Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted · micron size printing

I want to print cones in a micron size. Base diameter is about 0.4mm and top diameter is smaller than 0.15mm which is impossible with a 0.4mm nozzle... is there any chance to write these with any improvements? Or with any other fff/fdm printer?

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · micron size printing

    The main problem with FDM, sorry, FFF is that the smaller you go, the slower it gets. With those kinds of resolutions, any print will take long and large prints will take incredible amounts of time.

    It is one of the reasons or maybe even the main reason I see the technology as pretty much a dead end street when it comes to perfectly finished parts - inherently that is never realistically going to happen. If that roughness is not an issue for whatever reason, it is actually a cheap and quick way of getting things done. Until technologies that are more precise become cheaper, faster or produce structurally better parts, FDM will have a future.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · micron size printing

    Maybe you can do this. For one thing, print the cones sideways - on a wall. This way they are at least high resolution in the Z axis of UM2 direction. Also consider making a smaller nozzle - maybe .2mm. This will help a lot. You can fill the nozzle hole with solder and drill it out smaller. You should have an expert machinist do this.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · micron size printing

    Are you making lots of cones?

    You could print a flat base and then touch filament to the base and move Z up to make a thin string with cone shaped base. You would have to experiment with speeds and distances and such.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · micron size printing

    yes i will make lots of cones. and the time is not important for me... The quality is the most important thing.

    Questions: Can i change the original nozzle with a new one? like 0.2mm or smaller?

    I also wanted to touch the base and move Z up but dont know how to do it for 100 times or more... probably the nozzle will crash with the cone next to the one its printing... i need a with a small outer diameter... I havent seen anything like that but a nozzle with 0.2 inner and 0.3 outer diameter and 1 cm long like a cylinder would be useful...

    Btw i think ultimaker 2 is the best option for making these small cones but is there any other options for this kind of printing?

    Help me please :)

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · micron size printing

    is there any other options for this kind of printing?

     

    If I needed to make a surface with lots of these cones in a grid or pattern then I think it would be much easier to use a CNC machine to make a mold from aluminum. Each cone could be made with a drill bit. Then heat it up to 150C and pour on some melted PLA and let it cool.

    But if you really need to print it you need to learn how to modify gcode. You might be able to do it without modifying the machine. gcode is extremely simple - you just tell the nozzle where to move to and the extruder how much to move. It even has a "sleep" like gcode to say wait here for 200ms or whatever time length. Then experiment with different movement speeds and so on. You don't need cura at all.

    If you need to modify the nozzle you will need a machinist. I would recommend purchasing a second nozzle - I think it's about 50 or 100 euros - they are for sale on the UM website. Then I would have a machinist modify it to the dimensions you need.

    Remember that the smaller the nozzle diameter, the more likely you will get clogs.

    Also you should print much cooler to avoid clogs. I recommend 180C to 200C max with a .2mm or smaller nozzle.

    But again you might be able to get the cone shape you need with existing hardware - but you need to experiment. And print very cool - 180C or cooler.

    Here are all the gcodes although you only need 2 or 3 of them I think:

    great reference:

    http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code

    scroll way down to the gcodes on this page:

    https://github.com/ErikZalm/Marlin/

     

     

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • Help Us Improve Cura – Join the Ultimaker Research Program
        🚀 Help Shape the Future of Cura and Digital Factory – Join Our Power User Research Program!
        We’re looking for active users of Cura and Digital Factory — across professional and educational use cases — to help us improve the next generation of our tools.
        Our Power User Research Program kicks off with a quick 15-minute interview to learn about your setup and workflows. If selected, you’ll be invited into a small group of users who get early access to features and help us shape the future of 3D printing software.

        🧪 What to Expect:
        A short 15-minute kickoff interview to help us get to know you If selected, bi-monthly research sessions (15–30 minutes) where we’ll test features, review workflows, or gather feedback Occasional invites to try out early prototypes or vote on upcoming improvements
        🎁 What You’ll Get:
         
        Selected participants receive a free 1-year Studio or Classroom license Early access to new features and tools A direct voice in what we build next
        👉 Interested? Please fill out this quick form
        Your feedback helps us make Cura Cloud more powerful, more intuitive, and more aligned with how you actually print and manage your workflow.
        Thanks for being part of the community,

        — The Ultimaker Software Team
        • 0 replies
      • Cura 5.10 stable released!
        The full stable release of Cura 5.10 has arrived, and it brings support for the new Ultimaker S8, as well as new materials and profiles for previously supported UltiMaker printers. Additionally, you can now control your models in Cura using a 3D SpaceMouse and more!
          • Like
        • 18 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...