3D Printing Tips

When 3D printing, a 3D model is imported into a slicing software that slices the model into many 2D layers that are stacked in the z-axis to produce a 3 dimensional object. Layer height is the z-axis thickness of each printed layer.

• Thicker layer heights will produce the model using less layers resulting in faster prints with less detail and more noticeable print lines.
• Thinner layer heights will produce the model using more layers resulting in longer print times and more detailed prints with less noticeable print lines.

Infill density quantifies the amount of print material within the internal cavities of a 3D print. Reducing infill for sections of the 3D printed object which do not need to be solid reduces the total material used and overall print time. The infill will be printed using a selected infill pattern in the XY plane. The most common patters are a triangular mesh, square mesh, or honey comb mesh.

• Infill density can be varied between 0%-100% typically in 5 or 10% increments.
• A solid piece has an infill density of 100%
• An outer shell has an infill density of 0%*

*Reduced infill density may result in failure of top most layers of a model because there is no support to prevent a collapse of a layer. It is recommended to print no less than

The outer layers of a 3D print makeup the shell. Setting the number of shells determines the thickness of the material making up the outer walls. Thicker shell walls will increase the strength of a print while increasing overall print time.

For models with overhangs that are greater than 45° it is recommended to use build supports. The support material is typically design to either breakaway easily or dissolve depending on the selected printer.

Support Type: Touching Build Plate: Supports are between the print bed and bottom of the model ONLY.

Support Type: Everywhere: Support are between the print bed and bottom of the model & between sections of the model that have overhangs greater than 45° above lower sections of the model.

Support density and patterns also can be varied based upon application.