Part Defects
5 min
why defects occur every manufacturing process comes with its own idiosyncrasies that can manifest in defects due to ill suited designs , production process errors , and more injection molding can have flow lines, short shots, and warping machining can show tool chatter, burns, and burrs dls printing also has its share of potential defects, but the good news is defects can be managed with thoughtful design optimized build layouts well maintained equipment adherence to recommended processes resolving a defect identify a part defect the first and most challenging step is to identify the defect you are dealing with so that you can address the issue properly review the identify a part defect to review all possible part defects, sorted by when the defect occurs identify a part defect identify a part defect also inlcuded in the library are print artifacts, which are not defects but rather optical effects that are an artifact of dls printing you can, however, influence their effect with print preparation identify a part defect curated libraries if it is easier to look at a shortened list of defects, a few categories of curated libraraies are also available to find the defect on your part identify a part defect identify a part defect identify a part defect if you can narrow down your potential defects to a few options, open the page each option and review the section on identifying defects additional clues are provided for each defect that should help narrow your search review troubleshooting options if there is a known cause with a print preparation or part design solution , go straight to the print preparation or part design adjustments section of troubleshooting steps to select an action examples of a defect are shown in its how to identify section known causes and solutions are listed with each example, when available if your defect closely matches one of these examples, then we recommend trying one of the print preparation or part design solutions first if the cause of the defect is inconclusive , try the suggested troubleshooting actions in order, as available process, material, and hardware checks diagnostics print preparation or part design adjustments print preparation or part design solutions include orientation, supports, design, and print plan adjustments it is recommended that you review all the possible solutions before taking action to ensure you are pursuing the best course of action additional resources carbon provides other resources to help you on your path to successful production dive deeper to learn more about the topics below design print preparation printer mainteneance dls process dls design guidelines printer ui maintenance dls printer dynamics docid\ u7xyytjydp3bvsyy2qkcu lattice parameters orientation and supports maintenance process overview docid 0k1g5pbc2uxr8zjqrhlcr maintenance cassette care docid\ y imi7aevlyjbsatexxdb dls printer dynamics to fully understand why part defects occur and how to resolve them, the most helpful information is to understand the dynamics of the dls printing process the video below provides an overview, but reviewing the dls printer dynamics docid\ u7xyytjydp3bvsyy2qkcu guide is also strongly recommended understanding the forces at play during printing and how resin is flowing will help you understand how to best utilize recommended troubleshooting steps for each defect dls printing is best understood by looking at what happens when each slice is printed there are five core steps to print each slice the video plays through 3 slices one slice slowly and 2 more slices in real time this is an example print of a rigid part the exact timing of a printing slice and the force values will vary throughout the build and for each project z dimensions for pump height, slice thickness, and dead zone are exaggerated for visibility the following stages occur for each printed slice pump up settle up pump down settle down exposure