We are aware that modelling can be challenging since, like 3D printing, there is no one method that works for all situations. We all utilize different software, print on various materials, and employ various printing processes in addition to using various printers. Therefore, it’s completely normal to feel confused and that creating the ideal 3D model for 3D printing might occasionally appear challenging. For this reason, we have compiled the most comprehensive list of don’ts while 3D printing service at Crenodez. Not doing these in our 3D printing service puts us ahead of the competitors.
We don’t ignore material guidelines while we offer 3D printing service at Crenodez:
Every printing medium is unique. Materials can be fragile or robust, elastic or rigid, smooth or textured, heavy or light, and so forth. This implies that an item should preferably be made of a particular material. For instance, if you are certain that you want to print your 3D model in steel, there are specific design considerations connected to the material that you must keep in mind, such as supporting overhanging areas, strengthening protruding pieces, rounding off corners, etc.
Some of the fundamental design principles you must follow are simply predetermined by the printing medium you choose.
Solution: Adhering to your material’s design guidelines is crucial for a good print. The design manuals should ideally be reviewed before you begin creating your model. The design manuals for all of our materials are available here. Additionally, you can directly compare a variety of materials on our comparison website.
To get a better idea of what designs other artists have produced in certain materials, we also invite you to browse the items in our shop (where you may set a filter for particular materials).
We don’t ignore printing technology:
Our printing materials’ fundamental chemical properties are not the only thing that varies; each of these materials is printed using a distinct technology.
Interlocking components are the best illustration of this; while you can print interlocking parts in some materials, such as ABS, Polyamide, Aluminum, or Rubber-like, you cannot do it in others, such as Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Resin. This is because of the technology utilised to print each of these materials, not the materials themselves.
We employ Laser Sintering for Polyamide, Alumide, and Polypropylene, Fused Deposition Modelling (filament-based) with an additional nozzle and support material for ABS, Lost Wax Casting for precious metals, and Stereolithography for Resins.
Although it may seem perplexing, it’s crucial to remember that just because stainless steel and silver are both metals doesn’t mean their requirements will be the same. Some design elements will differ since they are printed utilising various technologies. However, identical design requirements are more likely to be shared by materials made using the same method, such as Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Brass (lost wax casting).
Solution: As before, all the solutions are available on our materials website. Always make sure to check our material pages before you begin designing. Also keep in mind that the maximum printing sizes vary depending on the printers and printing methods used. An outline of these is available here.
We don’t ignore wall thickness:
Although the previously listed rules contain information about wall thickness, it is nonetheless important to emphasise this topic.
The vast majority of times, 3D models are not printable due to issues with wall thickness. Wall thickness can be too thin in particular situations. Walls that are too thin make small model components either impossible to print or extremely delicate and prone to breaking off. In other instances, excessively thick walls create too much internal tension, which may cause the object to fracture.
Solution: To determine the ideal wall thickness for your 3D model, read our general blog page first. Once there, follow the values outlined in the design guide for the material of your choosing.
We don’t ignore file resolution while we offer 3D printing service at Crenodez:
Study the design manuals? Know your stuff? enough wall thickness
Perfect, but there is now a new factor to take into account: file resolution.
The most popular file type for 3D printing is called STL (standard triangle language), which implies that your design will be converted into triangles in a 3D environment. The majority of 3D modelling programmes allow you to convert your ideas to an STL file while adjusting the resolution.
Low-resolution STL file: It’s crucial to understand that an inferior export will never let us to give you a high-quality print. Because of the many triangles in your STL file and the low resolution, your print won’t have a smooth surface. It will result in a print that is somewhat “pixelated.”
Very high-resolution STL file: A file with an excessively high resolution will be too large and occasionally impossible for us to manage. Additionally, it can have a level of extreme detail that 3D printers are unable to reproduce. Therefore, when uploading your model to our website, we ask that you limit the size of the file to no more than 100 MB.
Solution: In the majority of 3D modelling programmes, you will be prompted to specify the export tolerance when exporting a file. The maximum distance between the original shape and the STL mesh you are exporting is what is meant by this tolerance. We suggest selecting 0.01 mm for a high-quality export.
An illustration of various file resolutions, from very high (left) to fairly low (right), is shown below:
Due to the inability of 3D printers to print at this level of detail, exporting with a tolerance of less than 0.01 mm is not practical. Triangles may appear in the 3D print when exporting with a tolerance greater than 0.01 mm. More information on this is available in our blog post regarding file resolution, which also lists the 40 additional 3D files that we support.
We dont ignore software guidelines:
here are numerous 3D modelling software programmes used in our community. Others are primarily used by 3D artists and require further modification before they can provide a printable 3D model. Some were created specifically for making 3D prints, while others are primarily utilised by 3D artists. As an illustration, while applying a wall thickness is automatically done in some systems, it must be manually adjusted in others.
A hollow model could be challenging to create, even if you use user-friendly software made specifically for 3D printing (like Tinkercad). Free software Meshmixer can be useful here.
You will need to perform additional file preparation if you use a programme like Blender (used for 3D graphics and animations), SketchUp, or ZBrush (sculpting software for 3D artists). Shells may need to be connected, models may need to be made waterproof, wall thicknesses may need to be applied, and printing sizes may need to be selected, depending on the software you’re using. Again, every single piece of software is unique.
Solution: Review the programme instructions for creating a 3D print from a model. Google for tutorials if you can’t locate them on the official programme websites. If your 3D modelling programme has reached its capacity, open your 3D model in Meshmixer to access some simple 3D printing setup tools.
Knowing these – what are few mistakes we would never make during our 3D printing service, visit crenodez.com for your next 3D printing requirement.
