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LED-LCD-based resin 3D printers are significantly simpler than other technologies such as FDM or SLS. However, they also require regular calibration and maintenance.

Fused granulate fabrication (pellets) is the primary method in plastic compounding, offering cost-effective custom blends with polymer bases and color/additive masterbatches. A pellet extruder with mixing screws is used for melt blending.

Thermistors are the most common and simplest sensor to implement, as they are connected directly to the printer board, while thermocouples are composed of a bimetallic junction that varies its conductivity depending on the temperature. This post explains the types on the market and the common problems with these sensors.

This post deals with the Raft, Skirt and Brim elements, which are three additional printing components that can be configured during lamination and are generated automatically.

After the extruder stops pulling filament, pressure remains in the nozzle, causing molten plastic to continue flowing until pressure equalizes. This results in droplets and fine threads on the part surface. To mitigate this, FFF 3D printers utilize a mechanism called retraction.

The hotend is, together with the extruder, one of the most important parts of a FFF 3D printer. Although at first glance it may appear to be one of the simplest elements, it is one of the most complex, as it has to achieve optimum thermal performance.

The extruder is the element responsible for pulling the filament into the hotend in such a way that sufficient pressure is generated inside the hotend so that the molten material flows constantly and homogeneously through the nozzle.

In any FFF 3D printer, the stepper motors are indispensable. Their task is to position the print head, as well as to pull the filament in the extruder. The most common problems involve the power driver or the connection

The printing temperature of a given filament depends not only on the type of material, but also on the printing conditions. Printing speed, nozzle diameter, extruder type or the distance between the extruder and the hotend have a considerable influence on the optimum printing temperature

The final quality of the printed parts is strongly influenced by the quality of the raw material used in the production of the filament, as well as by its conservation. This is because the more homogeneous and constant the filament properties are, the more uniform the extrusion will be and the better surface quality the final part will have.

During printing, high-temperature extruded plastic shrinks as it cools. Materials like PLA have low shrinkage (0.3%-0.5%), while others like nylon 12 can shrink up to 2%, and PVDF up to 4%, leading to deformations in parts.

The hotend is probably the component of the FDM 3D printer that requires the most maintenance. This article explains the maintenance guidelines to keep it in good condition to ensure good print quality and minimise the risk of failure.