3D Printing Reference

Dry all engineering filaments before every print session — including freshly opened factory-sealed spools. PLA and PETG benefit from drying if stored open for more than a week. Use a dedicated filament dryer or food dehydrator.

Use PLA for visual models and display pieces. Use PETG for functional indoor parts with light loads. Move to engineering materials when temperature, impact, UV exposure, chemical contact, or sustained mechanical loads are involved.

The Bambu Lab H2C handles PA12, PA6-CF, PC, ASA, and most engineering filaments well. Use the Bambu Studio built-in profiles as your starting point and adjust based on your specific filament brand. Ensure the enclosure is closed and the AMS is bypassed for moisture-sensitive materials.

For most parts: sand progressively (120→240→400), apply filler primer, wet sand at 600+, then paint. For a faster finish on non-critical parts, use a thick filler primer like Rust-Oleum 2-in-1 and sand once. For the best results, use automotive body filler (Bondo/spot putty) on deep layer lines before priming.

Acetone vapor smooths ABS and ASA. MEK works on ABS, ASA, and some PETG formulations. Ethyl acetate works on PLA but results are less predictable. Dedicated machines like the Polymaker Polysher (for PolySmooth PVB) and the AMT PostPro automate the process for production use.

Warping is caused by differential cooling — the bottom layers cool and contract while upper layers are still hot. Fixes: increase bed temperature, enclose the printer, add a brim, apply bed adhesion aids, and reduce cooling fan speed for the first few layers.

Export as STL or STEP. Check for non-manifold geometry (holes in the mesh) before exporting. Design wall thickness at minimum 1.2mm for FDM (3 × 0.4mm nozzle). Add 0.2–0.3mm clearance to mating features. Holes print smaller than modelled — add 0.15–0.2mm to hole diameters.

Use a dedicated support filament for clean, damage-free removal. Bambu Support for PLA/PETG, Bambu Support for ABS, Polymaker PolySupport, PVA for dissolvable, and HIPS for ABS/ASA. For engineering materials like Nylon and PC where no dedicated support exists, same-material supports with tuned interface settings are the fallback.