New Section Features Artist Mark Leonard’s Fiber Bridging Technique And Free Designs
BREA, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — December 19, 2014 — Spyder 3D World, the fast growing online community that is attracting 3D printing enthusiasts from around the globe, today launches a new technical assistance feature offering tips, techniques and fixes in an open source platform.
The educational information offered in the new ‘Spyder Bytes’ section will come directly from designers with the first module on advanced fiber bridging techniques developed by Florida artist Mark Leonard.
“The global 3D printing community is connecting through Spyder 3D World and the knowledge sharing is expanding every day,” said Joe Bloomfield, Spyder 3D World CEO. “This new section adds a technical perspective, provided by those who have learned from experience, to help enthusiasts achieve more with their 3D printers.”
Based in Orlando, Florida, Mark Leonard is an artist at Aztec Scenic Design, which creates multi-dimensional custom ceiling treatments for high-end homes.
Up until two years ago, the artists at Aztec sculpted the designs for each ceiling. Leonard began using modeling software and a 3D printer to create and design the architectural elements that Aztec installs today.
Aztec’s intricate designs led Leonard to develop bridging techniques that enable the 3D printer to literally “print over air” creating flexible, yet strong, intricate designs that use individual filament strands.
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“The 3D printer expanded the creative options we could offer clients, but the more complex designs created printing challenges, and it took months to develop the solutions,” said Mark Leonard.
Now, Leonard is offering some of his best creative designs to members of the Spyder 3D World community. To view and download Leonard’s designs visit his 3DKreashunz marketplace page at Spyder 3D World. These designs come from Leonard’s trial-and-error experiences to find solutions for successfully printing intricate design elements.
According to Leonard, with the right technique, you can bridge across the entire printing bed. His top recommendations include:
- Adhesion is critical. As every strand adds more tension, the strands need to adhere perfectly.
- Use a smaller nozzle and make sure it’s clear because any clogging will cause the bridge to fail.
- Adjust the slicing by managing the bridge flow ratio to control extrusion when the printer is bridging.
- An end platform offset from the design object allows the bridges to connect.
- Staggering each fiber column yields better results than printing each fiber above one another.
- Z-Lift and Retraction settings must be set perfectly to avoid extra plastic expelling as the printer head travels.
“I learned so much from the open source 3D printing community and now want to pay it forward by sharing these techniques with others,” said Leonard.
To see videos, photos and read more about Leonard’s bridging techniques, visit www.spyder3dworld.com/spyderbytes.
About Spyder 3D World
Headquartered in Southern California, Spyder 3D World is creating an open source 3D printing experience for enthusiasts of all levels. Visit www.spyder3dworld.com or www.facebook.com/spyder3dworld.
See the video of Mark Leonard’s bridging technique in action here.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141219005429/en/
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