Introduction

For this project, I chose to 3D print a knot shape made by mathgrrl. These knots cannot be practically made by means other than 3D printing due to their internal curvy geometry. I used two methods of 3D printing, FDM and SLA which are explained below.

FDM

I started out with FDM printing on the Prusa printers and the prints were coming out without support filament so they were failing. Once I figured out how to enable the support material, the parts printed just fine.

I also tried using the Ultimaker printer with dissolvable supports but I still ended up having to break some support material off since not all of it dissolved.

Cost Breakdown
Cost Per Object(Prusa FDM):
Raw materials: 2.97g of PLA = $0.06 (from 3DPrinterOS)
Labor: 15 minutes preparing the file + 15 minutes post processing = $5.00 ($10/hr)
Machine Time: .5hr * $1000/800hr = $0.62 (Based on lifespan and cost of printer)
Total per Object: $5.68

Cost Per Object(Ultimaker):
Raw materials: 2.75g of filament = $0.07 (from 3DPrinterOS)
Labor: 10 minutes preparing the file + 15 minutes post processing = $4.16 ($10/hr)
Machine Time: .73hr * $1000/800hr = $0.91
Total per Object: $5.14

SLA
I then turned to SLA and realized how much easier it was to post-process the SLA prints as opposed to FDM. One downside to SLA is that one is not able to see the part until the very end, so one can only hope that the part printed well. I also learned how to wash and cure the parts.

Cost Breakdown
Cost Per Object(Form2):
Raw materials: (3.55mL of resin)*($80 / 1000mL) = $0.28 (Based on cost of resin)
Labor: 10 minutes preparing the file + 20 minutes post processing = $5.00 ($10/hr)
Machine Time: 3.1hr * $3500/2000hr = $5.43
Total per Object: $10.70

Cost Per Object(Prusa SL1S):
Raw materials: (3.56mL of resin)*($80 / 1000mL) = $0.28 (Based on cost of resin)
Labor: 10 minutes preparing the file + 20 minutes post processing = $5.00 ($10/hr)
Machine Time: .93hr * $2600/2000hr = $1.20
Total per Object: $6.49

Conclusion
The SLA method works better for this specific part that I chose because of how small and curvy is it is. FDM supports were a bit difficult to remove compared to SLA. Overall I learned how to manufacture 3D objects using different methods of 3D printing.