The magic of 3D printing is that it can print parts from complex designs layer by layer. However, a lot of people don’t know that not all parts can be printed as some complex models cannot be printed successfully without support. In metal 3D printing, support is also necessary for some parts to be printed. This article will guide you on why does metal 3D printing need support in details.
Metal 3d-printed part with support by Eplus3D
Mechanics perspective
From the perspective of mechanics, solid objects need support to exist. Since the Earth has a strong gravitational force, no object on the Earth can get rid of the bondage of gravity. The balance will not be maintained if the support surface is not large enough. For this point, the support point needs to be increased to offset the gravity.
3D printing perspective
In metal 3D printing, residual stress is caused by hot and cold change, expansion and contraction. Defects occur when residual stresses exceed the tensile strength of the material or substrate, resulting in cracks in the part or substrate warping. To prevent warping, the right amount of support needs to be added in the right place.
In summary, there are two major advantages of support when printing:
1. It is the support structure which helps to strengthen and support the stability of parts and construction platform.
2. The support structure can prevent warping of parts and reduce the probability of failure in the process of parts construction.
With the continuous advancement of metal printing technology, Eplus3D is constantly developing new technologies to improve the efficiency and quality of metal 3D printing.
