Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Dear Community,
my first ever post here a few days after starting off with my MK3S.
What a a machine and the results are by far already so much better that I expected.
In short: I pretty much want so print the same things all the time:
RC model aircrafts suitable for flying which means, as thin, as light and as strong as possible.
I started printing a Falcon 7X and a DC-3 Dakota.
Falcon is silver and printed in PLA and should be a desktop model but the DC3 (Black PETG) is 5% scale and should be my first ever 3D printed RC plane. So war my 3D model is between 0.5 and 0.7mm and I printed in spiral mode only.
I print a spar, flat on the bed and then a small 5mm vertical section which will be the overlap for bonding and then 50-75mm of the aircraft fuselage. The results are incredible though some parts, especially the larger ones tend do develop waves already on the printer.
Question is:
What's the best material / settings to avoid these
Any suggestions for a different design or material?
Looking forward to your replies
Cheers
Björn
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Always interesting to see different prints 👍.
I've never tried printing that sort of thing but I'd try more cooling and slower speed.
If you upload your 3mf in a zip file hopefully some of the experts will be able to help.
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Hi Lize,
thanks for the advice.
I'll tried reducing the printing speed though it was a different part of the fuselage and the result looks better indeed. I try printing the part with the biggest waves right now also at a slower speed and will report.
Interesting that it's the flat areas that are effected.
Cheers
Björn
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
I guess the larger flat areas have less strength and so more prone to warping.
Fingers crossed.
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Without stiffening any thin flat panel will not be true. Maybe you need to incorporate some.
i3 Mk3 [aug 2018] upgrade>>> i3MK3/S+[Dec 2023]
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Perhaps some custom supports on the inside, tip for easier removal here:
https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/prusaslicer/prusaslicer-hard-to-remove-supports/
RE: Thin aircraft Fuselage sections - PETG and PLA with Waves
Thanks a lot for you help, guys.
I implemented the idea stiffeners.
After all an Aircraft fuselage has a skin, spars and stringers.
The hollow stringers can later be used to slide wood or carbon in and help align the subsections and the first attempts look very promising even though CAD design was a little challenging.
I don't really mind the gaps in the outer skin and they help to reduce stress during printing and bits can still be printed in spiral mode.
I'll post the results once printed.
Thanks again
Björn