![]() Exterior surfaces tend to cool faster, while the interior mass stays hotter, which can cause undesirable results. This can be accredited to differential cooling rates of materials. While thermoplastics, such as ABS, have relatively low shrinkage rates, we still see issues with distortion and curling due to material characteristics, especially when printing large geometry with thick cross-sections. The process is quite simple, but obviously there’s much more to consider. ![]() As you may already know, this is exactly how FDM technology works: the materials are heated to their glass transition, extruded, and then solidify again. This is the reason certain plastic items can be melted and used again repeatedly. Let me begin by stating that I’m not a plastics engineer, but I do know that thermoplastics have a glass transition temperature, meaning they will become liquid and solidify again at certain temperatures. Is it unreasonable to expect 3D print perfection? Indeed it is, but end users are quick to blame the machines.
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