Trouble with 3D Printing Inventor STL File

[mes063]

Hi,

I have been creating a model in Inventor and it looks good. I want to 3D print it. When I save it as an STL file everything looks good, but when I go to slice/prepare the model for printing, that is when there are issues. I have tried to print on two different types of 3D printers with different software: Cura and Simplify3D. When I bring the file into the 3D printing software everything looks fine, but upon slicing it, when using Cura it says "The highlighted areas indicate either missing or extraneous surfaces. Fix your model and open it again in Cura." In Simplify3D, I have had two successful prints, but other times, there are random surfaces that get added to my model upon slicing, shown in green and yellow in the attached pictures. I am new to Inventor, so I am not exactly sure how to troubleshoot my model or to figure out what is going on. If anyone has any advice that would be very greatly appreciated. I am attaching my model, as well as pictures of the errors coming up in the 3D printing softwares. Thanks so much! (It wouldn't let me add all the images/files I wanted to. I am going to try if I can add more after posting.)

[Gabriel_Watson]

An STL file is essentially a mesh (full of the so-called "random surfaces", as tetrahedrons mostly), which you can analyze better by importing the STL export back into Inventor. Does your 3D printing software take any other format such as STP, SAT, IGS, or X_T? I would try them in that order.

If that fails, you could try a simpler (or at least more conventional) way of building your solid, by placing planes at the angles you need, sketching in 2D, and extruding out additions to your solid, instead of using too many overlapping 3D sketches and boundary patches for thickening.

Just today there was another person in the forum asking about advice on first starting with Inventor, and you could probably follow some of the tips I pointed towards at the link below:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/tutorial-inventor/m-p/10809502/highlight/true#M849263

Lastly, if your 3D printed components are more aesthetic and will not have much of a mechanical or structural function, I would recommend working with Fusion 360, which is a simpler design software that also integrates better with 3D printing (less complex tools lets you make less mistakes for your process).

[WHolzwarth]

I don't know, what it's all about. But perhaps this model is better for 3D printing.

2022 IPT attached.

Later: Sharp edges need additional filleting, because of printing restrictions

[mes063]

Hi! Thank you so much for your advice. That model looks good! I am very new to Inventor so I was wondering if you could explain a little about your process. I believe you started with my file. My biggest questions are about the faces you deleted, the split function, and what stitch surface does. If you could explain a little more about the process that would be amazing. Thanks so much for your help!

[WHolzwarth]

It's late here in Germany. I'll come back tomorrow.

[WHolzwarth]

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@mes063  schrieb:

.. My biggest questions are about the faces you deleted, the split function, and what stitch surface does. If you could explain a little more about the process that would be amazing. Thanks so much for your help!

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Yes, I started with your file. With viewcube FRONT, it's looking near to symmetry, but it isn't.

Therefore I only used two BoundaryPatches(BP), BP1 and BP3, and stitched them to a quilt.

This quilt was thickened and mirrored.

When EOP ist moved behind Mirror1, several minor faces are visible. These spots can be selected (several together) and deleted, using the Heal Remaining Faces option. If not checked, an open surface would result. I've done it for the outside and the inside separately.

The following split feature cuts a base plane  for the 3DPrint. Additional Delete Face3 was only needed for cleaning up. I'd better selected other edges for this plane.

Here's a new model with some edge fillets.

[mes063]

Thank you so much for your help. I actually restarted my model and extruded 2D sketches along an angled line using sweep! This fixed my issue and the model turned out really nicely. Thank you a ton!

[mes063]

I restarted my model using everyone's advice and I created a good looking model that has no issues when 3D printing. Thanks so much for the help!