3D Printing Glossary (BCN3D Edition)
Learn the specific words that are used in the 3D Printing Industry in a simple way
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Adhesion
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In the context of 3D printing, adhesion of the print to the build plate. Insufficient print adhesion may cause partial or complete separation of the print from the build plate during printing |
| BCN3D Cloud | A software platform with a control panel to manage your fleet of 3D printers in real time and stay informed about their operation. Try it now |
| BCN3D Stratos | A free and easy-to-use 3D printing software that prepares your model for 3D printing. Try it now |
| Belts | The print heads move by the motion of the belts, the top belt moves the right head and the bottom belt moves the left head. They also move the carriage on the Y axis |
| Bowden tubes |
or Teflon tubes, 2 tubes that the filament passes through, the inferior ones go from the filament entry point to the motor (passing through the FRS). The other goes from the extruder motor to the print heads |
| Bridge | A part of the model printed in the air, suspended between two parts of the print |
| Build Plate Adhesion Type | A Stratos setting to increase the model adhesion to the glass. Learn more |
Build Plate |
Or heated bed, it's the surface where you print your 3D pieces |
| Drivers |
the boards that control the movement of the extruders, carriage, print heads and build plate |
| Dual Mode |
Allows to print models with two different materials and/or colors without needing to stop the print to change the filament spool. Learn more |
| Duplication /Mirror Mode |
Print two parts at the exact same time with both print heads. Learn more |
| Endstop |
the switch or micro-switch that detects when the extruder has arrived at the sides of the printer (X axis), when the build plate touches the extruders (Z axis), when calibrating, and when the carriage reaches the back (Y axis) |
| Ethernet Cable |
The cable used to connect your printer to a local area network |
| Extruder Board |
the electronic board behind the hotend, all of the parts of the print head (endstop, fans and hotends) are connected to it |
FRS (Filament Runout Sensor) |
the sensor that tells the printer that it is running out of filament, so the print job can be automatically paused |
| Filament |
the material that it is used to print in 3D printing. It is stored within spools and offers a wide variety of compositions and uses |
| Firmware |
the software installed in the printer which controls the movement and temperature of all the parts in the printer |
| GCode |
a file type that contains the movements the printer needs to do each layer, this file is created by slicing an STL file with the help of a slicer like BCN3D Stratos |
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HEPA Filter |
(High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing) filter, an air filter to capture particles |
| Hotend |
the piece that melts the filament and deposits it to the model. Purchase one here |
| Hotend Calibration |
a process to check the values of the hotends to make sure that they are precise in their motions of printing |
Internal Storage |
The part of the printer onboard storage that you can use to send files directly to the printer and access to print history |
| Layer Shifting |
a 3D printing issue that consists of the proceeding layer being displaced in the X or Y axis Learn more.. Learn more |
| Magigoo |
A 3D printing adhesive to ensure that the part firmly sticks to the glass. Get it here. Buy it here |
| Mainboard |
an electronic board that provides the electric connections to the other components of the printer. It’s in charge of all the movements and temperature control in the printer |
| Mesh Mapping |
The process of measuring the variation in flatness across the build plate, to improve first layer adhesion during printing. Learn more. |
| Mesh Mapping Fade |
An additional option in Mesh Mapping that allows the user to blend the first few uneven layers into even layers. Learn more |
| Nozzle |
The tip of the hotend |
Print Job |
file that has been submitted to be printed.
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| Slicer |
a program that converts a digital 3D model into a Gcode (instructions for the printer).ex: BCN3D Stratos |
| Spool Cartridge |
A container that holds spools of filament |
| Spool |
A circular reel or container of filament |
| Stringing |
or oozing, a 3D printing issue that causes hairs of filament to be left behind on prints. Learn more |
| Supports |
Printed structures used to prop up any sections of a print that will not stand alone. Learn more |
| Under Extrusion |
a 3D printing issue that consists of the extruder printing less material than it should. Learn more |
Warping |
a 3D printing issue that happens when the model does not stick to the printing surface properly which results in a failed print. Learn more |