Group assignment: Test the design rules for your 3D printer(s)#

So for the group assignment I decided to use the Bambu P2S printer to print the STL files given by the course and I first opened up the Bamboo Studio application which asks me to select the material I want to print with (PLA)

So for the group assignment I decided to use the Bambu P2S printer to print the STL files given by the course and I first opened up the Bamboo Studio application which asks me to select the material I want to print with (PLA)

I then had to select the printer, so I chose the Bamboo P2S

I then had to select the printer, so I chose the Bamboo P2S

Then I clicked import to import the STL files that I had downloaded for the design rules

Then I clicked import to import the STL files that I had downloaded for the design rules

I selected all of them at once

I selected all of them at once

So the software asked me if I wanted a single object with multiple parts and I said yes because otherwise I wasn’t able to move them independently

So the software asked me if I wanted a single object with multiple parts and I said yes because otherwise I wasn’t able to move them independently

This is how they got laid out on the plate in the software

This is how they got laid out on the plate in the software

My instructor mentioned that some of them will need supports. So just to see what happens, I created a copy of those and clicked enable support for those just to see how they work with and without support

My instructor mentioned that some of them will need supports. So just to see what happens, I created a copy of those and clicked enable support for those just to see how they work with and without support

Then I clicked slice plate

Then I clicked slice plate

I got the slice output and as you can see there was a warning about the overhangs without the support

I got the slice output and as you can see there was a warning about the overhangs without the support

As you can see, the slice output gives me a lot of details

As you can see, the slice output gives me a lot of details

For example, here is a detailed view of the printing time and the material used

For example, here is a detailed view of the printing time and the material used

I can also time step through the printing process layer by layer. So I can use that to detect any problems that might arise at an intermediate step in the printing

I can also time step through the printing process layer by layer. So I can use that to detect any problems that might arise at an intermediate step in the printing

I can also see how the inner layers are structured

I can also see how the inner layers are structured

As you can see with the overhang L-shape, at some point there is a very tiny two millimeter layer of plastic or PLA that would have to stay unsupported if we did not use the supports and we can see looking at this slice that it’s an issue

As you can see with the overhang L-shape, at some point there is a very tiny two millimeter layer of plastic or PLA that would have to stay unsupported if we did not use the supports and we can see looking at this slice that it’s an issue

Another issue that I noticed is that when I added the supports for some, they overlap with the prints for the other. This might not be a problem, but I did not want it to be messy, so I separated them and spaced them properly

Another issue that I noticed is that when I added the supports for some, they overlap with the prints for the other. This might not be a problem, but I did not want it to be messy, so I separated them and spaced them properly

Now all looks good, I think we are ready to go

Now all looks good, I think we are ready to go

Actually, my instructor instructed me to use the generic PLA template for the material instead of the PLA basic

Actually, my instructor instructed me to use the generic PLA template for the material instead of the PLA basic

This warning showed up again, but we know this is intentional just to see the outcome of the print

This warning showed up again, but we know this is intentional just to see the outcome of the print

Now I click print plate

Now I click print plate

That generated a dot Gcode dot 3MF file

That generated a dot Gcode dot 3MF file

And then I copy-pasted that into a USB drive so I can plug it into the printer

And then I copy-pasted that into a USB drive so I can plug it into the printer

I plugged the USB into the printer. Normally we can do this via the network as well, however my computer was not attached to this printer, so we thought this was easier

I plugged the USB into the printer. Normally we can do this via the network as well, however my computer was not attached to this printer, so we thought this was easier

This is our printer

This is our printer

Then we clicked print files on the display

Then we clicked print files on the display

As you can see, my files were viewable in the display

As you can see, my files were viewable in the display

The display once again shows me the time and material used and also gives you an option to record a time lapse video

The display once again shows me the time and material used and also gives you an option to record a time lapse video

I had to select one of the four filaments available to the printer and I chose the yellow one

I had to select one of the four filaments available to the printer and I chose the yellow one

This is the printer bed plate

This is the printer bed plate

Although it wasn’t necessary, Karl said it’s a good idea to spray some of this onto the base plate so it’s easy to remove later

Although it wasn’t necessary, Karl said it’s a good idea to spray some of this onto the base plate so it’s easy to remove later

Then we started the printing and you can see it starts the task here

Then we started the printing and you can see it starts the task here

The temperature of the tool head of the plate and the ambient temperature all start at the room temperature of 25 degrees

The temperature of the tool head of the plate and the ambient temperature all start at the room temperature of 25 degrees

But then you see the machine heating it all up one by one

But then you see the machine heating it all up one by one

It was doing a bunch of self checks such as trying to throw away a lot of the PLA. I do not know what this specifically is, but it was interesting to watch

It was doing a bunch of self checks such as trying to throw away a lot of the PLA. I do not know what this specifically is, but it was interesting to watch

The tool head went super hot at some point

The tool head went super hot at some point

But I guess that was just part of the self-checks as it also came down

But I guess that was just part of the self-checks as it also came down

Here is one layer printed. We have to ensure that the lowest layers aren’t too messed up in any way

Here is one layer printed. We have to ensure that the lowest layers aren’t too messed up in any way

An hour later things are looking good and now I’m going to leave the printer on and go home so I can collect the prints later

An hour later things are looking good and now I’m going to leave the printer on and go home so I can collect the prints later

This book had some interesting tolerances for different materials and printing processes and since we’re using fused filament, we figured that for the bamboo that’s the correct value, i.e. 0.5 mm

This book had some interesting tolerances for different materials and printing processes and since we’re using fused filament, we figured that for the bamboo that’s the correct value, i.e. 0.5 mm

Here are all the design rules STL printed on the Bambu P2S.

Here are all the design rules STL printed on the Bambu P2S

Interesting to see that the clearance one was a disaster at the top without the supports.

Interesting to see that the clearance one was a disaster at the top without the supports

Here we can see that the overhang without the support did droop a little at the lowest layers of the overhang, as intuitively expected.

Here we can see that the overhang without the support did droop a little at the lowest layers of the overhang, as intuitively expected

Similarly, this one shows us at what angles the overhang starts drooping.

Similarly, this one shows us at what angles the overhang starts drooping

This is the anisotropy one — if you look closely, the lowest layers are long horizontal ones but the others are short horizontal ones.

This is the anisotropy one, if you look closely the lowest layers are long horizontal ones but the others are short horizontal ones

So as expected, it snaps easily at that point when I put force on it.

So as expected, it snaps easily at that point when I put force on it