3D Systems, Inc.
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Within the Options panel, enter shrink compensation values for X or Y . Z compensation is rarely necessary (see table
above for the values) .*
Identify the exact X and Y dimensions of the part using a CAD program .
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Most CAD programs and simple stl file viewers will provide a way to view a part with its dimensions.
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Make note of the actual X and Y dimensions as XCAD and YCAD .
Build and clean the part and take measurements of the finished part.
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It is recommended to measure along the critical dimensions of the geometry, take measurements in multiple areas and take an
average of the values .
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Measurements can be made using calipers or more advanced metrology methods .
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Make note of the X and Y dimensions of the printed part and mark them as XPART and YPART
NOTE: If the measurement of the finished part is different from the measurements of the CAD model, fine tune the
accuracy using scaling factors .
Determine “Scaling Factor” to use for the next build
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Use the following formula calculate the scaling percentage to be used on the “fine tuning” build:
X Scaling Factor
= (XCAD - XPART)/ XCAD * 100 (answer will be as a percentage)
Y Scaling Factor
= (YCAD - YPART)/ YCAD * 100 (answer will be as a percentage)
EXAMPLE:
X measurement of CAD model = 3 .000”
Y measurement of CAD model = 5 .000”
X measurement of printed part = 2 .998”
Y measurement of printed part = 4 .989”
X Scaling Factor = (3 .000 – 2 .998)/3 .000 *100 = 0 .067%
Y Scaling Factor = (5 .000 – 4 .989)/5 .000 * 100 = 0 .22%
