Originally Posted by
Crius
How long does it take to print one of those, and why don't you print it laying down flat?
This one took about 2.5 hours at 100um. Increasing resolution to 50um might take about 5 to 6 hours.
This is one of the differences between SLA and FDM printing. With an FDM printer, obviously this would be printed best with the tire lying flat on its side with the print nozzle adding one layer at a time at the top. On a SLA printer, each layer of resin gets cured and gets stuck to the bottom of the vat. The printer then uses a method of lifting the build plate with a tilt to peel the print off the bottom of the VAT after each layer cures. If there is a large flat surface anywhere in the print, the bond to the vat might be greater than the strength of the part. The part could break or detach from the build plate during a peel, leaving part or all of the print still stuck to the bottom of the vat. This is the reason you see a lot SLA parts printed at an angle with lots of supports.
