Hey guys, thanks for reading my blog! Today I’ll be talking about my process of printing my spring “impossible object”. I really enjoy 3D printing and while this assignment was a bit tedious, it was really enjoyable for me to see a final product that I made.

First, I went onto thingiverse.com and looked for cool objects that could not be made with “traditional” methods. It had to be something that could only be realistically 3D printed, and I came across this spring. It was called the “Glorious Troll”.

From there, I looked to find ways to create the FDM and SLA prints. I started by shortening the design of the 3D print and shrinking the height while not changing the length and width. I did so because I really wanted the spring to “spring” when you pushed it in, and I believe I achieved that with my final product. I downloaded PrusaSlicer on my own computer and sliced the file after changing the height setting. For my slicing settings, I utilized 0.15mm QUALITY layers and included a brim for support at the bottom since there wasn’t much in the original print.

After printing this version, I realized that the quality of the spring still wasn’t good enough. So I pushed the limits and tried the 0.07mm ULTRA DETAIL. This print did not work, even with supports attached, so I settled on my 3rd print using the 0.10mm DETAIL. I think this was a healthy compromise to ensure that the part printed well enough for it to be functional while not sacrificing its print strength. While doing this, I switched between white and black filament and I found that the white filament printers worked the best for my print.

After this, it was time to utilize the SLA FormLabs printer. First, I had to import the .stl file into PreForm, and I did this in partnership with Ravi since we realized that printing our SLA prints together would save time for us and other students. This print was very long and took approximately 6 hours to finish. Because of the flexible nature of the SLA material, the print came out a little flimsy but it still held its form. What’s unique about SLA printing is that the optimal way to print something is actually on its side, so I had a fun time optimizing print angles and supports for this. After printing, I washed and cured my parts for 20 minutes each.

All in all, I really enjoyed this process of 3D printing. I got to expand upon my knowledge of FDM printing and learned about a completely new form of printing in SLA. They each have their strengths, but I would say for my part, the FDM printer worked best with a good mix of quality and durability. What I would change for next time is not printing something in SLA that is a fragile part to begin with. With all of the supports attached and the type of material that is used to print, I would need a bigger, more sturdy part. Thanks for reading!

Material	Cost	Source	Quantity	Total
PLA	$18.99/spool	PLA	0.25 spool	$4.75
Resin	$19.54	Resin	0.25	$4.89
Labor	$18/hr	Labor	1 hour	$18
Overhead	$4.15	Overhead	15% of labor and materials	$4.15
Design	$26/hr	Design	1 hour	$26
Total				$57.79