Duncan Maagdenberg first to graduate at CDAM
Congratulation to Duncan Maagdenberg! Duncan is the first to graduate at CDAM. In collaboration with Ultimaker Duncan researched the automation of 3d printing. The ultifact 4.0 is a fully automated 3d printing factory that requires minimal human interference.
During the graduation project, a new generation of FDM printing was introduced by preparing the technology for the fourth industrial revolution. The fourth industrial revolution (or Industry 4.0) has been defined as the current trends of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Four pillars were identified being: Fabrication, Data acquisition, Design automation and Human-machine interaction. FDM printing techniques are not fully industrialized yet as there is a significant need for human labor. In the ideation phase of the project, 4 core principles of industry 4.0 along with requirements found in the analysis phase were leading. One of the most important goals in that phase was to fully remove the necessity of human intervention. This led to two concepts which were tested with three product cases to select the most suitable concept.
The final design is modular systems with high interconnectivity allowing cyber-physical systems to interact through the smart factory. Multiple features have been tested and it is developed with mainly tried and tested technology meaning it can be produced with current technological capabilities. Printbeds travel through the industry 4.0 factory on carriages, these carriages can be adjusted to the current production lines of those factories, like conveyor belts, rollers and robotic arms. The carriers enter the printing hub which is designed in such a way that it maintains a perfect environment for FDM printing. When prints are finished, or an embedded part is required for the product, they can leave the printing hub and either return after assembly or go to another station to be released from the printbed. A printbed leaving the printer means a printing slot becomes available, another carrier is signaled and transported to the printing hub to maximize printing uptime. The need for human operators is almost fully removed, they are only still required for situations where errors occur. Industry 4.0 principles have been integrated within the final design of the project.
