SolidWorks CSWA Additive Manufacturing Study

Additive mftg uses much less material than any other traditional "subtractive" mftg processes.

TRUE

Which of the following is typically the cheapest type of 3D printer to purchase?

FDM

SLA printing uses a plastic strand that's pushed through a heated nozzle in a specific pattern, producing one layer at a time.

FALSE, this is FDM

Which of the following is typically the most expensive 3D printer to purchase?

Powder-Based

3D printing technology is expanding and is now able to print metal parts.

TRUE

What does FDM stand for?

Fused Deposition Modeling

What does SLA stand for?

Stereolithography

Which type of printer can print multiple materials simultaneously?

FDM Printers

What type of printer typically uses an enclosed build area?

SLA Printers

Which type of printer can melt metal into 3D shapes?

SLM Printers

Which type of material is NOT used in 3D printing?

PVC

Which type of 3D printer uses a spool of resin to create the solid part?

SLA Printer

Which type of 3D printer can print multiple material types together?

FDM Printer

The material for SLA printers is packaged in a

cartridge

3D printers can only print parts that are rigid and unable to bend or compress.

FALSE

Which of the following will affect the final quality of a 3D printed part?

Scaling, part orientation, setting wall thickness

FDM printed parts should have a drain opening to ensure that resin doesn't get trapped inside the part.

FALSE, this is SLA

One method of accounting for shrinkage in the finished part is scaling the model in the slicer software before sending it to print.

TRUE

Which of the following is true about the "infill" of a 3D printed part?

Internal structures are automatically added in the areas where the part is modeled as a solid.

Supports should always be used for 3D printed parts on both FDM and SLA printers.

FALSE, not needed for SLA

Which file type is the most commonly exported from CAD software to be used in a slicing software

.STL

Which of the following influences how refined the 3D printed part will be?

Layer thickness, using support material, part orientation

The number of triangles in an exported SOLIDWORKS 3D print file can be adjusted as needed.

TRUE

Which of the following should be considered when orienting the part on the build plate in the slicing software?

You should minimize the number of overhangs and maximize the footprint

When printing a part on an FDM printer, the model should be oriented such that the layers are parallel to the direction of stresses that will be placed on the part.

FALSE, the layers should be perpendicular to the direction of stresses

What methods can be used to prepare the build plate of an FDM printer?

Blue painter's tape, hairspray, or a layer of glue stick.

Whenever you load a spool of material into an FDM printer, it can be loaded in any orientation and the strand will feed evenly into the extrusion nozzle.

FALSE, it must be fed upright

SLA printers automatically heat the resin to the correct temperature and don't need any manual adjustments to maintain it.

TRUE

A 3D print can be paused at any time if it seems the material is going to run out. Once the material is replaced, the print can resume where it left off.

TRUE

Which of the following is true of adding material to a 3D printer?

FDM printers should push some excess material through the nozzle prior to beginning a print.

Which of the following is NOT a way you can send a print file to a 3D printer?

By downloading the file from a cloud server.

Some printers have a built-in webcam that allows you to monitor your print progress from a remote location.

TRUE

The last layers of a print are the most important and you should prioritize watching those printed layers in person to guarantee that the printed part doesn't fail.

FALSE, the first layers are most important

How many layers should you observe when the print begins?

3-5

If a print experiences an error, you can cancel it at any time to save time and material.

TRUE

What are helpful methods for removing a printed part from the build plate?

Removing the build plate from the printer, using a prying tool like a putty knife, or incorporating a design feature in the base which allows for easier removal.

When prying a part off a build plate, you should make sure that any sharp edges are pointing away from you.

TRUE

Blue painters tape is considered the most difficult adhesion from which to remove printed parts

FALSE, glue stick is

Some 3D printer models have fixtures that mount and hold the build platform for easier part removal.

TRUE

Which of the following should be done after the part has been removed from the build plate?

Any remaining material or debris should be removed from the build plate.

Which of the following is true of removing support material from a 3D printed part.

On an FDM printed part, setting the correct orientation for the part will minimize how much support material will be generated and then removed

Placing a Formlabs printed part in the Form Wash isopropyl alcohol bath removes the need to wash the printed part by hand.

TRUE

Using an Ultimaker dual extrusion printer allows you to remove support material by submerging the part in water if the support material you used is water-soluble.

TRUE

Which of the following will help ensure that a printed part will fit with the other components in an assembly?

Undersize a rod to fit inside a hole, fully cure a part before fit testing, and scaling uniformly can help account for shrinkage.

All 3D printed parts will adhere properly when using superglue to hold them together

FALSE, it doesn't work for every part

Which of the following is NOT true of 3D printed files?

All CAD software titles can export 3D printable part files

SOLIDWORKS "Design Guidance" functionality produces much more organic and unique geometry than if modeled by the user

TRUE

What does the 3D printing process "SLS" stand for?

Selective Laser Sintering

Native CAD files as well as STL files can be downloaded directly from the 3D Content Central site.

TRUE

Food items can be printed using a 3D printer.

TRUE