AI advances are increasingly enabling vast quantities of this biodata to be processed at pace, allowing any potential trends and diagnoses to be found or made more quickly than ever before. 

However, despite recent analytic progress, the Arizona team say that fitness hardware has found it difficult to keep up, and they accuse current devices of “lacking sensing functionality,” as well as failing to provide “uninterrupted data streams. ” 

To get around these shortcomings, the researchers have developed a wearable that uses a wireless power transfer technique known as ‘far-field’ energy harnessing, to convert radio frequency (RF) signals into a source of power, in a way that enables it to capture data continuously with precision, that they say is “nearly imperceptible the wearer.” 

The researchers’ ‘far-field’ sensor set up. Photo via the Science Advances journal.

Designing a ‘bio-symbiotic device’

At the core of the team’s health tracker is an FDM 3D printed ‘mesh,’ which can be tailored to stick to and operate on different areas of a wearer’s body, without needing adhesives. To lend their device sensing functionality, the team has embedded it with tiny sensory electronics which rest upon flexible nodes, and are joined up via stretchable serpentine interconnects. 

Theoretically, these operate by communicating with a power casting system via antenna, which fuels the device’s active-harvesting electronics, and fills the energy storage cells that activate its sensors. Any data collected during a workout can then be relayed to computers via the tracker’s integrated bluetooth low-energy (BLE) on-a-chip system, and analyzed for potential fitness-boosting trends. 

Given that the device’s power casting system can be placed several meters away, it’s potentially ideal for home-use, something that can’t be said for many existing ‘far-field’ systems. What’s more, the team’s wearable can be personalized to collect data from specific limbs and joints such as the shoulder or bicep, enabling it to do so with a level of accuracy that’s well beyond most normal trackers. 

“If you want to measure the way your bicep deforms during exercise, we can place a sensor in the devices that can accomplish that,” explains the paper’s lead author Tucker Stuart. “Because of the way we fabricate the device and attach it to the body, we’re able to use it to gather data a traditional, wrist-mounted wearable device wouldn’t be able to collect.”

The Arizona team’s FDM 3D printing process in-action. Gif via the Science Advances journal.

Fitness tracking in-action 

To put their bio-symbiotic design into practise, the researchers initially 3D printed a test model from a Ninjatek elastomer, before slotting its electronics into place by hand. Using an Xbox Kinect camera, the team found that they were able to scale their prototype to fit snugly onto a test subject’s muscles, through creating an athlete-specific 3D model, and dividing it up into ‘physiological landmarks.’

For testing purposes, the engineers chose to base their device on the upper arm and lower leg areas of their model, before attaching it to the relevant volunteer, who subjected it to running, jumping and rowing, as well as push-up experiments. 

During these tests, the Arizona team say their device demonstrated a “stable biointerface” while yielding “high-fidelity data streams,” and by deploying multiple units at the same time, they were able to monitor various areas simultaneously, including aspects such as temperature changes and muscle deformation, in a way that outstrips the performance of “current gold-standard devices. ” 

Overall, although their device was only tested for 48 hours at a time, the engineers believe that this was sufficient to demonstrate the viability of their approach. In future, by incorporating microfluidic designs into their tracker, the engineers say that it could have significant clinical applications, as a means of monitoring patients’ vitals for longer, and providing doctors with enhanced diagnostic data. 

A graph depicting some of the results provided by the team’s athletic testing program. Images via the Science Advances journal.

FDM printing’s sensing suitability  

Thanks to the ever-growing accessibility and flexibility of FDM 3D printing, the technology has become a widely-adopted means of creating low-cost experimental sensors. Much like the Arizona team’s device, researchers at Jeonbuk National University have also 3D printed piezoelectric sensors that don’t require external power to function, and are powered by human movement. 

A team at Sungkyunkwan University, meanwhile, have 3D printed wearable biosensors of their own, which are specifically designed to address personalized monitoring applications. Composed of a flexible silicone elastomer and sugar-based scaffold, the researchers’ devices can be utilized as diagnostic tools, for capturing users’ changing body strain signals.

Elsewhere, scientists at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, have developed an ‘e-ring’ glucose-monitoring system, capable of tracking diabetics’ blood sugar levels. Built using a conventional Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer and conductive filament, the device could serve as a less-invasive self-testing alternative to normal glucometers.

The researchers’ findings are detailed in their paper titled “Biosymbiotic, personalized, and digitally manufactured wireless devices for indefinite collection of high-fidelity biosignals.” 

The research was co-authored by Tucker Stuart, Kevin Albert Kasper, Ifechukwude Christian Iwerunmor, Dylan Thomas McGuire, Roberto Peralta, Jessica Hanna, Megan Johnson, Max Farley, Thomas Lamantia, Paul Udorvich and Philipp Gutruf.  

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Featured image shows the engineers’ 3D printed sensing device attached to a bicep. Photo via the Science Advances journal.

Tags Jeonbuk National University National and Kapodistrian University of Athens ninjatek Philipp Gutruf Sungkyunkwan University Tucker Stuart University of Arizona xbox

Paul Hanaphy

Paul is a history and journalism graduate with a passion for finding the latest scoop in technology news.

What is 3D printing and how it can be used! Interesting!

What is 3D printing

3D printing technology was patented in the 80s of the last century, but gained popularity relatively recently. New, promising techniques have been developed and the possibilities of 3D technologies have reached a completely new level. However, to this day, the technique is not known in all circles, and not everyone is aware of what 3D printing is. In today's article, we will try to explain in detail and in an accessible way what 3D printing is and where it is used.

In short, 3D printing is a technique for manufacturing three-dimensional products based on digital models. Regardless of the specific technology, the essence of the process is the gradual layer-by-layer reproduction of objects.
This process uses a special device - a 3D printer, which prints certain types of materials. More details about it are written here. Other names for the technology are rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing. Often the phrase "additive technologies" is used in the meaning of "3D technologies".

3D printing steps

To make it clearer what 3D printing is, let's take a look at the playback process step by step. Below are the specific stages of 3D printing. How it works:

  • 3D modeling of the required object is performed according to certain rules;
  • The file with the digital model is loaded into the slicer program, which generates the control code for the 3D printer;
  • Sets required 3D printing options;
  • The code is written to a removable memory that connects to the 3D printer;
  • 3D model reproduced.

Objects are reproduced gradually. According to the required shape, the selected material is applied layer by layer, forming the finished product. It is worth noting that the possibilities of 3D printing are almost limitless, that is, anything can be made. In some technologies, very thin overhanging elements are provided with supports, thanks to which they can be avoided from sagging.
Naturally, this is a very simplified description of the stages of 3D printing, but they give a very clear idea of ​​the essence of the technique.

Other questions and answers about 3D printers and 3D printing:

  • Basics What is 3D scanning?
  • Basics What is a 3D model?

3D Printing Technologies

Various 3D printing technologies are used to reproduce different objects. They differ both in the consumables used, and in the speed and accuracy of printing. Here are the main 3D printing technologies:

  • Fused deposition modeling (FDM) . One of the most common 3D printing technologies, used in most desktop 3D printers, and represents an ideal price / quality ratio. Printing occurs by layer-by-layer supply of a thread of molten plastic;
  • Laser stereolithography (SLA) . The formation of the object occurs due to the layer-by-layer illumination of a liquid photopolymer resin by a laser, which hardens under the influence of radiation. One of the variations of this technology is DLP 3D printing. It uses a special projector instead of a laser. Both 3D printing methods are used to create objects with a high degree of detail. In the case of DLP printing, speed is also an added advantage;
  • Selective laser sintering (SLS) . Reproduction is performed by layer-by-layer melting of a special powder under the action of laser radiation. This 3D printing method is widely used in the industry for the manufacture of durable metal elements

3D Printing Applications

As you may have guessed by now, 3D printing is extremely versatile. The second name of the technology - rapid prototyping - speaks for itself. In the manufacture of prototypes and models of models, 3D printing can be simply indispensable. It is also a very cost-effective solution for small-scale production. In the aerospace and automotive industries, 3D technologies are already being used with might and main due to the high profitability and speed of manufacturing components. Culinary professionals are working on the development of 3D food printers, and in medicine, 3D printing has become something of a technology of the future. With the help of 3D bioprinting, it is planned to produce bones, organs and living tissues, but for now, implants and full-fledged medicines are printed on 3D printers. Desktop 3D printers can be used for domestic purposes: for repairs, making various household items, and so on. And designers, fashion designers, sculptors and artists appreciate the possibilities of 3D printing and 3D modeling as an unusual way to realize their talent.

Well, that was a brief description of what 3D printing is. We hope we were able to provide the necessary information in an accessible way. If you have additional questions that we have not covered, write to us by e-mail and we, if necessary, will add your questions! Best regards, 3DDevice team.

We also want to remind you about the possibility to order 3D printing, 3D scanning, 3D modeling services or purchase related equipment and consumables with delivery throughout Ukraine in 3DDevice. If you have any questions, please contact us at one of the phone numbers listed here. We look forward to collaborating!

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3D printing on order in Nizhny Novgorod, cost of services

The cost of printing on a 3d printer allows you to use the service not only for commercial and state enterprises, but also for individuals - innovative production technologies have become widely available. Prototyping of 3d models is the reading of information from a computer program by special equipment and translation into a real object by successive building up layer by layer until the formation of a finished product. ProPlast-NN LLC carries out 3d printing to order - the price of is calculated individually depending on the size of the object, the number of ordered samples, the material from which they will be made and the method of prototyping.

3d printing and prototyping - the latest technologies in practice

The combination of computer technology with production allows you to multiply the speed of production, reduce the cost of creating the necessary items. Volumetric printing is developing at a rapid pace, from the realm of fantasy, it has become a familiar production process, which can be carried out using various methods. Order 3d printing in Nizhny Novgorod for one model or batch of products, just call Pro Plast-NN LLC at the numbers listed on the site. The customer will receive a three-dimensional plastic part, made with a high degree of accuracy according to the drawings or based on a real analogue. Small-scale production of products by 3D printing and prototyping is possible.

Where created 3d models and prototypes are used

Prototyping on 3d printers allows you to quickly and at low cost get a sample of the desired part from a polymer material, made with a high degree of accuracy, without roughness or distortion. Depending on the technology used and the material from which the sample is made, the product acquires high-tech properties: ideal shape, strength, plasticity, temperature stability. Models have found application in many areas, so they make custom 3d printing companies of different specializations:

  • medicine;
  • automotive;
  • serial industrial production: mechanical engineering, instrumentation, metallurgy;
  • architecture - when creating models of buildings and complexes;
  • designs;
  • souvenir production.

How 3d prototyping is carried out

The basis for prototyping is a 3d image of an object, compiled by a computer program with three-dimensional modeling functions. 3d custom prototyping is performed with high accuracy of transferring an image into a physical object using one of several possible methods:

  1. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). A moving molten polymer thread forms an object of complex geometric shape in layers, which can subsequently withstand high mechanical and thermal loads.
  2. SLS (Eng. Selective Laser Sintering). This is the sintering of a powder in a container under the targeted action of a laser beam.
  3. MJM (from the English. Multi Jet Modeling - modeling with many nozzles). Multi-nozzle 3d printer prototyping , applying molten material with multiple inkjet heads, based on the principle of a laser printer.
  4. LOM (from the English Laminated Object Manufacturing - the production of an object by lamination). Bonding layer by layer of thin films, as is done with lamination. After reaching the desired volume with a laser tool, an object of the desired shape is cut out of the mass.
  5. SLM (from English Selective Laser Melting - selective laser melting). Selective fusion of metal with a targeted laser beam, resulting in a solid object.
  6. EBM (from the English Electron Beam Melting - electron beam melting). Creation of a product from a powder that is melted by a directed electron beam.
  7. STL (from English stereolithography - stereolithography). Purposeful formation of a solid object by a laser beam directed into a container with liquid polymer rubber.

Benefits of 3d printing and prototyping

What are the advantages and benefits for a customer who decides to order a 3D printing with a printer?

Before launching a new product into mass production, an enterprise can purchase a prototype, test it, make changes to avoid errors in the design development of the product, and reduce the cost of production.

If a private or public enterprise needs to produce a small batch of products, it is more profitable for him to apply for a small-scale prototyping service than to carry out design and engineering development and testing of prototypes, reconfigure production, use labor resources and equipment. Printing on a 3D printer at affordable prices will save businesses a significant amount, reduce production costs.

The desired samples can be obtained in a short period, regardless of the degree of complexity of the object being created. Typically, the prototyping process lasts from one to ten days, depending on the specifics of the chosen manufacturing method. You can place an order for 3D printing at Pro Plast-NN LLC - we will answer your questions, calculate the cost, conclude an agreement and print products in a short time.

The cost of 3d printing with the printer is low, which allows customers to reduce their own costs for design development, testing and sample production. LLC "Pro Plast-NN" makes high-quality 3D printing - the price is calculated by managers individually, depending on the volume, complexity of the work, the chosen manufacturing method and the material from which the sample is printed.

The cost of prototyping and creating 3d models

Answer to question how much it costs to print on a 3d printer depends primarily on the number of ordered products, the material from which the product is made, the size of the object, and the technology of its manufacture.

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