[00:00] You don't want your 3D prints to break, and you don't want unnecessary layer lines, and worst of all, you don't want to be removing unnecessary support material. So here are some tips and tricks to help you have a better experience with 3D printing. This L shape could be 3D printed like
[00:15] this, but it could also be printed laying down like these two. So how can we easily make 3D printed parts stronger? Here we have three of the same shape. The first one was printed vertically standing up on the build plate and you could clearly see the layer lines. 3d printed parts are
[00:30] notoriously weak along layer lines but if you have to print this orientation I have a solution later in the video. The simplest and easiest solution that you could use is simply laying the part on its side when you're slicing it. Now you can see the horizontal layer lines and now it's a lot
[00:45] more difficult to break. Now you may have noticed something really interesting happening to the material while I was breaking it. This sharp corner produces what's called a stress concentration.
[00:59] To avoid stress concentrations, you could simply round any sharp corner that's under stress. And now the part is even more difficult to break. And you can see that the stress concentration is not nearly as extreme. Now how could you avoid
[01:15] unnecessary layer lines and unnecessary need to use support material It all comes down to how you place the object on the build plate Round features that are printed horizontally print perfectly smooth whereas vertical slopes
[01:27] show layer lines. But what if we have to print something in this orientation? Here we have a 3D printed gear. With the way it's designed now, I can easily break the axle off of the gear.
[01:42] And once again, all you have to do is simply round the corner slightly. It's a subtle change, but it'll make your 3D prints a lot stronger. Now the weakest spot is the spot with the narrowest cross section.
[01:56] And remember, a 3D print is only as strong as its weakest link. Don't forget how important the orientation is when you're slicing your objects. And avoid stress concentrations at all cost. I hope these tips and tricks help you during your 3D printing journey.
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[02:40] Thank you.