3D printing has taken the world by storm as evident from the large number of people who prefer using this technology to develop resounding printed materials for customers. If you are new to this printing technology, one of the terms that you will hear often in discussion is raft.
What is a Raft?
A raft is a new generation printing bed that is used to by companies to achieve better printing bed adhesion. It’s made up of small layers that have protrudes and infills. Ideally, the bigger the 3D printing raft, the stronger the adhesion.
One of the benefits of having a raft is that in projects that entail use of warped printing bed, it can compensate for the difference in height. Also, if you are using a printing bed that is perforated, the substructure offers a stable base that consequently ensure that the best 3D results are achieved.
The raft offers better stability or rather a sturdy hold on the bed. It also adhesives parts with a miniature contract surface.
Despite these two benefits, working with a raft gets complicated because its not easy to remove it. Also, the bottom surface is not smooth or even and this affects the quality of the final product.
4 Primary Reasons Why You Should Consider Adding a Raft to a Printed Material
- When the print bed requires additional support.
- When the warping printing bed has significant height difference. The raft helps to cover up for the difference in height.
- Raft can be used to fix in place a small contact area.
- Raft comes in handy to enhance efficiency and performance of the printer if the printing bed has perforations.
Raft is not however the only option for the above four uses. The are many alternatives that you can use to complete the 3D printing project successfully. Please consider the following key disadvantages before using the raft to make the right decision.
- Do you intend to remove the substructure later? If your answer is YES, note that the removal process will not be easy due to the adhesive
- Keeping the 3D printer devoid of debris and clutter will be challenge but this is dependent on the material you used as well as the size and shape of the printed piece.
Now that we have that out of the way, let us proceed and look at other reasons why you would consider using a raft to enhance adhesion to your valuable printing bed.
But before we do that, its important to point out that there is a plethora of different 3D printers in the market today. The many factors that have to be considered often making the shopping process daunting. Check out this detailed guide and comparison of 3-in-1 3D printers to pick the right one.
The Filament Properties and Small Components
First, the 3D printer comes with internal components that make it possible for it to heat the polymer-made material. The material is plastic and so it turns into liquid form when heated.
Once in liquid form, its layered on each other in unique and individual threads using fine nozzles. Note that the final printed piece is made up of the threads or the layers of the plastic material.
When the plastic is still flexible and warm, the printing experts use special filaments to fuse the layers together. Before proceeding, its important to note that the plastic starts to cool down as soon as its flows out of the nozzle. However, the amount of time it takes to cool completely depends on a number of factors such as the ambient air around the work station and the temperature on the printing bed.
Needless to say, it takes longer to cool a plastic liquid that is at 250 degrees Celsius hot at room temperature than one which is only 180 degrees Celsius hot.
Any expert can attest to the fact that for you to end up with the best 3D print, the plastic should not cool off immediately after it leaves the nozzles. Come up with ways of keeping it hot until the first layer is strongly bonded on the subsequent layers. The layering process should be done when the polymer is in liquid form.
Why Filament That Has Cooled Down is Difficult to Adhere
Most of the plastic varieties in the market such as ABS, Nylon, PETG, and PLA tend to shrink or contract when they cool down.
The rate at which each of the materials cool down varies. For instance, the PLA layer sticks strongly to another PLA layer during the cooling process because the two layers are made from the same material. Consequently, they shrink at the same rate depending on the temperature in the room since both have the same properties or characteristics.
Another factor to keep in mind is that your print bed is not made of either nylon, ABS, PLA, or PETG. Its constructed using a completely different material that changes its state and volume at different rates to offer the desired level of adhesion.
Can a 3D Printer Create a Raft?
This is by far one of the most common questions that we get from readers. The answer is YES. The 3D printer has the ability to create a strong raft. Most of the models in the market create three layers of the liquid hot plastic at a slow pace and each layer has a different strength.
The three layers from a distance look as if they form a robust grid on the solid top layer. The actual printing of the desired object is only done on the top most layer of the Raft. Make sure that you do this process carefully to achieve the expected results.
In particular, make sure that you change the settings of the slicer software to achieve the correct spacing between the grid layers. Other important factors to keep in mind is the thickness of the material as well as the thickness of the individual layers.
Final Thoughts
Check the leveling or the alignment of the printing bed to confirm that it suits the project. Adjust it accordingly if its off by tightening or loosening the knobs and screws. Before you start the 3D printing process, make sure that the print bed is clean and level. If you recently used the bed for a different project, you may have to re-calibrate it also.
Check the user’s menu for instructions on how to calibrate the bed and 3D printer. While doing the calibration, remember to also adjust the distance between the build plate and the nozzle.
