how to print screens

I managed using a 0.3mm nozzle and 1mm line width. When the printer fills in alternating patterns, it makes a nice screen with 0.5mm holes rather than actually filling.

The issue is, now to combine this with other parts of the model that are not screens, since they do not print correctly anymore.

For example, I might print a funnel with a screen at the bottom.

I don't know how to express the screen in stl. The file would be huge, and not work when changing parameters. Is there a way to specify screens in the model that the slicer can understand?

Haven't tried this but it might help.
Slic3r allows you to pull in a model, overlay a sperate model and specify different parameters where they over lap.
So you could try using a model of the funnel with the bottom 3mm as solid. Overlay a cylinder on the bottom 3mm bore where you want the screen and specify your 1mm line spacing.
Also you can generate a similar screen just using the infill (about 33% i think). Im guess rectilinear and combine every layer.

How about setting zero bottom layers and zero top layers and then set the infill to give whatever screen pattern you like? You'll probably need to use a grid or triangles pattern so you get the full pattern on each layer.

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retrosenator
I managed using a 0.3mm nozzle and 1mm line width. When the printer fills in alternating patterns, it makes a nice screen with 0.5mm holes rather than actually filling.

The issue is, now to combine this with other parts of the model that are not screens, since they do not print correctly anymore.

For example, I might print a funnel with a screen at the bottom.

I don't know how to express the screen in stl. The file would be huge, and not work when changing parameters. Is there a way to specify screens in the model that the slicer can understand?

I am assuming that you are modifying an existing stl file?
My favorite program to hack stl files is TinkerCAD. Pull in the current stl file, hack off the bit that you want to make into a screen, build the screen and graft it back on to the stl model. It is a pretty simple program to use, and can do some very powerful things, even if you aren't a skilled CAD-using ME.

If you are creating new models, obviously you'd just make the screen in the model.

DLC

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the_digital_dentist
How about setting zero bottom layers and zero top layers and then set the infill to give whatever screen pattern you like? You'll probably need to use a grid or triangles pattern so you get the full pattern on each layer.

This basically works. I can use the infill setting to adjust the hole size, and I just used "lines" which is good pattern. It looks nice.

The only annoying part is the other top and bottom surfaces aren't filled but ok for this case.

Is there a way to specify different thicknesses for different top and/or bottom surfaces?

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dlc60

I am assuming that you are modifying an existing stl file?

No I make the stl from openscad

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My favorite program to hack stl files is TinkerCAD. Pull in the current stl file, hack off the bit that you want to make into a screen, build the screen and graft it back on to the stl model. It is a pretty simple program to use, and can do some very powerful things, even if you aren't a skilled CAD-using ME.

If you are creating new models, obviously you'd just make the screen in the model.

How do you make the screen in the model so that you ensure each line in the screen is one plastic extrusion? I tried this and the stl file was huge, and this was with much larger holes than possible using infill settings.

Try the 'detect thin walls' slicer setting, this should make sure the geometry isn't ignored. I've sliced some single walled stamps that worked well like this. Using adobe illustrator lines, then converted the lines into shapes and imported and extruded the shapes in 3d program.

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If I want single wall, it's not too hard to do, if you know what printer you're aiming for.

If you make the walls a multiple of the printer's nozzle diameter, I don't tend to have problems with the slicer. I've done that in order to try to remove a patterned infill in places that I just want walls with no infill. For most of us, that;s probably 0.4mm as a single wall.

I'd probably use the honeycomb infill for a screen. One because I like the regular hexagon idea, and two because it prints on top of the previous layer that way.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2019 12:32PM by SupraGuy.

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