3D-printing and vibration (including resonance)

The material contained in this paper focuses on using 3D printing of relatively simple, flexible structural components and plane frames. The relatively high resolution of modern 3D printers facilitates the production of slender structures, and thus provides an opportunity to exploit geometric parameter variations to enhance a practical understanding of stiffness and vibration. This approach has proved successful in initial inclusion in both the classroom via demonstration models, as well as in the lab in which elementary facilities can be utilized to acquire data. An especially useful facet of this approach is the assessment and justification for modeling simplifications, e.g., judging the circumstances under which the familiar sway assumption is valid in portal frames. Furthermore, minor parametric variations can be easily incorporated into sensitivity studies, and the production of multiple copies of essentially the same geometry promotes an effective use of statistical measurement uncertainty. We then extend this approach to forced vibration, with examples including the vibrating reed tachometer and sympathetic resonance.