By Jason Wu

 

To open the Custom Profile Manager, go to "Maintenance"=>"Material"=>"Customize"=>"Edit"

Start from UP Studio V2.6.43, the material profile manager was updated to  provide more options and an improved user interface. The basic operation remains the same, consisting of 3 steps:

1. Copy from a existing porfile.

2. Modify the copied profile.

3. Save as new profile.

Here we provide a short introduction on the parameters available in the profile manager to give some basic concepts to make your own profile.

Different Regions on a Model

The model when sliced is divided into different regions, and each these regions can be adjusted individually.

Profiles/Contour: The wall/shell of the model

Infill: the region inside the profile, can be filled with certain patterns.

Top/Bottom: The roof and bottom layers of the print

Support: Automatically generated structure that support the overhang structures

Raft: Thick layers that are under the print to improve adhesion and also compensate for unevenness of platform surface.

 

Sliced Model - Tool Path Preview

 

Cross-section sliced model:

 

Print Parameters Explained

Temperature Parameters:

Changing temperature could have many different effects: increase temperature could allow the material to be extruded faster and allow better layer adhesion. But too high could decrease print quality and result in stringing.

Basic Temp: Nozzle temperature during normal printing

Platform Temp: Platform temperature, a hot platform reduce chance of warping.

Raft Temp: Specify the printing temperature of Raft region. Printing raft at higher temperature may improve print adhesion to the platform.

 

Temp Offset: The modify the Basic Temp base on different part of the print.

Contour Temp Offset: +/- a certain degree when printing Contour/Profile

Infill Temp Offset: +/- a certain degree when printing Infill

Support Temp Offset:+/- a certain degree when printing Support

 

Speed Parameter (mm/s): The print Speed for different region part of the print, the higher the speed the lesser the print quality.

Contour Print Speed: Usually slowed down to give better surface smoothness.

Infill Print Speed: Could be increased to shorten print times without affecting perceived quality of print.

Support Print Speed: Could be increased to shorten print time.

Raft Speed: Slower could give better adhesion of Raft to platform.

 

Acceleration: The how fast is the change of speed when printing different regions, the higher the acceleration the faster the print, the movement of print head will perceived to move more quickly and less smoothly, too much acceleration may result in shaking of the print head and cause print artifacts.

Contour Print Acceleration: Could be reduced to improve quality

Infill Print Acceleration: Could be increased to shorten print time without affecting perceived quality.

Support Print Acceleration: Could be increased to print faster but also have high risk of breaking the support.

 

Extrude Volume (Scale): Increase or decrease the amount of material extruded at difference region of the print.

Contour Extrude Volume: an adequate give good quality of print.

Infill Extrude Volume: depends

Support Extrude Volume: depends

Bottom Extrude Volume: Usually reduced to give better raft separation.

 

Path Width: thickness of line extrude from nozzle. Line thickness value has to coordinate with Nozzle diameter to give good print quality, usually a optimal path width value will be a little larger than the nozzle diameter eg 0.5=0.55mm for 0.4mm nozzle. If line width is set to be smaller than nozzle diameter, this will be done by stretching the extrusion line. 

Adjusting Line thickness may also help filling the gaps, when the gaps are not multiples of line width, refer to this article.

Contour Path Width: depends 

Infill Path Width: depends

Support Path Width: depends

Bottom Path Width: depends

 

Overlap(%): The amount of overlap between profile and infill, higher overlap will increase bonding of infill to profile but may also cause overextruding and decrease of print quality.

Joint Size: The size of seam of each layer (joint of starting and ending the path)

Offset Times (No. Of Profiles): How many layer shell/walls will be printed.  

Corner Angle:

Corner Radius:

Retraction (mm): The length of retraction, higher the retraction the less likely to give stringing but will make the print head to stall longer before jumping and resume printing.

Peel Ratio (%): The easiness of raft separation, the higher the value the stronger the bonding between raft and bottom.