3D-PRINTING

OR: HOW

I LEARNED T

O STOP

WORRY IN

G AND L

OVE PLAST IC

3D-PRINTING WORKFLOW1. Acquire or Design a digital 3D object

2. Get this object into a file format compatible with software (.STL, etc…)

3. Use “slicing” software to convert the .STL file into a file the printer uses (.GCODE)

a. Printer settingsb. Material settingsc. Adjust the size of the objectd. Other?

4. Wait patiently, or start designing a new object.

FILE TYPES• .STL (“open source”, stands for Stereo Lithography, most

common)

• .OBJ (“open source”, stands for Object File, 2nd most common)

• .X3D (“open source”, ISO standard for XML-based 3D graphics)

• Lots of other formats

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE .STL FILE?We “slice” the .stl file using “slicing” software.

Common Software Used

• Cura (What I will use today)• open source• outputs .gcode • what this talk will use

• Makerbot • outputs closed format• what is currently used by the Valley Library

• Other software includes: Slic3r, Kisslicer, Simplify3D, and more…

WHAT IS .GCODE?.gcode is a common file format that 3D-Printers use to print an

object.

Example .gcode

SLICING SOFTWARE SETTINGS• Quality

• Layer Height• Shell Thickness• Fill Density

• Fill• Bottom/Top Thickness• Fill Density

• Print Speed

• Support• Support Structure Type• Raft or Brim (Platform Adhesion Type)

• And many many more….

CAN WE PRINT YET?Last Step

Export a .gcode file

Now We Can Print!

Time for a live demonstration…

This PowerPoint presentation can be found at

http://people.oregonstate.edu/~rockweld/3d-Printing.pptx