Warp Test for Print Bed Adhesion by TechShopJim

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

This model (actually set of three models) is a torture test to see if you can print it without any warping or lifting of the ends. I'll bet you can't.
I have not found a single FDM 3D printer that can print this model in ABS without warping and still allow a clean release of the finished print, unless my new printing surface is installed.
The thing that makes this model such a bear to print is the fact that it has only a 1/8" wide contact patch at the bottom of the V-shaped body. This tiny contact patch does not allow very much adhesion, so the forces of the contracting cooling plastic from each successive layer wants to pull the ends up off the print bed, causing warping.
There are three versions of this model as follows: 1.) Completely solid, 2.) A hollow shell, and 3.) A hollow shell with a vertical partition in the center to impart even more warping force on the ends.
This is the hardest thing that I have ever tried to print without having the ends lift up and warp off the print bed.
Many of you know that I have been working on a novel printing bed with a special surface specifically designed for printing in ABS. I have been trying to solve the ABS adhesion problem for many years, and I was the first one to publish the method now known as ABS juice or ABS slurry. The new print surface is the perfect combination with ABS slurry.
I built this model as a torture test for that new print surface.
I am recording GoPro videos of the build on my new surface material today (4/19/2016), and will update this post as soon as the video is done.
My new build surface is designed to still use ABS slurry, but the great thing is that this surface has tremendous adhesion when it is hot, but no adhesion when it is cool. It is also completely resistant to acetone and solvents, and can be heated to 1150 degrees F without damage (your printer will be damaged at that temperature, but not the print surface). This new print surface is also not made from any kind of glass (all types of glass including borosilicate and tempered glass are prone to thermal shock and can chip or crack or even shatter if the temperature of the glass changes too rapidly). Instead of glass, this new surface is made from a very thin sheet of a very special form of ceramic metallic oxide, which is extremely rigid. It is then coated with a special compound and fused to the rigid material in order to produce a bed that has nearly identical thermal expansion characteristics to ABS when it is hot, but radically different thermal expansion characteristics than ABS plastics when it is cold. This causes the finished part to be easily lifted off the build surface when it has cooled.
As you probably know all too well, the problem with ABS slurry is that it makes your printed parts stick too well to the build surface. The most common solution is to stick Kapton tape on the print bed, and then apply ABS slurry to the Kapton tape. ABS slurry helps the part stick to the Kapton tape on the print bed, but the warping forces will often cause the adhesive of the Kapton tape to actually separate from the bed. We are talking about some major contraction forces here! If the 3D printed sticks OK to a particular surface like Kapton or glass with ABS slurry without warping, usually when you try to remove the model, it won't budge. The only solution in this case is to use a scraper, knife blade, or screwdriver, but you risk scratching the print bed or damaging your finished part.
I think you will be impressed by my new build surface for printing in ABS. Here are the main features (this is not a commercial!):
o Thin and extremely rigid and stiff
o Very strong, unlike fragile glass
o No issues with thermal shock causing cracks, warping, shattering, or chipping
o Hot-swappable so you can start a new print as soon as the first one is finished
o Have multiple beds prepped and ready to go
o Literally pick up the finished printed part from the bed when it is done
o No modifications to your printer
o No fastening hardware or clips
o Not affected by heat, solvents, and resistant to abrasion
We will be testing the surface with a number of selected beta testers, as well as at all our 11 TechShop locations worldwide and all our TechShop Inside maker trailers.
If you are interested in being a beta tester (at a 50% discounted price) and you normally print in ABS with your heated-bed ABS printer, please PM me with your information and the type of printer you have, along with the dimensions of the print bed, and I'll put you on the consideration list. I'm hoping to get beta testers all set up starting in May 2016.
Anyway, try printing these models on your printer in ABS (or PLA if that's all you have) and post a photo here showing how much you can avoid warping, and print a finished part with a perfectly flat bottom.
Good luck!
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Jim Newton
Founder, TechShop