A Design Interface for 3D Manufacturing

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The key impediment to the widespread use of 3D layered fabrication like Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) processes is not the limitations of the processes themselves, but the ability of engineers to explore and master the expanded design space they enable. A design interface comprising an exchange format and an accompanying suite of services is proposed for these processes. This interface is based on formal representations of process-related constraints expressed in terms of three-dimensional design features with associated rules to ensure manufacturability. The interface specification will be build in collaboration with process developers at Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions, and will build upon emerging standards for exchanging product specifications and representing manufacturing processes. In addition, the supporting communication infrastructure for exchanging design features, constraints, process capabilities and manufacturing analyses over the Internet will be developed. A series of design exercises are also proposed. The exercises will explore the ability of designers to construct libraries of re-usable elements to be scaled and miniaturized to take advantage of MEMS technology, and will explore the feasibility of integrating designs and processes from different institutions to create miniature electromechanical systems.