Dimple Corner

[Ken_C 1]

Is anyone aware of software or a plugin/feature that inserts dimples to inside corners? The idea is to prevent rounding for inside corners when printing the outer wall. Sometimes this rounding is more pronounced with some materials (PC) and can cause real challenges when making small fitting parts.

 

This dimple function allows the nozzle path to cut in to the inner wall and return out to complete the next wall surface. There are two modes for this. The standard mode on a 90˚ inside corner — dips into the inner wall then loops back to continue. This creates a sharp corner but can create a weak point in the wall structure. Settings include dimple depth, dimple width, dimple flow, and dimple overlap with inner wall. The second mode sets the path to overlap itself on return. This is are real loop as the path crosses beyond the corner and loops back on the opposite dimple path to cross the intersection on the way out. This makes the corner much stronger but creates a bump on either side of the corner — which can be controlled with dimple flow. There's a short-cut mode that aborts the dimple path and simply jerks the head to the exit path — making a cross over the corner.

 

If this plugin doesn't exist, this is what I would hope it would do if it did. Anyone know of something that does this?

 

Thanks.

[gr5 2,167]

Very nice idea.  This could be done in cad instead though, right?  Have corners with notches or "dimples" as you call them.

 

Note that I deal with this by turning off accel and jerk settings, setting all printing speeds to be the same, and printing slower.  The basic problem is that it slows down too long on the corners and overextrudes which causes that bulge.

 

But having it compensated for in the cad model or with this "corner dimpling" would be nice too.

 

Keep in mind that not everyone is into 90 degree corners.  Some objects have shaper or less sharp corners.  Think of a throwing star.  Or a pentagon.

 

This makes locating corners quite tircky I would think in a plugin,  Better to do this in cad?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 minute ago, gr5 said:

Better to do this in cad?

Would that not depend on a prototype for a final process? In other words, making a separate model for the 3D printer and another for the final? I know I would hate to make two models with one being just for the 3D printer.

[Ken_C 1]

1 hour ago, kmanstudios said:

Would that not depend on a prototype for a final process? In other words, making a separate model for the 3D printer and another for the final? I know I would hate to make two models with one being just for the 3D printer.

 

I'm with you on this. I think the part should be independent of the process — so it can be used with other materials with different printing behaviours. The reason I'd like sharp inside corners on some parts would be to allow tight fitting parts to interact with each other in an expected way. However, turning off the acceleration parameter is a neat idea (thanks gr5). I'll have to try that.