Fabrication

It is important that all members of your team are trained in the Pitt Makerspaces so that they can be utilized during your XProject. If you are not already trained in the Space Station (B06) and the Treehouse, ensure that you get properly trained by Makerspace mentors and complete open swim prior to the start of your XProject.

One of the most commonly used fabrication skills for XProjects is 3D printing. You must receive Makerspace mentor training for the 3D printers if you have not already. The rest of this page will walk you through a step-by-step guide to using the 3D printers (Enders) that are found in the Space Station.

1. Design for 3D printing

If a part is being designed in CAD with the intention of 3D printing, a few simple guidelines should be followed to increase your chances of a successful, high quality print.

• When possible, avoid overhangs in your design by using angles less than 45 degrees. This will reduce the need for supports and increase the quality of your print.

• Ensure walls on your model are at least 0.8 mm thick to ensure the design’s structure is maintained.

• Avoid printing large flat surfaces on the printer bed, as they can warp as the print continues. Rounding off the corners of a flat surface can also help prevent warping.

2. Export your part

When you have finalized the CAD model you want to print in Fusion360 or SolidWorks, export and save the part as an “.stl” file.

3. Cura

The next step to prepare this file for 3D printing is to open the model in Cura. Cura is a 3D printing software that allows you to alter print settings, part orientation, scaling, and more. Download the latest version of Cura here. Open this application on your computer.

If this is a new installation, you will have to select the type of printer you are using (Ender 3 for B06). Click the drop down menu in the top left of your screen and select “Add printer”, select “Creatility Ender 3” from the menu and click “Add” and “Next”.

Ensure the material is set to “Generic PLA, 0.4mm Nozzle”.

To import your .stl file into Cura, select the file logo from the upper left hand corner, and select your .stl file. This will load your part into the workspace and it will be shown on the print bed. Click on your part and use the menu on the left hand side of the screen to move, scale, or rotate your part. You should orient the part so that it requires no/less support to print successfully.

Click the print settings tab in the upper right hand corner to open the drop down menu. There are a few main settings that should be changed based on your print.

• Print quality

A lower print quality will reduce print times. For prototyping use, “Low Quality” is generally okay. Increasing the print quality from low to “Standard Quality” increases the print time by about 25%.

• Infill

The default setting in Cura is 20% infill, which is usually fine. The infill should not be set above 20% unless there is a specific need. For rapid prototyping, an infill of 10% is probably more efficient.

• Support

For a part to print with support, make sure the “Generate Support” box is checked within the print settings menu. A well-designed part should not require support to print successfully. Supports will increase print time and decrease the overall quality of the product. If supports are generated, they will be highlighted red in Cura.

• Build Plate Adhesion

If you are new to 3D printing, adding a small raft to your print will help ensure build plate adhesion and a good print, especially if the printer is not completely level. Note that adding build plate adhesion will increase print time. There are other forms of build plate adhesion that have different uses that you can read about here.

When you are happy with your print settings, click the "Slice" button. This will provide a slider at the bottom of the screen to view each layer of the print and yield an estimated print time. You can then insert an SD card into your computer and select "Save to removable" to save this .gcode file to the card.

4. Print

Turn on the ender and insert the SD card containing your .gcode file. Use the display to navigate to either “Initialize TF card” or “Print from TF card” and “Refresh”. From the “Print from TF card” screen, select your file to start the print. Make sure that you watch the first couple layers of the print to ensure it adheres to the bed properly and will not fail.

When you have been trained on the 3D printers in the Space Station and read over the guide above, make your way to the Space Station (Benedum B06).

1. Search the Thingiverse PittCAD page for a part called "Key'". Download this .f3d file and import it into Fusion360.

2. In Fusion360, alter the bow (round part) of the key by editing or creating new sketches. You should change this part so that it is unique and different from the file found on PittCAD (ex. change the X to the first letter of your name).

3. Export this part as a .stl file and import it into Cura.

4. Arrange the part in Cura and choose appropriate print settings so that the part requires minimal support.

5. Print this part on an Ender 3 printer in the Space Station. This part only takes a few minutes to print, so you can stay in the Makerspace for the whole print to ensure it does not fail or warp.

6. Snap a picture of your successful print (you will need this for the Benchmark quiz).

7. Go to the Sub-basement (SB) floor of Benedum and find the cage wall in the main hallway. Use your 3D printed key to unlock the bottom left cage to get your XProject T-shirt! Make sure you choose the correct size. When you are done with the key, put your name on it using some tape or a zip lock bag and leave it in the bin on top of the box you unlocked.

8. Take the Fabrication Benchmark quiz below to move on to the final Bootcamp module.