Riesgos al imprimir en 3D

Todos los días impresión 3D está más extendida tanto a nivel industrial como a nivel doméstico, algo que facilita el desarrollo de muchas aplicaciones en una gran cantidad de campos. A nivel mediático solo destacan los beneficios de la tecnología, pero hay ciertas precauciones que se deben tomar en cuenta a la hora de iniciarse en el mundo de la impresión 3D.

Pero todo usuario debe tener en cuenta ciertos riesgos que pueden ocurrir durante la impresión 3D. Las dos principales fuentes de riesgo y más comunes son por un lado los gases liberados durante la fusión del material, y por otro los posibles focos de incendio por mal uso de la impresora 3D o el mal estado de la electrónica de la misma.

A continuación, detallamos las principales fuentes de riesgo, así como las precauciones a tomar para evitar problemas mayores:

Gases y olores liberados

Todos los materiales utilizados en la impresión 3D FDM/FFF son plásticos o contienen algo de este material. En este punto nos centraremos en los tres más habituales:PLA, ABS y HIPS.

ABS y HIPS son dos materiales muy extendidos en la impresión 3D y además, es muy común usarlos combinados, HIPS como material de soporte (está disuelto en D-Limonene) y ABS como material base. Estos dos materiales tienen el inconveniente de que durante su fusión se libera una cantidad de estireno 20 veces superior a la que existe en la atmósfera , volviéndose cancerígeno en caso de respiración prolongada de estos gases emitidos.

El PLA es un material fácil de imprimir en cualquier impresora 3D y por tanto, el más versátil de todos los materiales existentes para la impresión 3D. Respecto a los residuos generados, libera lactida , elemento que no presenta el mencionado problema del ABS, ni afecta a la salud de las personas .

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.