All 3D printing technologies create solid parts layer by layer, also known as Additive Manufacturing. As a fast and customizable method of making parts as both prototypes and end-use products, 3D printing is commonly used both the FRC community (including on Previous 4476 Robots) and in industry.
There are four primary methods of 3D printing:
- Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
- Stereolithography (SLA, or Resin Printing)
- Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
Printing on 4476
As a team, we have access to several printers owned by various team members. The majority of these printers are FDM printers. The Kingston Robotics Lab also has several FDM printers, including a Markforged Onyx One capable of printing with carbon fiber.
Parts that have been printed on our previous robots include Shooter hood components in 2020 and 2022, Crowned Pulleys in 2022 and 2023, as well as our yellow Swerve Module covers.
3D Printing Considerations
3D printing is a great way to create robot components with complex geometry, such as this ___
When To Use 3D Printing
Although
However, that doesn’t mean that the whole robot can be 3D printed. 3D prints are typically quite good at handling compressive loads, but don’t hold up so well in tensile (pulling) or shear (sideways) forces, especially with the wrong print orientation