3D Printing Lecture Notes:

Additive manufacturing:

SLA first type of 3d printer 1983

RepRap was 1st self reproductive printer around 2008 - more people started using bc open source now

Using metal, ceramics, flexible materials after 2000

Subtractive vs additive :

   subtractive more waste and expensive but better surface quality

FDM basic extrusion method

SLA uses resin and builds from the top down

Both need support material for difficult geometry or large gaps

Powder bed printing doesn’t need and support but it is very toxic

PLA is made from cornstarch so can biodegrade but only in certain conditions

PET and AVS are very strong but not biodegradable

TPU is flexible

Different printers have different slicing softwares adapted for them

Slicer softwares create a g-code for the machine

Adjust layer height to determine how fine the layers are - decides how smooth the sides are and the time to print

Can use acetone on PLA after printing to smooth the edges a bit

Shell thickness decided infill density and strength and flexibility of object - different infill shapes give different properties

Orientation needs to go the least likely way for it to be broken

You need to add a hole in a closed object with SLA to let the resin out so the object can be cured

There are some filaments that dissolve in water so can be used for support material

Need to use a big nozzle for ceramics and biomaterials as they have large particles in them

Always turn objects into a mesh before exporting for better outcomes

OBJ is better quality print than STL

STL can’t be used for multi nossel prints

Non planar 3d printing : the bed you print on can move while printing, gives different fibre orientations

Mesh needs to have not holes and not be inverted before exporting, can check on rhino or with 3d builder from Microsoft (have to use a uni computer, not available for Mac)

Bio printing:

Need to be aware that the bio materials shrink when drying so shape won’t be the same

Materiality research group- good research and documentation of bio printing

Blast studio UK - mycelium and clay printing

Justin Sheinberg Iaac - mycelium printing

Ilaena Maria Napier Iaac - algae printing

Don’t make the material too flexible, need some resistance for printing

Don’t add too much solvent so it doesn’t shrink too much when drying

Always need to feel the consistency of the material before printing

Need more lines for printing than non bio as not strong enough and don’t stick together if just one

Need to make sure there is no air gaps in the material and especially when loading into the gun

Mamba plug-in for rhino to slice

Repetier-Host software for controlling the machine

Printing on textiles:

Better to print on synthetic but can print on any

Mesh best to use to join the print above and below to secure on fabric

If you print on stretched fabrics it creates 3D geometries

Don’t print more than 3 layers to keep the stretch of the fabric

Print at about 50% speed when doing it on stretched fabric

Ser Collection - bcn based studio doing 3d printed garments