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3D Printed LED Domes Shed Light on Scientific Research https://ift.tt/2G0grLT Exemplifying the wide-ranging versatility of 3D printing, researchers have integrated the technology for accompanying scientific photography, detailing their recent study in “Illuminating nature’s beauty: modular, scalable and low-cost LED dome illumination system using 3D printing technology.” Research may be vital to scientific advancement, but without a suitable presentation, it could mean very little to anyone. This begins with excellence in photography but also relies heavily on lighting. Currently, dome-style illumination systems are most commonly preferred by scientists showing their work—whether in taxonomy, morphology, systematics, natural history collections, or more. There are drawbacks though, due to lack of affordability and ease in use, leading the authors to explore 3D printing for a less expensive, modular LED dome design with the following features:
Samples were 3D printed on the Prusa i3 MK3S using PLA. After discarding and re-working several iterations for the dome, the authors added an LED strip for lighting that was flexible, adhesive, and fitted to the baseplate. Much less assembly was required, and “little to no” soldering was necessary. Ultimately, one SMD LED ring (40 mm diameter) was used for lighting, powered by a DC coaxial connector:
In comparison to similar lighting created in recent, previous research, this technique for creating a 3D printed dome provides the necessary affordability, accessibility, and reproducibility. The researchers expect it to be helpful for students and labs, and especially when there is an emphasis on budget. FDM 3D printing is recommended, with printer settings provided by the researchers; however, users engaged in 3D printing these parts may need to adjust the temperature for the printer bed or extruder, as well as experimenting with settings for the extrusion multiplier to control the amount of filament used. Layer thickness must be taken into consideration too: while higher thickness means decreased resolution, 3D printing is faster. Lower layer thickness means better resolution but more time in production.
[Source / Images: “ Illuminating nature’s beauty: modular, scalable and low-cost LED dome illumination system using 3D printing technology”] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com October 26, 2020 at 08:32AM
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