Category:3D Fabrication

From Dallas Makerspace
Jump to: navigation, search

Committees are voluntary groups, formed by members in order to achieve certain goals.
To join this committee, contact the committee chairperson. See Rules and Policies#Committees for more information.

Purpose

  1. Creation of 3d fabrication processes.
  2. Maintenance of 3d fabrication processes.
  3. Education of the DMS in various 3d fabrication processes.

Rules

1. NO PRINTER MAINTENANCE unless Authorized by the chair or vice chair

2. No use of solvents on the printers

3. Place contact information on top of printers (yes even if your 2 feet away)

4. Users can use multiple printers, as long as there is at least one printer left available for others to use

5. Clean up your printer after you finished printing

6. After an hour of job completion another user can remove your print.

7. If you remove a print you must notify the user via text or call (leave a message) that you are removing the job.

8. Report printer malfunctions on TALK ( please tag team 3D Fab @Team_3D_Fab )

9. 3D Fab computers are for 3D Fab related use only

10. When using 3D Fab Consumables, Weigh it and PAY IT ( Supports and all)

11. Keep 3D Fab Area Clean

12. It is YOUR reasonability to check the rules.

Enforcement of Rules is as follows:

First Strike : will be a warning

Second Strike: Week ban from 3D Fab area and usage.

Third Strike: Perm Ban from 3D Fab area and usage.

Consumables Cost

Pay for all filament/resin consumed, including supports, scrap, and failed prints . You must pay for the consumables even if your part didn't turn out how you'd like.


  • ABS filament (1.75mm ABS): 10 cents per gram
  • PLA filament (1.75mm PLA): 10 cents per gram
  • NinjaFlex: 30 cents per gram
  • Elegoo Mars resin: 10 cents per gram


These prices were accurate as of 3/13/2021. In the case of a discrepancy, the price on the payment kiosk is the governing price.


Payment Link

If the kiosk is down, you can pay by following this link to PayPal.

Monthly Committee Meeting Time

First Saturday of the month at 6 P.M.

Meeting minutes posted at bottom of page

Members

Please click the following for an updated list of: 3D Fab Members - Roles And Authorizations

Leadership

Be sure to check the Current Chairpersons page to find the latest chair and co-chair.

Age Requirements

Minimum age to use the printers in 3D Fab is 16 years old.

Approved 3d Printer Users

These lists are only visible inside Dallas Makerspace.

Approved 3d Basics Users

http://bit.ly/2psMJkq

Approved 3d NinjaFlex Users

http://bit.ly/2qotzki

Approved Form2 Users

http://bit.ly/2qZpaBu

Syllabus

3D Printer Class   

  • I. Introduction 
  • a. Poly Printer and its relationship to Makerspace 
  • b. Rules 
    • 1. No Unattended prints, leaving the room is fine but stay at DMS. 
    • 2. No printer maintenance ( adjusting the z height, removing the nozzles, flushing the nozzles) 
    • 3. Be mindful of the Queue  
    • 4. Weigh it and Pay it!! (make sure you include any support material.) 

 

  • II. 3D Models 
    • a. Thingiverse 
    • b. My Mini Factory 
    • c. Tinkercad 
    • d. .STL Finder 
    • e. Yeggi   
  • III. Approved Filament  (Manufacturer recommend 1.75mm)
    • a. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) 
    • b. PLA (Polylactic Acid) (Printer Bot Only) 
    • c. Ninja Flex 
    • d. Wax (Printer Bot only) 
  • IV. Loading the Filament 
    • a. Make sure the filament is clean (If you use your own make sure to keep it in a  sealed plastic bag. 
    • b. Threading it thru the printer. 
    • c. Use the filament cutter on the roof of the printer 
    • d. When pinching the nozzle release use a pinching motion not a pushing motion)     
  • V.  Kisslicer 
    • a. Open your .stl files (.stl files only) 
    • b. Orienting your file          ​  
    • 1. Scale by X              
    • 2. Inch VS MM              
    • 3. Count              
    • 4. Transform mesh 

    

    • c. Style      
    • d. Fast vs Precise      
    • e.  Layer thickness on ART setting      
    • f.  Infill levels      
    • g. When to use support and how to manage the support.       
    • h. Types of Support.      
    • i. Saving your Gcode      
    • j. What is Gcode.   
  • VI. Octoprint 
    • a. Uploading your gcode 
    • b. Preheating the printer 
    • c. Hotend vs Bed temperature 
    • d. Print, Pause, Cancel  
    • e. Removing your print. 

Online Training

We have online classes for the Polyprinters and the Elegoo Mars Pro resin printer. You must be an active member to log in and take the training.

Polyprinters

3D printer basics class on the DMS Moodle Online Learning Management System - https://learn.dallasmakerspace.org

The class is here - https://learn.dallasmakerspace.org/course/view.php?id=28

Once you have completed the test with a perfect score and do one print in front of the Chair, Vise Chair, or a Teacher then you can be added into the AD group in order to 3D print.


Elegoo Mars Pro (resin printer)

The class is here - https://learn.dallasmakerspace.org/course/view.php?id=5

Once you have completed the test with a perfect score you will automatically be added into the Elegoo Mars AD group in order to use the resin printer.

Projects

  • DMS FDM Printer construction (Rostock max) - STATUS: The Delta printer project was ended in December 2014.
   * 2013-06-30:  The printer type is being moved from a Rostock Max to a Rostock Prisma.
                  This decision was made by Andrew Falgout due to the amount of molded parts.  The 
                  rostock max that was being worked on was reimbursed by Halsey Mfg, this money 
                  will be used to buy the non printed parts of the Prisma.
   * 2013-11-09:  Paul Brown reported the delta is moving and has done an initial print.  There 
                  will be a good bit of calibration, but it is on it's way.
   * 2014-08-06   Mitch posted his first update to the 3D Fab mail list 
                  (https://groups.google.com/a/dallasmakerspace.org/d/msg/3dfab-archive/0N_iAmzuA7M/YCQCIeW2fl8J).
                  A handful of updates were added to that thread by Mitch and Evan. The final update from 
                  Mitch on the thread was on: 2014-10-13.
   * 2014-11-25:  Mitch posted an update to the 3D Fab Category on our TALK forums 
                  (https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/3d-fab-funds-from-the-board-meeting/431/7) 
                  indicating they were still making progress.
   * 2014-12-18:  Mitch posted an update to the 3D Fab Category on our TALK forums 
                  (https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/how-or-where-do-we-sign-up-for-the-build-a-reprap-at/749/10) 
                  suggesting that the Delta would be taken apart to help build the Mendel 90 that will be 
                  built during classes held by Mitch.  The Delta project ended.
  • DMS Commercial Powder Printer - STATUS: Cancelled. After several informal discussions, it was determined that a commercial powder printer would not be the best option for us at this time (due to the price of purchasing a unit, cost of maintenance, and cost of materials for the prints. We may revisit this at a later time; but, at this time, it's not an active project.
                  holding until DMS FDM printer is completed.  Right now having one donated has 
                  not be going very well, and the price of these printer is in the 50k+ mark.
  • Next Engine 3d Scanner (Andrew Falgout) - STATUS: Active.
  *Running Total:  $446.75
  *Silent Auctions: (Paid for on this link: http://dallasmakerspace.org/contribute/)
  #1 R300 Service Tag B6SDHH1 ($75.00)
  #2 Dell 2850 Sale: $250.00
  #3 Dell 2850 Sale: $71.76
  #4 Dell 2950 Sale: $50.00
  • Space Claim Software (Andrew Falgout) - STATUS: Inactive (No new updates from previous Chair. Current Chair has not looked into it further).
  * 2014-08-01: 10 license
  * 2014-08-15: The educational pricing only applied if a full license is purchased as well since we are not a .edu

3D Safety Reference - WIP

  1. What is a 3D printer?
    1. A 3D printer is a machine that, using various media and techniques, creates a three-dimensional object through an additive process. This could be FDM with a filament, SL with a laser, or Powder using a binder.
  2. Why is there a safety class for a 3D printer?
    1. This class is for both you, but more importantly, for the printer. The printer can hurt you, but improper operation will hurt the printer and cause downtime. How can the printer hurt you? The hot end reaches temperatures of 180-260 °C. This is enough to create a creative scar instantly on the skin or worse. The printer's axis can move VERY fast on the XY, and strongly on the Z axis. If you put your hands inside the printers, they will get hurt or broken.
  3. Preparing for the print.
    1. Can your model be printed? (coming from thingiverse doesn't mean it will print)
      1. STL files are meshes, and the faces of these meshes must be facing outward
    2. Prepare the model for printing
      1. Load the model in sketchup or blender to repair the model
      2. Run your model through the online Netfabb to give your stl file a sanity check.
      3. Shapeways provides a useful Pre-print Checklist in preparation for printing, along with guides for fixing many issues one might see.
    3. Slicing your model - All printers operate on gcode (instructions on where the printer needs to move the head, and how much filament to extrude) which must be created through a process called slicing. This takes the 3d model, and breaks it down layer by layer (according to the lay height setting) telling the printer where to move the head, and how much medium to deposit/bind.
      1. Open the slicer of choice (we use kissslicer)
      2. Check your settings for the filament and object requirements. (Proper temp for your filament type, infill, and raft)
      3. Does your model require support? If there are overhangs in your print, then you might require support
  4. What to expect during a print.
    1. The printer will bring the hot end up to temp, then the bed, then home all axis.
    2. The printer will start to render your 3d object using the medium of choice, layer by layer to create the entire object.
    3. When completed, the printer will park the head, and everything should start to cool off.
  5. What can go wrong during the print?
    1. The extruder could strip (dig a hole) the filament. This will cause the printer to move normally, but no filament is pushed out of the hot end. Your print has failed, and must be restarted. This results in Damage Type 1.
    2. Spool tension causes the filament switch to be tripped, causing the print to pause. (PolyPrinter Only) Damages this can cause:
  6. What is a successful or failed print? In the end, this is an opinion but I will try to put some guidelines. In the end, if you are happy with it, and it does what it was designed for the print is a success.
    1. Excessive curling at the edges (bad)
    2. gaps in the side walls of the print (bad)
  7. What to do after the print?
    1. Let the bed cool down until it reaches 50-70C. Not doing so can and will result in difficulty removing the object from the bed. This will lead to tape damage, damaged bed frame, or worse. Patience is not a virtue here, it is a requirement.

Damage Types:

  1. Stagnent plastic: This results from the plastic not moving through the hot end. This causes the plastic to be cooked and will result in charring. This could easily result in a clogged nozzle which requires a consumable replacement. (ie money from the funds)
  2. Head Crashing: This happens when the nozzle is forced into the bed by the Z axis. This can result in structural damage, as well as nozzle failure. When a crash ocurs, the bed could be bent or scarred both render the printer useless, the nozzle could be bent rendering it unusable, or the frame could be bent rendering the printer useless. This type of damage can be very expensive and should be avoided at all costs. How does this happen? Only a trained individual should ever attempt to calibrate the printers.
  3. Nozzle "Clogging": There are a large number of variables that can cause this, but here are a few of them. Debris in the filament, dust collection in the nozzle due to dirty filament, filament left in the nozzle at operating temperature for prolonged periods of time, and excessive temperature used on filament which it is not rated for. This will all result in a nozzle replacement at best, or a hotend rebuild to remedy the situation.
  1. Question: What can I do if my print takes longer to print than I can stay? Answer: You must coordinate with another member to have them watch it. If a print goes bad, damage can be done to the printer, which costs money and downtime to the membership as a whole. This is not fair to everyone else, and will be avoided.

3d Printing Information

There are many types of 3d printers, but they are all an additive process. By this, I mean, the printer adds material to create an object instead of taking away material such as with a mill or router. ([read here])

Filament types for FDM printers:

We also have an MSLA resin printer. Numerous types of resins are commercially available. DMS provisions a water-washable grey resin. The fee/gram is listed in the Consumables Cost section. If you provide your own specialty resin, you must also provide your own resin tank.

A good discussion about getting started with the software modeling process is at this link on the Talk Forum.

Equipment

Software

Standard software for 3D fab's design computers:

PolyPrinter Software Package:

Resin slicer:

  • Chitubox slicer

Autodesk Software:

  • Tinkercad
  • Autodesk Remake
  • Autodesk Netfabb
  • 123D Design
  • 123D Make
  • 123D Sculpt+
  • 123D Catch
  • Meshmixer
  • Fusion 360 (pending education free license options)
  • Cura (15.* and 2.* versions with Printrbot profiles)
  • Craftware (slicer)
  • Simplify3D (paid slicer pending license options)
  • Sketchup 2017 Make
  • OpenSCAD
  • Design Spark Mechanical

The previous/current software for 3D fab can be found on the Software Matrix (not yet updated)

Maintenance

How To Join

  1. Add your name to the "Members" section of this wiki page.
  2. Participate in discussion on our new "Talk" page: https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/c/3d-fabrication

Discussion

Social Media / Social Networking

(Discuss things here!)

(Check-in here!)

Monthly Committee Meeting Minutes

3D Fabrication Committee Meeting 10/27/18

3D Fabrication Committee Meeting 11/3/18

Archived Activity Links

  • All activity links will be archived to the 3D Fab History Page to keep this from becoming a link-fest.

All pages related to the 3d Fabrication Committee