I work at Formlabs. Here are some tips.

Kelly_1 · 2015-11-25T14:26:03.000Z

Wow, I wonder if the software/hardware/resin is that much different on the Form 2 that allows the no support builds. Certainly would cut down on a lot finishing problems that I have. Going to try a print today with new tray/resin on a Form 1+ with no supports!

cyprien · 2015-11-25T14:42:10.000Z

Interesting, but releasing uncured resin into water isn’t very environment friendly.

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:02:32.000Z

Willem, generally we recommend always printing with supports to help promote resin flow, but these specific parts were made on a Form 2.

Printing without supports on the Form 1+ is possible, but sometimes requires some experimentation. Our sample rook, for example, is specifically designed to be printed without supports. There is a channel built into the base to allow resin to escape. I will try and make a video to demonstrate this asap.

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:02:46.000Z

Thanks for the comments, and yes…generally we would recommend printing at an angle with supports like you said. We wanted to print something that was intentionally difficult to remove to show how this method could be effective in the extreme. These were also printed on the Form 2 where angles can be more forgiving. The new wiper system also helps extend the life of the resin tank in these instances.

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:06:05.000Z

These specific parts were printed on the Form 2, which allows for a little more flexibility with supports. I’ll get a post together that talks about our sample rook that was specifically designed to be printed without supports on the Form 1+.

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:09:03.000Z

Supports are still required for most parts, but we wanted to demonstrate how this method works against hard to remove pieces. Definitely let me know how your print goes. I’m going to try and get something together to talk about supports in more depth soon!

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:10:48.000Z

Very interesting as long as the water is disposed of properly. Thanks for the tip…I’ll experiment with this!

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:12:47.000Z

These were printed on the Form 2, which is a little more forgiving with supports and orientation. This is also a demonstration of how this method works against very difficult to remove parts. We do still recommend printing at an angle and with supports.

Jory

ohin · 2015-11-25T15:26:32.000Z

Maybe I will be little off-topic, sorry for that. Anyway, could you, please, elaborate on the reason, why/how the new wiper system helps extending the life of the resin tank?

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:37:44.000Z

No worries! The wiper system ensures that the silicone in the bottom of the tank is always clear of debris. If there is cured resin stuck to the bottom…it can degrade the the tank faster. Additionally…it mixes the resin and oxygenates the silicone after each layer. The Form 1+ resin tank must be replaced every 1.5 - 2 liters of resin. During testing, we’ve seen the Form 2 resin tanks last around 3 liters of resin before replacement is required.

Jory

Richard_Beck · 2015-11-25T15:39:47.000Z

Great tip, thanks!

How about some tips on when it is safe to not use auto orientation prior to support creation. I had some small airplane props, 1.5" tip to tip the other day. Auto orientation with auto supports and manually edited supports kept giving me red areas on one blade tim. By just keeping the flat and generating supports, no red.

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T15:44:31.000Z

Boom, added to the list. Thanks for the suggestion!

Richard_Beck · 2015-11-25T16:33:49.000Z

This may already be out there, but and explanation of why the software always angles parts during orientation would be helpful. I often have customers ask how big is your build volume on the Form I tell them but also have to tell them we can’t build that big because the software orients parts at an angle. Sometimes they ask why and right now I have to say, "I don’t know, it probably has to do with better quality during printing.

My questions to you is what is the software trying to optimize for when it angles parts? A video show and tell would be nice.

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-25T18:41:26.000Z

I’ll definitely try to get a video together that talk about this a little bit. Quoting our support material:

“Flat surfaces with support structures print much more successfully at an angle of at least 10–20º. You will notice that if you use the automatic orientation in PreForm by highlighting your part and clicking “Orient Selected” it will usually position your piece at an angle. After each layer, the printer performs a “peel” process, which literally peels the layer off the PDMS surface of the resin tank. The forces involved can distort the extremely thin layer of a flat surface mounted on support structures. If a planar surface is oriented at an angle to the build platform, there is only a little overhang for each new layer. Furthermore, many thin-walled parts present significantly less area in any slice when printed at an angle.”

The full article on our website is here: http://formlabs.com/support/guide/prepare/model-orientation/

eain · 2015-11-25T19:01:17.000Z

I’d love a series on designing for printing without supports.

Cotterpin · 2015-11-25T19:04:55.000Z

That’s fine, but, you could have made a demo with angular supports and accomplished the same thing without giving customers who don’t know better the wrong idea. Cool video, but could have been executed differently.

gabriela3d · 2015-11-26T13:52:38.000Z

Hey @JoryFormlabs, thanks for sharing your tips here on Talk. Looking forward to the next ones Cheers!

TheThird · 2015-11-27T09:12:21.000Z

Hey Jory,

Thanks for sharing this method to remove supports. Can you please explain how/why the Form 2 can print without supports while it’s difficult to do so on the Form 1+? I’ve actually just received the Rook sample and I’m about to order the Form 2 but wasting expensive resin on supports is a concern to keep in mind.

Is it possible to print anything on the Form 2 without supports?

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help.

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-27T17:17:48.000Z

The Form 2’s new peel process and heating mechanism allow for a little more wiggle room with support usage (the new heating system makes the resin less viscous). However, this does not mean that support structures are not required for most pieces. We still recommend using supports for most items as the structures help promote resin flow and prevent initial compression from effecting the bases of your prints. Quoting our support site again:

“Flat surfaces with support structures print much more successfully at an angle of at least 10–20º. You will notice that if you use the automatic orientation in PreForm by highlighting your part and clicking “Orient Selected” it will usually position your piece at an angle. After each layer, the printer performs a “peel” process, which literally peels the layer off the PDMS surface of the resin tank. The forces involved can distort the extremely thin layer of a flat surface mounted on support structures. If a planar surface is oriented at an angle to the build platform, there is only a little overhang for each new layer. Furthermore, many thin-walled parts present significantly less area in any slice when printed at an angle.”

The full article on our website is here: http://formlabs.com/support/guide/prepare/model-orientation/

Hope this helps!

Jory

JoryFormlabs · 2015-11-27T17:18:11.000Z

More coming soon!

Jory