3D Printing is not easy as hitting the “PRINT” button!
The photo shows several failed attempts at printing just a part of the “The MINT” sign project. Each single part represents two to three hours of printing per attempt. There is a lot of trial and error involved in getting that perfect print!
3D printing is cutting-edge technology, but in some ways it is about 30 – 35 years behind getting a a professional and reliable output every time — like where your inkjet or laser printer is today.
Here are just a number of factors we need to take into account to get a clean, accurate product:
- Material – there are many quality 3D printing filaments, but each has differing characteristics and each of those vary by manufacturer and lot – we need to adjust printing temperature, speed, cooling and extrusion amount, and up to 200 other variables in order to the most accurate prints.
- Construction – coming up with the overall design is actually the easier part, the harder part is breaking each part down to its’ component pieces and then “engineering” them to fit together perfectly – many with a snap fit.
- Extrusion – how a part is extruded or manufactured is extremely important. The piece’s orientation on the print bed can determine how the finished product looks.
- Support – overhanging and unsupported areas of the print need to have printed support added thus adding to the amount of time needed to print. Support needs to be removed before assembly which can be a painstaking and time-consuming process!
Getting the perfect print is laborious, but when you hold in your hands a finished product that existed only in your imagination hours before, the result is worth it!
