A M Basics + STL Files

K. G. Prashanth
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
 Additive Manufacturing Process

Computational Part

Actual Process

2 11/8/21
 Need of Support

3 11/8/21
 Need of Support

4 11/8/21
 Need of Support

5 11/8/21
 Need of Support

6 11/8/21
 Need of Support

7 11/8/21
 Need of Support

8 11/8/21
 STL errors

9 11/8/21
 Slicing

10 11/8/21
 STL files

Export 3D print
Design
STL file the
on CAD
and slice model
• STL files are meshes of polygons that are wrapped
around the 3D model.
• The STL file can easily be sliced into layers using
slicing software.
• When the STL file is created, they are hollow on the
inside. When you slice the model in slicing software
you can determine the density of how much material
you want on the inside.

11 11/8/21
 STL files

Infill defines the density needed for the part – more fill – more time and more time

Layer height – thickness of each layer for the part

Smaller the layer height – more detailed the result will be
Thicker the layer height – less intricacies – faster building time – possibility of defects

Raft – like a foundation for the 3D print

Helps the print from warping – ensures the part sticks with the powder bed
Parts that struggle to sticks the powder bed will need a raft to help them print

12 11/8/21
 STL files
STL file format – formulated by 3D systems – for STereoLithography
- Information about 3D models, regarding the surface geometry
only
STL – Standard Triangle Language

STL – Standard Tessellation Language

STL – Standard Tessellated Language

STL file – encode 3D objects’ surface geometry by a process known as

tessellation

TESSELLATION: If a surface has one or more than one geometric shapes,

the process of tilting the surface to prevent any gaps and overlaps is known
as tessellation.

For ex. A tiled floor or a surface

13 11/8/21
 STL files
In order to 3D print an STL file – dedicated slicer software is required – tranforms digital models into printing directives
for a 3D printer.

Slicer software slices the STL file into thousand of horizontal and flat layers and also calculates the time required to print
the object and the amount of material needed.

The entire information is then wrapped into a Gcode file, which is the language understood by the 3D printer.

Once the GCode file gets uploaded into the 3D printer, if is then that the 3D layers are reassembled into 3D objects in the
print bed of a 3D printer.

The successive layers of printing material are deposited one over the other, till it forms the desired 3D object.

All STL files cannot be guarenteed to be 3D printed. If the data does not fully fit, the data may not be accepted by the
printer.

3D models generally have a minimum outer wall thickness and a watertight geometry.

Alternatives to a STL file  OBJ,(texture profile + colors too), PLY (polygon file format) and 3MF (best file format).

14 11/8/21
 STL files

STL file format – provides two different ways of storing information about the triangular facets that tile the object
surface.

This is called as ASCII encoding and the BINARY encoding.

In both formats, the following information of each triangle is stored:

- The coordinates of the vertices
- The components of the unit normal vector to the triangle.
- The normal vector should point outwards w.r.t 3D model.

- n – normal to the triangle

- v1, v2, and v3 – vertices of the triangle.

- If the tessellation involves many small triangels, the ASCII STIL file can become huge. Hence more compact ninary
version exists.

15 11/8/21
 STL files
VERTEX rule – The vertex rules states that each triangle must share two vertices with its neighboring triangles

Figure on the left – violates the rule! – Invalid tessellation

Figure on the right – Conformant – Valid tessellation

TRIANGLE SORTING rule – Recommends that all triangles appear in ascending Z-value order (Helps slicers slice the
3D models faster. However, this rule is not strictly enfored.

ORIENTATION rule – Orientation of the facet must be specified in two ways (IN and OUT)

This redundancy exists for a reason. Ensures consistency of the data and spot corrupt data.

A software can, for example, calculate the orientation from the normal and subsequently
from the vertices and verify whether they match. If it dosent, then it can declare the STL
file to be corrupt!!

The direction of the normal is outward - The vertices are listed in counter-clock-wise order
from outside, obeying the right-hand rule.
16 11/8/21
 STL files
POSITIVE OCTANE rule – Coordinates of the triangle
vertices must all be positive

3D object lives in the all-positive octant of the 3D Cartesian

coordinate system (hence the name).

The rationale behind this rule is to save sapce.

If the 3D object was allowed to live anywhere in the coordinate

space, we would have to deal with negative coordinates. To
store negative co-ordinates, use of signed floating point
numbers is required.

Signed floating point number require one additional bit to store

the sign.

Ensuring all positive coordinates unsinged numbers for the

coordinates can be used and save space for every coordinate
value stored.

17 11/8/21
 STL files
STL File to 3D printing

STL file opened in a slicer software – SLICING – 3D models to hundreds of flat horizontal layers based on the settings

All the information is bundled up into a Gcode, the native language of the 3D printer.

Slicer do have an impact on the quality of the print.

Once the Gcode has been uploaded to a 3D printer – the next stage is for those seperate 2D layers to be reassembled as a
3D object on the print bed by successive deposition of additional layers.

Not all STL files are 3D printable. Its just a file containing data and does not guarentee a 3D print.

3D models suitable for 3D printing need to have a minimum wall thickness and a watertight surface geometry.

Even if its visible on a computer screen, its impossible to print something with a wall thickness of ZERO.

Consideration of overhanging elements on the model.

18 11/8/21
 STL files
STL File to 3D printing

Consideration of overhanging elements on the model.

Ref. image on the right – if the model is printed upright, then the
Overhanging elements with more than a 45 deg angle will require
Supports (see green in color).

Double check the STL file for printability!!

Right balance between the file size and print quality! (size of the triangles)

CAD softwares allow choosing chord height/tolerence

Chord height – maximum distance from the surface of the original design and
the STL mesh. Choosing right tolerence, makes the 3D printed object smooth.

Smaller the chord height, the more accurately the facets represent the acctual
sie of the model – Tolerence – 0.01 – 0.00. mm

19 11/8/21
 STL files
Angular deviation or angular tolerence

Limits the angle between the mornals of the adjecent triangles.

Default angle is usually set as 15 deg.

Decreasing the tolerence (can range to 0 to 1) improves print resolution.

Recommended setting for this parameter is ZERO!

BINARY or ASCII

Decision between BINARY or ASCII format

BINARY format is always recommended for 3D printing – results in smaller

file size.

To have manual inspection for the STL file to debug – ASCII formate is
preferable.

20 11/8/21
 STL files

Pros:

Universal – supported by almost all 3D printers

Mature ecosystem – most systems use STL files

Cons:

Single color system – No material information

Only stores information about vertices and normal vector

Massive file sizes

Impossible to include metadata

21 11/8/21
 STL errors

22 11/8/21
 STL errors

23 11/8/21
 STL errors

24 11/8/21
 STL errors

25 11/8/21
 STL errors

26 11/8/21
 STL errors

27 11/8/21
 STL errors

28 11/8/21
 STL errors

29 11/8/21
 STL errors

30 11/8/21
 you !
han k
T

31 11/8/21