Wall thickness is considered as one of the most important aspects when it comes to 3D printing preparation. When the wall thickness is not right (too thin or too thick), problems and issues relating to 3d design and quality may be encountered.
Having a better understanding when it comes to wall thickness is important so that you can successfully print 3D parts. As a guide, here is a blog post on what is wall thickness and how it affects 3D prints.
Wall thickness is defined as the distance between one surface of the 3D model and its opposite surface. It is the required thickness that a 3D model should have.
Since many 3D printing problems are caused by inappropriate wall thickness, it is important that the wall thickness of the 3D model is assigned correctly.
The printable wall thickness of a 3D model will depend on many factors. These factors may include materials used, size and overall design of the 3D part. Here are some basic guidelines and things to be considered for wall thickness.
For strong materials such as stainless steel and titanium, the minimum wall thickness can go as thin as 0.3mm and 0.4mm respectively.
Minimum wall thickness may depend on the structure and the design of the 3D part. For instance, when printing using high-detailed stainless steel with a vertical surface of 5mm2, the wall thickness must be 0.3mm. However, for stainless steel with a vertical wall surface of 100mm2, the wall thickness must be 1mm.
For materials such as metals, it is vital to consider the maximum wall thickness since thicker sections can generate too much internal stress .
Walls that are too thick are sometimes not printable. To avoid it from happening, the best solution is to make the 3D model hollow and foresee holes to let the powder flow out.
When the wall thickness of a 3D part is incorrect, several issues and mistakes may be encountered. These issues may include breaking off easily, cracking, and even 3D parts will be not printable.
Thus, it is crucial to consider certain factors such as size of the 3D part, materials and 3D printing technology used, overall design when deciding the wall thickness of the 3D model.
Here are some simple guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary issues regarding wall thickness.
After the modelling phase, you may notice that some software such as Blender will only ask you to give a proportion and not the unit of your 3D file. It is crucial to pay extra attention to both scale and size of a 3D model.
For example, when creating architectural models, it can be possible to print a 3D model with a scale of 1/10 but impossible to do the same at 1/250.
Each 3D printing material has different specifications. Thus, it is important to check the guidelines of a specific material.
Below is a short list of required or minimum wall thickness for some 3D printing materials:
When it comes to wall thickness, it is important to consider the structure and geometry of the 3D model. Issues regarding overhang are sometimes the cause of bad 3D prints.
To avoid this issue, using support structures can hold the 3D part during the printing process. Support structures can be removed manually and or by dissolving it.
To produce good 3D prints, here are some tips to keep in mind as you design 3D parts.
Assigning wall thickness is a crucial part of designing and modelling phase. Thus, 3D printing engineers and designers must have good attention to details. When done wrong, it can significantly affect the overall design and functionality of the 3D part.
If you have troubles on assigning wall thickness and other 3D printing-related issues, it will be a better idea to seek help from professionals. There is a 3D printing service provider in Sydney that is capable of meeting all your 3D printing needs.