From 1984 when Charles Hull created the world’s first working 3D printer, the technology has gained a tremendous amount of momentum and 3D printers have found their way into an immense number of industries. This could be attributed to the drastic decrease in additive manufacturing (AM) costs.
At Factorem, we offer a plethora of additive manufacturing technologies and materials! And this whitepaper will guide you through the general guidelines to follow when designing a part to be 3D printed.
1. Product Design with Additive Manufacturing
3D printing a part offers significant advantages over traditional fabrication processes.
- Additive manufacturing offers decentralized manufacturing capabilities due to the portability and compactness of the 3D printers.
- This reduces logistical expenses and helps reduce the environmental impact of the process.
- Allows for low volume production without high start-up costs.
- Facilitates redesigning without high lead times and cost penalties.
Beyond the production advantages, additive manufacturing is not only transforming how industries manufacture, operate and distribute goods, but also is changing the manufacturing consumer experience.
Do take some time to read our whitepaper on 3D Printing Technologies to determine what method suits your prototyping needs here: 3D Printing Technologies.
2. Design for AM — SLA
Fabrication of parts using SLA (Stereolithography) is a type of drawing on the liquid surface of the resin, therefore features that are not directly above a particular layer will require support structures. These will need to be removed during post processing.
Parts manufactured using SLA will exhibit the staircase effect especially at curved or inclined surfaces. As this affects quality, there should be some emphasis on the orientation to be faced up to minimize this effect. Other orientation dependent factors that will need to be accounted for would be anisotropic characteristics, shrinkage, build time, trapped uncured material and nesting.
The post processing of SLA printed parts includes draining all the excess liquid resin. Minimizing narrow passages in the design would negate the risk of liquid getting stranded in narrow passages or niches and solidifying.
Overall, when choosing to fabricate a part using SLA, the constraints that need to be considered are part size to fit in the desired machines, feature size with respect to layer size, type of resin, layer thickness, support removal and secondary processes.
3. Design for AM — SLS
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) is one of the most straightforward types of additive manufacturing widely available in the status quo. As one of the main value propositions of SLS printing is the wide range of materials available, emphasis must be put into the choice of material during the part design. Despite the common usage of nylon materials for SLS, most available materials are offered by the equipment manufacturers. As such, the SLS machine would, to a certain extent, dictate the choices of materials that can be used.
SLS is best suited for parts with significant material properties. As they do not need support material, SLS is ideal to create complex geometries with inaccessible internal features.
4. Design for AM — FDM
FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) prints by molten plastic extrusion that hardens layer by layer forming a solid part. The resolution at which the part is printed must be chosen well in advance as the nozzle cannot be changed during the print. Overhanging and isolated features required support material when printed through FDM as well. However, the higher end FDM machines offer a water-soluble material that can be easily removed using an agitated bath.
Overall, FDM is suitable for parts that need to be stronger compared to SLA at the expense of sharpness and surface finish. Over the years of development, the print speed of FDM machines have improved over 500%. New developments have focused on including metals, ceramics and other useful materials into FDM printing.
5. Conclusion
When designing a component for 3D printing, the technology you choose is as critical as the material itself. As we've explored, each method from SLA to SLS and FDM, has unique design considerations and trade-offs. FDM is ideal for strong, functional parts where surface finish is less critical. SLA excels at producing high-resolution, aesthetically pleasing parts with fine details. SLS offers unparalleled design freedom for complex geometries without the need for support structures. By understanding these distinctions, you can optimize your designs for manufacturability, ensuring your final part meets your exact specifications for strength, aesthetics, and functionality.
At Factorem, we simplify the complex world of additive manufacturing. Our platform provides a clear and straightforward path to selecting the right technology and materials for your project. With our vetted network of manufacturers, you can be confident that your parts will be printed with precision and expertise, no matter the complexity. Get an instant quote today and start your next 3D printing project with confidence.
