Self-Supporting Bridge
Bridging features are geometries where a span between two areas is connected by a new layer of material.
Bridge features were tested at a variety of lengths from 2 mm to 12.5 mm.
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Bridges up to 2.5 mm may be printed with no supports.
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Bridges of up to 3 mm will print successfully but some separation may occur on the bottom facing layers.
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Supports should be added to bridges over 3 mm when possible.
Test part for self-supporting bridges
Self-Supporting Overhang
Overhanging features are printable without supports in some instances.
Self-supported overhangs were trialed from 0.5 mm to 3 mm, increasing in 0.5 mm increments.
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Overhangs up to 1 mm may be printed with no supports.
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Overhangs of up to 3 mm will print successfully but some separation may occur on the bottom facing layers.
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Supports should be added to overhangs over 1 mm when possible.
Test part for self-supporting overhangs
Self-Supporting Angles
Unsupported angles as shallow as 15° from horizontal are printable. For short distances, angles this shallow may be left unsupported.
Self-Supporting Horizontal Hole
Horizontal holes are built during the printing process through a series of overhanging layers. The overhang distance of each layer increases slightly as the hole is built.
Holes with their primary axis in the XY plane can print without the use of supports.
Horizontal holes are resolved as a series of increasing overhangs. If the largest overhang change is kept to 1 mm or less, then the hole may be printed with no supports.
Holes with a diameter of 25 mm or less may be left unsupported. For horizontal holes larger than 25 mm, supports are recommended. If bottom surface deformation is allowable, larger holes may be printed with no supports.