Grade 8 French Technology Students are printing wheels to use in their technology projects. We had a short window of time to show them how their files were loaded into the 3D Printer and a slow computer caused us to run out of time.
We discussed what the printer looked like, how it basically worked, the PLA plastic we use and it's advantages/limitations, and looked at sample projects printed by grade 8s. We used those to talk about production considerations with this type of printing (time and resources required, the need for additional printed supports and post-processing for some projects).
The continuation of the process can be found below. Students are welcome to drop in later to see the printing in progress:
This is the .stl mesh file loaded in Ultimaker Cura. It has been set at 15% infill with other standard settings. This job will take about 10 hours. The optimal application temperature for the plastic we are using is 220 so the nozzle was set at that temp. The bed, where the project is printed, was set to 65 degrees Celsius. That allows for better adhesion during construction. The difference in temperature after cooling makes it easier to remove the project from the bed. Conversion of the file for printing is called SLICING.
The file is loaded onto a micro SD card. It has no been converted into "G-CODE" that the printer understands. More detail on that is provided below.
The card is inserted into the printer
The printer is set to the HOME position. G-Code: The printer essentially knows the following: temperature, on, off, Left/Right (x-axis), Forward/Back (y-axis), Up/Down (z-axis). Here, it is being set to the "HOME position. The mesh, plus the calculated infill of 15%, will be printed exactly as it was on the screen. A "RAFT" was also added to the bottom. This will ensure even adhesion to the heated printing surface and avoid warping.
Printing in progress. First, the RAFT is being printed. This particular vertical printing process will take about 10 hours.
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