| --- |
| title: Inova print profile conventions |
| summary: How this lab's print profiles are named and structured, which JSON fields matter, and known naming pitfalls. Read before comparing profiles or proposing a new one. |
| --- |
| |
| # Inova print profile conventions |
|
|
| Profiles live in the firmware (synced to `inova_print_profiles` in Postgres, |
| full JSON in the `profile` column). One profile ≈ one experiment condition. |
|
|
| ## Naming |
|
|
| `YYYY_MM_DD <energy> mJ/mm [variant] Formlabs PA12 GF` — the date is when |
| the profile was created, the energy is the `LaserFillEnergyDensity` value, |
| variants describe the deviation being tested ("Higher Temp", "Extended |
| Cap", "25% Overlap", "100% Recycled", "1 Second Heat Time"). |
|
|
| **Pitfall: names can lie.** The profile named "2026_06_06 20mJ/mm" actually |
| contains `LaserFillEnergyDensity: 15`. Always read the JSON field, never |
| trust the name — `db_query` on `inova_print_profiles` or |
| `build_get.profile_key_params`. |
|
|
| ## Energy densities tried so far (all at LayerThickness 100 µm) |
|
|
| 14, 15, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40 mJ/mm. Low end (14–20) sinters but |
| underperforms mechanically; 28–36 is the strong region; 40 explores the |
| upper bound. `LaserFillEnergyDensity` is per mm of scan path — to compare |
| across layer thicknesses or hatch spacings, normalize to J/mm³. |
|
|
| ## Temperature fields (°C) for PA12 GF |
|
|
| - `SurfaceTarget` / `SurfaceTarget2`: powder surface hold (168 / 172 |
| baseline; Target2 applies after `SurfaceTarget2Time`). |
| - `HeatingTargetPrint` (172), `BedPreparationTemperatureTarget` (174), |
| `BeginLayerTemperatureTarget` (176), `PrintCapTemperatureTarget` (174). |
| - PA12 melt ≈ 187 °C; these sit 11–19 °C below (the sintering window). |
|
|
| ## Other fields that have mattered in experiments |
|
|
| - `HotspotOverlapPercent` (25 baseline; the "25% Overlap" profile varies |
| scan overlap), `OutlineCount` (2), `IsFillEnabled`. |
| - `PrintCapThickness` / "Extended Cap" variants — powder above the last |
| layer for thermal mass during cooldown. |
| - `HeatingMinimumTime` ("1 Second Heat Time" variant collapses it), |
| `PowderVolumePercent` (110 = 10% extra dose per recoat), |
| `RecoaterPasses`, `RecoaterShakePercent`. |
| - Durations are TimeSpan strings ("00:45:00"); factor-style runtime |
| overrides multiply profile values (1.0 = neutral) — see AGENTS.md ground |
| rules for the runtime knob semantics. |
|
|
| ## Linking profiles to outcomes |
|
|
| `astm_query {group_by: "profile"}` gives mechanicals per profile; |
| `builds_list {profile: "36mJ"}` finds the builds that ran it; |
| `build_get` shows a build's `profile_key_params` and thermal tracking. |
|
|
