Recently we 3D printed the Gayer Anderson cat from MyMiniFactory’s Scan the World Initiative. On a traditional 3D printer, this model requires support material under the chin of the cat. However, on a conveyor belt 3D printer, the rules for support material are much different.
For more information on how to orient 3D models for Conveyor Belt 3D Printing, check out our complete guide here.
By 3D printing on a conveyor belt, no support material was needed. This eliminates the wasted material from the support structure. In addition, print time is reduced. Surface finish on the chin of the cat is much better than if breakaway support material was used.
The biggest challenge in 3D printing this model is related to the surface area of the model touching the conveyor belt. The free-standing paw repeatedly fell over during printing. To fix this, Microsoft 3D Builder was used to add a small rectangle to the bottom of the model. This connects the paw to the rest of the model. The paw printed successfully, but the model was still knocked off the conveyor belt eventually.
To make this print successful we used Microsoft 3D Builder to add a larger rectangle to the entire bottom of the model. This gave the model enough surface area touching the conveyor belt, and it completed successfully.
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