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Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner (view source)
Revision as of 20:53, 19 June 2022
, 20:53, 19 June 2022→Use Cases for Prints in our Makerspace
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process which creates a three-dimensional object from a digital model. At the uOttawa Makerspace, we use FDM (fused deposition modeling) which works by slicing the model into layers and then printing one layer on top of the other. The type of printer, and the options that are fitted to the printer, determine the capabilities in terms of accuracy, speed, and complexity a printer is capable of. The printer extruder and nozzle combination will dictate what materials the printer is capable of using. Multiple extrusion heads enable for different materials to be used during the same print and are common on more commercially-targeted products but can also be fitted to high-end personal-use models. This can enable a printer to use weaker (or even dissolvable) support material for easy removal, or the ability to add colour schemes to a print for aesthetic purposes. Heated build plates are fairly common, and are used to improve the quality of prints by reducing the heat stress placed on a component during printing and cooling. In addition, many printers are open source projects, enabling users to edit the printer’s software, and even use it to build their own printer. The material most commonly used in the Makerspace is a type of plastic known as PLA (Polylactic acid). This plastic is used for 3D printing because of its relatively low melting point and very low shrinkage rate. While the Makerspace owns a variety of FDM printer models, this beginner page will focus on the Ultimaker 2+ which is the main model of printer used.
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process which creates a three-dimensional object from a digital model. At the uOttawa Makerspace, we use FDM (fused deposition modeling) which works by slicing the model into layers and then printing one layer on top of the other. The type of printer, and the options that are fitted to the printer, determine the capabilities in terms of accuracy, speed, and complexity a printer is capable of. The printer extruder and nozzle combination will dictate what materials the printer is capable of using. Multiple extrusion heads enable for different materials to be used during the same print and are common on more commercially-targeted products but can also be fitted to high-end personal-use models. This can enable a printer to use weaker (or even dissolvable) support material for easy removal, or the ability to add colour schemes to a print for aesthetic purposes. Heated build plates are fairly common, and are used to improve the quality of prints by reducing the heat stress placed on a component during printing and cooling. In addition, many printers are open source projects, enabling users to edit the printer’s software, and even use it to build their own printer. The material most commonly used in the Makerspace is a type of plastic known as PLA (Polylactic acid). This plastic is used for 3D printing because of its relatively low melting point and very low shrinkage rate. While the Makerspace owns a variety of FDM printer models, this beginner page will focus on the Ultimaker 2+ which is the main model of printer used.
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/Which 3D Printers do we have?|Which 3D printers do we have?]]==
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/How do FDM Printers Work?|How do FDM Printers Work?]]==
Fused deposition modelling (FDM) printers extrude melted material through a nozzle. As this happens, the nozzle is moved along a predetermined toolpath (a set of spatial coordinates), laying the extruded material on existing surfaces along the way. The toolpath is generated from CAD models in a software called a slicer software, named this way given that it slices 3D models in thin 2D layers which when stacked reform the original model.
[[File:FDM Layers.jpg|center|frame|A closeup of an FDM print. In this picture, you can see the layers that make up the print.<ref>Redwood, Ben (2022). ''How does part orientation affect a 3D print?'' Hubs, a Protolabs company. Accessed on 12/05/2022 at https://www.hubs.com/knowledge-base/how-does-part-orientation-affect-3d-print/</ref>]]
=== Important Parameters ===
It is important to keep a few parameters in mind when FDM printing. Using the proper parameters will ensure that your print comes out right!
==== Nozzle Size ====
The nozzle size is an important parameter that affects the quality of the print you will obtain. Depending on the size of your print, as well as the desired quality, you may choose different nozzle sizes. Larger nozzles will be able to output more material such that prints on large nozzle printers will take less time (provided that other parameters such as layer height and printer speed are adjusted to take the larger nozzle into account). On the opposite side of the spectrum, smaller nozzle sizes will lead to a slower print, but finer feature qualities. At the Makerspace, we have 0.25mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm and 0.8mm nozzles on our printers, the most popular sizes being 0.4mm and 0.8mm. Most desktop printers will have a 0.4mm nozzle size by default as this size strikes a nice balance between quality of print and print times. Laws of geometry being what they are, however, the amount of material you can output through the nozzle of your printer increases by a power of 2 as you increase nozzle sizes, such that you can expect to reduce printing times by roughly a factor of 4 by going from a 0.4mm nozzle to a 0.8mm nozzle (don't rely solely on presets to try to replicate these results, other settings need tweaking such as layer height and printer speed to reproduce this ratio of nozzle size to print time).
==== Layer Height ====
The Layer height is the second and most obvious parameter to tweak in order to obtain the preferred results. Larger layer heights will lead to coarser resolution in height (along the Z axis). Lower layer heights will lead to higher resolutions along Z, but will also increase the print time drastically. Note that using larger nozzles will allow you to use larger layer heights due to the extra volumetric flow obtainable. See below for an example.
[[File:Layer-height orig.jpg|center|frame|Effect of layer heights on Z quality.<ref>B3D Online (2022). FFF/FDM 3D Print 101-Layer Height, Infill & Support. Accessed 2022/05/16 at <nowiki>https://www.b3d-online.com/blog-news/ffffdm-3d-print-101-layer-height-infill-support</nowiki></ref>]]
==== Print Speed ====
The print speed is another one of those obvious parameters that will affect print times. However, the ways in which the print speed will affect the final print are not always obvious. If the print speed is too high, the printer might not be able to dispense enough material through its nozzle per unit of time to fill the desired volume with the required amount of material. This can lead to bad adhesion between layers or even a complete lack of adhesion to layers. The ratio of layer height to layer speed (i.e.: material outflow through the nozzle) should therefore always be considered when FDM printing (the exact subject though being more of an intermediate subject). When making parts that will bear loads, print speeds are increasingly important as layer adhesion becomes an important factor in the strength of the final part, so much so that parts may be annealed (uniformly re-heated through a controlled process) to obtain better properties across layers.<ref>Agnieszka Szust, Grzegorz Adamski, ''Using thermal annealing and salt remelting to increase tensile properties of 3D FDM prints'', Engineering Failure Analysis, Volume 132, 2022, 105932, ISSN 1350-6307, <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2021.105932</nowiki>.</ref>
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/FDM Printer Components|FDM Printer Components]]==
===Extruder and Nozzle (CAUTION: HOT!)===
The extruder heats and pulls partially melted filament into the nozzle. During a print, the extruder and nozzle will heat up to over 210°C, so exercise caution around it. The location of the printer nozzle and extruder is controlled on an axis system (typically) made up of belts and gears. This assembly can be moved while the printer is idle by gently pulling on the extruder/nozzle assembly, being careful as parts of this assembly can be extremely hot even after a print has finished. If the printer is printing, or has recently been printing, the motors will still be engaged. Set the printer to idle and wait a few minutes, or power off the machine to disengage the motor lock.
===Build Plate (CAUTION: HOT!)===
The build surface is where the printed part is placed on. On most of the Makerspace printers the build plate is heated to 60°C (and can go as high as 110°C) during printing, so exercise caution around it. The plate can be raised or lowered while the printer is idle by going to ''Maintenance→Advanced→Raise/Lower Build Plate''.
===Filament Spool===
The filament spool can be found attached to the back of the printer. The spool is essentially a filament roll. As the printer uses up the filament, the spool unrolls. Before printing, it is a good habit to check filament levels on the printer. You may find steps for replacing the filament [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Intermediate|in the intermediate page]].
[[File:Ultimaker2+ Overview.PNG|center|thumb|1500x1500px|An overview of the Ultimaker 2 parts. Most FDM printers contain the same components.<ref>Modified from Ultimaker B.V. ''Ultimaker 2 User Manual''. Consulted on 2022/05/16 at https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011955399-The-Ultimaker-2-user-manual</ref>]]
== [[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/Which 3D Printers do we have?|Which 3D printers do we have?]] ==
The following are the printers available for use at the Makerspace. {{PrinterInfobox
The following are the printers available for use at the Makerspace. {{PrinterInfobox
| name = Ultimaker 2+
| name = Ultimaker 2+
| slicerName = Cura
| slicerName = Cura
| slicerLink = https://ultimaker.com/cura
| slicerLink = https://ultimaker.com/cura
| materials =PLA, ABS, Flexible
| materials = PLA, ABS, Flexible
| minLayerHeight =0.06
| minLayerHeight = 0.06
| heatedBuildPlate =Yes
| heatedBuildPlate = Yes
|float=none|buildWidth=223|buildDepth=223|buildHeight=205|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Ultimaker_2%2B}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 223
| buildDepth = 223
| buildHeight = 205
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Ultimaker_2%2B
}}
{{PrinterInfobox
{{PrinterInfobox
| minLayerHeight = 0.02
| minLayerHeight = 0.02
| heatedBuildPlate = Yes
| heatedBuildPlate = Yes
|float=none|buildWidth=215|buildDepth=215|buildHeight=200|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Ultimaker_3}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 215
| buildDepth = 215
| buildHeight = 200
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Ultimaker_3
}}
{{PrinterInfobox
{{PrinterInfobox
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| heatedBuildPlate = No
| heatedBuildPlate = No
|float=none|buildWidth=285|buildDepth=153|buildHeight=155|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/MakerBot_Replicator_2}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 285
| buildDepth = 153
| buildHeight = 155
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/MakerBot_Replicator_2
}}
{{PrinterInfobox
{{PrinterInfobox
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| heatedBuildPlate = No
| heatedBuildPlate = No
|float=none|buildWidth=230|buildDepth=150|buildHeight=140|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Dremel_3D20}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 230
| buildDepth = 150
| buildHeight = 140
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Dremel_3D20
}}
{{PrinterInfobox
{{PrinterInfobox
| minLayerHeight = 0.01
| minLayerHeight = 0.01
| heatedBuildPlate = Yes
| heatedBuildPlate = Yes
|float=none|buildWidth=305|buildDepth=305|buildHeight=605|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Raise3D_N2_Plus}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 305
| buildDepth = 305
| buildHeight = 605
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Raise3D_N2_Plus
}}
{{PrinterInfobox
{{PrinterInfobox
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| minLayerHeight = 0.1
| heatedBuildPlate = No
| heatedBuildPlate = No
|float=none|buildWidth=320|buildDepth=132|buildHeight=154|recommendedSettings=https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Markforged_Mark_Two}}
| float = none
| buildWidth = 320
| buildDepth = 132
| buildHeight = 154
| recommendedSettings = https://en.wiki.makerepo.com/wiki/Markforged_Mark_Two
}}
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/3D printing in our Makerspace|3D printing in our Makerspace]]==
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/3D printing in our Makerspace|3D printing in our Makerspace]]==
At the uOttawa Makerspace we have several different types (brands) of printers. When 3D printing in our Makerspace, you will encounter either the Ultimakers, MakerBots, or Dremels. In general, at a high level, the process for 3D printing is always the same. Typically, 3D printing on a hobbyist level is an iterative process in which you may have to tweak your models for the printer you are using. The following flowchart is a generalized yet important view of the typical workflow for 3D printing in the Makerspace.
At the uOttawa Makerspace we have several different types (brands) of printers. When 3D printing in our Makerspace, you will encounter either the Ultimakers, MakerBots, or Dremels. In general, at a high level, the process for 3D printing is always the same. Typically, 3D printing on a hobbyist level is an iterative process in which you may have to tweak your models for the printer you are using. The following flowchart is a generalized yet important view of the typical workflow for 3D printing in the Makerspace.
Industry-grade printers are the opposite. You will find that you have very little control over the parameters of the print, and the printer will be slow at printing, but the print will come out almost perfect most times. The Makerspace has the Makrforged Mark II as well as a Dimension 1200es printer for those who would like to get professional, industry-grade prints, but since the consumables for those printers are expensive and since not many people use these printers, the makerspace charges for prints made on them. If you think your application requires specialty materials or the extra quality that these industry grade printers provide, please do not hesitate to [[How to submit an Order Request|submit a print order]] through our system. We'll be happy to work with you on getting your part manufactured.
Industry-grade printers are the opposite. You will find that you have very little control over the parameters of the print, and the printer will be slow at printing, but the print will come out almost perfect most times. The Makerspace has the Makrforged Mark II as well as a Dimension 1200es printer for those who would like to get professional, industry-grade prints, but since the consumables for those printers are expensive and since not many people use these printers, the makerspace charges for prints made on them. If you think your application requires specialty materials or the extra quality that these industry grade printers provide, please do not hesitate to [[How to submit an Order Request|submit a print order]] through our system. We'll be happy to work with you on getting your part manufactured.
With the large amount of modifications you can make to your print settings as well as the fact parts printed in the Makerspace are typically PLA, parts printed in the Makerspace are perfect for small prototype enclosures, prototype organic shapes such as ergonomic designs, flexible (clamping) shaft stops, spacers or linear bearing housings (to name a few). They can also be used for prototype bracketing for low load applications. They are ''not'' for the manufacturing of precision components or components that will encounter high loads.
With the large amount of modifications you can make to your print settings as well as the fact parts printed in the Makerspace are typically PLA, parts printed in the Makerspace are perfect for small prototype enclosures, prototype organic shapes such as ergonomic designs, flexible (clamping) shaft stops, spacers or linear bearing housings (to name a few). They can also be used for prototype bracketing for low load applications. They are ''not'' for the manufacturing of extreme precision components or components that will encounter high loads.
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/Choosing your Slicer Settings as a Beginner|Choosing your Slicer Settings as a Beginner]]==
==[[Digital technologies/3D printing/3D printing- Beginner/Choosing your Slicer Settings as a Beginner|Choosing your Slicer Settings as a Beginner]]==