3D printer

[Bitsyncmaster]

TinkerCAD now lets you export to Fusion360. I tried it with my HVAC faceplate and it worked. I can now view it on Fusion360 and maybe edit it. I could export it to a step file but my design did not put the necessary tapers needed for injection molding.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I just did an export from Fusion360 of the same HVAC face plate from TinkerCAD and the .stl file is 562 Kbytes. The .stl from TinkerCAD is 437 Kbytes. I wonder why the size difference. I may have to run a 3D print to see if anything changed.

Is an export of the .f3d the source file. Not sure if any other CAD software can import that file type.

[jangell]

It?s probably just small differences in how the parametric surface is meshed into polygons by the different algorithms implemented in each application. They?re likely functionally identical if you compare the meshes in your slicer or a 3D object viewer.

? Joe

[Bitsyncmaster]

I just saw this larger 3D resin printer and it looks like it would print my HVAC face plate flat. Not only would that speed up the print but it should print without any supports so very little extra finishing work. When I print a large flat surface on my current printer I usually make up a matrix of tiny squares about a 1/4" inch high and print it on that matrix. That way it just pops off the built plate really easy. I'm not sure if printing flat would warp any though. With resin printers you get the warp, if any, in post curing.

If anyone has one of these or is going to buy one, I can send you my .STL file to try. I may end up buying one someday if nobody else gets one. My FORMLABs printer uses a laser to cure the resin and has much finer resolution but for the HVAC I really don't need that.

https://uniformation3d.com/products/...-resin-printer