problem printing with supports

[Cutterpillar]

Hi,

I recently encountered a problem printing parts that require support material.
Process settings are as following:
Machine: 3DP1000
Material: 3mm black PLA
Layer thickness: 0.25mm
Infill density: 15%
Model: rook

click on image to enlarge

For some reason even with 15-degree maximum overhang setting Simplify3D didn't generate any supports and printed rook looked like this:

click on image to enlarge
Settings used for this print were:

click on image to enlarge

Generating automatic supports resulted in a funny looking collar around the neck of the rook like so:

click on image to enlarge

I had to manually place support structures around the piece like so:

click on image to enlarge

Unfortunately, even after this final result didn't look much better. Here it is:

click on image to enlarge
As you can see it starts quite nice at the bottom, but further it goes the messier it becomes.

It is my first time I come across an issue where automatic settings couldn't handle simple design like this. I have a few settings in mind I can potentially play with, i.e. infill density can be increased and layer height can be decreased, but my biggest confusion is why with such overhang supports were not generated? And why even with the manual supports result is almost the same as it was without supports?

Any advise will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Alex

[dkightley]

That part doesn't need any support. Its other settings that need adjusting to address the bad finish you're getting.

Can you attach a factory file for this part so that someone can take a look at your settings and advise what you need to do. File menu.....Save factory file as...

[Cutterpillar]

Hi Doug,

here it is

Many thanks!

[brian442]

That looks like an entirely different model...

Just setup the rook model with all the same support settings and everything you used before, then go to file > save factory file. The factory file will include the model, supports, settings, basically everything needed to recreate what you were doing

[Cutterpillar]

I haven't realised factory file saves the model as well.

Please check this one now. Should be including the rook model.
link

[brian442]

That model has a lot of errors in it. If you run the Repair > Identify Self-Intersecting Surfaces check in S3D, it highlights many of the problem areas. You can also see them by just looking at the render of the model. So fix the model first, then the supports will likely generate correctly.

[dkightley]

I think you can print this rook by doing two very simple things in S3D.

1) Remove the manual supports
2) On the Mesh menu, click Separate Connected Surfaces

Now print....and there's a better than 50:50 chance it will print okay, and with auto-generated supports!