topic Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

cyangaze — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 01:31:58 GMT

So this question isn't really about support in the sense of getting help on the forum but more technically physical support for objects printed using Fusion. Basically, I tried to print a miniature version of a chair that is intended to print life-size and the guy in the print shop said that it won't print properly because there isn't enough actual support for it to stand while being manufactured. Also, it is too thin for printing; the chair in life-size dimensions is supposed to be hollow aluminum with a thickness of 2mm. So when it was scaled down to about 2 inches width (should fit in the palm of one's hand) it was just way too thin to print.

Essentially, I am wondering if the design has errors or if it genuinely can't be printed due to the shape and hollowness?

I have attached the .STL

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

etfrench — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 04:49:48 GMT

My FDM printer has a minimum trace width of .5mm, so any printed feature must be at least this wide. SLA printers can do finer. As far as supports go, you can print just about anything with a dual head FDM printer, one for the part and one for the support. HIPS filament is dissolvable and works well for the support.

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

davebYYPCU — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 05:13:47 GMT

Your model arrived 85mm square, or there about, initially my Slicer was not happy with the model, and was trying to print single wall, and there were internal walls in the seat and back area. So a print service would likely sent it back.

After fixing that, (the single wall behaviour), I could print this if needed, the rear back is just over 4 walls but not 5, at this size, > 1.2mm and < 1.6mm, so 60% size would be pushing it.

So yes the service should print it with support.

Might help....

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

cyangaze — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 18:22:00 GMT

@etfrench wrote:

My FDM printer has a minimum trace width of .5mm, so any printed feature must be at least this wide. SLA printers can do finer. As far as supports go, you can print just about anything with a dual head FDM printer, one for the part and one for the support. HIPS filament is dissolvable and works well for the support.

Yes I believe the guy in the shop said SLA could do it without supports but those printers are really expensive. Ah so dual head is what I'd be looking for...good to know!

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

cyangaze — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 18:27:55 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote:

Your model arrived 85mm square, or there about, initially my Slicer was not happy with the model, and was trying to print single wall, and there were internal walls in the seat and back area. So a print service would likely sent it back.

After fixing that, (the single wall behaviour), I could print this if needed, the rear back is just over 4 walls but not 5, at this size, > 1.2mm and < 1.6mm, so 60% size would be pushing it.

So yes the service should print it with support.

Might help....

Hm, so the chair in life size would have been 2mm thickness (still hollow though) and the internal ribs inside. So theoretically, if it was shrunk to 85mm but had the proper minimum thickness, would it still be able to print hollow and with the internal ribs?

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

davebYYPCU — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 19:28:34 GMT

Firstly, I don’t know and can’t say much about the full size article, but yes the model is hollow and has internal walls.

To print a scaled down replica, my Slicer was not behaving as I expected. I can only presume it was the internal walls that upset it. To fix the single wall preview even though I did not ask for single walls, I used a switch to make the model solid.

Then my normal settings were applied, in my case 3 perimeters thick, the preview result was hollow, the internal walls were removed, and the supports were added internally with my settings. ( infill), therefore the scaled model will print successfully with fairly std settings.

I think you mentioned 50mm seat - a decent reduction from 85mm, so I doubt the seat back would carry enough thickness, let me know if you want me to reasses with 50mm.

Might help....

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

cyangaze — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 20:18:38 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote:

Firstly, I don’t know and can’t say much about the full size article, but yes the model is hollow and has internal walls.

To print a scaled down replica, my Slicer was not behaving as I expected. I can only presume it was the internal walls that upset it. To fix the single wall preview even though I did not ask for single walls, I used a switch to make the model solid.

Then my normal settings were applied, in my case 3 perimeters thick, the preview result was hollow, the internal walls were removed, and the supports were added internally with my settings. ( infill), therefore the scaled model will print successfully with fairly std settings.

I think you mentioned 50mm seat - a decent reduction from 85mm, so I doubt the seat back would carry enough thickness, let me know if you want me to reasses with 50mm.

Might help....

Hm is it possible to attach the model you were able to adjust? You could try 50mm but I'd be fine with the 85mm of your successful model.

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

davebYYPCU — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 02:21:21 GMT

If you don't have a printer then what I said would likely be gooblygook.

You model is as you sent it, no changes to the model.

When printing we can make changes in the printer's Slicer software, the software that is used to take your model to a printer command list, then the printer does as it's told. This software has a hundred settings to tweak to suit the printer's output.

I had to make an adjustment in the software to get a normal print.

I have also resized to 50mm and as I thought, will be too small for a successful print, the seat back would now have 2 walls of plastic and a gap. It will likely warp or otherwise fail for a lack of plastic, at that size, whereas the 85mm will be quite OK.

Seat back too thin for 50mm size....

Re: Support issues regarding 3D printing in Fusion

cyangaze — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:05:52 GMT

Sorry for the late response. T

@davebYYPCU wrote:

If you don't have a printer then what I said would likely be gooblygook.

You model is as you sent it, no changes to the model.

When printing we can make changes in the printer's Slicer software, the software that is used to take your model to a printer command list, then the printer does as it's told. This software has a hundred settings to tweak to suit the printer's output.

I had to make an adjustment in the software to get a normal print.

I have also resized to 50mm and as I thought, will be too small for a successful print, the seat back would now have 2 walls of plastic and a gap. It will likely warp or otherwise fail for a lack of plastic, at that size, whereas the 85mm will be quite OK.

Seat back too thin for 50mm size....

Sorry for the late response. I think I figured it out. The thinness issue was likely related to the fact that I resized the chair in Fusion itself before sending to CURA. After making the chair fully solid in Fusion and then resizing in CURA (8% of the total size; about an inch in width) I was able to print a perfect model within an hour. I guess I got lucky 🙂