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Slant 3D Blog

How to Design a 3D Printed Product for Manufacturing

8/30/2020

33 Comments

 
Basic rules and tips to get started designing a product for high volume 3D Printing.

Molding Design Does not Apply

This is a problem that plagues the industry. Designers conditioned to use molding do not adjust for the new process. 3D Printing is not injection molding. It is a different process. Just as you use difference rules when using wood rather than plastic, so to should you use different rules when considering 3D Printing or Injection Molding. If cost is the driving factor lead how 3D Printing compares to Injection Molding on Pricing.
Picture
An Injection Molded Design. Requires cavities and Thin walls to be produced
Picture
A 3D Printed design. Lightweight and Filled with a honeycomb for optimal material use, strength and appearance

Round, Smooth, Fat

Here is the fundamental rule for designing a product for optimum production with FDM 3D Printing. If nothing else remember this when designing for FDM 3D Printing.

Work to minimize Surface Area and do not worry about Volume

This leads to several key design traits that should be paid special attention to.
  1. Abandon Ribs and Hollowing. These features add surface area and better structures can be created by the 3D Printing process itself with much less material. So fill every cavity and merge features into walls.
  2. Fillet and Round every edge. Sharp corners not only increase print time but can make a part more difficult to print. It is better to round ever edge as far as possible.
Picture
Evolution from molding-inspired design to fully 3D Printing optimized design of a yoke for a toy product

Always design with a Single Flat/Datum Edge.

FDM 3D Printing works by laying down one layer after another using a nozzle depositing melted plastic that hardens. This process must begin on the bed of the printer. Often glass. So every 3D Printed part should be designed to allow for this single flat side to be present. Do note that this side will likely have a difference texture from the rest of your part.
Picture
Every Part in the Photo is 3D Printed. Notice that each piece has a single flush/flat face.

Everything Else

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) is a an entire discipline that could fill textbooks. But here are the remaining design tips that you might need in one single chart. Though let us highlight a couple.
  1. No feature smaller than 1mm. This applies to walls and surfaces. It can be embellished a bit, but this the optimum for low cost production and good quality parts.
  2. No overhang Steeper than 30 degrees from horizontal. Again this is not universal and some parts will need a gentler overhang than that )i.e. 45 degrees). But this is certainly the max in most cases.
Picture
This chart is a good starting point for design of 3D Printed Parts.
33 Comments
emily bennette link
1/26/2021 10:14:19 pm

This is some really good information about 3D printing. It does seem like this would help you with prototyping a product. To me, it seems like it would want to get an engineer to help with that process. It seems like you would have to do a little less planning.

Reply
saravanan anna ramarao
7/12/2021 09:42:55 am

We are into injection molding manufacturing and making parts to Korean multinationals. Please give us your input for further. Thanks
Saravanan a rao
Opertion head

Reply
Hailey Miller link
8/19/2021 09:46:54 pm

Thanks for pointing out that 3D printing and injection molding use different rules. I would imagine that any manufacturing industry would want to use high-quality equipment and tools to get the job done. I think they should look for 3D printing services that can create more exciting designs for their organization.

Reply
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9/20/2021 04:42:11 pm

I like your printing tips. I need to get a printer for school. I need to print my essays from home.

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10/21/2021 05:01:20 am

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1/7/2022 12:14:49 pm

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1/16/2022 11:21:55 pm

Thanks for sharing this informative post.

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1/28/2022 07:50:14 pm

I appreciate that you said that you can produce products with less cost production because of the 3D printing. My best friend told me about finding a 3D printing service that can help him test his new concept project, he asked if I had any idea what is the best option to do. Thank you for the information, I'll be sure to tell him that it will be much better if he consults a well-known 3D printing service as they can help him with his concerns.

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4/11/2022 12:42:33 am

There is not one unique way to 3D print. Indeed, when thinking about 3D printing, a lot of people are still thinking about the FDM process. But 3D printing is much more than that.

There are actually several possibilities, and technologies to create parts additively. The choice of your 3D printing technology and the material will be determined by your project. What properties do you need? What resistance?

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4/13/2022 10:25:01 am

This article is amazing to really understand 3D Printed Product Design. The Design can really be very important to make sure that the 3D print is the best possible. Where would you recommend to design if I wanted to start doing it myself?

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4/14/2022 07:39:32 am

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4/18/2022 12:11:01 am

This is an amazing article! Throughout the article, I was engrossed in the story. It's interesting to learn about the power of 3D printing and how it can be used to build amazing things. This technology, in my opinion, should be taught to students beginning in school. Is 3D printing appropriate for the art and jewellery industries? What about the precision?

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11/14/2022 08:56:32 pm

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  • Production 3D Printing Quote
  • Products and Services
    • Production 3D Printing >
      • How to Use Production 3D Printing
      • 3D Printed Part Properties
      • Technology
      • 3D Design and Engineering
      • Product Fulfillment
    • Angled.io
    • Slant Promotions
    • Slant 3D Printing API
  • About
    • Past Clients
    • Contact
  • Blog