How Fine is the Detail of the MakerBot Series? : MakerBot Industries Support

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Dan Cole

Yes, I'm very interested in the new Replicator and will be printing complex shapes for architecture. But I absolutely need to know the level of detail the Replicator is capable of. Is there any way we could get a picture with a quarter next to an object of fine detail or better yet a sample? The sooner my question is answered the sooner I'll buy it. Thanks!

January 16, 2012 20:45

Codingflux

It is very good once you calibrate it correctly, instructions are simple too, I just bought my bot two days ego and I'm printing awesome stuff, check out my favorite print so far: https://twitter.com/#!/CodingFlux/status/197676332790976512/photo/1

May 02, 2012 11:50

Codingflux

I figured I post that last comment for those looking into the same question, hope it helps.

May 02, 2012 11:51

Sean Justice

Does anyone know how to make the detail more precise and more fine than it is by default? Another way to ask this might be, does anyone know which setting(s) (either in RepG or in Skeinforge) control fineness?

July 12, 2012 13:33

Andrew Pelkey

Hey Sean, if you're talking about the "resolution", then the layer height is the setting you should be most concerned with. Make this smaller for higher resolution, and bigger for lower resolution. Does that help?

July 17, 2012 20:25

Sean Justice

Thanks Andrew -- yes I tried to increase resolution by doing that but the extruder head dug into the build platform and ripped the tape. So that didn't work. What did I do wrong? The default in RepG for layer height was .27 (I think?) and I set it for .2 -- is there another way to control layer height?

July 19, 2012 07:42

James Dougan

I run my replicator at .1mm layer height for detail stuff... But be warned, the build platform has to be very "tram" with the extruders. I let my build platform preheat for 10-15 minutes, then do the leveling script and finish of with the dial indicator method to make sure its right on. Also, at really low layer heights, any outside airflow seems to have more of an effect, so having my replicator fully enclosed also helps alot. BusyBotz was who set me on the right path for high res printing, you can check out his .1mm print of Yoda on youtube ... Just google ".1mm yoda youtube" and it should be first link.

July 29, 2012 01:26

Sean Justice

Hi James thanks. .1 mm? Yikes. I just tried to do .2mm and the extruder dug into the platform again. I can't imagine getting to .1 -- it doesn't make sense -- how can the extruder move any closer to the build platform? The video is crazy cool. Thanks for the link. Okay: what is "tram" and what is the "dial indicator method". Thanks for the response!

July 31, 2012 07:27

Andrew Pelkey

Hey again, Sean. It sounds like your platform is just too close to the extruder. Running the leveling script on your Bot should sort this out.

Your layer height isn't the same as the distance between the platform and the extruder. You set that distance yourself -- of course, there is a good distance and a bad distance. Anyway, the machine treats this as a zero point and then steps down from there according to your layer height setting. So, for example, your platform could be starting off 0.3 mm away from the nozzle and then stepping down 0.1 mm each time. Make sense?

hope this helps!

July 31, 2012 07:38

James Dougan

Sean- first, Andrew is on the money with his description. Second, tram is actually what you are doing when doing the leveling script... Basically you are making sure that no matter where the extruders are on the platform, they are the same distance away. I know its just a word difference, but leveling usually means level with a known plane, where tramming is different as in you are trying to match the distance the extruders are away from the platform no matter what position (left, right, front, back) they are. Anyway... The details dont matter, getting the platform correct is all that matters for most good printing... Theres something else you need to know, from my experience as well as several other makerbotters, the build platform sags in the front quite a bit once getting up to temperature for 10-15 minutes. The reason this is important is that if you do the leveling script when the platform is cold, it will most likely change after it heats up. My method is to preheat the platform for 15 minutes... After 15 minutes I run the leveling script a couple of times making sure that a .1mm feeler guage fits with just a tiny amount of drag under the extruder. A thin piece of paper works well too if you dont have a feeler guage handy. After getting it close using the leveling script I leave the extruders in the middle of the platform (they actually sag a bit on the rails, so having them in the center while doing the rest of the adjustments with the dial indicator seems to make for better printing), and then put my dial indicator on the rails using http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:24864 ... I usually do the left side first, but dont think it matters. At this point I set my dial to zero, and then physically move the rails back so the dial indicator is near the back/left of the platform. If it is not zero, i adjust the back left screw until the dial shows zero again. I then pull the rails forward to the front left and adjust the screw until the dial indicator is zero again. Now I switch to the right side, being very careful not to disturb the dial indicator in its mount (so it will be the same as when I did the left side) and repeat the process that I did on the left side. On both sides I usually go from front to back several times making tiny adjustments until the front and back are both near zero (it doesnt have to be perfect, but the closer the better). The final thing I do it to do a quick run through the leveling script to ensure that the extruders dont hit the build platform (they never have, but I guess i like to make sure). One important note, when you install the dial indicator on the rail, it needs to barely touch the platform... Since the platform is spring loaded, if the dial indicator is pushing too much it will actually throw off your measurements. I just read back through what I wrote and it sounds kinda complicated... But really its not, and it doesnt take that long after you do it a few times and get used to it. The only time I redo the process is after I change my platforms tape, or if prints are doing odd things (namely if one area of the print seems to keep failing which kinda indicates one area of the platform may not be in the same place it used to be). Doing this merhod to get my platform right, and enclosing my replicator in plexiglass to keep out unwanted airflow, made huge improvements in my prints and allowed me to print at .1mm layer heights without any issues when I want to. I have some free time today, I will try to throw together a quick video to show the way I do this to make it easier to understand.

July 31, 2012 20:33

James Dougan

Bah, my above post had paragraphs when I wrote it, i guess the makerbot site did not like me writing from my iPad... Sorry if its hard to read now.

July 31, 2012 20:34

Sean Justice

Wow, James, this is so helpful. You're right that it sounds complex! But I also know that you're right about just needing to get it done by doing it, and that the process gets all smooths out with practice.

Two questions: how do you get the pre-heater to stay active for 15 mins? I have to keep turning it back on after it times out for "inactivity".

And, what role do you think filament diameter plays in this? In the Print o Matic setting I've been advised to increase the filament diameter from the default. So far I'm up to 1.87 with good results. But I'm not sure why or what this setting is doing.

Thanks again so much for this assistance, both James and Andrew!

August 01, 2012 09:53

James Dougan

From my experience, if the machine is working properly and the platform is right, then the plastic measurement should be whatever the plastic actually is... Currently my plastic is 1.73 and thats what I use in print o matic. But really, they key is that you get good results, so whatever it takes to get to that point is all that matters.

August 01, 2012 18:58

James Dougan

Oh, and I have not had my pre heat time out... Maybe its because im usually messing around in the menu while its pre heating so it doesnt see me as inactive.

August 01, 2012 18:59

Erich Woreck

It's been 3 months without activity but the answer is still ot here. It's hard to find pictures of things made with makerbots that aren't rough (early printers or really think layers) or are treated with sandpaper etc.

I only would like to see small fine detailed models printed with a layer thickness on 0.1 mm without any finishing applied. I had a nextengine 3D scanner but it's accuracy is only 0.12 mm and it didn't work out, the models lost fine detail as if they were heavily painted over. I really want to know if the printer can even manage to print without losing this type of fine detail.

Some example of small detailed models:

http://www.shapeways.com/model/79552/terran-combat-walker.html?li=productBox-search

http://www.shapeways.com/model/42621/mage.html?li=productBox-search

http://www.shapeways.com/model/85269/terran-ground-attack-vtol.html?li=productBox-search

Pictures of 3D prints would be nice to easily see the detail level.

November 12, 2012 21:08

Darrell L Jan

Erich,

This website shows some models printed on a Replicator at 0.27 mm, 0.10 mm, 0.05 mm, and 0.01 mm. Personally, I've never tried to go below 0.1 mm--those take long enough!

http://www.thingiverse.com/image:183118

November 18, 2012 17:31

Erich Woreck

I didn't know the replicator could even go below 0.1 mm but this is using a modified firmware called sailfish. Counting the layers on the 0.27 mm layer its about 4.59 cm tall, this is about the size I would be wanting to print. Thanks.

November 18, 2012 18:50

James Dougan

Sailfish is amazing on a Rep1, and I am pretty sure MBI is incorporating many of the things Dan and Jetty (the guys who made sailfish) did into upcoming Makerbot firmware as well. I am pretty sure that MBI even supports sailfish now, so that should tell you something.

Anyway, here is a thread I made about doing a .05mm layer print on my Rep1

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/makerbot/24s6uxVkMTY/discussion

I print at .1 and .05 often on my Rep1 and rarely have problems, but I have to say it took a long time to get my Rep1 "tuned" so that I could always get good results (alot of trial and error).

I printed at .05 prior to sailfish on standard MBI firmware as well.... but the advantage of sailfish is now I can print .05mm at 120mm/s and get great results so the prints don't take forever like they did when I used to do it on MBI firmware.

With all that being said, I think MBI's own firmware has come a long way (from what I have read on the forums) and may be capable of the same results as sailfish... I am just comfortable with sailfish so have not had a reason to go back to MBI firmware. Most of the big advances in printing on my own machine came from learning its quirks, making a couple of mods, and tuning it right.

November 18, 2012 21:06

Darrell L Jan

Yes, I've been using Sailfish too, it works really well.

You might want to grab a copy of the latest Make magazine, which reviews several 3D printing machines.

November 18, 2012 23:42

Erich Woreck

Sailfish sounds and looks good but the rep2 doesn't have a supported sailfish version. This leaves a problem of which would be better, the rep2 or rep1 using sailfish or waiting for a possible sailfish for rep2.

November 19, 2012 00:02

Mann Henry

All of this information is super helpful. I'm trying to print beads (less than 1 cubic inch in volume) on my replicator and wondering if there are any skeinforge settings I should tinker with. Most of our small beads end up having rough corners with a woven look or little bumps of extra plastic sticking out of the sides. What do you recommend? I would really appreciate any help. Thanks!

December 06, 2012 10:36

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How Fine is the Detail of the MakerBot Series?

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