Due to the nature of additive manufacturing, the design requirements of 3D printing are completely different from other 3D animation designs. Things that look beautiful on the screen can be very difficult to 3D print, which can prevent manufacturers from downloading your designs. We will introduce the three techniques of 3D printing design. With these simple rules, you will be able to create masterpiece designs that are easy to 3D print.
Avoid angles that require support
What support? The support is an additional material that acts as a "scaffolding", supporting certain parts of the design whose angle exceeds 45 degrees. These supports prevent the filament from sagging where there is nothing. After printing, the bracket can be broken off and cleaned up to provide you with the final design. In most cases, the support is automatically generated by the slicing software, which converts your STL file into a format that can be read by a 3D printer, called G-code.
Three tips for designing 3D printers
1. The benefits of reducing support
Although support is sometimes required, there are many benefits to design methods that can be avoided altogether. Here are a few reasons why you should focus on reducing support:
2. Save time and money: a design that requires a lot of support waste, because the bracket is removed and may be discarded once the printing is completed. In addition, adding support means longer product printing time, and we have seen support increase printing time by up to 100% in extreme cases. When you add the time required for cleaning support after printing, the difference in completion time may be large.
3. Reduce the possibility of printing errors: Support increases the complexity of the design, thereby increasing the possibility of errors during printing. For longer, more complex prints, supports have a higher frequency of failure than short prints. Keep the design simple to increase your chances of successful printing!
Create a smoother surface treatment: Using supports usually creates a rougher surface, and again in the post-processing process to create more work to make it smooth. In some cases, when using the bracket, the surface may be damaged, beyond the scope of reasonable repair.
If you cannot avoid using a stand but you can use a dual-extrusion printer, we recommend using soluble support materials such as HIPS or PVA. This is a great way to remember which shapes can be designed safely without support and which can be avoided. Thanks to one of our top designers for writing a more detailed article on support and YHT rules. The basic rules are as follows:
a) Anything in the shape of "Y" can be safely printed without support, because it is a gradual slope and there is still enough material under it to prevent sagging. This is another way to think about the 45-degree rule, which states that, in general, overhangs with slopes greater than 45 degrees will require support. The more the angle jumps, the better. This is why cones are usually safe.
b) Designs in the form of "H", in which the middle overhang connected to either side is called a bridge. Generally, for bridge printing with a length of less than 36 mm, the sag is 0-0.5 mm, the bridge length is 36 to 60 mm, and the sag is 0.5-2 mm, and the bridge length is more than 60 mm, and the print is significantly sag 2-5 mm. However, these rules are not set in stone, because it depends on your materials and print settings.
c) Anything with a "T" overhang without any support will almost certainly cause errors in your prints. Only not enough to save material in this configuration.
Split the model into multiple parts
Another way to avoid supports is to divide the model into multiple parts so that each of them can lie flat. After the parts are printed, they can be bonded with adhesives such as cyanoacrylate (super glue) or solvents. This is especially useful for complex designs and larger prints.
Position the model correctly
Sometimes, just rotate the design to the proper printing direction to reduce support. For example, in the case of the above "T" print, the need for the support can be completely eliminated by laying the support flat on its back. You don't always need to make changes to the model to improve the results.
Anchor your print
Anchor the parts of the design above 45 degrees and connect them to different parts of the model to avoid overhanging. For example, in the first picture below, you can see the arm connected to the back. This is a good way to avoid drape, allowing you to print the design as a whole, while the model below has the arms straightened, which can cause some problems when printing.
1) Make sure your model is manifold
Sometimes when you are designing, there may be some small holes in your model. In theory, if you fill your model with water, it will leak. When designing a model, things that seem to be connected are actually not connected or may overlap each other, which can cause problems in 3D printing. There are many free software on the market that allow you to check and fix errors and loopholes in your files.
2) Print it yourself!
The best way to check if something can be 3D printed is to print it yourself. If you are not ready to invest in a 3D printer, you can use 3D printing design. These services have many different printing materials, from PLA to gold and porcelain.