3D Printing and Scanning

Week 05

  • Test the design rules for your 3D printer(s)
  • Document your work on the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned about characteristics of your printer(s)

Machine Inventory and Specifications

Printer Model Technology Build Volume (X, Y, Z) Max Speed Enclosure Key Features & Notes
Bambu Labs H2D FDM 350mm x 320mm x 325mm 1000 mm/s Closed (Active Heat) Dual nozzles, laser/knife cutting tool swaps, AMS 2 support.
Bambu Labs X1C FDM 256mm x 256mm x 256mm 500 mm/s Closed LiDAR scanner for self-maintenance and first-layer inspection.
Bambu Labs P1S FDM 256mm x 256mm x 256mm 500 mm/s Closed Reliable standard core-XY machine.
Bambu Labs A1 FDM 256mm x 256mm x 256mm 500 mm/s Open Industry-standard entry-level printer with AMS Mini.
Bambu Labs A1 Mini (in Kieran’s house) FDM 180mm x 180mm x 180mm 500 mm/s Open Compact footprint, highly accessible.
Zortrax M200 FDM 200mm x 200mm x 200mm 100 mm/s Closed Legacy machine, optimized for proprietary ABS filament.
Formlabs Form 3+ SLA (Resin) 145mm x 145mm x 185mm N/A (LFS) Closed Exceptionally high detail using Low Force Stereolithography.

Design Characteristics

  • Overhangs
    Parts extending outward without direct support below require careful planning. Angles approaching 90 degrees into the horizontal axis generally fail unless the material can cool quickly enough to grip the previous layer.

  • Bridges
    Horizontal spans between two points can print in mid-air if the distance is kept short. The extruder pulls the filament taut across the gap, relying on rapid cooling to prevent sagging.

  • Resolution and Layer Height
    X and Y detail is limited by the nozzle diameter (typically 0.4mm). Z-axis resolution is determined by layer height; thinner layers yield smoother surfaces but significantly increase print time by requiring more passes.

  • Infill and Wall Thickness
    Internal geometry provides structural integrity while saving material and time. A standard 15% crosshatch infill is generally sufficient for non-load-bearing parts. Wall thickness (perimeters) determines how many solid loops are printed before infill begins.

  • Clearance
    Thermoplastics shrink and expand during the heating and cooling cycles. Designing print-in-place moving parts requires intentional tolerance offsets (clearance) to prevent the components from fusing together.

  • Bed Adhesion
    A flat surface area is critical for the first layer to stick to the build plate. Slicing software can generate Skirts (to prime the nozzle), Brims (to prevent corners from warping), or Rafts (to establish a completely flat base) to improve adhesion.

  • Pausing Prints
    The g-code can be modified to pause the machine mid-print. This allows for the manual insertion of non-printed components, such as captive magnets, hex nuts, or RFID tags, into pre-modeled cavities before printing resumes over them.

  • Multifilament
    While automated material systems (AMS) allow for multi-color printing, they generate a massive amount of flushed plastic waste during tool changes. A more efficient design practice is to model components as separate, interlocking pieces that can be printed individually in their respective colors and assembled post-print.