presentation prepared by Susan Shelley from the Loughborough Design School

1. Printing with the

2. In this presentation
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FDM
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Material Properties of PLA
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Exporting a file
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Maximum Build Volume
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Support Structures
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Bridging
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Supporting Angles
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Minimum Features Size
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Layer height - Quality vs. Speed

3. FDM
0

4. Material Properties of PLA
Thermoplastic
Hard
Brittle
Can be sanded or machined
Can be primed and painted
Starch based –
biodegradable
• Lots of colour choice
• A very good material for FDM
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5. Exporting a file
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Save as an .stl file.
Set angle as 0.5 degrees.
Set deviation as 0.03.
Lower numbers mean better quality but increased processing time

6. Maximum Build Volume
15cm
15cm
28cm
• Larger parts can be split into sections and super glued.
• Each section must be saved as a separate .stl files.

7. Support Structures
• If your design does not have a flat base it
will require supports.
• Unsupported features e.g. overhangs
require a support structure.
• Supports are automatically generated by
the software.
• The support material is the same material
as the part, with weaker bonds between
the layers.
• Supports can be difficult to remove and
parts require extra finishing time.
• Consider the orientation of your build
carefully.

8. Bridging
• Must be across the same
layer – exactly horizontal.
• Must be a straight line. No
curves.
• Maximum gap approximately
2.5cm.
• When the gap is too large
the bridge sags.

9. Supporting Angles
Simple overhangs can support up to 60°. For more complex shapes 45° is better.
45°
50°
55°
60°
Clip Design
To avoid using auto generated supports.
1. Add a supporting angle to the CAD data.
2. File away excess material after

10. Minimum Feature Size
• Minimum feature size is 0.8mm
• Better detail can be achieved on the z axis due to smaller layer
heights.
3mm
4mm
5mm
6mm
7mm

11. Layer Height - Quality vs. Speed
• Prints in layer heights of 0.5mm to 0.4mm.
• Usually prints at 0.2mm as it is fast, has a good level of detail
and is reliable.
0.1mm
0.2mm
0.3mm
0.4mm

12. Any Questions?
S.Shelley@lboro.ac.uk