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DoctorH

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  1. A very important factor that I've noticed, which is often overlooked, is humidity. I've had extrusion issues that I could not explain. One day the printer works perfectly. The next day, it can't complete the same exact print, no matter what I try. After ruling out nozzle clogs, filament tension, and other bugaboos, I put a thermometer/humidity gauge in the room, and I noticed a correlation between the days there was high humidity and poor extrusion. After putting a dehumidifier in the room, closing the doors/windows, and getting humidity down to about 30%, I never had those extrusion issues again. I've not done a quantitative analysis of the humidity issue, but I HAVE completed an analysis of several other factors affecting dimensional precision. Some of the perceived inconsistencies/drawbacks of the more economical FDM 3D printers like Ultimakers are not, in fact, inherent to the technology. Lack of detailed operational documentation, user inexperience, and anecdotal evidence not backed by quantitative numbers all contribute to the idea that some of these printers are not to be used as professional tools. A paper I recently published (in the International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace) on dimensional accuracy in consumer 3D printing refutes this: http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=ijaaa ; I'm using my Ultimaker 2 printer to make very precise engineering components for airflow measurement - components that would cost thousands of dollars to purchase, but constitute a few dollars of filament material (and a lot of know-how). At first, I didn't know if this was possible, based on word of mouth about these printers. Spread the word! The limitations aren't as clear-cut!
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