Calculation of shrinkage compensation factors for rapid prototyping (FDM 1650)

Rapid prototyping turns a three-dimensional CAD drawing into an actual part that can be tested for form, fit, and function. Therefore, accuracy of the prototype is important. The goal of this research was to improve in-plane dimensional accuracy for the Stratasys FDM 1650 rapid prototyping machine. The CHRISTMAS-TREE(TM) test procedure developed by 3D Systems, Inc., was used to arrive at a new shrinkage compensation factor (SCF) for the Stratasys machine. It was found that an SCF of 1.010 will produce a 53% reduction in mean error of the dimensions. More test procedures could be implemented to further refine accuracy. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.