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I a now getting ready to start my first print. Is there a particular side to the FEP that should be against the print?
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I do not think there is should be any difference at least in my experience.
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I did not think it should make a difference, but thought I would ask. Also, how can I get the print to stick to the build plate better? It seems to stick to the FEP better than it sticks to the build plate. Or, what material should I be using to make a different build plate? I have 3d printed my build plate and it does not seem to work very well.
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Use anodized aluminum build plate.
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Awesome!!! I will get to building one right away.
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Anodized aluminum did not do the trick. Anything else...anyone? Does the FEP have to remain somewhat cool? Mine gets very warm during printing. As a matter of fact, the FEP gets very warm...almost hot. I also tried sanding down the aluminum to create gouges......did not work.
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Usually resin sticks to the anodized aluminum so well, you need blade spatula to remove pieces.
If it does not stick usually it means during the burnin layers platform was not close enough to the tank bottom or it was not parallel.
Make sure you have at-least 1cm lift after cure time of the burnin layers. And your fep is tense enough.
Also make sure you have high enough cure time for the burnin layers as it must cause the cure in thick layer of resin to reach platform.
I have not seen any resin which does not stick to anodized aluminum, but it is also possible too albeit less likely.
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To help resin stick better you may scratch the build plate surface with sandpaper. Tested and working.
Last edited by color (2017-02-12 12:43:52)
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Thank you, guys. More to test and try today. I have been calibrating my bottom layer using a vat with resin already in it. I am going to try and calibrate the bottom with a dry vat. Hopefully, I can get better results. Also, I am going to order 120 5mm leds instead of the 3mm that I now have. What do you suggest for a good burn in time for the bottom layers? I have gone as far as 25 seconds with no better results. Should the cure in layers be thicker than the normal layers? And about how thick? I have done my burn in layers at anywhere from 50 microns up to 100 microns with no luck. I guess I just keep plugging away. Oh yeah, got my circuit boards done and am using them now, will post pics later today. Grocery day, off to Wally World'.
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No, burnin layers should not be thicker. But because it is not perfectly aligned you need higher cure time to make sure cured resin reach to the build platform.
Cure times for burin-in layers could be around 3 or 4 times of the normal layers.
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OK!! Got the first layer to stick. But, that is the only one. Took a cure time of 55 seconds to make this happen. This really seems to be excessive to me. Tried the same and shot my subsequent layer at 30 seconds and no sticking to the first layer. Have to keep plugging along though, I will get this.
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Imagine two surfaces (tank floor and build platform) are not parallel, if one of the corners on the surface reaches the other surface. Distance on one corner is zero and on the opposite corner could be 0.2mm, (on PDMS and non-supported FEP distance could be negative!) so you need to make sure number of burn-in layers are enough to have resin cured on the surface of the build platform.
Also perfectly aligned surface could create lots of vacuum force on the first layers. So you need very strong layer of cured resin on the early layers. Because of this vacuum force you usually could observe hole or channels on lots of printers' build platforms to decrease vacuum force. Another way to decrease vacuum force is slow speed. You need to make sure movements are very slow on the first layers specially if you see floating support structure in your resin. It could means, resin sticks to the build platform but they get separated by vacuum force.
Base on your description, I guess you can decrease the first layer cure time but you need to decrease speed of movement on the first layers (maybe the first 1mm), also if you do not have hole on your build platform, put some. One of way to test if you have solved vacuum force issue or not is to print lots of pillar like structure. If they intact on the border which vacuum force is less and ones in middle do not sticks, you have the vacuum issue.
There are lots of things could go wrong and unfortunately I have not seen complete guide on troubleshooting SLA printers process.
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Thanks for this post...I will drill some holes in my build plate to relieve the vacuum problem. I am getting closer all of the time. A good print should be in the works very soon.
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