Printing a RAV4 Mirror Cover

This was my first project using a 3D-scanner which began after the side mirror cover on the driver side of my car was removed. I decided to purchase a 3D-scanner to try and scan of my passenger mirror, and then mirror the scan to get a model of my driver side mirror cover I could print.

Scanning the passenger mirror turned out to be more straightforward than I first thought, however I didn’t realize how much work it would take to modify mesh in order to make a “watertight” STL file that could be printed.

Project Type

3D scanning/3D printing

Winter 2024

Date

Once the scan was captured, I cleaned up the mesh using the default scanning software. However, the final STL had issues with gaps in the mesh and very thin “burrs” on edges caused by noise during scanning. Following the advice of a friend, I imported the part into Blender to thicken the mesh, smooth any rough edges and simplify the mesh. The .stl part was then imported into Bambu Labs slicer and then reversed on a second build plate.

Printing the part in on the Bambu P1S was a breeze once the part was properly oriented. With supports, it took about 14 hours to print using a 0.4mm nozzle and the Bambu Studio High Strength preset.