Some Printing and Settings Solutions
Some Printing and Settings Solutions below are available for all Slicers,
Setting Optimal Parameter Values
- Two groups of problem are well recognized for RC Plane Model when trying to improve the 3D printed result. The first group is to address strength and weight issues. The second group is to address printing quality issues.
- Suggest to focus on one group of problems before moving to another group.
- Where to find related parameters in ideaMaker shown in the provided right side youtube video. The similar settings should be also available in Cura and S3D but usually slightly with different names.
- Start with the values in the pre-defined OWLplane Profile files first and change them gradually by first planning your changes.
Group A: Reducing More Weight
If you feel that the weight is still too heavy (challenge to reduce it), you may want do the following :
- Lowering extrusion width and layer height gradually.
- In solid print, you may reduce the percentage of infill.
- Lowering the shell and perimeters also can be the solution.
- Lowering extrusion multiplier and filament flow rate. It is related to how your printer extrude amount of filament as instructed by the G-code. It can also be controlled directly by changing the e-step in the printer.
After having changes, you need to review the strength result if still acceptable.
Group B: Fixing Print Quality
If the print quality is the problem, OWLplane suggest starting with finding the optimal temperature first for your chosen filament. It will be the base for reviewing or changing other parameters.
- Retraction Material Amount for Direct Drive setup is usually around 0.8mm to 2mm and about 5mm to 6mm for Bowden setup. OWLplane suggest to start with 1mm and 5mm for DD and Bowden respectively and change the value gradually from there.
- Coasting Distance and Extra Restart Amount are the two parameters that should be reviewed to fix blobs. Adding Coasting Distance may also need to compensate with adding extra restart amount if you see some holes impacted by the Coasting Distance. This article form S3D may be helpful explaining those two perimeters.
- Slowdown for Cooling Time and Speed are two parameters that you may want to review for printing small objects. The extruded filament needs to have solid form before putting the next filament on top of them. It really depends on how big is the object since the extruder will revisit the just printed object in the really near future.
- Please consult to your filament manufacture for heatbed and hotend temperature values. It should not far from what have been already specified.
Widening Contact Surface (for Stronger Bonding)
Simple Solution with only Increasing Extrusion Width
- One of the frequent issues raised for RC Plane 3D Printing is regarding the difficulty on gluing two parts since they are mostly printed as a single perimeter.
- Widening the contact surface by increasing extrusion width or number of perimeter is certainly the solution.
- Cura, ideaMaker and S3D have feature that can be used to address that issue by implementing modifier STL file, Per-Layer Settings under Group and Layer Settings and two different Processes respectively.
- Use you creativity, you may want to start with increasing extrusion width first and followed by adding number of perimeters to come up with the same width as the first bottom layer for the top layers.
- Please watch the provided youtube video to learn how widening contact surfaces utilizing ideaMaker by only increasing extrusion width.
- Please review your final settings that the extra weight should be acceptable.
Please note that provided OWLplane Profile files only enlarging bottom surfaces. Feel free to implement it also for the top layers for your convenience making stronger bonding for parts. It is possible to have the same perimeters at the bottom and top layers (3 perimeters for example).
Increasing Number of Top Perimeters
- This solution is applied only for ideaMaker and S3D Slicers. OWLplane still can not find the solution yet to implement it in Cura.
- The concept is to implement stairs when increasing number of perimeters.
- Profile file for the solution is provided in the test files. It uses 1.0mm increment for each steps.
- ideaMaker Profile file for the solution is provided and included in the test files.
- The table below is used to help on achieving the result.
Cooling Problem Solutions
- Blue part printed with lack of cooling and where red part printed with enough cooling condition.
- There are some solutions to the problem, some cases simply you need to turn on fan but it needs to be closely monitored or tested since cooling may reduce strength.
- Increasing time to cool off using functions available in the slicers also can be solution.
- Another technique is to print with other parts with the same printing reference code. The time to revisit above the same printed position may take longer and give enough cooling time.
- Try to change the printed position so that it eliminates hang position area of the part.
Solution A: Turn On Fan
Try to turning on fan and gradually set until find optimal results.
Solution B: Increase Time Required to Cool Off
Another technique is not to enable fan letting the parts having enough to cool by themselves.
– In ideaMaker, “Minimal Layer Print Time and Minimal Printing Time” settings (set higher on Time and less on Speed).
– In Cura, “Minimum Layer Time and Minimum Speed” settings (set higher on Time and less on Speed).
– In S3D, “Adjust printing speed for layer below and Allow speed reductions down to” settings (set higher on Time and less on Speed).
Solution C: Group Printing (not Individually)
The following figure show the parts are printed with the same reference code. The time required to revisit the same position above it will take longer comparing to printing one by one.
Solution D: Reposition the Part
See below figure, the part on the right side position is better than on the left side position where hang part areas are less than the left part.
Fixing Internal Structure Gap
- Printing with different extrusion width may end up with ruined 3D printed internal structure.
- First issue is when extrusion width is too narrow, the internal structure may not touch the shell anymore.
- Second issue is when extrusion width is too wide, the internal structure may take the shell and end up with holes.
- To solve the issues, you may need to adjust Dimensional Compensation parameter in ideaMaker. It is called Dimensional Compensation feature where in Cura is called Horizontal Expansion and in S3D is called Horizontal size compensation.
Having Dimension Compensation Feature is also the solution when you would like to:
- Print with smaller or larger extrusion width where internal structure does not touch its shell or may introduce holes.
- Scale up or down your rc plane causing internal structure issues.
- Solve tolerance issue where one part does not fit into another part due to your 3D Printer not well calibrated .
Selected Common Problems and Solutions
Filament Waits too Long In the Hotend for PLA
Whenever the filament waits too long in the hotend (for example, when using 0.3mm Nozzle since the material extruded is usually less than using 0.4mm), it may introduce strings.
Solution:
Reducing the temperature from 210C to 200C reduces the string from OWLplane experience (usually when the filament has been in the storage for sometime or in wet condition). It could happen also when the quality condition of the hotend is not that good anymore (need to clean or replace).
Small Holes on the Shell
Usually it happens when there is quality issue in the hotend, PTFE or nozzle. It could happen also from wet filament.
Solution:
Try to reduce printing temperature first but check it still has good layer adhesion.
If not yet solved, try to introduce Retraction Extra Prime Amount (Cura), Extra Restart Amount (ideaMaker) or Extra Restart Distance (S3D) for some small length under retraction settings. It can be enough with only 0.05mm/0.16^3mm but it really varies depending on the condition. Try to reduce it whenever possible since it adds weight to the final result.
Another solution is to check if need to replace PTFE tube or nozzle (burnt PTFE tube can cause bad filament flow).
Good Article from 3D Platform
Fixing Incorrect Layer
- Sometime Slicer generates incorrect layer.
- It could be missing layer or not full closed layer at the same height.
2 Solutions :
#1 :
- Try to change the layer height value.
- Need to consider the extrusion width if still can good to go with the new height value.
- Try to rotate the object 45 or 90 degree for example.
- No need to change layer height value.
Solution if Spar Holes Too Tight
Just Watch The Video
Solution:
Fiber carbon tube can be used since it is not good heat conductor with boiled water.
This can be used also for control surfaces with metal rods but not yet tested what is the best temperature for it. Since the rod is made from metal, the suitable temperature need to be considered carefully.
Note: This case happens when the printer has incorrect e-step value (less value) or need to add more tolerance on the design.