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We get requested quite a lot of questions on 3D printing, and rightfully so; it’s a sophisticated world! After spending numerous hours answering telephone calls and emails, we realized we must always in all probability have a useful resource for some fundamental info, to assist these new to the wonderful 3D printing universe. So with out additional ado, welcome to the…
You could have some questions, we have now some solutions.
1. How a lot stuff can I print with one roll of filament?
A: As a way to reply this, we have to contemplate a number of issues. I’m gonna throw out some jargon, however don’t fear, I’ll clarify all of it in a minute.
• We have to know the scale of the thing
• We have to know the proportion of infill
• We have to know whether or not or not the half requires assist materials
For starters, we all know that every roll of filament is 1 kg, or round 2.2 lbs of fabric. So as a way to decide how a lot we will get out of this, we want a pattern half. We’ll start with one thing easy, like a chess piece. We’ll use a pawn for this instance.
So the very first thing that I do after I need to decide the burden of a component, is open up the software program MatterControl. (It’s a printer management software program out there totally free on our web site.) Then I drag the file for the half I wish to take a look at, and drop it in the principle window. From there:
1. I click on “Superior Controls”
2. I click on Slice Settings
3. I am going to the “infill” menu choice
4. I set the worth to “.5”
Word which you can set the worth anyplace between 0 and 1. Infill is the plastic contained in the half that gives inner assist. You could have the choice of constructing it fully hole, or making it fully stable. For testing functions, we’re going to place it at a hefty 50 p.c.
Comply with the arrows!
Now:
1. Save your adjustments
2. Click on on the preview window for the half you’ve chosen.
3. Change from 3D view to layer view
4. Press generate.
The window will now slice the half. As soon as it finishes, it will provide you with details about how a lot it weighs, how a lot plastic will probably be extruded, and a tough estimate of how lengthy it’s going to take. As soon as the burden of your half, you possibly can decide how a lot materials will probably be used. Merely divide the overall weight of the filament roll, by the burden of the half you want to create, and you’ve got a detailed estimate of what number of you may make. Within the case of this small chess piece, at a 50 p.c infill, the quantity is 121.3.
Wow, that’s quite a lot of chess items!
Aww, no person advised me I needed to do math!
If you wish to make one thing larger in fact, the method is strictly the identical. That’s except you print one thing requiring…
SUPPORT MATERIAL
Help materials is much like infill besides it used on the surface of an object. Sometimes it’s used when an object has an overhang or bridge. Sizzling plastic doesn’t droop itself within the air very properly, so on giant or difficult components, it could be smart to allow assist materials. Help materials is a little bit of recreation changer although, as a result of it does require further filament. Simply you should definitely take discover of whether or not or not assist materials is enabled earlier than you establish the overall weight.
2. How lengthy will my print take to complete?
A: I briefly talked about above how when slicing an object to search out out it’s properties, additionally, you will see a time estimate. Whereas that is pretty self explanatory, there are a number of layers to this that we must always contemplate. With out slicing the thing, you will get a fundamental sense of how lengthy a print will take by understanding some key slicing choices. These are:
1. Layer Top
2. Infill
3. Print Velocity
4. Help Materials
1. Layer Top is a reasonably easy idea. It’s precisely the peak of every extruded layer. That is the most important issue when figuring out the print pace, as a result of quantity of layers adjustments drastically, relying on the enter worth in your layer peak. You could find this within the slice settings as soon as once more. It needs to be famous that you simply can’t enter a layer peak that’s bigger than the dimensions of your nozzle, and nonetheless have the layers join. Typically talking, a layer peak of .2 mm will take half the print time of a print with a layer peak of .1 mm. In case your nozzle head is .5 mm, you’ve many choices for the standard, and the pace of your print.
2. We already lined the fundamentals of infill, however it’s good to recollect: if you happen to enhance the infill, the quantity of plastic used goes up, and so does the print time.
3. Print Velocity is a extra in-depth perform of our software program, and most printers include default settings which might be suited to their use. Nonetheless, if you happen to actually need to get your components accomplished quick, that is the place to go.
4. Once more, we briefly touched on the fundamentals of assist materials, however relying on the mannequin, it could add a major quantity of plastic to the print.
3. Why gained’t the plastic extrude correctly?
A: 3D printing is difficult beast, and there are a lot of potential the explanation why your extruder is having issues. The very first thing to do, is to just be sure you know what materials you’re utilizing, and that you’ve the right temperature settings.
Every materials has a really perfect vary of temperatures*, so we’ll go over every in flip.
PLA: 190-210°C**
ABS: 220 -240°C
NYLON: 240C-250°C
LAYWOOD: 175-250°C
LAYBRICK: 165-210°C
SOFT PLA/BENDLAY: 220-235°C
GLOW IN THE DARK PLA: 185-205°C
PVA: 170-190°C
*These temperatures are appropriate with most printers, however it’s best to all the time examine with both your producer or different 3Ders to ensure your printer follows the identical tips.
**Word for MakerBot Replicator 2 customers: The Replicator appears to run a bit cooler than different printers, so though it could appear that it’s working on the incorrect temperature, know that the default settings are as a rule appropriate.
In case you’re having bother with any specific filament. I like to recommend beginning on the highest really useful temperature, and with every try, scaling your temperature again 5 levels till you attain the optimum temperature in your atmosphere. It is also vital to be sure that your filament is being fed into the extruder correctly. If there’s an excessive amount of pressure, the filament can get floor out, or worse, break.
In case you strive a spread of temperatures to no avail, and also you’re positive that your filament is being fed with minimal pressure, you will have a jammed extruder.
4. I feel I’ll have a jam, what do I do subsequent?
A: Alright, so you believe you studied your printer has jammed. Don’t panic! There are lots of issues that may be accomplished. We’ve a way more in-depth article, that could possibly assist you additional, out there right here. It needs to be famous that jams might be very tough, so it by no means hurts to get as a lot info as potential. Nonetheless, if you happen to simply desire a fundamental rundown, I’ll strive that will help you out right here.
The 2 commonest sort of jams are as follows:
• The print nozzle being too near the mattress, due to this fact not permitting the filament to be launched*
• Leaving the warmth on whereas the filament sits unattended for an prolonged time period.
*This may typically be solved with a easy leveling of the mattress. Both with the {hardware} on the printer or by means of the automated mattress calibration function in MatterControl.
There are two very fundamental strategies to unclogging your hotend.
1. Warmth your printer as much as a barely greater than regular temperature, and try and push the filament by means of. As an illustration, when you’ve got a PLA jam, we advocate heating to 220°C(245°C for ABS). That is a lot greater than is critical for regular prints, however not excessive sufficient to be harmful.
2. Warmth your printer as much as the usual temperature and push the filament a part of the way in which by means of. Then, permit the filament to chill to about 80°C (135°C for ABS). After it will get to that temperature, slowly retract the filament till the drive block is obvious. In the very best case situation, you’ll pull up something that the filament bonded with whereas sizzling, thereby cleansing the hotend and drive block. I’d advocate that you simply do that every now and then anyway, as a result of buildup within the extruder can sometimes trigger jams.
5. How ought to I retailer my filament?
A: At this level in your 3D printing profession, you will have come to know that filament is one thing that must be taken care of, to a sure extent. You see, most sorts of filament take in moisture from the air, which may make it brittle or degrade. Within the case of one thing like nylon, it may well produce bubbles within the print. Let’s cowl the fundamentals for every sort of filament.
PLA/ABS: After we ship these supplies, we have now them sealed in a bag with a packet of dessicant. Whenever you recieve the bundle, it is superb to depart them within the baggage earlier than you utilize them. When you open the bundle, it’s completely acceptable to place the filament with dessicant in a big zipper storage bag, or one thing comparable.
LAYWOOD/LAYBRICK: The packaging for this filament exposes this filament to the open air, so that you need not fear about something out of the atypical. Protecting it someplace dry ought to suffice.
SOFT PLA/BENDLAY: Just like the earlier filament, these supplies don’t should be saved any means specifically. Simply preserving them from getting instantly moist needs to be greater than sufficient.
NYLON: Nylon alternatively, is EXTREMELY succeptable to absorbing moisture. Even in a reasonably dry envirionment, it may well take in the greater than sufficient to disrupt a print in as little as 24 hours. Happily, this filament will also be dried out. For that reason, it’s not solely essential to retailer your filament in a sealed bag with dessicant, however earlier than printing, some prospects have discovered it helpful to dry it within the oven at low temperatures (200°F) for an hour or two.
GLOW IN THE DARK PLA: One other filament that should be saved in a sealed bag. This among the many barely extra absorbant filaments, so deal with with care.
PVA: Whenever you buy this filament, it’s going to are available a sealed bag with a dessicant packet, typically two. It is a water soluble filament, so preserving it dry is totally needed. If it will get moist, it’s going to in a short time turn into unusable. I like to recommend preserving it within the authentic packaging so long as potential. If that you must put it in a zipper bag, contemplate doubling down on dessicant.
Sometimes if you happen to observe these tips, you should not have an issue. There are occasional exceptions, as not all environments are the identical. It also needs to be famous that frequent temperature fluctuations appear to extend the possibility of constructing a filament flip brittle.
6. Why gained’t my prints follow the mattress?
A: That is depending on two components: Printing materials, and print situations.
What we’ll do right here is break down every materials, and the optimum print situations for each. (These are all assuming the mattress is correctly stage, which is VERY vital.)
PLA: Blue Painters tape OR a heated mattress with Kapton/PET tape at 60Cº (Adhesive non-obligatory)
ABS/BENDLAY: A heated mattress at 120Cº PLUS some type of adhesive
NYLON: A heated mattress at 75Cº With some type of adhesive
TPE: Blue painters tape OR a heated mattress with Kapton/PET tape at 70Cº (Adhesive non-obligatory)
PLA PLA: Blue painters tape OR a heated mattress with Kapton/PET tape at 70Cº (Adhesive non-obligatory)
LAYWOOD/LAYBRICK: Blue painters tape
As a fast apart, listed below are probably the most generally used adhesives for 3D printing:
• Aqua Internet Hairspray (Further Maintain)
• Glue Stick
• ABS Slurry
The ABS slurry solely works with ABS, nevertheless, the opposite adhesives are appropriate with all sorts of filament.
My query isn’t answered right here, the place do I am going subsequent?
A: In case your query isn’t answered right here, you will have one thing barely extra superior occurring. I like to recommend looking at our assist part. We’ve many in-depth articles, concerning software program, {hardware}, and every part in between. In case you nonetheless can’t discover a answer, be at liberty to ship us an electronic mail, or give us a name! We’re open from 9:30am – 7pm Mon-Fri and from 10am – 4pm (PST) on Saturday, and we’ll do every part in our energy to help you the place we will.
Thanks for studying this FAQ!
– The MatterHackers Crew
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