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2: 3D Printing

  • Page ID
    474467
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    The first thing you need to do is decide what type of filament do you use and this is based on your project specifications.

    Printer Filament

    The type of filament you use is constrained by the type of 3D printer you are using and in this class we will use PLA (PolyLactic Acid)

     

      PLA ABS ASA
    Extruder Temperature (oC) 190-220 220-250 235-255
    Bed Temperature (oC) 45+- 15 95-110 90-110
    Heated Bed Optional  Required Required
    Ultimate Strength (MPa) 65 40 55
    Maximum Service Temperature (oC) 52 98 95
    Printability 9/10 8/10 7/10
           

     

    PLA

    Polylactic acid is an ideal starter filament and can be used with inexpensive 3D printers, but care must be taken to keep it dry.   Always put it away when you are finished with a print job, and keep sealed in plastic bag, preferably with dry desiccant.

    clipboard_e3195f96f20319ccacfeca9ae56c2167e.pngFigure \(\PageIndex{1}\): PLA repeating monomer. (Chemistry Stack Exchange, CC-BY-SA)

    PLA is biodegradable and can be made from sustainable resources like corn (Wu, Yueting et. al).  As such it is ideal for student projects, although it is not preferred for projects that require long term exposure ot the elements or high heat.

     

    ABS

    Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

    clipboard_e0e63e5e6c53732473de92d27db26a299.pngFigure \(\PageIndex{2}\): ASA repeating monomer. (Roland.chem, WikiCommons, CC 1.0)

     

    ASA

    Acrylonitrile styrene arylate is an amorphous thermoplastic that has improved weather resistance over ABS.

     

    Bed leveling


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