3D Printing Logbook: Learn from 3D Printing Failures and Ensure Continuous Improvement in Print Quality, Maintenance and Speed through Systematic Record Keeping

Do you keep dealing with the same 3D printing failures again and again? Are you struggling to understand the variation in your 3D print quality and speed?

The answer could be a lot simpler than you thought.

Having worked in automotive manufacturing for 5 years, I realized the importance of systematic documentation in proper functioning of equipment. When I bought my first 3D printer, the Creality CR-10 5S, the initial excitement turned into frustration when I kept having the same problems with the nozzle, bed and other equipment again and again. I fixed these issues; and when they happened again, I wasted a lot of time looking for the answer on the internet. I could have just documented them.

I also noticed that there was a lot of variation in the print time and print quality each time I reset my machine parameters. I had no idea which parameters were significant. I also didn't understand what half the parameters on my slicer software did.

The solution to this and other problems was systematic documentation of print parameters, procedures, failures and regular maintenance logs. To prevent others from undergoing the same frustration that I did, I made this outline for logging your 3D prints and doing proper maintenance.