I have a form 1+, with the resin tank it only has a limited number of prints before you have to replace it(waste of money in my opinion) but what can you do, In the form labs instruction for the tank they suggest moving the prints around the tanks to prolong its life.
this got me thinking. would it be possible to have a Resin tank profile that keeps track of print placements in the resin tank. you would have a profile for tank 1 (what ever name you want it) and tank 2. as you print, it will keep track of where in the resin tank your model took up space. this way you can plan your prints better and maybe prevent any failed prints.
make it color coded like green is good yellow is ok red is bad etc or what ever.
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ve seen this idea a few times on the forum and it’s something we’re looking into.
Make a toggle - “View Tray Usage” (below “View Manipulators”, natch), which uses the same existing red gradient system as the supports placement. With each print job, every slice (data already generated anyway) is cumulatively stacked into one bitmap image to paste onto Preform’s virtual build platform on screen. It will display a pattern of red, darker where it’s been more heavily used, lighter where it’s less. This pattern would/should theoretically match the actual cloudiness of the tray. The bitmap is updated after every successful print job and tied to a specific tray since Preform already uses that data, and a “Reset” button never hurts in case you DIY a silicone recoat or etc. Also, the range of red in the images (0=clear - 255=full red) can be scaled to reach full 255 red only once two liters of resin are reported used, which is what FL stipulates to be the lifespan.
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i wouldnt have a reset maybe a save/export data. this way you can keep track of what materials effect your tanks. maybe you notice that black degrades it faster then the other material and you can send the data back to formlabs to update the model. or keep track of it your self.
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Usually you can tell where a print was, because there’s some fogging of the clear rubber that lines the tank. That’s also the main reason you can’t keep printing in the same place, so as long as it’s crystal clear, you don’t need to move the print location.
If you’re tired of replacing tanks for the Form1+ , try getting one from zvat industries; they can be cleaned with IPA and have glass bottoms. You’ll still have to keep replacing the rubber, though.
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
thats not the issues i am having it seems the supports are not connecting to the main print. im not sure if this is because of a curing issue with the lazer or some other setting it is very frustrating.
I’ve seen this once or twice and it was from a combination of small touch points, thin part geometry, and questionable orientation. If you continue to see this behavior with different models, I’d suggest you get in touch with our support team so that we can help to troubleshoot this with you.