March 3rd, 2015, by Megan Cooper

Heng Li is a second year graduate student in the MS Print Media program from Chengdu, China. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Printing Engineering while in China, and then decided to pursue a Master’s degree at RIT.

After taking the foundational classes in Print Media, Heng developed an interest in 3D printing through one of her professors, Dr. Shu Chang. Dr. Chang advises graduate studies who want to research materials, processes, quality, and other research topics related to 3D printing. For Heng, her focus is on the measurement of the dimensional capabilities of a 3D printer, and the title of her thesis research is “Developing a Measurement System to Assess Line Profile Retention in 3D Printing.” The goal of this study is to define a 3D printer’s measurement capabilities using a standard operating procedure that analyzes the location and variation of a 3D object that she created herself through her research. Her new measurement system will calculate the dimensional features of a 3D printer. In her process she uses example test targets to obtain measurements of the target using a 3D optical microscope, and conducts a measurement system analysis. When her research is finished, she will have developed a standardized measurement system that accurately quantifies the dimensions of a 3D object.

Heng is currently in the process of designing test targets to use in her experiments for her measurement system. After the targets are printed, she examines them using a MakerBot Digitizer and digital microscope to compare the 3D printed piece with the digital version and observe any differences between the two. This process will help her understand the printers’ faults and adjust her measurement system to eliminate the inaccuracies.

After she completes her thesis work, Heng hopes to find a co-op or internship in the Packaging Industry or 3D Printing.

Want to learn more about what you can research in the MS Print Media program? Visit the Print Media program website.