3D Printing for Quality and Durability
It is not easy to achieve perfect-quality prints. When you print a part, it will take a lot of patience and fine-tuning to familiarise yourself with your printer and filament choice. As 3D printing specialists, we have made this guide to ensure that your 3D printed parts are of high quality and durability.
Improving Quality - A Few Tips
Z Offset
One tip that will help you make sure that you achieve a high-quality print is to make sure that the bed is level and the nozzle is set at an optimal distance above. Doing so will make sure that the paper or gauge will have minimal resistance when pulled free. It also ensures that these will slide back underneath the nozzle without the need for additional force.
Maintenance
Printers will often have their own individual stand-out features. However, each if not every printer will require some maintenance to ensure optimal functionality and print quality. For instance, it is important to keep the bed clean and lubricate the rails using manufacturer recommendations. It is also important to regularly level your bed and calibrate the extruder frequently.
Materials - Quality and Durability
By ensuring that your printer is correctly set up and well-maintained is a great starting point towards high-quality prints. However, this is only half the battle. Your choice of material will also make a difference in not just the quality of your products but their durability too.
A 3D-printed part can be both strong and durable. This is why car manufacturers use 3D-printed parts to test concepts.
It is important to remember that both strength and durability will depend on how the object is created. For example, elements such as wall thickness and infill density will impact the long-term durability of 3D-printed objects.
When choosing materials it is also important to distinguish strength from durability. For instance, PLA is often regarded as a solid material. However, it does not necessarily have the same amount of durability as ABS or nylon.
Even though 3D printed plastic parts are extremely durable and strong, water damage can be detrimental. Plastic materials such as nylon can become ruined, loosing their shape and structure when presented with water. Nylon for example absorbs water rapidly, it is important to make sure that dry conditions remain if nylon is present within a product.
Summary
When it comes to quality and durability, 3D printing has you covered. Additive manufacturing has become increasingly popular for many industries looking to print a part in a high-quality, yet fast and cost-efficient manner. 3D printing also allows you access to a wide range of materials, meaning there is plenty of room for experimentation and improvement.
Contact Us - Print a Part Today!
As a 3D printing specialist company, we are passionate about turning ideas into reality. So if you need to print a part efficiently or bring a new idea to life, get in touch with our team today and we’ll identify how 3D printing can help. We look forward to hearing from you!
