3D-Printing Project

[Kording]

Hey, I have got the opportunity to use a 3D printer (Makerbot Replicator 5th Generation) at work for some small projects. To get used to 3D printing I modeled the company logo which I want to print out next week.


The printer is brandnew, only a few tests have been printed and the guy who is setting the printer up is rather inexperienced with this technology. Now, is here someone who can help me figure out the best settings for speed and temperature for the extruder or has some tips in general ?

[SMR 510RR]

Its quite printer specific, the makerbot forums would probably be the best place to look. I am sure what they recommend in their manual would be a good starting point. I have a reprap so its completely different but I run PLA at 190F with a 60F bed with hair spray on it. Speed is very part and machine dependent but 40mm/s for perimeters and 80mm/s for infill would be a good starting point, as you increase the speed watch for wavyness on sharp corners. For infill 25% is usually enough for most prints just make sure you have 3+ layers of top 100% fill and at least 2 perimeter layers.

Just so you don't freak out when you print that, those subtle angles that are almost parallel to the print bed are going to be very stepped. Just the nature of 3d printing.

[Kording]

Silly me I did not even think about looking for an official forum
Thank you for your response

bed with hair spray on it

Why hair spray ? To better remove the model ?

as you increase the speed watch for waviness on sharp corners.

That´s very helpful thanks!

make sure you have 3+ layers of top 100% fill and at least 2 perimeter layers.

I am not sure I understand this right. I can set the percentage of infill, the number of shells and the layer height.

I appreciate your help thanks

[m121c]

When I worked with the MakerBot in school, it's pretty much just a "Hit print" type of thing. You really don't have to mess settings, or at least I didn't. You can adjust the precision/fill amount of the print and stuff but if I remember right there wasn't really much you could change to the extent of what SMR just said. Maybe there is an advanced settings I didn't really look at, I only got to play with it for like a 2 hours before I had to tell the rest of the class how to use it.

Ya hairspray to help remove it, that's actually a really good idea.

[wheels1758]

I have a reprap so its completely different but I run PLA at 190F with a 60F bed with hair spray on it.

I hope you mean 190C!

I have a Printrbot that prints at 200C. I don't have a heated bed so I just use PLA. Mine has a wood print bed, so I cover it with painters tape, which many suggest. The prints don't stick too bad to the painters tape, and it saves the wooden print bed.

[Kording]

Well I was quiet surprised as I saw the test prints. I thought this was like mason said a "hit print" type of thing. There are advanced options for quality, temperature and speed.
By default the Extruder heats up to 215 °C traveling at 90mm/s by 15% infill, 2 Shells and 0,1mm layers height
This is the result: The sides are looking ok but the front and the back have so many holes in it. The backside got slightly destroyed while removing it from the bed


(dont mind the magnets on the backside. Coworker tried to pin it to his desk )


I will test if a higher number of shells with a little bit less heat for the extruder will fix those problems.
Mason did you get similar results with your Makerbot ?

[SMR 510RR]

I have a reprap so its completely different but I run PLA at 190F with a 60F bed with hair spray on it.

I hope you mean 190C!

I have a Printrbot that prints at 200C. I don't have a heated bed so I just use PLA. Mine has a wood print bed, so I cover it with painters tape, which many suggest. The prints don't stick too bad to the painters tape, and it saves the wooden print bed.

Haha yea, celcius freaking euros! Make everything too complicated.

Well I was quiet surprised as I saw the test prints. I thought this was like mason said a "hit print" type of thing. There are advanced options for quality, temperature and speed.
By default the Extruder heats up to 215 °C traveling at 90mm/s by 15% infill, 2 Shells and 0,1mm layers height
This is the result: The sides are looking ok but the front and the back have so many holes in it. The backside got slightly destroyed while removing it from the bed


(dont mind the magnets on the backside. Coworker tried to pin it to his desk )


I will test if a higher number of shells with a little bit less heat for the extruder will fix those problems.
Mason did you get similar results with your Makerbot ?

15% infill is generally too low in my experience and I like to have a extra top layer for just that reason. You may have to run 3 perimeters everywhere but before trying that try 20-25% infill (will give more support to the first solid top layer).

[m121c]

I think I had my infill was higher as SMR said, mine did not have holes like that.

[m121c]

On the topic of 3d printing take a look at this: http://wapo.st/1xtlvrz

[760Liam]

Funny that you posted that as I was just about to mention the company Carbon3D. This new CLIP printing is going to be huge in the 3d printing world, it's crazy how people are able to come up with this technology. Even the SLA printers are pretty fancy, and you are able to get them for a decent price.

http://formlabs.com/products/form-1-plus/

[SMR 510RR]

Watched a interesting documentary a while back called "Print the Legend". Kind of chronicles the start and progress of consumer level 3d printing.