Guidelines: 3D Printing

1. Complete your 3d model prototype in any 3d modeling software (SketchUp, Blender,

etc.) and convert it into stereolithography format (.stl).

Note: Softwares like Blender and SketchUp2018 (& above versions) provides file export in
(.stl) format.

2. After converting the file into (.stl)format, the file can be easily used in Ultimaker
Cura(compiler for available 3d printer).

. After opening the exported file in Ultimaker Cura, one can see the prototype model on
real printing scale (221mm * 221mm * 300 mm - Volume of Printing Plate).

4. Ultimaker Cura provides some modification features in the model like Move, Rotation,
Mirror and Scale.

5. Before printing, one needs to set drafting settings for 3d printer.

Material : PLA(Polylactic Acid) plastic (white)

ABS(Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)(red)

Nozzle Size : 0.25mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm(generally used)

Layer Height : 0.1mm - 2.1mm

Wall Height : 1.5mm - 3mm

Infill Density: 10- 80%

Speed : 40mm/s - 60mm/s

Cooling : Only required for PLA material

Note :
Ultimaker Cura provides automatically generated support for cantilever structures which
can affect the precision of the printing model. Hence model should be first divided into
parts for printing and later reassembled for the completed prototype.

6. After selecting appropriate settings, one can see estimated time and material used for
printing and then the file can be saved in Memory Card or Removable disk in
(.gcode)format for actual printing.

7. 3d printing machine first requires calibration of the plate which ensures that the plate
and nozzle are close enough and also the plate is exactly perpendicular to the
nozzle(otherwise the print can slide in one direction).

8. Before giving the printing command, the plate should be applied with a glue stick so that
the base of the model should stick with the plate.

9. Once printing is done, the printed parts can be glued to make a complete structure.