For my impossible object, I decided to 3D print a flexible t-rex that has links so that the body can move and wiggle around. The two 3D printing techniques that I used were the Bambu FDM printer and the SLA Resin printer. This homework was my first time using the resin printer and I only had limited experience with the FDM printer so I thought this was a great learning experience overall and am now very comfortable with using both printers!
To complete the homework, I first downloaded the STL file from Thingiverse, sliced it on Bambu, and then printed it. To find the correct size and maximize the amount of space that I could fill in the gumball capsule, I tried 2 different dimensions before I got the perfect size. I first tried 50 mm x 41.49 mm but it was way too small. I then tried 60 mm x 49.79 mm and it was too large to fit in the gumball container. Lastly, I tried 55 mm x 45.64mm and it fit perfectly. I printed this copy 4 more times to complete the FDM printer requirements.
Figure 1: T-Rex printed with Bambu FDM Printer
To print the t-rex with the resin printer, I imported the file into the PreForm slicer, followed all the steps to properly slice it, and then sent it to the resin printer. After adding all the supports, I realized that for this printing method, there would be a ton more supports compared to the FDM printer. At first, I didn’t think this would be an issue, but after the print finished, I realized it would be hard to have the print come out clean.
Figure 2: T-rex with supports in PreForm
As you can see in Figure 2, the t-rex had a ton of supports. I printed the object with Flexible 80A Resin as I thought it would help make it more flexible than some of the other resin materials. After it finished printing, I loaded it into the wash station. I decided to first clip off the supports before curing it, and this is when I realized it would be hard to clip off all the supports. This process took an extremely long time and required me to go deep to try to clip everything off. Because the material was so flexible and sticky, it not only took a long time, but I couldn’t clip everything off cleanly so there was a lot of leftover support residue stuck on the print.
Figure 3: T-Rex with supports after some clipping
Figure 4: Front of Resin-printed T-Rex
Figure 5: Back of Resin-printed T-rex
As you can see in Figure 4, there are little spots from the supports that I was not able to clip off. So, although this print did not turn out as well as the other FDM prints, I still found this overall process really cool and it was fun to see how the print fell after each step (printing, washing, and curing). As a whole, I thought this homework was really fun and interesting. It definitely taught me something new and is something I am glad I learned.
Figure 6: Finished Copies of T-Rex
Cost Breakdown:
PLA ($15/kg) –> 9 grams * 4 = 36 grams = $0.54
Flexible 80A Resin ($200/L) –> 9mL * 1 = $1.80
Labor: $20/hour * 2 hour = $40
Total = $42.34
