Slicing a mesh in Cura

[axsdenied 0]

Hi

I am trying to print an ABS particle filter. In particular I am having troubles with the file

3dprintexhausttop2.stl from that website.

 

The file looks normal in Cura. However, when I do slicing and view layers, the mesh disappears. Same when printed of course. Photos below.

 

I have tried playing with the settings in Cura but without success. Any ideas how to get this printed? I think that the guy who made it managed to print it on UM2 as this filter and the whole enclosure is designed for UM2.

 

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

[tommyph1208 55]

Did you try the "Fix horrible" settings in Cura?

It might also simply be, that the "strings" of the mesh are thinner than your shell thickness x 2, in which case cura won't include them in the slice... In your images, the shell thickness is set pretty high... Start by setting it to your nozzle size (std. UM nozzles are 0.4mm.), and check the layer view... If the mesh is included you can try 0.8 shell thickness for better strength, and check again...

[axsdenied 0]

Thanks for your reply.

I have tried "Fix horrible" before without success.

However, you tip about the shell thickness was the answer. Setting 0.4 still shows no mesh but setting 0.3 works although Cura marks it yellow to complain that it is too thin.

So, I printed it with shell thickness of 0.3 but I used 100% fill density to compensate for the weak walls. 2h to print, looking good so far.

Thanks again.

 

[peggyb 171]

Your layer height could be 0.2

Shell thickness is a multiple of 0.4, so that's OK

Bottom and top thickness is too low, make that bigger, like 1.0. You bottom/top thickness should be a multiple of you layer thickness, preferably 5 or 6 times. So with the settings you have now you would only get 2 layers...

In the preview, only the top 10 layers have an accurate appearance, the ones below fade out.

The mesh on the bottom of your filter is probably too thin, wall thickness below 0.4 cannot be printed.

 

[tommyph1208 55]

That sounds like a pretty badly designed filter... But hey, if it works, it works...

Setting 100% infill won't improve strength of the mesh itself (since it will now consist of just two 0.3 mm walls) but you are right about it compensating for the lack of strength of the rest of the part...

If it didn't turn out good, you should consider redesigning the part (it dosn't look too complex).. Some other things you could try is the "swap at z" Cura plugin, that will let you slice the part several times with different settings, and combine the results wit the "swap" happening at a specific z height...

With that you can do the 0.3 mm. hack with the bottom mesh, and print the rest with better settings

[gr5 2,230]

I recommend, in Cura, trying .31, .31, .32, .33 etc until it stops working and then go back. In other words try to get a little bit wider trace if possible. Also consider setting flow to 170% to compensate (.4/.3)^2=1.7. Or at least to 140%.

Of course if it will slice fine with nozzle at .35 then you can set to flow (.4/.35)^2=131%

 

[axsdenied 0]

Thanks for everybody's replies. Lots of wisdom in your words that will help me with this print and in the future.

I printed it with 0.33 (0.34 did not work) and it came out OK. Actually better than I expected.

Again, thanks.

 

[iefbr14 0]

.....

It might also simply be, that the "strings" of the mesh are thinner than your shell thickness x 2, in which case cura won't include them in the slice...

 

why x2 ? isn't cura able to decide that some parts of the model are to be printed as a single pass walls ?

 

[Daid 306]

Your layer height could be 0.2

 

No no no no no. Please. Don't do 0.2 on an UM2. First off, it looks bad. Secondly, you'll run into extrusion issues quite easy. Please stay under 0.15, unless you're 100% sure your UM2 survives the extrusion test.

 

[peggyb 171]

No no no no no. Please. Don't do 0.2 on an UM2. First off, it looks bad. Secondly, you'll run into extrusion issues quite easy.

 

is this only on UM2?

I use it all the time on an UMO for bigger prints and prints with straight walls, and it doesn't look bad..

 

[nallath 1,124]

Yeah the UMO can handle it. It has quite a bit more power to force material through the nozzle.

 

[Daid 306]

is this only on UM2?

I use it all the time on an UMO for bigger prints and prints with straight walls, and it doesn't look bad..

 

Yes. This is big difference between the UMO and the UM2. The UM2 oozes less, but because of that, it also as lower maximum flow right now. (UM2 usually has a limit around 6-8mm^3/s, while a well adjusted UMO usually handles 10-12mm^3/s)

 

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Yes. This is big difference between the UMO and the UM2. The UM2 oozes less, but because of that, it also as lower maximum flow right now. (UM2 usually has a limit around 6-8mm^3/s, while a well adjusted UMO usually handles 10-12mm^3/s)

 

This is only true I suppose with the stock feeder, with my feeder I print 0.2 all the time with no issue at all ....

 

[gr5 2,230]

.2mm is fine if you print at slower speeds. For me, the best quality/speed compromise on UM2 (and UMO) is around .2mm layer height but 30mm/sec print speed. Of course you can get the exact same flow rate with .1mm layer height and 60mm/sec but I think the parts look better at 30mm/sec. In other words I think the quality improvement of printing .1mm layer is not as important as the quality improvement of printing slower. This is because parts look best if the extruder never speeds up or slows down and it has to slow down to around 28mm/sec on each corner.

Also I like the look that the layer lines make. It says "this part was 3D printed". It's like a badge built into every print. And .2mm is damn tiny.