Polyvinyl Alcohol or PVA is a soft and biodegradable polymer that is extremely sensitive to moisture. PVA’s vulnerability to moisture is so extreme that it has actually become its main selling point. When exposed to water, PVA dissolves; this makes it a fantastic support material. It can be printed to provide full support for extremely complicated geometry and then trivially r … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About PVA
Posts About Hardware
How to Extend Your Chromebook’s Battery Life
Chromebook laptops have excellent battery life. They can power you for eight to ten hours without any problems. Many users like to say Chromebooks don't have a battery-saving option because they don't need one. But sometimes, your battery may drain faster than expected. Let's explore what you can do to make your Chromebook battery last longer. … [Read more...] about How to Extend Your Chromebook’s Battery Life
How to Fix Dell Chromebook Battery Errors
Dell Chromebook users may sometimes experience various battery-related errors and issues. Some of these problems may even prevent you from using the device. For example, the battery charge level seems to get stuck at 1 percent no matter how long you keep the device plugged in. Let's see how you can troubleshoot these issues. … [Read more...] about How to Fix Dell Chromebook Battery Errors
3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a filament favored for its incredibly high durability and resistance to heat and impacts. It offers high levels of heat deflection and impact resistance. It also has a very high glass transition temperature of 150°C. Making it ideal for use in high-temperature environments. Polycarbonate prints can bend somewhat without breaking. So it is often used in … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Polycarbonate
3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About ASA
Acrylic styrene-acrylonitrile, more commonly known as ASA, is a common alternative to ABS. It was originally developed to have a higher resistance to UV light than ABS, although it also offers increased temperature resistance. ASA retains ABS’s high impact resistance but is harder to print. … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About ASA
3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Carbon-Fibre-Filled
Carbon-fiber-filled filaments are, as the name suggests, filaments that have carbon fibers included. However, Carbon fiber is well known for making solid and light products. A core market for carbon fiber is race cars, where minimizing weight is important, but strength is also key. … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Carbon-Fibre-Filled
3D Printing: Troubleshooting Non-Manifold Geometry
Non-manifold geometry are shapes and objects that can’t physically exist but can, however, be rendered with a computer. The most common example of a non-manifold geometry is a 2D wall with no thickness. A computer can display this as part of a 3D model with no problem. If you try to print a 3D model with a 2D surface, you’ll run into a whole range of issues. This is because suc … [Read more...] about 3D Printing: Troubleshooting Non-Manifold Geometry
3D Printing: Troubleshooting Prints Sticking to the Print Bed
While not being able to get your print to stick to the build plate is a common issue, not being able to get it unstuck again afterwards is another unfortunately common issue. These two issues tend to go somewhat hand-in-hand, in that often after you solve an inability to stick you create the inability to unstick. The solution to both of these issues is to find a healthy … [Read more...] about 3D Printing: Troubleshooting Prints Sticking to the Print Bed
3D Printing: Troubleshooting Ripples/Ringing/Echoes in Prints
A relatively common issue in 3D printing is the appearance of ripples, rings, or echoes after shapes in a print. Generally, these issues can be relatively easily overlooked as they aren’t particularly severe and can in some cases look intentional. If you don’t want to just accept this issue though it is possible to deal with, although it may take some time, depending on the cau … [Read more...] about 3D Printing: Troubleshooting Ripples/Ringing/Echoes in Prints
3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Metal-Filled Filament
Metal-filled filaments are produced by mixing a fine metal powder into a base material. This results in a unique metallic finish for prints and adds weight. The metals used in metal-filled filaments vary; copper, bronze, brass, and stainless steel are all relatively common. The percentage of metal powder in the filament varies between manufacturers. Metal-filled filaments … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Material Guide – What to Know About Metal-Filled Filament