Resin 3D printing is an exciting realm, boasting exquisite quality creations! But a question often buzzes around: do they need support during the printing process? On my tech-lover’s journey, I delved deep into this, researching the finest strategies for support structures for these prints.
The golden tip? Harness the auto-support feature in your preferred slicing tool, and sprinkle in some manual supports around your model. Remember, those auto-magically generated supports aren’t flawless. It’s vital to meticulously scan your creation for potential hollow spots.
We’re spoilt for choice with the plethora of support-adding options available! Let this article illuminate the path, amping up your resin printing game.
Resin 3D Prints and Supports – A Love Story?
Do our intricate resin prints demand supports? If your model features grand extensions like limbs, blades, or elements stretching significantly from the core model’s layout, the answer is a big YES! Supports serve as a sturdy backbone during the printing voyage. Slice your files, rework them for minimal supports or, in some cases, to dodge supports. But let’s face it, integrating supports to your resin 3D models is often a wise move. They bolster your models with minimal resin expenditure and can be a savior for the overall success rate of your print.
Time to Dive Deep into the Support Ocean
Missed a crucial support? You might find gaping holes in your prints or face the heartbreak of an utterly botched 3D print. Printing in thin air? Nope, not happening. Crafting or aligning your 3D prints to require fewer supports is the game, though it’s not always the play with intricate designs. The good news? Post-printing, supports are typically a breeze to detach, especially if you’ve fine-tuned your settings. I recently played with the Lychee Slicer, and those supports? They zipped right off!
Bringing Supports to Life in Your Resin 3D Prints
The ideal route? Navigate to your favored slicing software and ignite the auto-support magic for your models. This one-click wizardry showers your model with a robust support base. However, manual tweaks? Always a good idea. Among the titans of slicing software, we have ChiTuBox, Lychee Slicer, PrusaSlicer, and the specialized Anycubic Photon Workshop Slicer. From my techie corner, the crown jewel is the Lychee Slicer—not as renowned but climbing the ladder fast due to its sleek updates, feature galore, and user-friendly vibe.
Support nuances, from their count, exact placement, to the bridges connecting them, are determined by your software choice. Every model’s unique anatomy—size, contour, weight, orientation—steers this support journey.
With resin prints, sidestepping supports is a tall order, especially for those ambitious projects. But why not learn from the resin printing maestros?
Lychee Slicer – A Deeper Dive
Insert your chosen model straight into the Lychee Slicer arena. Here, you’re the puppet master—move, spin, resize your model. And behold! A quartet of options awaits: ‘Layout’, ‘Supports’, ‘Preview’, and ‘Export’. Wrapped up with layout? Hit ‘Support’ to embark on the support addition adventure. Though teeming with choices, it’s a clear roadmap. From support diameters, tip lengths, to auto and manual supports—each element awaits your command.
ChiTuBox Slicer – The Playbook
1. Positioning Mastery: Usher your model into the ChiTuBox domain. Position, rotate, scale, refine.
2. Support Symphony: Dive into the ‘Supports’ vista. Tune the Z-lift height, support density, and visualize the layer-by-layer evolution. Cherry-pick between ‘Platform’ and ‘All’ for auto support. Want to ditch a support? A click, a delete, and it’s history.
PrusaSlicer – A Quick Peek
The PrusaSlicer support dance? Quicker than you’d think! The marvel here is how the entire model elevates onto supports, minimizing the chances of mid-print mishaps. Modify the Z-lift speed, punch in a couple of holes at the base for pressure relief, and don’t overload your build plate. Navigate to ‘Auto-generate points’, sprinkle in manual edits, and voilà! The recent PrusaSlicer 2.3 boasts the paint-on-supports feature, a crowd favorite for intuitive support crafting.