Ender 3
The Ender 3 printers are the most convenient 3d printers in the Makerspace since it is possible to print from the Makerspace computer directly (no need to transfer your prints to usb sticks or sd cards).
Materials
- Filament deposition modeling printer
- 1.75mm input filaments
- Range of different materials including:
- Default : PLA because of it's combination of cost, printability, strength, and environmental friendliness
- PETG: Durable and weatherable, it's ideal for outdoor or wet uses.
- ABS
- Wood
Preparing your print
In order to turn a 3D model into a 3D print, we have to use a program called a slicer to create a set of instructions (called GCode) that tells the printer how to make the object.
To create this GCode file for the Ender, the program PrusaSlicer should be used. This program can be found on the computers in the Makerspace.
To open your 3D model in PrusaSlicer, open the application, and select
File > Import > Import STL/OBJ/AMF/3MF...
You can also drag the 3D model file in to PrusaSlicer. Alternatively, if you generated your file in Fusion 360, you can also export your file directly to a slicer by selecting File > 3D Print in Fusion 360. If you want to print multiple models at once, repeat this process for each model you wish to use.
Once you have your 3D model loaded in to PrusaSlicer, you can click it to select it. You can change the model's location on the print bed by dragging it. For more transformation options, you can use the left icon bar. From top to bottom, these icons allow you to:
- Translate your model along the X, Y, and Z axes
- Scale the size of your model
- Rotate your model
- Place a specific face of your model down on the print bed
- Split your model along a plane
- Paint on where to enforce or block supports for your model (not necessary in most cases)
- Paint on where to enforce or block seams for your model (not necessary in most cases)
You can select what settings you want to use for your print in the option bar on the right hand side.
Print Settings
Here is where you select the layer height and speed for your print. The layer height is the height of each layer of filament that is deposited for your print. The shorter the layer height, the longer the print will take, however a smaller layer height will result in finer detail in the print, which may be preferable for more natural shapes. The speed impacts how precisely the filament is deposited in a given layer. A slower speed may be important for prints with rugged shapes many fine details. The standard choice for our Ender-3 printers is 0.20mm NORMAL.
Filament
Here is where you select the type of material you are printing with, which you determined in the Materials section above. Make sure you select the correct material so that the printer preheats to the correct temperatures in order to be able to properly deposit the material of the print. The standard choice for the Ender-3 printer is Generic PLA.
Printer
In the printer selection drop down menu, select one of the Ender-3 printers. Make sure that the printer you have selected is ready print In addition check that the printer you have selected is in the Physical printers section of the drop down menu.
Supports
Supports are important to use to ensure that the print material can be properly deposited. Select "Everywhere" in the supports menu so that the slicer will generate supports as necessary to accurately print your model.
Infill
Infill refers to the amount of material used to fill the space between walls of your print. A higher percent infill will correspond to a heavier final print, however will also be stronger. A larger percent infill also corresponds to a longer print time The standard choice for our Ender-3 printers is 20%.
Once you are satisfied with the settings for your print, select the "Slice Now" button at the bottom right of the window. This will generate and show you a preview of a .gcode file which will be interpreted by the 3D printer. The bottom right of the window will not display information about your print, such as the amount of filament it will use and how long the print will take. Make sure to take a moment to log the amount of filament you will use at the check-in station.
Starting your print
Before starting your print check that the printer you have selected is idle and not printing. Also it is good to check whether there is enough filament to finish the print. On the side of the filament spool there is a drawing that can be used to estimate the amount of filament left on the spool in grams. This number can be compared to Used Filament (g) found in the Sliced Info section in the bottom right of PrusaSlicer.
Now that we have verified the printer is ready to print, we can send to the printer using PrusaSlicer. In the bottom right corner click the button with an image of a G on it that is located right next to the "Export G-code" button. In the menu that subsequently opens up, click "Upload and Print."
