Aug. 2023- Present

A client wanted a small form factor computer case for his server. We decided 3D printing would provide the greatest freedom for him in terms of the layout of components and the overall form factor. At the time, we had a standard Creality CR-10 FDM printer. The nozzle was upgraded to handle the increased temperature for printing polycarbonate, using a longer heatbreak. A high-power heating pad was also installed due to the significantly higher glass transition temperature to prevent the polycarbonate parts from warping.

We are using Cura to generate the gcode for the printer. Through testing, we determined the printing settings necessary to achieve quality prints. Bridging still poses a challenge, without ability to tune it out without sacrifices in warping and print strength. Currently, we are planning on just designing without the need for bridging in our design. With several tests having been performed to assess the printer's ability to print flat plates without warping, which demonstrates our method can be viable.

Case design work has slowed down, but progress is still being made.