3D Product Post-Processing & Quality

Question 1

What is 'support removal' in 3D printing post-processing?

Accepted Answer

Physically removing temporary support structures printed alongside the part, using tools or dissolution in solvent

Answer

Removing digital support geometry from a CAD model after export

Answer

Cleaning excess sinter powder from SLS-printed parts

Answer

Stripping the surface coating from a finished part

Question 2

What is 'tolerance' in the context of manufactured parts and assemblies?

Accepted Answer

The allowable dimensional variation from a nominal dimension that still allows a part to function correctly

Answer

The material's resistance to deformation under load

Answer

The minimum wall thickness for a part to be structurally sound

Answer

The surface roughness acceptable for a mating face

Question 3

What quality control method is a 'Coordinate Measuring Machine' (CMM) inspection?

Accepted Answer

A precision measurement system that uses a probe to map physical dimensions of a part against its CAD specification

Answer

A computer monitoring system for tracking production machine uptime

Answer

A digital caliper used to measure injection-molded part dimensions manually

Answer

A software tool for comparing two CAD files for dimensional differences

Question 4

What is 'first article inspection' (FAI) in manufacturing?

Accepted Answer

A thorough dimensional and functional check of the first production parts from a new tool or process to verify conformance before full production

Answer

The inspection of the first prototype built during the design phase

Answer

A regulatory approval process for medical device products

Answer

A random sampling quality check taken from an ongoing production run

Question 5

What does 'fit, form, and function' mean in product quality assurance?

Accepted Answer

Three fundamental product requirements: that it assembles correctly (fit), looks as designed (form), and performs its intended purpose (function)

Answer

The three stages of a product's development lifecycle

Answer

A marketing framework for evaluating product appeal

Answer

The three tolerance classes used in mechanical engineering standards

Question 6

What is 'vapor smoothing' post-processing for FDM parts?

Accepted Answer

A chemical finishing process that exposes printed parts to solvent vapor to reflow surface material and reduce roughness

Answer

A cleaning step that uses steam to remove support residue

Answer

A UV curing process for resin-printed parts

Answer

A coating applied via spray gun to seal porous prints