Slicing and Printing
v0.2 by Ger Walsh - Nov 2023
Steps:
Preparing Digital Files
To print, you need a 3D object in a file. These files may be: .STL, or .OBJ, or .AMF.
Download a 3D object
Thingiverse has many 3D files ready to download and print for free. The file type you need for printing is a .stl file.
Designing for 3D Printing
If you would like to draw a 3D object, any 3D drawing software can be used including Sketchup, Rhino, Solidworks, TinkerCAD, etc. Sketchup can be used for free in the browser and is a good software for a beginner to start with. Sketchup Tutorials are available here.The only requirement for a 3D software is that it can produce a .STL file. If the base software cannot do this, install a plugin. The plugin for sketchup is available on the sketchup extensions warehouse here. Once you have your specific 3D object drawn export the .stl file.
Fix the .stl file
The .stl file needs to be a completely solid object. If the drawn object has gaps between its faces it may not print properly. Netfabb can be used to fix 3D models with small gaps between faces. Upload your model to their online service, fix and download the model again.
Slicing with Cura
Cura is a slicing software, which takes your 3D model (.stl) slices it up and creates a file (gcode) that the printer can read. Ultimaker Cura is produced by Ultimaker and is free to download. It is simple to use, and the specific settings needed for our printers can be got from us when you call in.
See Setting Up With Cura.
Adding Wasps as new machines in Cura (version 3.0.1+)
In the file menu, go to Settings > Printer > Add Printer. Then, in the dialog box, Add a non-networked Printer under Custom. Select Custom FDM Printer, and then enter your printer name at the bottom, and click Add Printer to finish the setup process. This generates a generic printer with many default values, and we just need to change the dimensions now to suit the Wasp 3D printers. The new profile will be generated, and the Machine Settings dialogue will open automatically. Change the Maximum Width (mm), Maximum Depth (mm) and Maximum Height (mm) settings. For the Wasp 2040, these should be 200, 200 and 400 respectively; and for the 4070, these should be 400, 400 and 700. Change the Build plate shape to Elliptic, and Origin at Centre is enabled, and, in the right hand column, the Material diameter to 1.75. Click Finish to confirm. Now just make sure, when you are preparing files for the Wasp, that this printer profile is selected under Settings > Printer or the printer name is displayed at the top of the settings panel on the right hand side.
Configuration files:
With our the Wasp 2040 printer, we use a Spitfire Black hotend - for which Wasp has supplied the following configuration profile for Cura: Spitfire LT PLA.curaprofile. To load a preconfigured profile in Cura, go to Settings > Profile > Manage Profile, then Import, and choose the location of the above files.
Other Slicers
Other software that takes your 3D model (.stl), slice it up and create a file (.gcode) that the printer can read.
- Slic3r (which is free, and Open Source),
- Ultimaker Cura,
- Simplify3D ($149 USD),
- PrusaSlicer,
- PreForm (for SLA and SLS).
Materials
We keep a good supply of white PLA plastic. Many other materials are available for 3D printing but we may not have them in stock. ColorFabb has a good selection of good quality plastics to purchase. We can order the material you like but we also welcome people bringing their own material in to use on our machines. New materials are being developed regularly including metal composites. Examples are on display in Fab Lab Limerick.
Printing
Bed Preparation
The first layer of printing is very important. If this layer does not adhere to the bed properly your print is likely to fail. PLA is easiest to print. Use Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropynol) and a tissue to wipe down the bed. Give the bed a light spray with Hairspray if required. With other plastics such as ABS you will need additional adhesives to bond to the bed.
The Wasp Printers require Pritt Stick, or glue stick to provide additional adhesion to the bed. Ensure that the print area gets an even coating, and consider brims and rafts as other techniques to improve the bed adhesion of your print.
Reprap Mendel
From Cura save your file onto the MicroSD card and insert into the printer. To control the Mendel directly by serial port(USB), you will need to install a driver and a control software called PronterFace.
Windows:
- Driver (Or if that fails look here)
- Pronterface
Mac:
Ultimaker 2
With the Ultimaker 2 sending the file to print is a quick and easy job. From Cura save your file onto an SD card. Slot the card into the front of the machine and select Print or Preheat and then your file for printing.