Hey guys,
I'm going to attempt to do these design updates more regularly. So here's to a monthly update!
New Updates:
Silver Glossy should be minimum 0.8mm thick. We've tried at 0.6mm over the past year and had to reject a majority of the orders. This is because when we hand polish the silver at 0.6mm, it becomes very fragile and often breaks (many of you who design for silver probably already got this message from customer service). So unfortunately, we need to raise the minimum now to 0.8mm.
WSF Stepping: Because we print layer by layer, sometimes you might see "print lines." Usually, we organize models so these print lines are minimized, but sometimes the print lines are unavoidable. We updated the
WSF Material Pages with a picture of what these print lines might look like. Please note, these will not show up in every print.
FUD/FD Stepping: Due to the printing process, we need to place support material below the model. This support material can create small print lines in some parts, particularly if the part has flat surfaces. These print lines are small and not highly noticeable, however they will be exaggerated when painted. We updated the
FUD/FD Material Pages with an picture of what these lines look like. We have tried and experimented a number of ways to minimize this, but at this point nothing we've tried can completely get rid of the things. We will continue to look into this though and hopefully will find some way to smooth out these lines.
FUD/FD Minimum Escape Hole: We are still developing the rules for this, but basically if you make the escape hole too small for hollow models, then the support material does not melt out completely and leaves residue. Currently, we are recommending a
minimum of two 2mm diameter escape holes for solid models. Smaller holes will print, but the models will likely have wax residue. Bigger holes allows air in one end, and wax out the other. Based on some preliminary tests, we might have to increase this limit in the future. Last, we will still send out models if the escape holes are smaller, but the models will have wax residue in the models (which is not an issue if you intend to paint the model).
Stainless Steel Coloration: Due to the nature of our bronze infusion process (we infuse stainless with bronze to give it more strength), there may be slight variations in the color of your stainless steel model. Some models will have a slight bronze hue and others will be more silvery. We updated the
material page for Stainless Steel to show the two extremes. We are investigating alternative infiltration techniques that will lessen the differences.
Thanks, let me know if you have any questions please!
Nancy