3D Printing and Scanning¶
This week is an introduction to different types of 3D printing machines. I am expected to test the 3D printer, learn about different types of printers and materials used, and to print something.
3D Printer¶
3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created.
The Prusa is an excellent 3D printer for people who want to start with 3D printing. It is most suited towards beginners but at the same time offers some advanced features as well.
Ultimaker 2+ is a highly capable printer. It is an ideal machine for beginners or those looking for a hassle free 3D printer with a good performance. The FabLab owns both 3D printers. The Prusa costs about 400BHD and the Ultimaker 2+ about 1000BHD. Even though the price difference is significant, both machines are excellent, have different features and used to print specific models. It all also depends on the printing speed you specify for the machine to run, the more time you give it, the more accurate and precise the product will be.
The second essential element for 3D printing is the raw material. It is categorized based on its temperature handling e.g. PLA can handle up to 67°C. Examples for the materials are PLA, ABS, PET. The Fab Academy uses different colors of PLA with specifications of 1.755 mm and print temperature of 190-220°C. There are several colors available in the academy, such as Glass light blue, black and grey. Note that 1KG of this type of raw material costs about 22BHD.
Before we get started, the team was required to test the 3D printer before initiating to print individual designs. For further information about how the testing went, check out my colleague’s website.
Scanning¶
For scanning an object, I have used an application on iPhone called Qlone. This application allows the user to take several shots of an object from all angels, and print the scanned object. If you are an Android user, hardluck!
To scan the object, it must be placed on a mat with clear grids. Since the grids are printed on an A4 paper, I do not have much of a choice in the object. I am restricted by the size of the object. Therefore, my chosen object is a small 3D printed rabbit I found on one of FabLab’s old shelves. One of the disadvantages of this application is that it takes a lot of time just to scan a single object. Rotating the object while keeping it on the grid mat was difficult so my colleague helped me in rotating the object to get clearer shots. Everything else, went so smooth! I loved the application due to its free availability and easy accessibility.
3D Printing¶
The second task of this week is to design an object using a CAD software or any online platform, and 3D print it.
I designed a candle stick holder with a height of 14 cm and a base width of 8 cm using Fusion360. It was a normal model until I graved my initials on the stick of it. Kept it simple this time!
After saving my 3D model as an .stl file, I used a software called Ultimaker Cura. It is used to make your 3D printing experience much easier, even for those who are beginners just like me! In the software, the user have to specify few details like the layer height, material used to print, print speed, etc. It also create a base called support for your model. This base is very important as it will hold your model still! It is a very thin layer and can be removed easily later on. The following snap illustrates my preferred specifications along with a snap of my model.
The printer used to print my 3D candlestick holder is the Ultimaker 2+. This printer is very precise and can operate in different temperatures, which makes it the best choice out there in the market! The material used to print my 3D model is PLA - Glass back. The printing process took about 7 hours of continuous printing.
Finishing¶
On the next day when I got my 3D printed candlestick holder, I realized I may have not measured the radius of the candle I am going to use precisely, because it was too difficult for me to fix the candle into the holder. Therefore, I needed to make the inner circle’s radius a little bit larger. In order to do so, the instructor provided me with some tools, and helped me widen the circle. We have used two different sizes to get the desired size: 20 & 22.
The graved letters on the candle holder was not neatly printed, which is something normal and common when using 3D printers. Consequently, I used something to make good surface finish and make it neat and clean. But this part made my object’s color a little bit different. To fix this, a black spray color. After painting the object, you should leave it for 15 minutes to dry off.
Hero Shot¶
And lastly, for the long awaited moment. Meet the Candle Holder!
