From Screen to Solid:A fan’s journey recreating the

X-Wing starfighter from Star Wars

Danny Lee

mechanical engineer

3D printing enthusiast

Agenda

• About Me

• Objectives

• 3D Modeling

- Proof of Concept

- Development

- Positional Representations and Final Renderings

• 3D Printing

- Attempt 1

- Attempt 2

• Lessons Learned

• Final Remarks and Q&A

About Me

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut

• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• 3.5 years of aerospace manufacturing experience @ Pratt and Whitney

• 2 years of product development experience in power distribution @ GE

• Spent last 4 months of 2015 teaching myself SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Inventor to transition into a mechanical design role

• Currently mentoring students in entrepreneurship @ Charlestown High School through BUILD Boston

• Interests: CrossFit, yoga, film, art, 3D printing

Technical Showcase - Objectives

• Validate my competency in Autodesk Inventor as a new user

• Highlight challenges related to 3D printing complex geometry and removal of support material

• Fulfill my destiny as a Star Wars fan by designing and making my very own X-Wing starfighter replica

Incom T-65 X-Wing starfighter

• Fictional single-pilot assault spacecraft • Named for the unique “X” shape of its wings• Iconic status in the Star Wars universe• Appropriately complex to be suitable as a 3D modeling

exercise for a three-week time frame• Officially cited as 12.5 meters in length

Reference Photographs

Proof of Concept

• Establish correct proportions and “look”• Determine key dimensions (length,

diameter, draft, angle, etc)

Total of 19 Key Dimensions

Forward Fuselage

• Extrusions (Join, Cut)• Work Planes (Orthogonal, Angled)• Mirror (Features, Solids)• Multi-Body Solids• Sweeps (Cut)• Split Face• Loft (Join)

Wing, Basic

• Extrusions (Join, Cut)• Work Planes (Orthogonal, Angled)• Revolve (Join)• Direct Edit (Size)• Circular Pattern• Fillet• Loft (Join)

X-Wing, Version 1

Wing, Advanced

• Extrusions (Join, Cut)• Work Planes (Orthogonal)• Revolve (Join)• Direct Edit (Size)• Circular Pattern• Loft (Join)• Direct Edit (Draft)• Multi-Body Solid, Combine• Split (Body, Face)• Fillet

Rear Fuselage

• Extrusions (Join, Cut)• Mirror Features• Work Planes (Orthogonal)• Rib• Loft (Join)• Chamfer• Fillet• Circular Pattern

X-Wing, Version 2

• Assembly Constraints (Insert, Angle, Mate, Flush)• Positional Representation (Attack)

X-Wing, Version 2 (cont’d)

• Assembly Constraints (Insert, Angle, Mate, Flush)• Positional Representation (Cruise)

Fuselage-Wing Interference

Forward Fuselage Update

Rear Fuselage Update

Wing Update

Version 1 vs. Version 2

Joints > Constraints

Top Port

Top Starboard

Bottom Starboard

Bottom Port

Cargo Bay

• Assembly Joints (Rotational, Cylindrical)• 2x two-piece hydraulic pistons• 1x door

Cargo Bay Interference

Open Closed

Cargo Bay Update

Open Closed

Front Landing Gear

OpenClosed

• Assembly Joints w/ Limits (Rotational, Cylindrical)• Assembly Constraint (Mate)• 2x two-piece landing strut• 2x half-doors

Rear Landing Gear

Extended

Retracted

• Assembly Joints w/ Limits (Rotational, Cylindrical)• Assembly Constraint (Mate)• 2x two-piece landing strut• 2x half-doors

Cockpit and Canopy

• Cockpit: Project Geometry, Work Planes (Orthogonal), Extrusions (Join), Loft (Join), Direct Edit (Move)

• Canopy: Shell, Assembly Joint (Rotational)

Open Closed

Cockpit Update: Loft > Project Geometry + Extrude

1

2

3

4

Canopy Update

1

2

3

Cockpit and Canopy Updated

Open Closed

Positional Representation (Attack)

Positional Representation (Cruise)

Positional Representation (Land)

Ray Tracing (10 min render time)

Lighting Effects (Country Road)

Country Road (cont’d)

Country Road (cont’d)

Robo3D R1+Plus

• Robo3D is a San Diego-based startup that makes desktop 3D printers

• Purchased R1+Plus printer in August 2015

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printer

• Cartesian coordinate system

• 100 micron (0.1mm) resolution

• 10” x 9” x 8” print volume

• Accepts 1.75mm filament (PLA, ABS, Nylon)

• MatterControl 1.4 is my printing software (open source)

Print Attempt 1

• 1.75mm PLA filament

• 210C extruder temp, 50C printing bed temp

• 6% of original size (1/16th scale)

• 0.3mm layer height, 0.2% fill density

• 1 piece, 4 hours cumulative printing time

Print Attempt 1 (cont’d)

1. Laser Cannons broke off too easily

2. Cargo Bay Doors and Landing Gear Doors did not print (features are too small)

3. Engine features did not print properly

4. Support material difficult to remove

1 2

3

4

Proposed Solution

• Simplify geometry

• Reinforce thin walls and cavities

• Increase scale from 6% to 9%

• Increase print resolution from 0.3mm to 0.2mm

• Print as two pieces, glue together later

Model Simplification

Print Attempt 2

• 1.75mm PLA filament

• 210C extruder temp, 50C printing bed temp

• 9% of original size (1/11th scale)

• 0.2mm layer height, 0.25% fill density

• 2 pieces, 14 hours cumulative printing time

#epicfail

Fuselage Assembly

Fuselage Assembly (cont’d)

Finalized Replica

Lessons Learned – 3D Modeling

1. Planning is important: proof-of-concept model was instrumental to success. Should experiment with layout sketches, top-down design, equations and adaptive modeling next.

2. Part files should be stable: a good part model does not collapse due to frequent dimension changes. Still learning how to do this well.

3. Assembled parts should not interfere: check for interference often, especially for all states of moving parts

4. Geometry does not project correctly from an angled plane: in separating the canopy from the fuselage, a loft is a “lossless” cut. An extruded cut loses fidelity. Would like to learn how to split a solid with a 3D sketch.

Future tasks: bill-of-material, engineering drawings, animation

Lessons Learned – 3D Printing

1. Test prints save time and money: if unsure how a complex model will print, use low quality settings and a small size ratio. This will produce the worst case conditions, to which you can compensate for later.

2. Reinforce delicate geometry and remove non-functional voids: engine walls and laser cannons were too thin, cargo/landing gear bays need to be filled

3. Print delicate features separately and with a higher fill density: laser cannons were a prime example of this. Next time try 1% fill density?

4. PLA should be printed at 200C to minimize “stringiness”: read about this in a 3D printing blog. Will try next time.

5. Super-glue, epoxy, electrical tape and zip ties are your best friends: (obviously)

Lessons Learned – MethodologyWhat insights did I gain about how I think/work/learn?

1. Carefully define project scope: Don’t bite off more than you can chew, but don’t “sandbag” either.

2. Plan for chaos: I penciled in about 20% of “buffer time” into my three-week schedule for unanticipated setbacks (e.g. getting sick, breaking my 3D print)

3. Assess feasibility before committing resources: In both the model and the 3D print, I did a “trial run” as validation before devoting time, energy, money, etc

4. Fix high priority problems as they come up: The issues I presented happened organically. Their resolution was critical to working on subsequent tasks.

5. Be methodical, rigorous and disciplined: A systematic, detailed approach is often the best way to do things (assuming time is not a pressing constraint). Consistent performance is key to success.