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Crash Course to 3D Printing

Aiden Tan & Max Zeng

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What are 3D Printers?

Takes in digital file

  • CAD -> STL file

Builds 3D structures and models

  • Prints layer by layer
  • Varying printing speed
  • Size depends on printer/bed size

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Why Should You 3D Print in FRC/FTC?

Interchangeable parts

Convenient for prototyping

Custom structural components

Electronics/ pneumatics mounting

Custom Pulleys

Spacers

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Types of 3D Printers

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Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Currently the most popular type of 3D printers

Prints a thermoplastic from a spool of filament

Prints layer by layer as bed or extruder head moves

Melts plastic from extruder head

  • Plastic hardens later

Prints support material from extruder when needed

Popular Brands:

  • Prusa, Ender, Markforged, Stratasys, Ultimaker

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Stereolithography (SLA)

Prints using excess liquid photopolymer plastics

Layer by layer is harden by a laser

  • One layer hardens
  • Bed/Tank of liquid lowers a few millimeters or fractions of a millimeter
  • Prints next layer, until printing finishes

Rinsed in a solvent then finishes in an ultraviolet oven

Prints have smooth surfaces

  • Also can be very detailed

Popular Brand: Formlabs

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Digital Light Processing (DLP)

Very similar to SLA printing

Instead of a laser to harden laser, uses a flash of light

  • Faster than SLA printing
  • Each layer can be done in a

few seconds

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Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Similar to SLA as well

  • But uses powdered material instead of liquid

Laser melts/sinters powder into shape of each layer

  • When melted powder hardens, bed lowers
  • Powder spread on top to cover harden layer, to sinter the next layer

Very expensive printers

Large range of materials

  • Nylon, Glass, Ceramics
  • Some metals:
  • Aluminum, Silver, Steel

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Materials for 3D Printing

Popular Brands: Prusa, Ender, Markforged, Stratasys, Ultimaker

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Printing Material

  • PLA
  • ABS
  • Polycarbonate (PC)
    • PC-ABS
  • Polyamide (Nylon)
    • Onyx
  • Metals

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Support Material

  • Used to support overhanging or undercutting parts of a 3d print so that the print remains intact throughout the whole printing process
  • Can be easily chipped off, water soluble, or soluble in another solvent
    • Water-soluble wax or PPSF

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Printers We Use on Our Team

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Ultimaker 3 & S3

Quick and Inexpensive, used for parts that don’t require as much precision

Also used for prototyping

Smaller scale

Uses [Ultimaker Cura]

Materials

  • PLA & Tough PLA
  • PVA

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Stratasys F370

Used for big, important, or precise prints like pulleys and stuff

Larger print bed

Super expensive

Uses [GrabCAD Print]

Materials

  • ABS
  • PC-ABS
  • QSR Support

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Using 3D Printers

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Software Components

CAD - Account for tolerance

  • Export as STL (mm as units)

Arrange tray/bed

  • Account for printing orientation

Select Infill & Layer height

Material Selection

Slice, Save, and Set to print

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Setting Up the Print

Send print over internet or export as gcode to USB

Clean up any old prints on the bed

Material

  • Material of printer matches exported gcode file
  • Check if there’s enough material on printer’s spool

Make sure bed starts heating up before printing

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DEMO

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