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3D printing is an additive manufacturing process, in which objects are built from a succession of thin layers stacked on top of each other. Experiments in 3D printing started in the 1980s. 3D printing is now used extensively in industry and for prototyping. There are industrial and consumer printers widely available. Services such as Shapeways will print a 3D model in a range of materials.
3D printing techniques
There are many different 3D printing technologies. Here’s a list. This page has an overview about each of the techniques.
- Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
- Stereolithography(SLA)
- Digital Light Processing(DLP)
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
- Selective laser melting (SLM)
- Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)
- Laminated object manufacturing (LOM)
In this class, we will be printing with a consumer printer using the Fused deposition modelling method (FDM). In this page, we will cover the basics here of how this type of printer works, the work flow for printing, and some tips to consider in preparing your models to ensure that they print properly.
Basics of FDM printing
In FDM printing, the nozzle of an extruder moved by a carriage repeatedly deposits thin layers of plastic filament on a heated bed. Motors control the position of the bed and also the extruder. There are 2 types of filament commonly used, PLA and ABS. PLA (polylactic acid) is a biodegradable material made from corn starch. ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is fossil fuel based, non-biodegradable plastic. We will be using PLA exclusively.
Printing workflow with the Ultimaker
When you have finished creating your model in Tinkercad or whatever software you are using, export it as an STL file. If you are printing using the Ultimaker printer, open up the Ultimaker Cura software. Cura is a slicer software. It will create the G-code, the instructions that the printer will follow to build your model. (G-code is used in many digital fabrication methods, not just by 3D printers.)
Once you have launched the software, open up your model from the File Menu > Open File(s).
On the right side, there is a menu where you set properties for your prints. We will go over the settings in detail a bit later on.
If your model is selected (by clicking on it), on the left side you will see a menu that allows you to move, scale, and rotate the model, as well as other functions.
You may wish to scale, rotate or make another adjustments to your model. When you are done, look at the print settings on the right side of the interface.
Print Settings
First the type of Material is selected (PLA). Next, the size of the Nozzle. The smaller the nozzle size, the finer the resolution of the print. However, the print time will increase if the resolution is higher. Profile: Fine. In Quality set Layer Height to 0.1, Skirt/Brim Width to 0.35
The Tinkercad to Ultimaker Cura Guide has a complete listing of all the settings to begin working with our Ultimaker 3D printers. We hope to have a guide for the Prusa here soon.
