![]() Supports on FDM parts need to be manually torn away or dissolved in water, depending on the support material. The FDM process has the benefit that it doesn’t require cleaning unsupported finished parts are ready for use or further post-processing once the printing process is complete.īoth FDM and SLA processes use support structures to facilitate 3D printing more complex geometries and their removal represents the last step in post-processing. Parts can be transferred directly from the printer to Form Wash, which agitates the solvent around the parts to clean them and automatically raises parts out of alcohol bath when the process is finished.Īfter rinsed parts dry, some SLA materials require post-curing, a process which helps parts to reach their highest possible strength and stability. Professional solutions such as the Form Wash automate this process. ![]() Using the standard workflow, this involves first removing parts from the build platform, then manually soaking them in a bath of solvent to clean off excess resin. SLA parts require rinsing in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or alternative solvents to remove any uncured resin from their surface. The final step of the workflow is post-processing. Advanced SLA 3D printers like the Form 3 offer a cartridge system, that refills the material automatically. Once the 3D printing process begins, most 3D printers can run unattended, even overnight, until the print is complete. Setting up prints with advanced print preparation tools like PreForm is plug and play. Professional SLA 3D printers, like the Form 3, and some other professional FDM printers come with their own proprietary software and predefined settings for each material that have been thoroughly tested to ensure the highest print success rate. This not only delays projects, but can also lead to messy failures that require a lengthy cleanup process. Still, the results might change with each new design or material and the chance of failed prints remains high. Low-cost FDM or SLA 3D printers are not really user friendly and often require many hours of tweaking and experimenting to dial-in the correct print settings. 3D printers then require print preparation or slicer software to specify printing settings and slice the digital model into layers for printing. ![]() The workflow for both FDM and SLA 3D printing consist of three steps: designing, 3D printing, and post-processing.įirst, use any CAD software or 3D scan data to design a model, and export it in a 3D printable file format (STL or OBJ). See how to go from design to 3D print with the Form 3+ SLA 3D printer. This 5-minute video covers the basics of how to use the Form 3, from the software and materials to printing and post-processing. Learn more about their meaning to better understand 3D print performance. As a result, SLA 3D printing is known for its fine features, smooth surface finish, ultimate part precision, and accuracy.Īccuracy, precision, and tolerance in 3D printing are complex and often misunderstood terms. In SLA 3D printing, liquid resin is cured by a highly-precise laser to form each layer, which can achieve much finer details and is more reliable to repeatedly achieve high-quality results. As a result, layers may not fully adhere to one another, layers are generally clearly visible on the surface, and the process lacks the ability to reproduce intricate details that other technologies can offer. ![]() With this process, the resolution of the part is defined by the size of the extrusion nozzle and there are voids in between the rounded lines as the nozzle deposits them. The process by which layers are formed affects the surface quality, level of precision, and the accuracy of each layer, and consequently, the overall print quality.įDM 3D printers form layers by depositing lines of molten material. When additive manufacturing processes produce parts layer by layer, each layer also introduces an opportunity for inaccuracy.
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