Difference between revisions of "Digital technologies/Textiles/3D printing on Fabric"

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Calibrating the plate may be necessary when dealing with specialty filament, more information can be found on the following link:
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Calibrating the plate may be necessary when dealing with specialty filament, more information can be found on the following [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Intermediate/Bed Levelling, Filament Change|link]]
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 18:55, 9 August 2024

Introduction

3D printing is so versatile that it can also be incorporated into fabric, hence bringing rise to futuristic garment features.

It has flourished in the fashion industry, and many famous brands are already making and selling 3D-printed garments.

3D printing enables you to create your own designs for your clothes and personalize them as you would like. From cosplayers' costumes to footwear to pieces of jewelry to intricate patterns for your old shirts, 3D printing can bring your creations to life.

3D printing on fabric
Figure 1. 3D printed fabric

This document will give you an overview of how to 3D print on fabrics.

It will show three examples, with different filaments used, but the technique remains fairly the same.

3D printing on fabric examples

The following figures depict the final products obtained:

Dragon Scales

Dragon scales are inevitable when you are dealing with cosplayers’ costumes.

Moreover, their whimsical look can be pleasant for fantasy fans.

As shown in the picture, you can create your own dragon scale fabrics by incorporating your fabric between your 3D printed parts.

Wood fill dragon scales
Figure 2. Wood fill dragon scales

Glow in the dark Hexagons

The hexagons form a delightful pattern which may be ideal for making pieces of jewelry.

Glow-in-the-dark hexagons
Figure 3. Glow-in-the-dark hexagons


Photochromatic Snap Buttons

Snap buttons can revolutionize the way you use buttons, which are usually sewn on your shirts.

Snap buttons
Figure 4. Photochromatic snap buttons on woven fabric


Snap buttons
Figure 5. Photochromatic snap buttons


Snap buttons
Figure 6. Photochromatic snap buttons under UV light


Different types of filaments were used. You can use the material of your choice and make the necessary changes in your 3D slicer.

Filament used

The following table shows the printers used for each filament type and some of the difficulties that came up.

The printer, Flsun v400 was the first option for all three examples since it is faster and was ideal for filaments of 1.75 mm, yet one filament type did not perform well with this printer, namely the Woodfill PLA.

Printer Filament Slicer Difficulties encountered
Colour fab Wood fill PLA (2.85 mm) Ultimaker 2+-Nozzle 0.4 mm Cura
  • Incessant clogging with Flsun v400 printer
  • Got burnt several times v400 nozzle
  • Over extrusion with a 0.8 mm nozzle-UMP
  • Was not adhering to build plate-UMP
Glow in the dark PLA (1.75 mm) Flsun v400 Cura No significant difficulties were encountered, it worked like normal PLA
Photochromatic PLA (1.75 mm) Flsun v400 Cura No significant difficulties were encountered, it worked like normal PLA
Table 1. Filament used

Note: Some specialty filaments are abrasive and can severely damage the nozzle

Getting Started

Preparing your model

A 3D CAD software, such as Onshape can be used to build up your model from scratch.

Or you can find some readily available designs online on Thingiverse.

Note: The dragon scales and the hexagons were from Thingiverse.

-Dragon scales[1]

-Hexagons[2]

-Snap buttons[3]

Slicer

Now you must bring your model to your slicer.

To use the slicer:

  • Download the slicer you will need for free or use one of Makerspace's computers.
  • Bring your model to your slicer. Remember to save your file as STL.

Print settings

The following table shows the changes made in the print settings; all other settings were left the same.

Dragon scales Hexagons Snap buttons
Material Wood fill PLA colorFabb Woodfill Generic PLA Generic PLA
Nozzle size 0.4 mm 0.4 mm 0.4 mm
Infill pattern Grid Grid Grid
Infill density 10 % 10 % 10 %
Layer height 0.15 mm 0.20 mm 0.15 mm
Print speed _ 150 mm/s 150 mm/s
Build-plate adhesion None None None
Printing temperature _ 210 °C 210 °C
Build-plate temperature _ 60 °C 60 °C
Table 2. Filament used

Additionally, to facilitate the printing process after incorporating the fabric,

Go to Custom --> All in the Print settings and enable the following:

  • Enable Retraction-reduces stringing,
  • Z Hop when retracted-prevents nozzle from dragging along surface,
All print settings
Fig 7. All print settings

Note: For the Ultimaker printer, you may have to clean the build plate and adjust its level if your filament is not adhering to it.

  • To clean: Use the cleaner available and paper towels and carefully wipe the build plate.
  • To adjust level: At the Ultimaker printer go to Maintenance -> Build plate and follow the instructions given.


Calibrating the plate may be necessary when dealing with specialty filament, more information can be found on the following link

References

  1. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3470986/files
  2. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4603936/files
  3. https://www.instructables.com/How-to-3D-Print-Onto-Fabric/