I am trying to optimize the support generation for the form 3. so far if i change anything it causes a print failure (parts print to a point and then nothing). the settings are 50 for layer height, grey v4 material, full raft, density 1, and .6 touch point size. the customer highlight models in the recent email campaign talks about no processing needed after support removal. i use the default settings for support generation and when i remove the supports it looks like chicken skin with all of the little touch points. how are these customers getting smoother surface without finishing?
So far for models printed with black v4, have had universal success with
- 50µm
- 0.65 support density
- 0.35mm touchpoints
- Mini rafts
- 3mm above raft
Biggest issue I’ve had is not being able to detach the model from the build plate without snapping some or all of the supports off. The mini rafts stick HARD to the plate, compared to the raft with its raised edge to slip the removal tool under. Seems the surface finish comes out a little bit better if you remove supports after post-curing so it does seem to be good to keep them attached when you can.
I’m going to try a razor blade scraper (like you’d use for removing paint from glass) for removing mini rafts, so far the most effective method has been to mount the plate vertically (on the stand) over a tray, hold the metal spatula from the finishing kit near-parallel to it against a support, and whack the handle with the heel of my hand.
For smaller and/or finer-detailed models (I’ve printed a few D&D miniatures, expect I’ll be making quite a lot of them in time), have used full rafts to avoid any issues (like breaking the green model due to a support coming loose), but still no issues at a low density, and still using the auto generation with only a couple of manual adjustments before printing.
On larger models, the reduction in material use for mini rafts is more than enough to be an acceptable tradeoff for me; for some geometries mini rafts can be a 20-30% reduction. Something I’m working on right now that’s 21ml for the model alone winds up at 33ml with the above settings, but with the defaults all-auto-everything (full raft 1.0 density 5mm height, 0.6mm) would use 43ml.
If the model has larger flat surfaces, 10 seconds with 1200 grit sandpaper (wet) has been all I’ve needed to mostly erase the support bumps too. Occasionally I’ve brought out the 800 grit but usually isn’t needed.