Risico's bij printen in 3D

Elke dag 3D-printen is meer verspreid, zowel op industrieel niveau als op huishoudelijk niveau, iets dat de ontwikkeling van veel toepassingen bevordert op een groot aantal terreinen. Op medianiveau vallen alleen de voordelen van technologie op, maar er zijn bepaalde voorzorgsmaatregelen die moeten worden genomen rekening mee als het gaat om het starten in de wereld van 3D-printen.

Maar elke gebruiker moet rekening houden met bepaalde risico's die kunnen optreden tijdens het 3D-printen. De twee belangrijkste bronnen van risico en vaker voorkomend zijn enerzijds de gassen die vrijkomen bij het smelten van het materiaal, en anderzijds de mogelijke bronnen van brand door verkeerd gebruik van de 3D-printer of de slechte staat van de elektronica ervan.

Hieronder beschrijven we de belangrijkste bronnen van risico's, evenals de voorzorgsmaatregelen die moeten worden genomen om grote problemen te voorkomen:

Gassen en geuren komen vrij

Alle materialen die worden gebruikt bij 3D FDM / FFF-printen zijn van plastic of bevatten een deel van dit materiaal. Op dit punt zullen we ons concentreren op de drie meest voorkomende:PLA, ABS en HIPS.

ABS en HIPS zijn twee zeer wijdverspreide materialen in 3D-printen en het is ook heel gebruikelijk om ze in combinatie te gebruiken, HIPS als ondersteunend materiaal (het is opgelost in D-limoneen) en ABS als basismateriaal. Deze twee materialen hebben als nadeel dat tijdens hun fusie een hoeveelheid styreen vrijkomt die 20 keer hoger is dan de hoeveelheid die in de atmosfeer aanwezig is , kankerverwekkend worden bij langdurige ademhaling van deze uitgestoten gassen.

Het PLA is een gemakkelijk te printen materiaal op elke 3D-printer en daarom het meest veelzijdige van alle bestaande materialen voor 3D-printen. Wat betreft het geproduceerde afval, het geeft lactide vrij , een element dat het bovengenoemde probleem van ABS niet veroorzaakt, noch de gezondheid van mensen aantast .

In addition, industrial 3D printers sincorporate the HEPA filter , which is a type of high efficiency air filter that meets high standards. Therefore, if you don't have a closed 3D printer with a HEPA filter, the main recommendation is to keep the place of printing well ventilated (care must be taken with drafts since they cause the dreaded warping and cracking effect in open 3D printers).

Therefore, in domestic environments, it's advisable to print filaments that don't emit odors as long as they comply with the mechanical properties.

Possible fire sources

Image 1:Possible fire sources

At this point we must take into account first of all that 3D printers that don't have the CE mark (European Certificate) don't pass any quality control , something that can become very dangerous in the event of a failure.

Electricity

It must be taken into account that the characteristics of the electrical network to which the 3D printer is connected must be exactly those indicated on the machine:230 Vac, 50Hz. In addition, attention should be paid to where the 3D printer connects. If it's fed from a terminal strip with more consumers, it can cause fuses to blow or the protections of the installation to skip. Therefore, the characteristics of the line must be checked before connection . When cleaning the 3D printer, always disconnect the 3D printer from the electrical outlets to avoid accidental contacts.

Electronics

The use of quality electronic components , as well as cables with the appropriate section is crucial to avoid excess temperatures that can lead to the fire of the 3D printer itself and this, in turn, of everything that is around it. Another possible problem that can also cause a fire is that the temperature sensor comes out of its housing and the heating cartridge raises its temperature to the maximum, melting the elements that are around it and can cause fire.

Hot parts

Sometimes by inertia or forgetfulness you tend to put your hand inside the 3D printer while it's still hot, which can cause severe burns to the skin . We mustn't forget that the operation of a 3D printer is based on the principle of polymer melting, which implies a high temperature in the heating elements.

In addition, the fact that the 3D printer is switched off or unplugged after finishing an impression doesn't imply that the heating elements are cold, so it shouldn't be touched until enough time has passed.

Mobile parts

For the movement of the 3 axes, as well as that of the 2 extruders, electrical motors are used step by step with high torque. When you put your fingers or your hand in the areas of the shafts, spindles and belts, it can cause entrapments, bruises and wounds , as well as burns due to the heat dissipated by the motors. Therefore, we must be very careful when entering the hand inside the 3D printer , and should only be done if strictly necessary, and to be able to be with security measures to prevent further damage in the event of an accident.

Fixing spray

When applying the base fixative spray (3DLac, DimaFix or PrintaFix) it must be done outside the 3D printer since they are highly inflammable products that in contact with high temperatures or residual electric currents can cause a flame. Although it seems incredible, there have already been more than one case where a house is burned or something worse because of the wrong process.

Our particular recommendation is that at all times you have proof (especially when you have a 3D printer in a domestic environment), that this isn't a "toy", and that its operation carries associated risks. It's always better to have 3D printers with CE marking that have a closed housing and HEPA filter, and if possible in ventilated places.