Because I have never tried any forms of 3D printing, it was struggling for me to distinguish different types of methods and materials.
The file I used is an orca from Thingiverse.com/thing:6820871
It is an “impossible object” because there are movable parts between each part of its body. The original model should have two different colors, but I didn’t handle the skill of splitting the printing by color, so I just print the orca as a whole.
Bambu
It is the simplest and fastest machine. I set 0.2mm as my layer height. We need to choose the correct platform type so that the machine can detect the platform as expected. I changed the size of the document so that it fits the size of the capsule.
The material I used is the semitransparent PLA, but the texture is not so that attractive as I expected.
Prusa
Prusa uses an SD card to transfer the document from the computer to the printer. The workplace is completely exposed to the air, which is a major difference to other types of printer. I can watch the printing process to ensure that the print is successful. I started with PLA for my print.
The first model I printed was not satisfying to me because the movability is not so high. I decided to mirror the z axis to separate the bottom part with the support. Because its support printed will be much harder than the support printed by Bambu, I applied organic support and tried to print. However, the support still stick too much to the orca’s body and there were too many pits on the model’s surface after I clipped all the supports. So I gave up this model.
Then I changed the size of the model to ensure that there is enough space between each joints, and it did work. That’s the reason way two of my models are in larger size.
I also tried to print the orca by TPU, but the main body will connect too tight to the support. I cannot find a way to solve it before the due date, so I gave up this plan.
Preform
It is the most complex and time-consuming 3D printing method that we need to wash the platform, print, wash, cure, and finally take the model from the support. I used Tough 1500 resin as the material.
My first print failed since some of my model parts were not fully printed. I cannot figure out why for this error, maybe it’s some machine error. Also, I only washed the raw model manually by the cleaner, so there were resin remaining inside the gaps of the joints, so after I cured my models, they cannot move.
I found out another issue that I should change the direction of my original file because it would be easier for me to take off the model from the support and less part of the structures would be mixed. This time I followed the correct washing and curing steps. The support became easy to be taken off, and there was only few pits on the orca’s surface as I took it away, so I could sand it for a better appearance. Unfortunately, I accidentally broke my orca’s limb, so it also became a rejected model. Since there is no enough time for me to print another because each costs 8 hours to print, I gave up the idea to make a resin model. Hence, my project is only printed by Prusa and Bambu.
Clean up the platform of the printers after every print:
COST ESTIMATION:
Material:
PLA: $15/kg (from amazon) $15*0.096=$1.44
TPU: $23/kg (from amazon) $23*0.012=$0.28
Tough1500: $149/L (https://formlabs.com/store/materials/tough-1500-resin/?srsltid=AfmBOorhTBC6GWmzp5bp6bxoc0iDM83OwbAHoOD7ot8QL4Pbln22319L)
tough1500 density 1.12g/cm3
$149*0.048/1.12=$6.39
Labor:
$30/h (Houston average wage)
$30*5=$150
Machine:
$299/month (https://engineering-update.co.uk/2021/11/01/how-much-does-it-cost-to-rent-a-3d-printer/)
$299*1/30=$9.97
Total:$168.06
