I’m printed out a model that was supposed to have holes, logo and text. The software showed the text and logo on the model before I sent it to the printer but the print comes out without the holes or logo. Does Form 2 not support printing holes and carved details such as text/logo on models?
I printed out the same model with an Ultimaker 3D printer and the holes, logo/ text appeared so I don’t think it’s a problem specifically with the STL file.
I just spent some time getting a carved text/logo to work.
I can tell you the part angle and carving depth can be hard to get right.
The resin has a habit of settling in the carving and filling it.
Hi, thanks for the info! I can actually faintly see the text/logo now. The holes that are suppose to go through the model are still missing though.
Should I play around with the orientation of the model to prevent the resin from settling in to the carving?
Or would you recommend having the text/logo raised instead of carved?
Is your model a water tight mesh? Are you exporting as triangles only? N-sided models may have faces that cover recessed surfaces especially if they where booleaned out.
I had repair software do automatic repairs on the STL file to make sure it was watertight.
The hole and the text appear fine on PreForm but on the print the text is faintly there. The hole that was suppose to go all the way through the layer of the model is definitely not there or got filled by resin
How small is the hole? Recessed surfaces like that are difficult on these printers. Text should be within system feature size specs and you need a fresh tank for this. Slightest fogging and it will close up.
The hole is roughly 3mm. I did use a fresh tank. Are there any other methods for ensuring the resin doesn’t fill the recessed text and logo?
The logo and text was recessed 1/32 of an inch into the surface on the STL file. Do you think I’m better off trying to carve the surface with a Carvey machine?
I’m going to try printing the model again with the surface slanted at a 45 degree angle. Any opinion on whether that may actually help prevent the resin from filling the holes and recessed text/logo on the surface?
45 degrees is normally the best compromise for printing. A 3mm hole should go as deep as you want it to (normally it will be undersized though). If the lettering is 1/32 (.8mm) thick it should print fine.
The biggest things for me when I have fine details are. Fresh IPA and an extra good rinse/cleanup (compressed air works well for the holes). Just about anything horizontal to the build platform may have issues. Anything near vertical should have a good finish.
I didn’t see what material is being used. This can also have some effect (grey is normally the best for me when I need small details)
Hi Fred, the 3mm hole goes through the whole layer of the model (the layer is 1/16 inch thick).
I did my first print in tough resin, the text was most visible with this resin but the text/small details were not prominently recessed/carved into the surface. I did my second print in white resin and the text was less visible than in the tough resin. I did my most recent print in grey and surprisingly the text was least visible in this resin. The grey resin was a new cartridge too. For all my three prints the 3mm hole never appears. I don’t want to have to drill or carve the finished surface to make the hole.
After the part is finished printing make sure to thoroughly rinse where the holes and logo are supposed to be with IPA. I use a little brush to help get the extra resin off the part. I also use a squirt bottle to blast the areas with fine detail to get all the excess resin off the part prior to curing.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the advice. I’ll try that but it is hard to see the holes and logo on the surface after printing. Do you recommend rinsing/brushing the surface with IPA before or after the wash bath?
If you can’t get a 3mm hole to print I would start a help ticket. Formlabs is pretty good with troubleshooting.
I’ve printed holes down to 0.5mm with tough and standard resins (clear,white,grey and black).
If you’re convinced that the print is completely cleaned off before post cure there may be something else going on here.
Before…I use a little brush (se pic below) and try and get into all the little nooks and crannies to remove as much excess resin as possible. Use light pressure as going to hard can put gouges into the surface.
Chris
I am using my airbrush pistol filled with IPA to spray clean all these little spots out.
Pete
Just to clarify, if my model already has a 3mm hole that goes all the way through the layer of the surface, do I still need to add or replace those holes with vent holes like in this guide?
That is only when printing hollow parts to save resin. If your part is solid then it is not needed.
Chris
I did another print in white resin with an orientation of the model that FormLabs sent to me. The logo and text appear more visible this time but still isn’t as visible as the same model printed in a FDM printer. I did brush the surface before and after the wash. Should I try using a hot air gun before the UV curing?
You can’t always compare these prints to FDM. remember that these prints don’t have some of the issues we see in FDM prints. Mainly the layering and squish can add contrast.
Sometimes you need to make small changes to the model in order to get what you want.
When your making the object hollow does the object have a thickness to it?. Just putting a hole in it may make it a shell which can cause issues. The model does need a thickness to print properly.
