3D Printing

Submitting a File to Be 3D Printed

Zortrax (FFF) 3D Printing –

1. Prepare your file for printing in Z-Suite (available on all lab computers). For info on preparing the file, consult the Zortrax Quickstart Guide on the Tutorials & Templates page.
2. Submit your Zortrax 3D print files to the queue by filling out the online form (you will be prompted to upload your file after you submit the form) or bringing your file on a USB stick to the Digital Output Support Lab Assistant in 235A.
3. You will receive an email when your request has been processed and added to the queue. You will receive a second email when your print and a final email when the print is finished and ready for pickup

price

* prices quoted above are student rates. Faculty/research printing is charged at 1.5x

The Basics

3D printers are considered to be “rapid prototyping devices” – but that doesn’t always mean that it is a quick process. Small models can often take hours or even days to print. Additionally, after it is printed, it may need to be cleaned in a chemical bath before it is ready for pick up. Also, keep in mind that the output of a 3D printer is a prototype – it is not usually considered to be a final product. Plan your project to allow for enough time to make multiple versions, and to allow for enough time to finish it by sanding and/or painting. All 3D prints require some level of finishing, and depending on what printer you use, the amount of finishing necessary may vary.

Types of Printers

Our Zortrax printers use a process call Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). With FFF printing, plastic filament is melted and squeezed through a nozzle, laying down one layer of extruded plastic at a time. The model is built by printing many thin layers of plastic. The level of detail or smoothness of the print is determined by the height of each layer of plastic.

To avoid wasting plastic, and reduce print time, the interior space of a FFF print can be filled with a looser mesh of plastic. This interior structure of the model is called “infill”. Infill is usually described in percentages – a higher percentage of infill is a denser mesh. A denser mesh results in a stronger model, so, depending on how your model will be used, it may require a higher density of infill. If your model doesn’t need to support weight, handle tension, it will significantly reduce print time to use a lower percentage infill in printing.

Support Material

To build areas of a print that overhang, the printer builds scaffolding on which it builds the overhanging area. This scaffolding is called “support”. The Zortrax printers use the same material that is used for the model for support that can be broken off and sanded away. All prints require the use of some amount of support.

Sometimes, a model can be printed in a way that minimizes the need for support, or places the support in areas that are easier to cut or break away, and sand cleanly. However, some models need to be printed at a particular angle for the printer to successfully build the model, and the support cannot be minimized.

Success and Failure

There are many factors that determine the success of a print. All printers have limitations, and printing to the extent of the limitations often results in failure. For example, prints that come close to the maximum build volume of the printer, or that have extremely thin walls are prone to failure. Printers tend to create minor vibrations and movements that may affect the success of particularly delicate models.

Most 3D printing technology produces a model that is close to the specified size in the software, but some shrinkage should be expected. Because of this variance, it can often be difficult to 3D print parts that fit together accurately.