{"id":1532,"date":"2022-04-05T18:02:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T18:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sybridge.com\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2024-04-22T11:51:20","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T16:51:20","slug":"support-structures-why-they-matter-and-how-to-design-for-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sybridge.com\/support-structures-why-they-matter-and-how-to-design-for-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Additive Support Structures: Why They Matter and How to Design for Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Additive manufacturing has ushered in a new era of manufacturing possibilities. 3D printing technology enables us to create previously \u2018unmakeable\u2019 parts, featuring complex dimensions and angles, with unprecedented speed and precision. However, the nature of the additive manufacturing process<\/a>, in which material is added layer by layer, often means that parts require support to manage internal pressure\u2013essentially, the force of gravity\u2013during the print. Without that support, additive layers can\u2019t be held up by the material around them and collapse, causing the print to fail. To address this challenge, we must sometimes design support structures into our 3D printed parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure you maximize the potential of your 3D printed part for speed, quality, and cost, it\u2019s important to understand support structures and how they should be integrated into your additive manufacturing project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Support Structures in 3D Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Support structures hold up elements of a 3D printed part which have no supporting material during manufacture. Not all 3D printing processes require support structures: while the Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Carbon Digital Light Synthesis\u2122 (DLS), and Stereolithography (SLA) processes often require supports, HP Multi Jet Fusion, which is a powder bed printing process, does not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) additive manufacturing process, for example, layers of heated extruded material are built up from a print bed by adhesion to the material layers below them and may overhang those lower layers in order to create an angled surface. When that angle exceeds 45\u00b0 the overhanging element generally requires support or the weight of the unsupported material will cause the element to collapse and the print to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left:<\/strong> If the overhang is 45\u00b0 or less taken from the vertical, support are generally not needed
Right:<\/strong> If the overhang is greater than 45\u00b0 taken from the vertical, supports are generally needed<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Where supports are required, they must be integrated into the part design and printed into the part when it is produced. Of course, this means accounting for the extra time and material that will be required during the 3D printing process and the subsequent post-process removal of the support structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exceptions:<\/strong> Not all additive manufacturing methods require support structures. While 3D printing technologies such as fused deposition modeling (FDM) print parts by adding layers of material to a print bed, others, such as HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) print parts from a powder bed. Since the layers of powder are self-supporting, HP MJF part designs do not need to incorporate support structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Types of Support Structures are Available?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Support structures for 3D printed parts vary in design and type but can be broadly organized into two categories: \u2018trees\u2019 and \u2018fences\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n