Understanding Print Defects

Understanding Print Defects

At Unmanned Tech, we strive to produce high-quality 3D printed parts that meet your specifications. Despite our best efforts and quality checks, issues can occasionally occur during the manufacturing process. This guide is designed to help you:

  • Understand what Unmanned Tech defines as a Print Defect.
  • Identify common examples of print defects.
  • Understand the process for reporting a suspected print defect.

It's important to distinguish print defects, which originate from our printing process, from Design Flaws, which are issues inherent in your submitted 3D model file. For information on design responsibility, please refer to our main "3D Printing Service Guide".

What is a Print Defect? (Our Responsibility)

A Print Defect is an imperfection or failure in a 3D printed part that is a direct result of an error or malfunction in the 3D printing process or our immediate post-processing handling at Unmanned Tech before the part is dispatched.

If a part has a confirmed print defect, it means the issue was not caused by the customer's design file but by an aspect of our manufacturing.

Common Examples of Print Defects

Below are common examples of issues that Unmanned Tech would typically classify as print defects. If you encounter an issue like these, please report it to us.

  • Significant Layer Adhesion Problems:

    • Description: Widespread and severe separation or delamination between layers of the print, or consistently poor bonding that makes the part unusually weak. This does not refer to breakage at an obviously fragile or extremely thin feature inherent in the design itself.
    • (Keywords: layers splitting, layer separation, weak layers, delamination, poor layer bonding, print falling apart)

  • Incorrect Material or Main Color Used:

    • Description: You receive a part made from a substantially different material than what you ordered (e.g., you ordered PETG and received PLA) or printed in a completely different primary color if a specific color was ordered and confirmed (e.g., ordered blue, received red). Minor shade variations due to filament batches are not typically considered defects.
    • (Keywords: wrong material, wrong filament, incorrect color, material mistake)

  • Substantially Incomplete Print:

    • Description: The print is clearly unfinished, with a significant portion of the part missing. This is usually due to a printer malfunction, power interruption during the print, or a severe clog that halted extrusion.
    • (Keywords: incomplete print, missing section, part not finished, stopped printing, partial print)

  • Major Warping or Distortion (Beyond Normal Tolerances):

    • Description: Severe warping, twisting, or deformation of the part that is clearly a result of issues during the printing process (e.g., improper bed adhesion for the material, excessive temperature fluctuations). This goes beyond the typical, minor warping that can sometimes be inherent to certain materials or large, flat geometries.
    • (Keywords: warped 3D print, twisted part, deformed print, not flat, lifting corners)

  • Incorrect Critical Print Settings Applied by Us:

    • Description: If we verifiably used critical print settings (such as a fundamentally incorrect infill percentage that drastically compromises an agreed-upon structural integrity, or a specific print orientation explicitly requested by you for critical reasons and agreed upon by us) that deviate from your confirmed order specifications or our standard best practices for that material, directly leading to a failed or unusable part.
    • (Keywords: wrong print settings, incorrect infill, bad print quality due to settings, orientation error)

  • Parts Damaged by Our Support Removal (If Chosen):

    • Description: If you opted for our support removal service and the part is clearly damaged (e.g., gouged, broken features) due to improper support removal by our team, beyond the minor cosmetic marks that can sometimes occur at support interfaces.
    • (Keywords: damaged during support removal, broken by support removal)

What is Not Typically Considered a Print Defect

It's also important to understand what generally does not constitute a print defect:

  • Issues due to Design Flaws: Problems like the part not fitting, being too fragile due to thin walls in the design, or features being too small to print robustly are considered design flaws. Please see our "3D Printing Service Guide" for more on design responsibility.
  • Standard FDM Printing Characteristics:
    • Visible layer lines are a normal characteristic of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing.
    • Minor surface imperfections or the texture where support structures were attached (even after removal) are typical.
    • Slight stringing or minor wisps of plastic, especially on complex models.
  • Minor Color or Shade Variations: Slight differences in filament color shade from what is seen on screen or between different print batches.
  • Wear and Tear from Use: Damage that occurs after you have received and started using the part.

How to Report a Suspected Print Defect

If you believe your 3D printed part has a print defect based on the examples above, please follow these steps:

  1. Contact Us Promptly: Notify Unmanned Tech customer support within 7 days of receiving your order. This allows us to address the issue in a timely manner.
  2. Provide Your Order Number: This helps us quickly locate your order details and print settings.
  3. Submit Clear Photographic (and/or Video) Evidence:
    • Take clear, well-lit photos of the entire part and close-ups of the specific area(s) showing the suspected defect.
    • If the issue is related to fit or function in a way that's hard to photograph, a short video can be very helpful.
    • Show the defect from multiple angles if possible.
  4. Describe the Issue: Briefly explain what you believe the defect is and how it impacts the part.
  5. How to Contact Us: Please use the contact form on our website or reply to your order confirmation email.

What Happens After You Report a Defect?

  1. Investigation: Our team will carefully review the information and images you provided (or request additional information/photos), comparing it against our print logs and quality control checks for your order.
  2. Resolution: If a print defect is confirmed, we will contact you to discuss a suitable resolution. This may include:
    • A reprint of the affected part(s).
    • A full or partial refund for the defective part(s). The specific resolution will depend on the nature and severity of the defect.

We are committed to ensuring you receive quality parts and will work with you to address any confirmed print defects fairly and efficiently.


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