3D printing has opened up a world of possibilities for creating complex and customized models, from medical devices to industrial parts. But to get high – qualité, functional printed products, it’s crucial to meet specific requirements when designing 3D models. These requirements directly impact the stability, force, and accuracy of the final print. Dans ce guide, we’ll break down the essential requirements for 3D printing models, explain why each one matters, and share real – world examples to help you avoid common pitfalls.
1. Object Thickness: The Foundation of Print Stability
Object thickness is one of the most critical requirements for 3D printing models. It determines whether the printed part can withstand use and maintain its shape. If the wall thickness is too thin, the model may bend, casser, or even fail to print properly.
There are two main types of wall thickness to consider: support walls and non – support walls. Pour support walls (the structures that hold up overhanging parts during printing), the minimum recommended thickness is 0.4mm. Pour non – support walls (the main structural parts of the model), the minimum thickness should be at least 0.6mm.
Let’s take a real – life example. A small business wanted to 3D print custom phone cases. Initialement, they designed the case walls to be 0.3mm thick to save material. But during printing, many of the cases bent or cracked because they couldn’t support their own weight. After adjusting the wall thickness to 0.6mm (the minimum for non – support walls), the cases were strong enough to protect phones and had a 98% success rate in printing.
To help you keep track of the thickness requirements, here’s a simple table:
| Type de mur | Épaisseur minimale recommandée | Common Issues with Insufficient Thickness |
| Support Walls | 0.4MM | Flexion, breaking during printing |
| Non – Support Walls | 0.6MM | Faiblesse structurelle, print failure |
2. Closure: Ensuring the Model Is a Closed Entity
Closure means the 3D model must be a fully closed entity with no open edges or faces. Think of it like a water bottle—if there’s a hole, eau (or in 3D printing, resin or filament) can leak out, and the structure won’t be solid. Open edges or faces can cause the printer to misinterpret the model, leading to gaps, missing parts, or weak spots in the final print.
A product designer once worked on a 3D model of a small storage box. They forgot to close one of the corners, leaving an open face. When they sent the model to print, the printer created a box with a hole in the corner. The box couldn’t hold small items because of the gap. After using 3D modeling software to fix the open face and ensure the model was fully closed, the next print was perfect, and the box functioned as intended.
To check for closure issues, most 3D modeling software (like Blender or Fusion 360) has tools that highlight open edges. It’s a quick step that can save you time and material in the long run.
3. Normal Orientation: Avoiding Printing Errors
Normal orientation refers to the direction of the faces on the 3D model. Each face has a “front” and “back,” and the printer uses this orientation to determine which parts of the model to print. If the normal orientation is inconsistent (some faces are flipped), the printer may print parts of the model incorrectly—for example, leaving gaps or creating extra material where it’s not needed.
Imagine a 3D model of a toy car. If the normal orientation of the car’s door faces is flipped, the printer might not print the door properly, leaving a hole in the car’s side. A manufacturer of 3D printed toys faced this exact problem. They noticed that 15% of their toy cars had missing or malformed parts. After checking the normal orientation of the models and correcting flipped faces, the error rate dropped to less than 2%.
The good news is that fixing normal orientation is easy. Most 3D modeling tools have a “recalculate normals” function that ensures all faces are oriented correctly. It’s a simple step that can drastically improve print quality.
4. Manifoldability: Preventing Self – Intersections and Leaks
Manifoldability means the 3D model has no self – intersecting geometry or non – watertight errors. A manifold model is like a solid object—you can’t “push” a finger through it without breaking it. Non – manifold models have parts that overlap or connect in ways that don’t make sense physically, which can cause the printer to produce a messy, non – functional print.
Par exemple, a jewelry designer tried to 3D print a custom necklace pendant. The model had two parts that overlapped (a self – intersection), making it non – manifold. Une fois imprimé, the pendant had a clump of extra material where the parts overlapped, ruining the design. After fixing the self – intersection and ensuring the model was manifold, the pendant printed smoothly and looked exactly like the designer’s vision.
To test if a model is manifold, you can use software tools that check for non – manifold edges. These tools will show you where the model has errors so you can fix them before printing.
5. Géométrie: Staying Within the Printer’s Capabilities
Le géométrie of the 3D model must fit within the printing range of your 3D printer. This includes two key factors: the maximum print size and the minimum detail features.
D'abord, the model can’t be larger than the printer’s build volume. Par exemple, if your printer has a build volume of 200mm x 200mm x 200mm, you can’t print a model that’s 250mm tall—it won’t fit in the printer.
Deuxième, the model’s small details (like tiny holes or thin lines) must be larger than the printer’s minimum detail capability. Most consumer 3D printers can handle details as small as 0.1mm, but it’s best to check your printer’s specifications. If a model has a detail smaller than the printer’s minimum, that part may not print at all or may be distorted.
A hobbyist learned this lesson the hard way. Ils ont essayé d'imprimer un modèle d'un petit robot avec 0,05 mm – Antennes épaisses. Leur imprimante ne pouvait gérer qu'un détail minimum de 0,1 mm, donc les antennes n'ont pas imprimé. Après avoir augmenté l'épaisseur des antennes à 0,1 mm, Le robot a parfaitement imprimé, avec tous ses détails intacts.
6. Épaisseur minimale: Un chèque critique pendant le tranchage
Nous avons touché une épaisseur minimale plus tôt, Mais il est si important qu'il mérite une section distincte, en particulier pendant le processus de tranchage. Épaisseur minimale fait référence aux parties les plus minces du modèle, Et pendant le tranchage (Lorsque le modèle 3D est converti en couches pour l'imprimante), les pièces plus minces que le minimum recommandé peut causer des problèmes.
Pour les murs de soutien, Les pièces plus minces que 0,4 mm peuvent se plier ou se casser pendant l'impression car elles ne peuvent pas supporter le poids des pièces en surplomb. Même si vous avez conçu le modèle avec la bonne épaisseur minimale, Il est facile de manquer de petites pièces pendant le processus de conception. C'est pourquoi il est crucial de vérifier à nouveau l'épaisseur minimale pendant le tranchage.
A manufacturing company once had a problem with 3D printed brackets. The brackets had small support walls that were 0.3mm thick—below the 0.4mm minimum. During slicing, the software didn’t flag the issue, and the brackets bent during printing. After using slicing software to identify the thin support walls and thickening them to 0.4mm, the brackets printed successfully, with no bending or breaking.
Yigu Technology’s Perspective on 3D Printing Model Requirements
À la technologie Yigu, Nous comprenons que répondre aux exigences du modèle d'impression 3D est essentielle pour devenir élevé – Résultats de qualité. Nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec les concepteurs et les fabricants pour fournir des outils et un support qui facilitent la satisfaction de ces exigences. Notre logiciel d'impression 3D comprend des fonctionnalités qui vérifient la fermeture, orientation normale, et manifoldabilité, Et notre équipe offre une formation pour aider les utilisateurs à comprendre les limites minimales d'épaisseur et de géométrie. Nous croyons qu'en simplifiant ces exigences, Nous pouvons aider davantage de personnes à débloquer le plein potentiel de l'impression 3D - qu'ils créent des dispositifs médicaux, parties industrielles, ou projets de passe-temps.
FAQ
- Que se passe-t-il si un modèle 3D ne répond pas à l'exigence de fermeture?
Si un modèle 3D n'est pas fermé (a des bords ou des visages ouverts), L'imprimante peut produire une impression avec des lacunes, missing parts, ou points faibles. Le produit final peut ne pas être solide et pourrait se casser facilement. Pour résoudre ceci, Utilisez un logiciel de modélisation 3D pour trouver et fermer les bords ou les visages ouverts avant d'imprimer.
- Puis-je ignorer l'exigence d'épaisseur minimale si j'utilise un haut – terminer l'imprimante 3D?
Non, Même haut – fin 3D les imprimantes ont des limites en matière d'épaisseur minimale. Tandis que certains hauts – Les imprimantes finales peuvent gérer des pièces légèrement plus minces, en dessous du minimum recommandé (0.4mm pour les murs de support, 0.6mm pour non – support walls) augmente toujours le risque de pliage, rupture, ou défaillance d'impression. Il est toujours préférable de suivre les directives d'épaisseur minimale.
- Comment puis-je vérifier si mon modèle 3D est multiple?
La plupart des logiciels de modélisation 3D (comme le mélangeur, Fusion 360, ou sketchup) a des outils pour vérifier la manifoldabilité. Par exemple, dans Blender, vous pouvez utiliser le «SELECT NON – Mélous – intersections ou non – watertight errors. Une fois que vous avez identifié ces problèmes, Vous pouvez utiliser les outils d'édition du logiciel pour les réparer.