{"id":165856,"date":"2022-10-16T17:31:56","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T09:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=165856"},"modified":"2022-11-08T17:35:02","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T09:35:02","slug":"3d-printing-infill-the-basics-for-optimal-results","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/3d-printing-infill-the-basics-for-optimal-results","title":{"rendered":"3D Printing Infill: The Basics for Optimal Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 3D printing, infill plays an important role in a part’s strength, structure, and weight. Read on to learn more about it.<\/p>\n

In contrast to most other manufacturing techniques, 3D printing allows you to carefully control two mutually exclusive yet exhaustive aspects of a part:\u00a0exterior walls<\/a>\u00a0(or perimeters) and infill. The walls, however thick, form the outermost regions of the part, while the infill is whatever exists within them.<\/p>\n

Though you do have some amount of control over the walls, the infill is much more dynamic and plays a huge role in a part\u2019s strength, weight, structure, buoyancy, and more. In 3D printing, you have the ability to define a number of parameters that govern the type of infill used for a part. These parameters are set in a\u00a0slicer program<\/a>\u00a0when a 3D model is translated into\u00a0G-code instructions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The most important of these parameters fall under two fundamental aspects: infill density and infill pattern. In this article, we\u2019ll go over the basics of these aspects as well as some of the most common densities and patterns. But first, let\u2019s look at \u201cinfill\u201d across a couple of different manufacturing methods to better understand how it works in 3D printing.<\/p>\n

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3D Printing vs. Traditional Manufacturing<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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No “infill” here… (Source: Vision Engraving&Routing via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Infill in 3D printing is different from other, more traditional manufacturing methods. Let\u2019s use\u00a0injection molding<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0subtractive manufacturing<\/a>\u00a0as examples.<\/p>\n

Injection molding involves inserting material into a mold to form a part. As you can imagine, due to the nature of this method, controlling internal structures simply isn\u2019t possible. As a result, injection-molded parts are either solid or hollow (with gas injection molding), with no in-between.<\/p>\n

Subtractive manufacturing, like\u00a0CNC machining<\/a>, involves cutting material off of a larger piece of stock. Similar to injection molding, infill can\u2019t be adjusted, so the interior is completely solid.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 3D printing involves selective extrusion of material in almost any pattern. Let\u2019s take a closer look at different options for infill density and pattern.<\/p>\n

Density<\/h3>\n
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Infill density can significantly affect material consumption (Source: BozarthPrime via MyMiniFactory)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Infill density is the \u201cfullness\u201d of the inside of a part. In slicers, this is usually defined as a percentage between 0 and 100, with 0% making a part hollow and 100%, completely solid. As you can imagine, this greatly impacts a part\u2019s weight: The fuller the interior of a part, the heavier it is.<\/p>\n

Besides weight, print time, material consumption, and buoyancy are also impacted by infill density. So, too, is\u00a0strength<\/a>, albeit in combination with many other elements such as\u00a0material<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0layer height<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some slicers also allow for different infill densities within the same part. This is known as variable infill density, and specific settings in the slicing program allow you to specify any density changes\u00a0you want for different areas of your print. We\u2019ll return to this topic a little later.<\/p>\n

What Percentage Should I Use?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For most \u201cstandard\u201d prints that don\u2019t need to be super strong, we suggest using an infill density of 15-50%. This density percentage keeps print time low, conserves material, and provides okay strength.<\/p>\n

Functional prints need to be strong. Therefore, we recommend using a higher infill: more than 50% (don\u2019t be afraid of going as high as 100%). The setting is very high, so be prepared to wait longer for the print and to consume more filament. The payoff will be a stronger and heavier part.<\/p>\n

For small figurine models meant for display purposes only, you should consider using an infill density of 0-15%. This value will result in a fairly quick print and won\u2019t consume that much filament at all. Models printed with this range of density will be lightweight and not very strong.<\/p>\n

Finally, any infill density should work for parts printed in\u00a0flexible materials<\/a>\u00a0like\u00a0TPU<\/a>. Keep in mind, however, that the higher the infill density, the less flexible the part will be.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED SETTINGS<\/strong><\/h4>\n