Uncontrolled lifting or curling of a print's edges caused by differential thermal contraction during cooling.
Warping occurs when outer regions cool faster than the interior, creating internal tensile stresses that lift the part from the bed. Thermoplastics with high coefficients of thermal expansion, ABS, ASA, polycarbonate, warp most aggressively. Warping correlates with part footprint size, sharp corners, and low ambient temperature.
Use a heated bed (ABS: 100-110 C, PETG: 70-80 C). Enclose the printer to maintain elevated ambient temperature. Apply adhesion promoters: glue stick, PEI sheets. Enable a brim (5-10 mm) to anchor corners. Fillet sharp external corners in CAD.
Warped first layers compound: a 0.3 mm lift at layer 5 becomes structural failure by layer 50. Enclosing without active chamber heating (below 40 C) still allows warping. Over-adhesion on glass beds can crack the glass: use a flexible magnetic plate.
Related terms: Bed Adhesion, First-Layer Calibration, Part Cooling
| Field | 3D printing, mechanics |
|---|---|
| Also called | warp |
| Source | EDi Brain: tech/fdm |
Engineer, author of The Big Book of 3D Printing and additive manufacturing expert