Oct 25, 2026, 11:00 AMFirst time I have tried printing an assembled #PCB.
The only snag is that it is too accurate I think. Even telling it to print the pads does not necessarily seem to quite "attach" all the parts to PCB. I can tweak height position of 3D models. It needs an export of solder paste to stick parts to the board in the STL.
It is amazing - it even printed the USB-C, with the bit in the middle, and it fitted the plug!
Helps ensure placement works as expected.
Oct 25, 2026, 12:12 PMLayers 22, 23, and 24. Frankly I am amazed it printed at all! None of the SMD components contact the PCB!
Layer 22 is top of PCB
Layer 23 is a gap
Layer 24 is start of components
Oct 25, 2026, 12:25 PMOooh export with pads, layers 22, 23, 24, and 25...
Layer 22 is top of PCB
Layer 23 has pads, yay!
Layer 24 is a gap, uh
Layer 25 has start of SMD components.
Exporting pads seems to have lifted the components 50um. @kicad bug maybe (added to feature request).
Shame else the pads layer would have glued the components down.
Oct 25, 2026, 11:02 AM
Oct 25, 2026, 11:32 AM@tripplehelix @kicad LOL.
But I have put in a @kicad feature request to allow exporting a solder paste layer to stitch the PCB and components together in the STL mode.
Oct 25, 2026, 12:20 PM@revk UV SLA? I've mostly noticed it with print failures, but there is some lattitude in terms of effective layer height. Double height is of course pushing it.😄 Weaker layer adhesion for sure.
With larger surfaces you can get failures that I'd best describe as "puff pastry".
Oct 25, 2026, 12:30 PM@tbr Yeh, what I really need is a stitched together model in the first place.
Oct 25, 2026, 12:34 PM@revk Mhhh, that reminded me of the FDM slicing parameter for "proximity at which point it's assumed to be one solid".
Haven't used *hitubox recent enough to remember if it has a similar parameter that could be leveraged.
That said, "proper" model as input is always preferred.