SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — .1 mm layer seperation

Re: .1 mm layer seperation

null@example.com (Gordym) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:33:56 +0000

I printed a large Yoda this weekend at .3mm using Solidoodle's INI file. I used the latest version of Repetier with Slic3r 0.9.7. My yoda was 120mm tall and 170mm from ear to ear. I rotated it so I could get maximum width on the platform. My results were great in my opinion. There were very few excess strings to clip and the only flaw as not choosing enough outer layers on the print. I only changed the infill to 10% instead of the default 20%. I positioned a quarter next to the print to show scale.

Re: .1 mm layer seperation

null@example.com (Jason) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:16:18 +0000

So a chamber of some sort is the best option?

Also When using the fan does everyone else experience a significant bed temp drop of 15-20 degrees Celsius or should I re print the fan duct?

Re: .1 mm layer seperation

null@example.com (IanJohnson) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:02:22 +0000

Raising the ambient temp makes less difference between the hot and cool parts of the print so the amount of shrinkage doesn't vary so much, which is what leads to cracking. If the whole print can cool evenly at the same time there is less chance of warping.

Re: .1 mm layer seperation

null@example.com (Tomek) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:59:16 +0000

Part of it may be that your file is warping, and this is mostly a product of it being a huge print. The things that have the most warping potential are tube-type shells. That wasn't a good description, so I'll give an example.
The other day I printed what was basically a rectangle 160mm by 40mm without a top. The walls were .063" thick. even with a 3mm brim, it warped like hell. So I ultimately added some beams between the two vertical walls, went for a 6mm brim, and went to .1" walls.

Another cause of layer separation that I've seen, besides warping stress, is that some of my filament is kinda crappy and needs an extra high temp. ABS gets the best layer connection at 240celsius, (210celsius in solidoodle world - our temps are actually higher than our sensor reads) , but that's above the temp rating of the nozzle. I would not go about layer one temp 205celsius and 203celsius for the rest of the voyage.

When I get back to school, I plan on heating my print area so I can run at 60 celsius ambient temperature. I'm still trying to work out the best way to do that without killing the stepper motors (So far I notice with 30 celsius ambient in the printer, my motors are at 50c. At 60 celsius ambient they will be about 80c, which is ok, but I wouldn't be comfortable with anything about 90c.) I am not sure how much having such a higher ambient temp will help, but I hope it will reduce layer separation.

None of my three points seem super applicable to your situation (you use decently high temp, I've not tested ambient yet, and the yoda is not the worst-case for warping. It's just huge.) So uhm,,, I wish I could give a definitive answer. I'd like to see what others have to say .

.1 mm layer seperation

null@example.com (Jason) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 18:53:35 +0000

I am printing at .1mm with pretty good success so I attempted a large 15 hour .1 mm Yoda print and I am very happy with the results except for a few places where there is layers separating from each other.

What can I do to help prevent this on larger prints?

- 100C print bed (until the fan is added, which drops the bed to about 85C)
- 195C extruder

Attached is a picture of the Yoda (with a tiny friend)

time lapse of the print: http://youtu.be/uzjWzgK99NQ

*Picture now attached