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Author Topic: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?  (Read 2846 times)

RST

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3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« on: April 08, 2020, 07:06:01 pm »

Hi,

I keep looking for contacts to send message to about 3-D printing some facemasks etc. for the NHS.  I can't find anything at all apart from crowdfunding -no telephone numbers or email addresses to enquire, not even in the news articles. 

I have a big 3-D printer and some spare PLA, If I can manage a print (it's a bit hit and miss on consistency!) I'd gladly send some off but it's a bit frustrating finding any useful info, or a test file even for it!  It seems a bit of a secret.

Anyone got any leads to share?

Thanks,

Rich
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2020, 11:05:47 pm »

Goodness knows why Google doesn't come up with that! Thanks gingyer, I will try them.  I was working in Renfrew up to a few weeks ago so happy to send anything useful wherever.


Rich
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2020, 05:46:53 am »

https://3dverkstan.se/protective-visor/
try these, they use standard plastic sheet used as presentation covers, punched with a 4 hole punch
these are the covers
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=plastic+binding+covers&ref=choice_dp_b

I took my first batch of 31 to the local hospital sunday, i can print about 5 or 6 a day running pretty much constantly
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timgarrod

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2020, 05:57:38 pm »

a few of us at work are going to this, I wouldn't recommend PLA as it absorbs water.


lucky we work for a chemical company the make TPU filament but waiting for approval first :(
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2020, 06:15:52 pm »

they are designed to be single use i believe, mine are being turned out from ABS
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2020, 11:45:22 am »

I got the file through from gingyer's link thanks and been trying a test print this morning.  Unfortunately I still have an issue with my steadytech pro x printer I can't seem to bottom out.
Bed's levelled perfectly, but it's always "scrubbed in" the filament on the right hand half if I try a bigger print.  It prints perfect in the central 100mm square -and the left hand side, but that's not much use on a 300x300mm machine!  So I've established also watching the z, y and z numbers, as it's tracking across the right hand side, the z height reduces by 1mm.  It's etiher doing it in software or there's a faut somewhere because it's levelled perfectly (triple checked it all when the bed is heated).

No on-line support for steadytech and box.co.uk are shut today of course so I'll stop for the moment as mightily frustrated with it.  My little steadytech printer just works perfect but I've never cracked this issue on the pro for a good 4-5 months now.  I'll do some more googling for the thousandths time again later.  Time for weekly food shop now!

Rich

...I'd upload the .stl file for the benefit of anyone else but .stl isn't supported
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2020, 09:53:37 pm »

have you tried the paper levelling trick, start up the machine, as it starts to print turn it off, the nozzle is now at its set height, slip a sheet of paper between the nozzle and the bed, move the nozzle to one of the levelling screws, set the height so you can just move the paper , then repeat at the other levelling screws, the bed is now set level with your nozzle height across the bed, switch on and dont do the inbuilt levelling - this is how i set up my printer because the levelling system is so screwball and counter intuitive. once the bed is level to the nozzle it should print fine, the paper thickness is about the thickness the first layer should be.
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2020, 10:35:17 pm »

I Grendel, thanks for the reply.

I've been 3-D printing for over a year now -some things on this machine defeat me a bit compared to my other one!  I've been through everything today -about 6-7hrs spent throubleshooting.  Actually, according to what I've checked it was a miracle it's been printing so far!  I actually damaged the print bed a few times now so need a new one but I eventually got it working, and I found out my bed is magnetic so I should just slap a new one on (never even checked that before!!!).

I still can't correct misalignment of Z as it traverses the build plate but it's nowhere near as severe and bearable now it seems.  I don't have slipping of the cog on the filament now which was horendus before and will only wear it down.  At one point today there was a +2mm jump in Z axis in the middle of my bed for no apparent reason, always at the middle of the build plate!

I know well the levelling bit -did it about 20x today and it was all level before but at one point when I had it all absolutely perfect by paper slip and vernier the machine then tried to print +5mm up in the air also which I nearly started crying whilst looking for a wall to punch.  .....Thats when I found out cura had secretly updated in the background an some things were going iffy plus I forgot to switch my printer off after about 3 prints before things went weird on the 4th.  Nothing simple in this business!!

I'm not convinced about my proxy sensor and it's function.  I personally think it's compensating backwards somehow but while I got it working OK for now....

...I'm just about to start my 3rd visor print!

Perseverence saved the day.  The printer nearly ended up on the front grass which would have cost a new printer, and living room window.  The laptop nearly followed it.

Cheers,

Rich
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2020, 06:39:09 am »

yes thats the issue with the levelling software built into mine, it works backwards, it tells you the bed is high when its low, but the worse bit is that it doesnt measure where the adjusting screws are, it measures the 4 corners.
when i bought my printer i bought a fully plug and play one, accepting that it used bespoke filament cartridges (more expensive) for the fact that all i had to do was run my models through the dedicated software and the chip in the cartridge sorts out the rest. but still have issues, so far i have cracked 2 heated glass beds removing models when they stick too well, i have just overlaid a sheet or borosilicate glass over the old bed now, and get through a sheet every few months, as a large flat part can generate clamshell chips in the bed, at this point i flip the glass over and use the other side, i also have 3 spare glasses sitting ready (glass £10 a sheet - new bed £90).
i delivered 31 masks to the local hospital last weekend, this week i have had my daughters partners care home ask for 30-40 masks as they are very low on the priority for ppe, and already have one confirmed case. i have 17 ready and can make about 6  a day
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2020, 08:48:56 pm »

Hi Grendel.  I cancelled auto level shift in my printer and found still the same.  The software seems to create a +0.5mm z shift on the right hand side of the bed every time VERY bizare!  I think it's a software issue.  I have to contact the supplier when they open on Tuesday.  But I have managed to get some good prints out now but there seems to be some sort of anti-human artificial intelligence in my machine that defeats me sometimes.  It's not like it even does the same thing each time.

...I've also noticed some shaking in my framework, so before going further, I've printed some brackets and will go out on Monday / Tuesday to the industrial counter for some 6mm threaded rod to create diagonal supports.  That will stop the tower shaking a bit which I've noticed with these bigger prints, even though they're down at the 20mm height mark but printing a bit more coarse.
I've started printing again though, figure more the better.

...I'm on a dozen or so now, shocking quality on some but I'm sending them on as they are all useable.  They wanted laminate sheets for the visor part -I went out today and bought a laminator and sheets, but It's totally guff -think I'll take it back to be honest, never seen a laminator so bad!

Bit of a quandry though.  The hospital said to try another to send them to, so seems they don't need them now.  Bit confused, I'm a bit put out.

Rich

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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2020, 08:49:56 pm »

It's been a bit of a mission but managed to order a replacement print bed today after the printer went screwy last week and decided to dig trenches instead like the nasca lines.  I've also tried to improve some stability in the design -I've no idea why these printers don't come with stays from the start.  I printed up some brackets and luckily had some ali angle section in the cupboard.  Functional rather than pretty at the moment!  Replacements can wait until I next have to food shop.

I also had to print a new spool holder as I ran out of my regular filament and am on a reel from ebay now -with different spool hole size so the supplied one with the printer won't fit.

UUUG!  Just noticed 2hrs into my latest visor and 85% through, the printer has not been printing!  The print head is about a quarter inch above the print!  What the hec!!!  Gotta love this malarky!!  It doesn't help ones sanity!
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2020, 06:34:10 am »

its true that they are frustrating. Your experience is exactly why I chose the Davinci XYZ machine, it ties me into buying their filament at inflated prices, but it has worked correctly out of the box and has probably many hundreds of hours of work run through it, so far i have gone through 2 print beds as mine has a glass bed, and sometimes the print lifts a chip out of the bed, and a couple of times prints have stuck so well that the glass has cracked lifting the part off, i have cured that part ways by using a sacrificial glass plate over the bed, the borosilicate glass costs £10 a sheet, but is cheaper than £90 for a new heated bed
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2020, 09:28:08 pm »

Ha yes. I've got mine working again. New bed coming which was not straightforward. I shall be introducing what's known as an "air gap" between my bed sensor and the controller: i.e. it's getting unplugged and put back in the box!  My first one, the "little" one works perfect out of the box once cura installed properly.  I think it pays to have good aftersales though, and not much with mine.  I suppose though it's like with lots of hobbies, it's a learning curve throughout.


Thanks for the motivation!


Rich
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2020, 10:49:53 pm »

... by the way on my sensor. It does at least 9, maybe more measurements in a matrix all over the the bed. Trouble is though, I think as you said the software puts it all backwards after and you just cannot compensate re-levelling afterwards. That said, it definately just applies an 0.5mm shift in the x-axis regardless roughly in the middle for some unknown reason. I wished things stuck tom my bed though.  I have to use adhesive so far.  I wanted to try glass but supplier said not to on account of the sensor -that theory is bunked now I guess.
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grendel

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2020, 05:48:04 am »

after sales service on mine is about zero, they do sell spare parts though.
I run ABS mostly, on my machine if you run different filament types in the same nozzle it clogs so they reccomend a nozzle (£90 each) for each material. to stick the ABS to the glass I make a thin wash of abs plastic melted in acetone, put a drop on about 50p sized and spread it across the bed with a paint scraper, for the next print i just put some acetone down and spread what is left over the bed. the problem comes if you get too thick a layer the part sticks so well that the glass cracks or chips getting it off.
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2020, 05:56:48 am »

Ah yes. I read/watched all that with ABS. I've not progressed to that until I sort my issues out (very close now). And I'll build an enclosure for the printer with some sort of fume extraction in the room before I try ABS printing.
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RST

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Re: 3D printing face masks -any contacts?
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2020, 12:26:29 am »

Well today I posted off best part of 30 visor parts I did manage to print along with a donation cheque to the care home my Mum was volunteering at before all this chaos.

Printing project stalled somewhat the last week...

1) Replacement build surface turned up but a) without the magnetic base layer needed also and b) just tossed in to a poly envelope with no protection, so obviously it got damaged in transit, corner folded over.  The DPD guy actually said he thought to just fold it in half so it fitted the letterbox rather than ring the bell, but he didn't.  Refunded, as they have no others, it was a special offer
2) Had to try and find a base layer so I can try and make the replacement damaged build surface work still.  Ordered what I thought was similar material, went to great lengths to select RM for shipping rather than DPD only to find them change it automatically after payment to DPD.  Contacted them immediately to correct but they said not possible by RM due to "weight" so they would put extra packaging on for the courier.  DPD turned up with a big bit of cardboard that looked like it had been used for target practice with a blunderbuss.  Sheet inside was mostly wrecked, tear in the middle my finger passed through.  No extra packaging at all -to be honest most carriers could have wrecked it the way it was sent.  I put the details in to RM website myself to see for curiosity and got a quote for shipping absolutely no bother.  Refunded again
3) My filament delivery arrived (apparently).  Though, seems the Postman took it upon himself to appoint my waste-food bin as a "safe place" out on the street.  He must know more about the rules than RM state to customers.  If it's the same guy he's done it once before, and was reprimanded as that order was lost also.  Dirty ......... So that's been reported not delivered as no way it was coming back out, and the bin got emptied along with the meat which went off and veg clippings etc.  Struggling to get refunded for that so far!  I'll have to try and order from elsewhere once I do get the refund somehow.  I spoke to local PO today and they were disgusted a postie would do that with a delivery.

...And DPD smashed another box this week I went to great lengths with the supplier to ensure RM was used. Luckily the 2 boxes inside just rattled around loose with no packaging and managed to survive just...so co-vid or not, just been a bit of a shambles really, though I do admire our courier delivery system at the moment.  So long as what you want is smashed to pieces, I've never had things delivered so fast, but theres just no telling suppliers and none of them seem to take pride in their products!





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