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Best Practices for Optimizing Designs for 3D Printing in Onshape
ronda_rosay
Member Posts: 4 ✭
Hi everyone,
I've been exploring Onshape and am particularly interested in learning more about how to optimize my designs for 3D printing. What are some best practices or resources you would recommend for someone looking to improve their skills in this area?
Thanks for your help!
0
Comments
- I design pretty much all my parts to not require supports. Makes my life a lot easier. That means try to limit overhangs to less than 45 degrees. Small horizontal holes can be printed without doing anything special, in my experience.
- Thin sections in a horizontal direction (parallel to the layers) make for fragile prints.
- If you design a hole to the exact diameter of a bolt, you can just screw it in and it'll make its own threads (e.g., 5mm for M5). Add 0.4mm for a hole that won't interfere with the bolt.
- I have a (so far unpublished, buyer beware) custom feature that basically makes an up-to-with-offset counterbore. Good for fastening prints to things when I know what bolts I have and how much I want them to protrude (e.g., protrude 6mm, bolt is 10mm, so offset should be 4mm).
- Hollowing out your part to save material will probably not save you material and may make the part weaker. Judicious use of the Lighten feature, on the other hand, may add structural integrity.
You could get some ideas from studying Prusa parts (like in this assembly manual); they print a lot of their own parts, so they've really refined the practice.