Additive Manufacturing: Troubleshoot 3D Prints

Course details

3D printing has come a long way, but there are still many things that can derail the printing process. This course helps you avoid problems in advance and solve them when they do come up. Rich Cameron and Joan Horvath of Nonscriptum LLC—the maker tech training company—review the most common hardware, filament, part geometry, and software issues and show how to fix them by making changes to the model, orientation, or printer settings. Learn what to do when your print doesn't stick to the print bed; when you see pimples, dimples, or stringing; when your filament jams or nozzle clogs; when you have cooling issues; or when the walls of your print are too thin. Joan and Rich also help identify and fix software-related issues with your host and slicer programs and troubleshoot problems with multiple causes via systematic debugging.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - When 3D prints go wrong
02 - Who this is for

1. Issues Caused by Printer Hardware

03 - Overview - Issues caused by printer hardware
04 - Parts of a 3D printer
05 - 3D prints not sticking - Geometry and nozzle height
06 - 3D prints not sticking - Surface and materials compatibility
07 - 3D prints not sticking - Temperature effects
08 - Printer over- or under-extruding
09 - Pimples, dimples, and stringing
10 - Test parts, printing square, and backlash
11 - Part dimensions incorrect
12 - Printer geometry-related problems
13 - Filament jams and heat creep
14 - Clearing a nozzle clog without disassembly
15 - Nozzle replacement issues

2. Filament Effects on a Print

16 - Filament-specific issues
17 - Extruder temperature and cooling issues
18 - Choosing a material for a surface quality
19 - Tips for creating transparent prints with filament
20 - Handling abrasive filaments

3. Part Geometry Considerations

21 - Geometry considerations overview
22 - Thin-walled prints
23 - Vase prints
24 - Tall, skinny prints
25 - Printing solid
26 - Orienting parts for strength
27 - Prints with curves and holes
28 - Interlocking parts and horizontal size compensation

4. Identifying Software-Related Print Issues

29 - 3D printing software workflow
30 - Slicing and host programs
31 - Print configuration management
32 - Creating support
33 - Infill effects
34 - Ordering operations within a layer

5. Issues with Multiple Causes

35 - Systems-level debugging
36 - Debugging surface quality issues
37 - Creating detailed features

Conclusion

38 - Next steps