Hobby-Grade Printer: Ender 3 v2
Produces inexpensive parts of low to moderate quality
Great for projects if:
– The purpose of the part is to be a rapid prototype for form and function fitment
– The part does not require engineering-grade materials
– The part is not overly structural
– Layer lines and other FFF surface conditions are acceptable
Orientation:
Print orientation affects almost all aspects of the print, including part surface quality, part strength, tolerances of certain part features, print time, support material used (thus cost), and ultimately the chances of a successful print. Proper orientation is key to part success. If a specific orientation is needed for functional reasons, this needs to be noted when submitting a job, otherwise the orientation that maximizes part success chances and minimizes cost will be chosen.
Some orientation considerations are:
– Large horizontal areas that are overhung/not in contact with the print bed will need support, affecting the surface finish.
– Stair-stepping occurs on shallow angled surfaces
– Adding Z-height dramatically increases print time
– Layers will create natural shear-planes and should be oriented so they don’t impact part performance
– Holes will print better if they are perpendicular to the build plate
Part Design:
Like all other manufacturing processes, 3D printing has its own limitations and design requirements; not all parts can or should be printed.
Some design considerations are:
– Where possible, build parts with self-supporting geometry. That is, geometry that tapers at a minimum of a 45-degree angle.
– Avoid large horizontal overhangs
– Design walls and other features to be a multiple of .4mm so that the printer can do an even number of passes and avoids having to “fill” internal areas
– Limit minimum feature sizes to 1.6mm (about 0.063”).
Other:
– These machines can only print one material at a time, so if support material is needed, it will be printed with model material and must be broken away, leaving surface imperfections.
– Threads can’t be printed reliably. If threads are needed use heated inserts. The lab can provide and install inserts for an additional fee.
– Layer Height Options: 0.1mm (.004”), 0.12mm (.005”), 0.16mm (.007”), 0.2mm (.008”)
– Infill Percentage Options: 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%
– Available Material Options: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU
– The Ender is the economic choice for printing, and has a few materials available that the Stratasys printers do not and vice versa. Please contact the Additive Manufacturing Lab if you are interested in a material not listed. Please note: we do not accept requests for specific colors of prints unless you are willing to pay for a whole spool of filament. By default the filaments we have in stock are all black. Popular materials include PLA (our cheapest option), ABS, PETG, and TPU.
We try to stick to Hatchbox brand filaments, they can be found here: amazon.com/hatchbox
We can also print NinjaTek brand NinjaFlex – a very flexible TPU plastic: amazon.com/NinjaTek
– XY Print Size: 220mm (8.66”) by 220mm (8.66”)
– Z Print height: 250mm (9.84”)
– Layer heights: 0.1-0.4mm (0.004-0.018”)
– Print Precision: ±0.1mm (.004”)
– Typical filaments: PLA, TPU, PETG
– Filament diameter: 1.75mm
– Hotbed temperature: ≤100°C (212°F)
*specs are from the manufacturer webpage and don’t necessarily mean options listed here will be available through the lab
Industrial-Grade Printer: Fortus 250
Produces medium-quality parts that are more expensive than the hobby-grade printers but have a higher success-rate. This machine uses two print heads, one for soluble support material and one for ABS model material.
Great for projects if:
– The part needs to be of a higher quality than the Hobby-grade machines
– The part needs to be produced out of ABS
– Areas needing support require a good surface finish
Orientation:
Print orientation effects almost all aspects of the print, including part surface quality, part strength, tolerances of certain part features, print time, support material used (thus cost), and ultimately the changes of a successful print. Proper orientation is key to part success. If a specific orientation is needed for functional reasons, this needs to be noted when submitting a job, otherwise the orientation that maximizes part success chances and minimizes cost will be chosen.
Some orientation considerations are:
– Large horizontal areas that are overhung/not in contact with the print bed will need support, affecting the surface finish.
– Stair-stepping occurs on shallow angled surfaces
– Adding Z-height dramatically increases print time
– Layers will create natural shear-planes and should be oriented so they don’t impact part performance
– Holes will print better if they are perpendicular to the build plate
Part Design:
3D printing is a manufacturing process like any other. Like other processes, it has its own limitations and design requirements; not all parts can or should be printed.
Some design considerations are:
– Where possible, build parts with self-supporting geometry. That is, geometry that tapers at a minimum of a 45-degree angle.
– Avoid large horizontal overhangs
– Design walls and other features to be a multiple of .4mm so that the printer can do an even number of passes and avoids having to “fill” internal areas
– Layer Height Options: 0.007” (0.018mm), 0.010” (0.25mm), 0.013” (0.33mm)
– Infill Percentage Options: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, Solid
– Available Material Options: ABS
*Visit the Stratasys site. for more information about materials.
– XY Print Size: 10” (254mm) by 10” (254mm)
– Z Print height: 12” (304mm)
– Layer heights: 0.007” (0.018mm), 0.010” (0.25mm), 0.013” (0.33mm)
– Print Precision: ±.0095” (0.241mm)
– Typical filaments: ABS
*specs are from the manufacturer webpage and don’t necessarily mean options listed here will be available through the lab
Industrial-Grade Printer: Fortus 450
Produces medium to high-quality parts that are more expensive than the hobby-grade printers but have a higher success-rate. This machine uses two print heads, one for soluble support material and one for model material and can print a variety of engineering-grade materials, such as UV resistance, biocompatibility, high impact resistance, and high thermal resistance.
Great for projects if:
– The part needs to be of a higher quality than the Hobby-grade machines
– The part needs to be made of engineering-grade material
– Areas that would require support still need to have a good surface finish
– The part is relatively large and cannot fit on any of the other machines
– The part requires a bit more Z-height resolution than the Fortus 250MC offers
Orientation:
Print orientation affects almost all aspects of the print, including part surface quality, part strength, tolerances of certain part features, print time, support material used (thus cost), and ultimately the odds of a successful print. Proper orientation is key to part success. If a specific orientation is needed for functional reasons, this needs to be noted when submitting a job, otherwise the orientation that maximizes part success chances and minimizes cost will be chosen.
Some orientation considerations are:
– Large horizontal areas that are overhung/not in contact with the print bed will need support, affecting the surface finish.
– Stair-stepping occurs on shallow angled surfaces
– Adding Z-height dramatically increases print time
– Layers will create natural shear-planes and should be oriented so they don’t impact part performance
– Holes will print better if they are perpendicular to the build plate
Part Design:
3D printing is a manufacturing process like any other. Like other processes, it has its own limitations and design requirements; not all parts can or should be printed.
Some design considerations are:
– Where possible, build parts with self-supporting geometry. That is, geometry that tapers at a minimum of a 45-degree angle.
– Avoid large horizontal overhangs
– Design walls and other features to be a multiple of .4mm so that the printer can do an even number of passes and avoids having to “fill” internal areas
– Layer Height Options: 0.005” (0.127”), 0.007” (0.018mm), 0.010” (0.254mm), 0.013” (0.330mm)
– Infill Percentage Options: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, Solid
– Available Material Options: ABS
*Visit the Stratasys site. for more information about materials.
– XY Print Size: 10” (254mm) by 10” (254mm)
– Z Print height: 12” (304mm)
– Layer heights: 0.007” (0.018mm), 0.010” (0.25mm), 0.013” (0.33mm)
– Print Precision: ±.0095” (0.241mm)
– Typical filaments: ABS
*specs are from the manufacturer webpage and don’t necessarily mean options listed here will be available through the lab