Warping

Warping, when some parts of the object start to curl upwards.

Even though the first few layers of your object adhere successfully to the build plate, it may happen that the object starts to deform and curl. It is called warping and occurs because the filament slightly expands at first and then contracts as it cools down. The shrinkage causes the corners of the object to lift and get detached from the build plate.

This behavior is mainly common when printing very large objects or when high temperature materials such as ABS are used. As the print proceeds, each successive layer will deform a bit more until the entire object curls and separates from the bed. There are several possible causes for this problem (and fortunately also solutions).

Use the heated build plate

Tractus3D printers come with a heated bed that can help keep the bottom layers of your part warm throughout the print. This will significantly reduce the amount of shrinkage in these layers. To adjust your heated bed temperature, use the Simplify3D software and click on “Edit Process Settings”, select the Temperature tab, and then choose the Heated Bed from the list on the left-hand side. You can double-click on the temperature setpoint to edit the value.

Reduce or diable fan cooling

As cooling can be a problem, you may want to disable cooling fans entirely when printing and allow all of the layers to stay warm for a longer period of time. You can verify your fan speed settings by clicking on the Cooling tab of your process settings in Simplify3D. To prevent warping, it’s advisable to leave the fans off for the first layer or to slowly increase the fan speed during the first few layers. This ensures that the bottom layer of the object maintains its temperature and avoids excessive cooling.

Usa a brim

A “brim” is an effective way to stop your object from warping. It places a single-layer-thick, flat area around your object, which resists the pulling forces as the print cools. Since it is only a single layer, it’s easy to remove once the print’s finished. To use this option, use Simplify3D and go the “Additions” tab end enable the “Use Skirt/Brim” option. Please use a “skirt offset of zero” and increase the outline count accordingly.

Use a heated chamber

Our Pro series have the option to heat up the build chamber. This will heat up the air around the model, thus reducing the amount of shrinking that will occur. Temperatures of 95 °C for the chamber should be easy to reach. Please try if these temperatures are actually needed for your specific part.