3D printers - eliminating vibrations.

[Walter]

Hey everyone, this is a bit left field, but I do a lot of 3D printing, and among external things (not the printer equipment) you have to consider are:

• Heat and humidity (it affects the filament, and the quality of the print)
• Vibrations when printing (vibrations affect the accuracy of the print if there are vibrations as the print head/bed/filament spool moves.

So I thought a few ideas of what I have done to make things much better might be of interest.

My workshop is in a shed, not air conditioned, but draught, moisture and dust free. A portable Air Conditioner keeps it good in summer, although it never gets too hot anyway.

I wanted to improve things without spending too much, and without getting too complicated.

A sturdy table is a must, and a cement floor, although I have anti-static plastic matting for most areas in there.  This isn't a place for my garden tools.😁

Moving the filament holder OFF the 3D printer is a must. Most 3D printers have the spool hanging off the frame somewhere, and as the spool unwinds, you can build up resonances and vibrations. Filament is most often 1Kg, so that's a lot of weight you don't need.

So I bought some Flexi Storage Shelving and matching brackets - easy to put up, so easy my wife is afraid at the number I have used in the house now.

I 3D printed a filament holder that keeps the filament safe and easy to unwind (the old filament spool is still on the frame, to show it's original position):

 

So the next thing to do is further educe the source of vibrations by putting the whole printer on a foam mat. Some people swear by bricks, not me, the foam also cuts down the noise.

So I bought a few packs of interlocking foam mats, (I only need one mat, but so cheap I bought some for the future when the grandson is playing in his outdoor set).

That foam mat cuts down hugely on the vibrations. I could post images of before and after print jobs to show the difference, but I threw the old prints away 😫

Total cost, around $65.00, and I have stuff left over for other uses.

So I'm printing out vases for Christmas for some of the relatives (yes, waterproof) and toys for the nephews, nieces and grandkids.

Some of these are my own design (FreeCad)

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Walter,

Some great solutions there to issues which many would have when starting out with 3D printing. I'm sure the lower end models suffer from vibration issues even more so than the premium models.

Let me mention some of our members that have shown interest in 3D printing @Shane, @Seaton and @Super_D as I trust they will be interested in your solutions.

Many thanks for sharing.

Mitchell

[Lazza]

Hi @Walter.

Thank you for the tip.

I’m recently into 3-D printing and it’s an interesting and frustrating experience.

I had not thought of offloading the real from the top of the machine but it makes good logical sense.

As for the rubber mat underneath, wouldn’t that allow more movement?

[Brad]

The mat should dampen the vibrations you get from putting the printer on a solid surface without it being bolted down.

The metal worker in me likes things being bolted down, 3D printers tend to not be ridgid enough for a good bolting.

My wood lathe has rubber feat and the option to use bolts (the motor then sits too low then and needs the bench top cut out to get it to sit flat) Longer bolts  that allow the feet to remain may satisfy my inner demons and keep the 30 odd KG's in place.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Lazza. It's brilliant that you've joined us, and many thanks for jumping into the conversation.

Let me mention @Walter, so he is alerted to your question. 

I'd be interested to see what you've been printing. Please feel free to post some images in this discussion.

It's great to have you on board!

Mitchell

[Lazza]

Thank you Mitchell.

I am printing quite a few things at the moment but nothing original they are all just downloads from thingiverse or elsewhere.

At the moment I’m just ecstatically happy that I’ve got over the first layer adhesion problems that I was dealing with for weeks.

actually I’m nervous and having actually said that in case the problem comes back because I tried many variations to stop the problem and I’m not 100% clear what it was specifically that solved the issue.

[Walter]

@Lazza 

The mat definitely dampens vibrations, which is important for good quality prints.

Offloading the filament from the top of the machine definitely made a big difference for me.

My latest prints have included such really basic things as a table leg "sleeve" to level up a table for a friends outside door table. It also serves as a moisture seal, which I hadn't thought  of.

The sleeve was easy to design, all I had to do was take some calipers to his table legs, and a bit of tinkering with tinkercad and it was done

I've also recently built some "Pegs", it's more like a tent rope separator to make sure the lines keep separate.

I've done some simple "box" designs for my new solar powered weather station.

The more I look around, the more little ideas I get for useful little things.  I designed and made a holder for my 3 headed rotary shaver,  and I'm thinking of a matching toothbrush holder for all of us.

[3Dprinting]

Can horses in the attached photo be made on a 3D printer, if so who can do it in Adelaide please

[Jason]

Wow, what a fantastic vintage toy @3Dprinting. My father also has one from his childhood. 

Let me tag some of our 3D printing aficionados in @Walter, @Lazza, @Super_D  and @Brad for their thoughts.     

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're pleased to have you join us and look forward to reading more about your projects and plans.

Jason

[Walter]

@3Dprinting 

WOW.  I'm pretty certain it won't be difficult to draft a 3D printed version of those horses, or someone with a 3D scanner could scan them in exactly and convert them to STL. They could be printed out in PLA filament or Resin in the right printer.  PLA or similar, would probably be best, because you would want a good variety of colours, and there aren't as many choices with resin.

The Innovation Lab in Adelaide at the Library in Rundle Mall would be a perfect place to start, they would have volunteers who could give you some ideas or put you in touch with others.  Best thing- it's free to drop in.  They also invite you to take in your own files or model, so they would be perfect.  If they can't do it, they know the 3D printing community and would be able to put you in touch with others.