Printing something as flat as possible
I will be printing something that is 180 mm square and 5 mm tall. I need it to be a flat as possible. What printing parameters should I adjust in order to make this as flat as I can? I can't add any ribbing, but the object will be fastened to a table.
I'll be printing with PETG.
Best Answer by jsw:
Having done a lot of thin larger flat prints, I will say that it can be a challenge.
I've had good luck printing very thin things, such as 3-4mm project box covers and covers for access holes using PLA and ABS, but when the thickness gets larger than that, that's when warping seems to take effect.
I can't remember doing anything like that it PETg, but my instinct says that it would be as good as or better than PLA for such things.
As Diem says, drafts can cause or aggravate warping, as in premature cooling of the printed layers.
An enclosure really helps with drafts, but if you do not have one, there's a draft shield option in both PrusaSlicer and Cura. I used it before I got the enclosure and can vouch that it can be effective. I have never used it on prints as large as 180 mm, however.
I would say that something like Layerneer should be used with such a PETg print, both as an adhesion booster to prevent premature release of the print, particularly at the edges and corners, and as a release agent when the print has cooled.
I would also suggest preheating the machine to operating temperature prior to launching the print, and allowing the print to cool to room temperature before trying to remove it from the build plate.
RE:
Warping will be your biggest risk; make sure there are no drafts, especially no cold drafts. If flatness is vital then annealing followed by post processing with abrasives is the way to go.
Cheerio,
RE: Printing something as flat as possible
Having done a lot of thin larger flat prints, I will say that it can be a challenge.
I've had good luck printing very thin things, such as 3-4mm project box covers and covers for access holes using PLA and ABS, but when the thickness gets larger than that, that's when warping seems to take effect.
I can't remember doing anything like that it PETg, but my instinct says that it would be as good as or better than PLA for such things.
As Diem says, drafts can cause or aggravate warping, as in premature cooling of the printed layers.
An enclosure really helps with drafts, but if you do not have one, there's a draft shield option in both PrusaSlicer and Cura. I used it before I got the enclosure and can vouch that it can be effective. I have never used it on prints as large as 180 mm, however.
I would say that something like Layerneer should be used with such a PETg print, both as an adhesion booster to prevent premature release of the print, particularly at the edges and corners, and as a release agent when the print has cooled.
I would also suggest preheating the machine to operating temperature prior to launching the print, and allowing the print to cool to room temperature before trying to remove it from the build plate.
RE: Printing something as flat as possible
With 5 mm height I don't expect to see warping become a major factor. I print much thicker objects in PETG all the time, and rarely see warping. If I do run into warping on certain objects, I usually start with mouse ears in the corners, a 6mm+ brim if needed, and/or Layerneer as an adhesion agent. As @jsw said, make sure you wait for the print to cool, not so much for warping reasons but it's easy to bend those large thin PETG models inadvertently if not fully cooled down.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Printing something as flat as possible
Having now tried ASA, I am surprised at how much better it is as far as not warping.