How to Tell What Units Used for Thingiverse Design
Since I had no prior experience 3D printing, I first watched this video that talked specifically about Fused Deposition Modeling, the type of 3D printing I would be using.
I initially wanted to print the self-watering planter I designed for the CAD homework, but I realized that this would require many adjustments; the edges would have to be made thicker, the holes would have to be made bigger, and the entire scale would have to be decreased.
So, instead I decided to print something I considered designing for the CAD homework anyway: a kitchen measuring cube! I came across this design on Thingiverse, a community for people to share their 3D printing designs and ideas.
I was immediately drawn to this design because of how practical it is. Not that I spend much time in the kitchen, but when I do, I feel like I'm always struggling to find the right measuring cups and keep them organized. With this product, all of the measuring units are in one place and they can't possibly be lost or separated! These measuring cubes are sold for pretty cheap, but I thought it would be fun to try to make my own!
Since I used someone else's design (thanks Jevus / Matt Stengler), I began by downloading their linked files. This designer made three different versions of the cube, with different sized measurements and lettering. I opened the STL file (STL stands for "Standard Tessellation/Triangle Language", and STL files are often used for prototyping and 3D printing) for the smallest cube that also had larger lettering, since this seemed like it would take the shortest amount of time to print, and the measurements would hopefully be the most legible.
The measurements on this cube are: 1-1/2 Tbsp, 1 Tbsp, 1/2 Tbsp, 1 Tsp, 1/2 Tsp, and 1/4 Tsp.
Then, I imported the STL file into Prusa Slicer, a slicer software that can export proper code for the printer. After watching a video to get a better understanding of how to place supports, I changed the settings to allow the program to automatically add supports anywhere that seemed necessary.
I was pretty happy with the result, and since there weren't many overhangs anyway, I decided I didn't need to add any custom supports.
Ideally I would have lowered the perimeter to cut down on printing time (as suggested in this video), but it was already set to 3 mm, the minimum suggested value. I also didn't want to mess with the size too much because I wanted the measurements to be precise. However, I did decide to change the infill density from 15% to 30%, in order to increase the strength of the internal structure.
I then exported the G-code. All that was left was the actual printing!
I watched while the bed started heating up and the printer started calibrating. It was very exciting to watch it start to work!
9 hours and 49 minutes later…
As you can see, some of the layers of the cube don't seem to have fused together well, something that is apparently called "layer delamination." According to this helpful article, this could have been due to the printer not being hot enough, or the cooling fan and flow rate not working at appropriate speeds. The printer may also have been working at too high of a speed, and therefore might not have had enough time to bond the layers together. Before reading this article I assumed I had caused the issue, but since I only added supports and infill, it seems like it may have had more to do with the printer (I'm deflecting blame).
Overall, 3D printing was a very cool experience that I never thought I would get to do. Thanks Tufts/BME66!
I imagine that very large objects are hard to fabricate with more traditional technologies. If my little kitchen cube took almost ten hours, I can't imagine trying to print anything much larger. Even with the larger and more expensive printers I'm sure you'd find in industrial settings, this still seems like it would take a lot of time and energy. Remarkably, the largest 3D printer is one that was built in China that's 87,120 cubic feet! It can supposedly print furniture, houses, and even five story buildngs! Amazing.
It will be interesting to see how the use of 3D printing changes in the future. Will it be normal for every household to own their own 3D printer? At the rate technology advancements have moved over the past century, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case!
How to Tell What Units Used for Thingiverse Design
Source: https://sites.tufts.edu/bme66lilyforman/2021/02/22/3d-printing/
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