When I look at some available models online, I see a volume of material often supplied. Does that volume of material include the support material as well? I realize that different printing configurations/orientation will provide different supports, so it’s variable, so maybe I’m wondering just what percentage of my 5L jug of resin actually gets used as supports? When Perform lists the volume of material, does it include the supports?
Hi @Grandmaison, the supports are calculated into the resin volume calculation in PreForm.
It’s hard to say what % of resin is used for supports because it depends on what type of supports the model needs. Designing with 3D printing in mind becomes a game changer for faster and cheaper prints, dependent on the orientation and supports you use. PreForm identifies for us what type of supports the print needs (use the ‘magic wand’ icon) and if your part needs more support (areas on the model appear red).
Fun fact: almost all of Formlabs Sample Parts are printed directly on the build platform.
If you’re curious to learn more:
- Here’s a guide for model orientation.
- Check out this webinar: How to Design for Additive Manufacturing
Printing with supports because of part requirements
Printing directly on the build platform, enabled by part geometry:
You can see the material volume of the model in the corner on Preform prior to adding supports. If you track that volume, as well as the volume after supporting, you could easily calculate the %model v. %supports for a given print pretty quick. Bit tedious to track it by hand across an entire resin container, but very doable.
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I’ve found that trying to track exact mL of resin across a cartridge isn’t usually that helpful. I’m personally very frugal with the resin I use and try and plan/track as much of it as possible, but a lot of it gets lost to the wash, depending on the surface area and viscosity of each resin, so over time I stopped trying to track by hand. Would love to hear if you have a system that works for you