3D Printing
Introduction
This documentation isn't a tutorial for how to 3D print--it's mostly a reference page because it's difficult to teach how to use a 3D printer in words. So this assumes you know the basics of using a 3D printer (leveling, printing, etc.)
Filament
| Material | Heat Deflection | Strength | Ease of Print | Nozzle Temp | Bed Temp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | High | Medium | Hard | 230-240 | 100-110 | Need enclosure |
| PLA | Low | Medium | Easy | 200 | 60 | |
| PLA+ | testing... | Med/High? | Medium? | 200? | 60? | |
| TPU | Compliant | Medium | ~220 | |||
| Onyx | High | High | Easy w/ Glen | N/A | N/A | Glen will help |
Tolerances
3D Prints are basically melted plastic, so when designing, you need to consider that the plastic will shrink a little bit and add some tolerance.
For clearance holes, to avoid having to drill out the hole, follow this guideline:
- For #10 clearance holes and smaller, the holes should be "Loose" clearance in SolidWorks.
- For 1/4" clearance holes and larger, they should be "Normal" clearance in SolidWorks.
Nozzles
You can change the nozzle size to print faster and stronger. Bigger nozzles like 0.8mm nozzles will print much faster and with thicker, stronger layers than a standard 0.4mm nozzle. Smaller nozzles like 0.2mm nozzles will print slower but with more detail.
Slicing
Slicing is the process of converting a part into layers that a 3D printer can print.
When slicing it's important to remember a few things. First, when saving your part as a .STL from SolidWorks, make sure that the resolution of the file is high enough to create a smooth print. When you File->Save as .STL, click "Options" in the dialog box and make sure the quality is set to "Fine" at minimum.
We use Ultimaker Cura to slice our parts, and there are a few key settings to go over:
- Infill: 0-20% for non-structural parts, 20-50% for more structural parts. Anything above roughly 50% and you'll get diminishing returns on strength.
- Infill Pattern: Most common is cubic because it provides a nice multidirection strength-to-weight ratio, but you can also use gyroidal for omnidirectional strength.
- Resolution (Layer Height): For anything that doesn't require detail, print in Draft Quality (max layer height) to print faster. If you need detail, you can decrease the layer height.
- Speed: For PLA and ABS (most common), 50mm/s is standard, but you can safely push up to 65mm/s to save print time. You may want to "Enable Jerk Control" if you do this.
- Support: For any overhanging parts, make sure to turn on supports (duh?)
- Wall Thickness: sometimes increasing the wall thickness instead of infill will make your print stronger for less filament!
Misc
You can iron your 3D prints to create a smooth finish--essentially it runs the hot nozzle over the print without extruding material.
Documented by Micah Hsu