To us any of the ProtoShop tools you must have the appropriate training, and be a varified user in our database.

User manual

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cD1VI8ZvLVYlo-91oQt3ryuC7qHjjWh/view?usp=sharing

Filament

ProtoShop offers some filament intended for small one-off prints. If you know you will be using a lot of filament, please buy your own.

Source within walking distance: Micro Center

Other sources: https://www.matterhackers.com

Ultimaker Guide Content

Introduction

The Ultimakers are consumer grade FDM style 3D printers. They use a solid plastic filament as their material and build models by melting the filament and depositing it onto the bed of the machine layer by layer. This type of 3D printing excels at creating high strength hard plastic models relatively quickly, however finished products will often show distinct layer lines. Other types of material are possible however are usually more difficult to use.

Production Materials

There are a variety of materials used for 3D printing with different physical properties.

PLA: The standard material that is used for structural prints. This material is what will be loaded on machines when they are idle.

TPU: Flexible material to allow for motion of printed parts. Prints much slower than standard materials. Available on request (with valid reason).

Experimental Filaments: Some experimental filaments are occasionally available. These filaments have unique characteristics such as high strength carbon fiber, conductive or high temperature resistance.

Hardware Overview

3D printers are a subset of the CNC family, using stepper motors the machines follow instructions to ‘Print’ each layer one at a time until the full 3D model is completed. The extruder of the printer is moved on the X and Y planes while the bed moves along the Z axis. Each axis is powered by a stepper motor and the filament is pushed through the extruder by the feed motor. These printers use ‘Bowden’ style extruders which have the feed motor on the rear of the machine, this reduces the weight of the tool head.

Image Source: http://www.my-3d.it/shop/marchio/ultimaker-2-extended/

1. Filament Spool: The Material used for printing, make sure to check this before a print to see if there is enough material.
2. Feed motor: Forces the filament through the guide tube and through the head to extrude the plastic.
3. Tool head: Contains the heater cartridge, temperature probe, extruder, and part cooling fan. This part is responsible for melting plastic at the correct temperature and ensuring that parts cool evenly.
4. Print bed: The surface on which models are printed. Surface is a sheet of borosilicate glass. The bed also contains a heater and temperature probe, heating the bed helps prints adhere better. The bed also has screws on the bottom for leveling it with respect to the head.
5. User Interface: LCD and scroll wheel for interacting with the machine. Used to start and stop prints as well as level the bed and do any maintenance.

Software Overview

Designing 3D models is not covered by this guide however some recommended software packages are listed below.

• Design Software
  • SOLIDWORKS
  • Autodesk Inventor*
  • Autodesk Fusion 360*
  • AutoCAD*^†
  • Blender*^†

* Free general use or student version available online

^† Not designed for 3D printing, may require extra steps to make printable

• Slicing Software (Required)
  • Cura

To print a model it must first be saved or exported from the design software as a .stl file. This is the standard solids based format used for 3D printing. The model is then opened in slicing software, for the Ultimakers this software is Cura. Cura takes the model and settings selected by the user and generates the instructions for the machine to follow. These instructions are saved in .gcode files which can then be loaded by the printer. The main functions of the slicing software are used for orienting the model for ease of printing and selecting printer settings to determine the time and quality of the print.

• Settings (Recommended Mode)
  • Material Type: All of our machines use PLA unless another material is specifically requested (and sufficient reason given). This material is suitable for most prints as it is mechanically strong however it is slightly brittle. This setting determines the temperature of the nozzle and the bed as well as fan settings.
  • Nozzle size: All machines use 0.4mm nozzles unless specified otherwise by a placard on the machine. Make sure to check the machine you will be using before slicing. If the wrong setting is selected the model will not correctly print and the machine may jam.
  • Profile: These determine the quality of the print and the time the print takes. Settings modified by this include layer height, print speed, and wall thickness.
  • Infill: This setting determines the percentage of the inside of a print that is filled with material. Higher values will result in stronger prints with much longer print times.

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• Build plate adhesion: This allows the printer to print a thin sheet of extra material around the base of the model to increase the surface area on the plate and help prints stay adhered to the bed. This setting should be used when a print has a small base surface but is not required otherwise.
• Support structure: This adds extra printed structures to the model to assist printing difficult features and overhangs. If the model has overhangs greater than 45° this setting is recommended.

The recommended settings panel is a simplified version for ease of use. If you wish to have more control of the settings the custom tab allows each option to be changed manually. Resources with explanations of each of the settings are listed at the end of this guide.

Design Considerations

• Parts printed on FDM style machines usually become slightly larger when printed. This means interconnecting pieces need to be given tolerance to ensure proper fit.
• Parts will require support if they have an overhang greater than 45°
• Most details smaller than the diameter of the nozzle are ignored by the slicer
• Parts thinner than 3mm will be very weak

Quickstart Process

• Open desired model in Cura and orient the largest flat surface onto the bed. If the model doesn’t have a flat surface consider redesigning the part or select the closest to flat surface available.
• Select the desired print quality and double check the nozzle size of the printer you are going to use.
• Select infill and other print settings based on required strength and detail
• Level the build plate on the machine, to do this select Maintenance >> Build plate from the machine’s user interface. Follow the on-screen instructions.
• Briefly check the amount of material left and inspect the nozzle for excess plastic. If either of these are not satisfactory ask shop staff for assistance.
• Sens your job to the printer over the network through Cura.
• Watch the first 3-4 layers to ensure the print starts well. These are the most important layers and if adhesion is poor or there are significant flaws the errors will compound themselves and the final print will either fail or be very low quality.

Troubleshooting

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Other Resources

Ultimaker’s official website and print troubleshooting guide. Guides with images going over common issues and methods to fix them.

https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/troubleshooting/3d-prints

Guides on design and printing from PhD students at University College London, UK. Covers general info on different techniques as well more detailed guides.

http://www.3d-med.co.uk/

Community written guides with helpful tips to improve print quality. Constantly being expanded with new information.

http://www.aprintapro.com/printaguide/

Note that these guides go over maintenance along with operation. Do not perform any maintenance on the machine, all maintenance is to be performed by TAs.