PRODPP301 – Prepare 3D printing equipment for use

Overview

This standard covers the configuration of 3D Printing equipment. 3D Printing, also known as additive manufacturing is a process that creates objects by adding material in thin layers until a product is completed. There are many different types of 3D printing and more are emerging all the time. Objects can be "printed" from hundreds of different materials including but not restricted to plastic, metal, nylon, paper and even foods.

This standard applies to you if you are responsible for the preparation of 3D printing equipment. You may work in a studio, engineering company, manufacturing company, university, architects bureau, or digital printing environment

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

1. check equipment is in serviceable condition and ready for production and that any necessary calibration or other periodic checks are up to date
2. check that files are in the correct format for the job
3. check that you have sufficient supplies of appropriate materials to complete work
4. check that scaling and measurements are in line with job requirements
5. check that completed objects will fit onto build platforms
6. set up 3D printing parameters in line with job requirements
7. set up printer software so that components are correctly orientated in accordance with organisational procedures
8. check files are free of errors when loading and that there are no features below the required diameter
9. take necessary action to deal with any further post-processing required in accordance with organisational procedures
10. take necessary action to support any overhangs in accordance with organisational procedures
11. check the print output meets job specifications and required quality standards
12. report any machine faults outside your responsibility in accordance with organisational procedures

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

1. the law as it affects printing: defamation, copyright and ownership of files and products/models, obscenity, incitement, forgery, data protection
2. ethical issues relevant to printing: confidentiality
3. your duties and responsibilities for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your job role
4. the hazards and risks in your own job, their assessment and the action to take to deal with them
5. manufacturers' and suppliers' health and safety instructions/advice
6. what kinds of customer materials are likely to be handled, including original photographs or artwork, samples, disks, raw materials for 3D printing or finishing
7. techniques for protecting customer materials
8. the potential for loss or damage
9. security and storage: computer system security and virus protection, the print with time-sensitive or restricted release date, the high value products or print with a high risk of theft
10. the secure methods of archiving digital and conventional artwork
11. how to communicate with colleagues, customers and suppliers
12. workplace objectives, priorities, standards and procedures
13. the way you actually do your job, more particularly the activities and techniques and the way that materials and equipment are used
14. the set-up of digital communications equipment and software
15. the operation of digital communications equipment and software
16. the principles of 3D printing
17. types of 3D printer and their differences and similarities
18. how to set up and operate the 3D printer with which you are working
19. how to keep abreast of developments in 3D printing
20. file conversion techniques
21. file compression and decompression techniques
22. how to transmit digital files
23. file management procedures
24. the purpose of a supportive raft and how to use it to deal with overhangs
25. the causes and treatment of common faults: raw material faults, processing faults, machine faults
26. administrative procedures: planning and scheduling, recording and reporting
27. product labelling
28. the legal requirements for the classification, storage, carriage and disposal of waste
29. the main features of quality assurance and quality control systems
30. techniques for controlling quality
31. equipment for controlling quality in printing
32. that types of problems that may need to be solved
33. sources of information
34. techniques for solving complex problems
35. techniques for assessing machine faults
36. the types and characteristics of materials being used for 3D printing
37. how to maintain the quality of materials during storage and handling

Scope/range

This standard requires the operator to demonstrate that they have the ability to prepare a production-scale 3D printing machine for use – to understand and use correctly all the parameters and options in the printer software and device driver/print dialogue boxes.

Note: This standard has been written for operators of 'production-scale' 3D digital printers and therefore operation of an office or desktop laser/inkjet printer is not relevant to this standard.

Keywords: digital, print, pre-press, pre press, 3D, equipment