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Warping is the result of material contraction that occurs during 3D printing. The material shrinks from the corners and edges, causing the object to eventually detach itself from the printing bed. The most common situations that cause warping are long prints and the use of plastic filament materials with a high shrinkage ratio.
Even if you’re using either of the two most commonly used filament materials, PLA and ABS, you may still experience warping. Instead of having to change the filament material or wait until a new material is developed, try these 4 tips that will help you prevent warping when you’re 3D printing your next object. [no_toc]
1. Heated Enclosure
The most important factor that causes warping is temperature. Abrupt variations in temperatures, such as those caused by the cooling of the material once it extrudes from nozzle, can easily cause the warping of your object. Although it might be more expensive than the following tips, a heated enclosure is one of the best solutions for reducing the temperature variation that your 3D printed object experiences. Having a stable temperature will also have a positive impact on the overall adhesion and quality of your object.
2. Rafts
When it comes to 3D printing, rafts have more than just one use. For instance, they can be used to improve the stability of objects that have a small footprint. Similarly, rafts can reduce the warping of your object by absorbing a part of the shrinkage. In order to add a raft to your object, simply access the settings of your 3D printing software and select “Add Raft”. It may vary from software to software, but you get the idea. Once your print is finished, simply remove the object from the printing bed and peel away the raft with your bare hands or with a scraper.
3. Infill
Infill is a great method to reduce warping for objects that are larger and take longer to print. There are several infill types that you can use and choosing the right one is based on the needed strength of the object, its size, and its purpose. Various 3D printing enthusiasts report that their best results came from using a 20-25% infill. Objectively, this means less material used and enough strength to prevent the object from warping. However, because you can print objects with an unlimited variation of shapes and sizes, careful adjustment after each print will yield the best results.
4. Adhesion
Another way to prevent warping is to ensure a strong adhesion. Weak adhesion can cause the loosening of your object, especially around the corners. In order to increase the adhesion of your printing bed, you must regularly and thoroughly clean it. Grime and fingerprints cause the printing bed to have an uneven surface, which has a negative impact on the quality of the print. Moreover, there are some filament materials that require the use of glue or other adhesives on the printing bed. Refer to your printer and filament manual in order to find out if this is your case.
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