This article follows the article on mounting and setting up your 3D printer . Now that your 3D printer is ready, you will be able to start printing. If for the most part it should go well, you will undoubtedly, especially at the beginning, encounter a certain number of problems. Let’s take an overview of the problems you may encounter and how to solve them.
3D printing issues
When printing, you may (you may even say) be confronted with different problems.
Already, it’s normal and everyone goes through it. This is part of learning, a 3D print is more complex than a simple paper print. The problems can be of several types:
- finishing issues
- problems with part of the object being printed (warping)
- detachment of the whole object (usually due to warping)
- gravity issues
Finishing concerns
It often happens that there are some finishing issues on your 3D prints. It can be a few wandering filaments, and not completely smooth upper parts. In this case, sanding is usually enough to solve the problem.
Detachment during 3D printing
It happens regularly, and on first impressions it can even be discouraging. But do not give up, there are several possible solutions:
- heated plate: a heated plate will provide better grip. This can be an element to take into account in the choice of the 3D printer depending on whether it has it or not.
- lacquer: an artisanal solution that works quite well, a thin layer of lacquer on the plate before printing. Be careful though, the hairspray is volatile. It is therefore necessary to spray on a disassembled plate to prevent the lacquer from seeping into the extruder or on the belts
- there are also adhesion tapes, or hanging trays (Buildtak type)
- Raft: a raft is an attachment structure that is placed under the part to increase the gripping surface (useful if the bottom of the part, for example, has little contact with the board)
- Brim: I use it a lot at the moment, it’s a layer of plastic that prints around the object, increasing the grip surface. It’s a very thin layer, and it comes off pretty easily after printing. Whether rafts or brims, this can be asked via the software that will drive the 3D printing (the slicer)
- Change the 3D printing parameters, always via the slicer. You can find all the elements on the slicer on this article . By playing on the printing speed, on the ventilation in the first layers, on the thickness, you will be able to solve a certain number of problems
Severity issues
I just had the problem very recently, and I had not necessarily anticipated it. Depending on the structure of your parts, you may end up with elements to be printed that will be above the void. And the law of gravity being difficult to circumvent, we will have to find other solutions.
And the solution in this case is the supports. These are elements that will be printed to form a support, and which, like the raft or the brim, will have to be removed after printing. This of course increases the printing time and the material consumed. I refer you to a complete ink explaining the supports .
